• Leslie Knight on The Skype WiFi Phone

  The skype wifi will be a great thing especially at home where wifi is already in use and a simple range expander will carry your wifi phone out to the barn or south 40 with external antenna access. Note to manufacturers: Please make hardware with external antenna connections. Repeat: High gain antenna capability is a must.

• Jeremy Green on The Skype WiFi Phone

  Does anyone have details on how the unit is going to handle stations requiring sign-up or WEP key? Seems very restrictive if it cannot handle anything other than open Wifi access points.

• Bill Campbell on The Skype WiFi Phone

  Hey Paul!

  Good point about being a mobile operator!!!!!!

• Paul Jardine on The Skype WiFi Phone

  I have also used Skype frequently in hotspots, using a laptop mainly, but I think this story says a lot about Skype's strategy.
  It would appear that they are going after the mobile market. Developing a piece of hardware to do what Januus suggests doesn't point to them thinking strategically in terms of having Skype on the desktop; what they want is Skype for everyone, everywhere.
  I don't think authentication will be an issue at all, after all they have a central authorization already, they just need to forward it to the relevant Wifi provider (I'd love to work on this!) After that it's pretty much like telecom interconnect, and Skype can debit your Skype balance with a relevant amount. As they are much bigger than any wifi provider they will be able to get some good deals.
  If I was a mobile operator, I would be afraid, very afraid. :)
  

• hmose on The Skype WiFi Phone

  Well, of course we have that now with any PDA w/ fast processor and wifi card. My Axim X5 was doing this a year ago. Now I do it w/ faster PDA phone Siemens SX66 w/ cingular for GSM Cell service and then WIFI SKYPE in the coffee shops. There are plenty of free coffee shops etc.

• jyden on The Skype WiFi Phone

  from Share Skype:
  Hi Jaanus
  Tell us more. Tell us more (mp)
  Life is funny and exiting some days :)

  mgough says:"to consider that in order to use many Wi-Fi HotSpots like Boingo, Starbucks, Airports etc... we would need a way to login to that network to gain Wi-Fi access."

  Yes and that better be an esay way, having to add a yardlong alfanumeric keycode could be a real stoppper.
  Also I hope that, this mean it would not be confined to use only in Skypezones?
  I am dreaming of esay transition from one spot to the next. So if you 'spot' your freind in a neighbour cafe no hazle is needed, many places here use the same provider.
  TN

• Stuart Henshall on The Skype WiFi Phone

  I'd make a few guesses... that this will be in retail before the Christmas season. That it will retail for under $150 and we will probably see it for even less.

  The proposition for it is easy. In this hand you have Vonage a deal which you may get for free with various rebates and for which you commit yourself to $25+ per month. Now in the other hand I have Skype Wi-Fi and for a one up payment of a little over a hundred you can call the whole world for free. There is no question which deal is more appealing. Make it small enough and it will get carried around as well. It will obviously integrate easily.

  For Skypers it may become a no brainer. Both the PC and the handset can ring when you are at home. Let's just hope they provide colour face plates and new ring tones so each family member can have one. I would like four! Is there a deal for that?

• continued in the Skype Journal Comment River: 200 fresh comments

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