Here's three Skype products that aim to enhance your Skypeing experience that leaves me questioning exactly what I'm buying with Skype Certified. The three products are the VoSky Chatterbox, Jawbone Headset and the Motorola Wireless Interenet Calling Kit. Each provide a different angle on bettering the standard Skyper's headset and as you might expect each has their pro's and con's.

VoSky Chatterbox.

This simple USB device provides an easily portable plug and play speakerphone for Skype. It's simple to use and requires no additional software to be loaded. It has a volume and mute button on top and works probably as expected, as a low cost speakerphone. I'd liken it to the solution we had as kids when we could finally plug in a speakerphone box between the old phone and the whole family sat around. In principle great, in practice it left something to be desired. The Chatterbox is a little like this. It works. It's also no substitute for a decent headset. The caller on the other end of the line will know and possibly complain. Handsfree solutions curently work better with a good set of speakers and a proper stand mic. Locate them correctly and the caller won't get a any feedback. Many laptops work as good as the Chatterbox. If you feel the need try it. Just don't expect it to be a Polycom and ready for the office. For kids it may be more robust than a headset - read youngsters talking to Grandma.

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We've looked at the buzz before.. Will eBay help to build Skype's Blogpulse score? No surprise that downloads apparently jumped after the announcement.

Hmmmm.... Five million new registered users in the last three months? No big deal. In fact if I was running Skype I'd be concerned if I didn't know already that the registered user number is grossly overstated. In gross terms this is the way the IM industry appears to count. Even then I'm not sure the players count apples and apples. For example in Yahoo you can have more than one alias on one account. How many registered users is that? In Skype each name is counted as a different user. In real terms like the downloads it's just another fiction. Here's why.

When we look at the last three months we see approximately five million new registered users. Cool, they just broke 50 million. Growth has apparently slowed. Skype added only 10% in the last three months. So what is this five million number comprised of. What does it mean?

1. Legitimate New Users. These people are new to Skype have never registered before and are just getting started. A percent will download and forget it after the first few experiments. I have no figures on abandonment. What would it be? How many percent over the first six months? 10% or 50%? Perhaps 10% even before they make a calI and 15% before the second call. (Part of the no buddies connundrum and no free minutes). So the conversion loss could be quite high. Users install to satisfy a friend or family member. Others add it and then don't get enough of their social network across. It's a hard life for a new user. Skype knows this and has added all sorts of features to help. Import contacts, toolbars etc. The more contacts / buddies a person has the more power the application provides.

2. Aliasing: Many users want more than one name. Each registration counts as a new one. The fact is for the most part users aren't running these as multiple lines on multiple computers. They log in and off. They may use one for SkypeMe and another for more legitimate business. I've lost count of how many names I've registered. I'm not alone. Most of those names are idle. I'd think most new users will over time end up with at least two names.

3. Name churn. My daughter churns her AOL name quite often as do many of her friends. It's a way of cleansing their buddylist. The more youthful Skype's appeal, the greater the likelihood that "churn" has an impact. While I doubt 1 in 10 users churned their name in the last three months, given the base (45 million) churn could now have a significant impact on the growth of new registered names. Thus the larger the Skype user base, the more churn in new registrations we get.

Now there is another way to look at the 5 million new registrations. If we saw five million new users then at a minimum we would say we had added 10%. If all else remains equal then we would expect the number of active users online to have increased similarly. At the end of May the daily peak for active users concurrently online was consistently through the 3 million mark and I think reached approx 3.25 million. Since then, growth of active users online appears is static (at best). That means the number of new registration is significantly lower. Alternatively, many abandoned Skype in the period.

Separately, don't underestimate the impact of summer, college kids at home, perhaps less access to broadband. Skype surged last September and I'd expect it to surge again this September. Plus some Skypers share an account. So that's one registered account but two Skypers. A number Skype has been releasing that does matter is the number of SkypeOut users (round to 2 million). A good portion of those are using it daily. Separately Skype has quoted that 30% of Skypers use it for business. So they are online all the time too.

