So I am writing this article while having a Skype video conference with my brother. This is the guy who introduced me to the Plantronics DPS Headset four years ago. I bought three. Incredible audio quality. So after 30 minutes Jim says, "Where's your headset!" He never noticed. I am using the new Skype Certified Polycom Communicator Speaker Phone and no one can tell I am not using my Plantronics Headset. Even, apparently in video. A very professional product. I will have more to share with you on testing the Polycom Communicator tomorrow. (In the meantime just go buy one.)

Skypecasting

The announcement of Skype's Skypecasting service is second in importance only to the announcement of Skype on August 31st 2003. Forget the fact you can have a conference call with 100 people. 100 is just a numbers game. Skypecasting changes forever the idea of podcasting. Blogging will be different after today. This is the wide channel. Skype in 2003 was mostly about you and someone else communicating, 1 to 1. Of course in 2004 we had conferencing of up to 5. But they were mostly private affairs. Family, cliques. Skypecasting is about groups, about public. About conversations: moderating, facilitation, sharing. Skype is about global connections and exchanges. Skypecasting is your village, your pub, your community. Live, real-time, now.

You need to play with Skypecasts. It is more than cool.

It is drop dead simple. Create a topic. Invite people. Join Phil and I in our first public Skypecast at 9 PM Pacific time for a town hall meeting called Skype Journal forum - Today's Skype Announcements - Good, Bad, Great, or Useless?". Caution: the site isn't ready for public consumption until noon Wednesday London time. So don't be surprised if there is a little breakage or a few mid-session changes.

Go to http://skypecasts.skype.com.