A $39.99 box the size of a coffee mug, the FREETALK Connect.me lets Americans plug your dumb phone into your Ethernet network. Your phone rings when someone Skypes you or calls your SkypeIn phone number. You can call out to phone numbers using your Skype credits or your SkypeOut subscription. And you can call Skype users if you add them to a “speed dial” list. Just don’t try to dial 911 or another emergency phone number; Skype will refuse to pass the call through to avoid regulation.
Phone geeks call this an ATA device, short for analog telephone adapter or analogue terminal adapter, connecting an old style phone with a VoIP service. Previous third-party Skype ATAs all died horrible deaths, languishing in warehouses, returned to retailers, or stuck in my old-electronics-waiting-for-recycling box. What makes the Connect.me different?
A few things. First, this is a smarter ATA, not requiring your desktop computer running Skype except to set things up, assign a Skype name, pay credits, or change your speed dial list. Second, setup may be simple, but Skype didn’t send press test units in advance of today’s announcement, so I won’t be able to attest to that.
Some downsides. Freetalk isn’t worried about sound quality; your home phone’s microphone and speakers won’t do justice to Skype wideband audio anyway (G.722, G.729 and Skype NWC codecs). No emergency dialing. It uses an additional power outlet, and is wide enough to require three outlets on a power strip. It occupies one of your router’s few Ethernet ports; no WiFi. It may ring on non-Skype calls. If you use multiple Connect.mes, you’ll have to install the Safari browser on your PC to configure them. You won’t be sending caller ID but you’ll be able to see incoming IDs.
Clearly Hong Kong’s Freetalk, on behalf of Skype, hopes this smarter ATA (SkypeKit inside?) will sell. Freetalk failed to bring its much more expensive Freetalk Connect•All multiline small business phone system to market at $2000. The Connect.me is more their style, cheaper than many Skype headsets.
Skype investors will appreciate Connect.me too, as it spreads Skype’s dialtone so more people are available to make and take Skype calls 24×7. Skype wants your phone to ring when you are away from your home computer or when your mobile phone is off.
User Tip: Dial ** before a number to force the call to Skype. Dial # first to force the call through your local phone company.
From the Skype store FAQ:
What Skype features are supported on the FREETALK® Connect•Me Phone Adapter?
Free, unlimited Skype-to-Skype calls (up to 99 speed dials/Skype contacts)
Calls to landlines and mobiles domestically as well as internationally.
Can I access my Skype address book?
Yes, once you have completed the set up on your computer, your phone adapter will be automatically synced up with your Skype account. So all your Skype contact details and numbers will be ready to use.
Can I make Skype-to-Skype calls to other devices, such as mobiles and Skype-ready TVs?
Yes, you can contact anyone on Skype regardless of the device they are using.
How do I add credit?
Buy your first credit amount online by clicking on ‘buy credit’ at Skype.com. If you select the ‘auto-recharge’ option, Skype will recharge your account automatically when it falls below $2 so you do not unexpectedly run out of credit.
Can I receive calls?
Yes, if someone calls you, your home phone will ring and you can answer as normal.
My landline and router are not close to each other, can I still use the home phone adapter?
Your landline socket and router do need to be near each other as they both connect to the home phone adapter. However, you can purchase a ‘Powerline Adapter kit’ which extends an ethernet network connection to any electrical outlet.
I only want to use my home phone adapter for Skype calls, must I connect my landline?
A landline is not required to use the home phone adapter for Skype. However Skype should not be considered as a replacement landline service.
CORRECTION: eBuyNow Ltd. is in Hong Kong, not Spain.
The flip slide HD, the latest generation, had some engineering/manufacturing problems. Videos came out with a noticeable pink cast. Following the iPhone’s form by putting the whole UI under glass, created huge usability problems; you rely on touch to control the camera while you talk to or look at the subject. These design problems were not going away quickly.
They couldn’t keep strong retail positioning last Xmas. best buy displays didn’t have the same heavy prominence they used to, instead featuring cameras that shot 1080i video and 8 megapixel stills for the same price. The YouTube generation has moved on.
One theory floated at the time Cisco bought flip was Cisco would turn the flip into a mobile phone handset, that it was C’s mobile play. If so, that never came out of the lab.
Another theory: Cisco would turn a new generation of flips into Telepresence (now ūmi) endpoints for PCs, used for streaming live video over Wi-Fi. Again, never reached the market.