In the end it's all guesswork.

Conclusions:

1. Nowhere near 5 million new Skype users have been added in the last three months.
   
2. The registered user number does not represent with any degree of accuracy actual Skype user numbers. It is more materially wrong than right.
   
3. Many factors account for the difference, behavior, peer groups, legitimacy, size of buddylist, SkypeOut,early experiences, etc.
   
4. My number on unique Skype users last seven days would be 12.5 million tops. I'm happy for Skype or you to prove me wrong.

Finally the only numbers that matter is the number of users that have conversations and exchanges each day. Be nice to know how many actually held calls and how long those calls lasted for. The health of the community is in the numbers. The 50 million may make it seem like Skype is the gorilla. In fact Skype is still an ant and the definite underdog. People like underdogs. Perhaps Skype will come clean and report more representative numbers. Unless of course they are trying to sell.

For a great set of pictures created by Skype users see the Skype blog. While some want it on the moon others want it cheaper.

Nick Starr on gaming the system to get Skype at hot spots even cheaper. It will require an investment. "Love to use Skype, but find that you are constantly adding funds to your account? Trying to figure out why you are using Skype instead of Vonage? Well let me tell you how to use Skype for $7.95/month….wait…NOT EVEN….IT'S FREE!!!!"

Jirong, solution won't make it cheaper however does make contact and call management simpler. He shares his Outlook solution for Skype. Many similarities to Skylook. I've not tested it yet. See Avantlook Basic Edition release 1.0.33

Now is Skype on the block or not? I think not.
Still the Cringely rumor on Skype spreads via Reuters and AlwaysOn Simon says "Too Early" and then "Oops Time to Sell" and points to VoIPBuster Tim Draper says it's independent and should remain so. Still tomorrows world could be dramatically different.

The FCC appears to provide more insanity on wiretapping. :

he Federal Communications Commission issued an Order on Friday which requires facilities-based broadband access service providers and interconnected VoIP providers to be prepared to accommodate law enforcement wiretaps. The Commission found that these services can essentially replace conventional telecommunications services currently subject to wiretap rules under the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA). Providers have been given 18 months from the date of this order to be in compliance. broadband ? News ? FCC Orders Wiretap Compliance - ISPs, interconnected VoIP providers given 18 months

Frustrated by not being able to share your online presence at your favorite social networking site? Want to add your Skype presence information and contact details to Typepad or Yahoo360 (not on Yahoo360!)? Perhaps even a business or calling card to your website or blog. Or include your contact information and online status as part of your signature in a forum or on an email.

About a year ago I wrote about a Jyve Card and have used it ever since on my personal website. When you click on the Skype Card button up pops a new window with my contact details, my online status and various ways to get in contact with me. A business card and mini profile all in one.

Click to open my Skype Card.
Which scaled down looks like this:

To get your own Skype Card, just do the following.

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These are examples of Jyve's new website tags. Jyve Tags enable you to add all sorts of new contact methods to your web and blog pages. For example you can only get IM messages off your blog pages. Similarly you could enable a Voice Message function. Thus anyone that has Skype and Jyve installed can send an IM or VM that is launched just by clicking on the page. This functionality even extends to conference calls and multi-chats. To use tags like these you need to download Jyve

These are some tags that work with my Skype ID.

Call to:

Profile:

Chat Message to me:

Leave a Voice Mail:

Visitors reaching a site with Jyve Tags that don't have Skype or Jyve installed will get a mouse over reminder that the feature is only available when both programs are installed. At the moment Jyve is only available for Windows.

Ever miss an important Skype call? Want to forward your inbound Skype Calls to your mobile phone and are willing to spend a few SkypeOut minutes to do it? Jyve offers a quick and easy solution to make it happen. More importantly you can forward calls from specified buddies or anyone.

To add call forwarding for your Skype.

1. Download Jyve Web Tools
2. Activate the "Advanced ON"
3. Select Call Forwarding
4. Point Jyve to your phone number or the Skype name you want to forward calls to.
5. Make sure you have a paid up SkypeOut balance. You pay for calls forwarded.

Note the same feature will also act as a ringer. Ringing your home phone and letting you know that your PC has a Skype caller.

How does it work?
When Jyve Skype Forwarding is active, your calls will be forwarded to the number or Skype name you have specified. Jyve enables call forwarding by sending the caller a text message (well not yet on SkypeIn) that the call is being forwarded. Then Jyve creates a conference call, muting the mic and speakers on your PC and connecting the Skype call to your mobile or another telephone or Skype client. It's a simple solution. When the callers hang up the conference bridge ends. Jyve is then ready to forward the next call.

Broadcast your online presence. Forward Skype calls. Share web pages and more. Jyve reinvented is ready for download. Jyve's a small Skype plug-in program that enables you to enhance your Skype experience. It's the first really effective personal presence server for Skype. It allows you to share your "presence" status (online, away, offline etc.) on your blog, in corporate directories, on a forum etc.

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Jyve relaunched over the weekend with a new set of WebTools to create the first really interactive Skype enabled websites. Jyve WebTools is a free program that partners with Skype to do things you could never do before. From call forwarding to online "presence" data. You can download it here.

When Skype provided the SkypeMe button and linked it to a callto:// tag, many bloggers began asking for more. Presence indicators that show online status, the desire to get text messages rather than calls etc. It's also why I've kept pushing on "presence" and "presence strategies" for these solutions have huge implications for businesses. So here's why this version of Jyve is a big stealthy idea. It's the prototype for a revolution in online presence. Jyve may have a few months on Skype (it's in the works at Skype) and the Jyve WebTools will evolve. Jyve puts the control of "web presence information" and contact capabilities in your hands under your control. You can share it where you like and turn it on or off when you like. You can be offline on your website and online for your buddies. A first look at a future where you control your presence information and decide who will be your presence agent(s).

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Ashod's WigiWigi Video application has moved to the beta stage.

The User Interface is still a bit crude for mom to use but the one-to-one video quality and fluidity is setting the bar higher for all contenders in this market.

I will be doing more testing during the week and keep you posted. Right now it is for geeks only. But I don't think it will be that way for long.

To SkypeOut to London numbers, be sure to (a) leave out the leading "011" if you're calling from North America and (b) put a "+" in front of the phone number. Everyone is ringing; I got a "The phone network is busy at the moment" message.

No Skype staff were hurt in today's bombings, as far as we know.

Here's wishing all of our London friends the best.

Damn.

Update

Tip - Add additional information to the name field in your Skype profile to add additional information about your whereabouts or status. Helpful to let others know your timezone, location, or even that you are ok in a moment like this.

Jaanus, Share Skype blog

By Peter Henning, Skype Super User and Beta Tester. Bucharest, Romania

Today we got a brand new toy from Skype, it is called Skype for Outlook. It integrates into Microsoft Outlook, the email and calendaring program in Microsoft's Office Suite.

This toolbar enables you to use Skype directly from Outlook and should work on all versions of Outlook beginning from version 2000 onwards on both Windows XP and Windows 2000. Skype for Outlook is a plugin for Skype therefore Skype needs to be installed on your system for the toolbar to work. As a side note, Outlook is a different product than Outlook Express which comes free with Windows and this toolbar will NOT work with Outlook Express.

Okay, nice new toy, but do you need it?

To answer this question you need to ask yourself if you are still using mail or have you moved on? To be honest I don't really use mail for personal communication anymore, but do get a lot of business related mail from people I know, which is why I love this toolbar.

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Besides the fresh new face lift to skype.com you can find a new Windows release Version: 1.3.0.51

The Change Log reports:

Don't select Help>Check for Update since it doesn't work. Go here.

Read the Change Log here.

Nice to have auto answer back! (See Tools>Options>Advanced)

Skype keeps look'in better with every release.

How much value is there to rumors? Will Skype get sold to Yahoo? Who benefits? Skype probably benefits from rumors like this. Perhaps even Yahoo does. I wonder what the impact is on Yahoo shares today? (YHOO)

My perspective is it is way too early for Skype to move. The brand Yahoo adds nothing to Skype and potentially hampers long term Skype strategy. Yahoo sees the world from a Portal and desktop point of view. By contrast Skype is working toward the mobile market. Yes, potentially complementary. Would Yahoo leave Skype alone?

Perhaps the most interesting market for a business deal would be Japan. There Yahoo and Skype could find some consumer synergies around Yahoo's broadband offer. LiveDoor has also been successful. The real prize will be around the social networking aspects and real-time calling. I don't think Skype has the tech done yet to announce such a deal. Still, in the East they don't have the same hangups about ID's and aliases. Thus if there is to be a rumor... forget Yahoo! USA and look to where Skype has made interesting inroads. Asia is the place to look!

It might be too soon for Skype to be cashing out, and I am not sure if Yahoo can justify the big ticket valuation that would be slapped on Skype. There maybe a revenue share deal in the offering! That would make my recent post on Skype, more relevant. Om Malik

The rumor started here, went here, and is now here. I still see few benefits for Skype in this. Then I've missed the picture before.

Will mobility for Skype be a likely outcome of this acquisition reported by Voice & Data yesterday?

For those unfamiliar with BenQ I have this photo of their booth at the huge Computex IT show in Taipei May 31 to June 5.

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Last night found me at the London Geek Dinner, something that Euan told me on Monday was once organized as an intimate dinner for Robert Scoble by a few friends. As bashes go this was probably one of the larger ones. Over 200 signed up to attend. It's been well reported on the wiki and Flickr. I particularly enjoyed meeting Kosso, Andrew Smit, Neville Hobson. I was bummed that I missed out on seeing Johnnie Moore and Tom Coates. Apparently both in the crowd.

I find the "virtuous circle" these events set up interesting. Attendees and bloggers alike build their community and everyone's blog benefits. Geek blogger or not, I shared the lesson with Jaanus who's just kicked off the share.skype blog. I suggested that like Robert he start promoting that he reads 1000 blogs a day and has them all in his news reader. Then as his traffic builds that a trackback from his blog like Robert's could become enought to kick many blogs into a higher orbit. (Just need to get the Share.Skype Blog to accept trackbacks and be willing to send them!) The reciprocity is Robert gets far more comments, than he gives out and everyone wins. As I understood it from Robert's talk he's the only Microsoft evangelist without a portfolio. He's just at large!

Thanks to Robert and Hugh Macleod for providing the excuse to get us all together.

Spontania web site claims...

Video is hot!!!

Congratulations Spontania. Good for you.

The list of Known issues in Skype for Windows 1.3 Beta seems onerous.

I only recommend it for the brave and for those who want to monitor how Skype is evolving its new user interface (awesome).

Phil Wolff, one of my partners had this to say, "Skype should sit on this until it's fully baked. They shouldn't mess with their "It Just Works" by releasing alpha quality code as beta. Defects that cause computers to freeze or crash (100% of CPU) should put a public release on hold." I agree.

Video4Skype is clearly a hot item. Slashdot picked up the story today. According to a spontania representative: “we had 3000 downloads just in 24hrs and our server got colapsed. Right now it is up and running so you can proceed to download it.” In my experience that makes it the hottest Skype add-on ever.

The product also received coverage on the PRZoom Newswire.

Nicolas asked me to remove his Skype User ID form the pic in my previous post because he was getting too many requests for authorizations. (Girls… he is happily married.)

I have tested with about a dozen users now. So just how good is it?

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Nicolas, a fellow beta tester in France, and I just tested the new Video4Skype a new 3rd party API Plug-in

Skype like and slick, one minute to download and install. I really liked its excellent colour renditioning.

It features:
• No network configuration
• End-to-End encryption
• Free

It is strictly one 2 one video conferencing for now.

It is a Beta 0.8 version and as such still suffers from a fair amount of pixilation.

The video bandwidth comsumption was medium to high. I was uploading at 8 Kb per second and downloading at 18 KB. I will test this further today.

I highly recomend test driving this product.