A last theory: if Cisco bought Skype, flips would run Skype over Wi-Fi and USB. This would have been hot three years’ ago before the iPhone and Skype’s run-on-anything-with-a-CPU strategy.
I’m sad to see flip go the way of all hardware. but when the deadpool calls…
Recruiters pounce.
Good luck, Flip alumni. We’re sure to see you soon.
And when you interview, tell them you read Skype Journal.
It works with Skype for Windows or Mac in a few ways. First, if you are in a Skype IM chat and pick up the headset, the headset knows and launches a group Skype call. When a Skype call rings, you can answer by picking up the headset. When you set the headset down, it updates your Skype availability as “away.” This is a beautiful use of sensors and presence information for the steep introductory price $199. Plantronics talks to your Skype client using the Skype Public API, placing it firmly in the realm of Skypelandia’s Makers.
The v2 also does this cute trick of smoothly transferring a live call from your mobile to the headset, no interruptions or disconnections.
Some of the specs:
Noise-canceling Microphone and Advanced Audio IQ. “Dual-mic AudioIQ2 DSP for noise cancellation.”
Voice Alerts “announce remaining talk time, connection status, battery level and mute”
Windsmart technology “provides three layers of wind protection”
Ooma is on display as an alternative to Skype, MagicJack, VoIP from your US cable company, and your local landline. One flat fee for hardware ($250), use your existing phones, your current phone number, and never pay for landline service again. Just in time for the CTIA Wireless trade show here in Las Vegas. In tough times it might be worth it to pay once and be free from your local phone company. I can’t help thinking the price is steep even so, compared to MagicJack. [From my iPhone, so please pardon the few seconds of my cut-off head.]
[Editor: I'm sorry for the extreme close-up in the first minute. Finger slipped on the camera.]
When your old phone is burned, shredded, melted or otherwise recycled, chances are good that CWG will touch it. CWG of Bohemia, New York, keeps old phones out of landfill.
Your mobile phone company collects old phones from customers, then pass the gear to CWG. CWG sanitizes the gear, erasing customer data; fear of leaving personal or company data on a phone is a top reason for not recycling phones. CWG then salvages phone parts and tinier components from old handsets. Returning those parts to the phone company service department can save thirty to sixty percent on repair parts inventory.
If the people who put your phone into the ground are morticians, companies like CWG are the transplant team harvesting organs to save other phones.
The good news: Skype for Windows 4.2 Beta will triple your screen resolution from High Quality 640×480 to 720p HD 1280 x 720. Download the Beta now (full install). You’ll need a 1 Mbps connection between the two callers. You’ll also need a new HD webcam and PC with a 1.8 GHz dual-core processor.
The bad news in three parts:
First, it’s just for Windows now. No word on when the Mac or Linux versions will support HD.
Second, HD webcams that will support Skype HD video aren’t shipping. The first ones will ship in March from faceVsion (the FV TouchCam N1) and from Skype’s close partner, In Store Solutions (Freetalk HD PRO and Freetalk HD PRO PLUS). They will be available through Skype.com.
Last, Skype has not published open specifications for webcam manufacturers, explaining how to design for and integrate with Skype. So hundreds of webcam makers won’t be able to meet public demand from Skype users. It’s still who-you-know business at Skype.
faceVsion will offer demos of its upcoming webcams at the Palazzo during CES.
Cute 3-D Webcam from Minoru. For the friend who wants even more than Skype’s High Quality and considers 3D glasses the height of fashion. Cheerful, stereoscopic, and works wonderfully with Skype. Minoru videos on YouTube (and wear your 3D specs). Review. Amazon. $89/£50/€80.
Touch Screen Videophone from ASUS.The ASUS SV1TS gets the PC out of the way of Skype video. You drop it in the kitchen or living room, plug in the power cord, connect the Wi-Fi, touch the screen, and talk. Large, clear picture. Amazon. $230.
MXL AC-405 USB personal computer speakerphone.Absolutely the best audio quality anywhere near this price from Maxell, world experts in microphone engineering. The AC-405 shares technology with their high-end music and television studio microphones. Amazon. $55.
Freetalk Wireless Stereo Headset. Still one of the best for looks, quality, comfort and ruggedness. More than five hours of talk time and even then it works while recharging. I use it daily without tripping over cables. Review. Amazon.Skype store. $80.
Software: To Record and Share
Vodburnerrecords Skype video calls on Windows. The Vodburner Beta includes easy editing software (see screenshot below) that automatically switches the shot between the two of you depending on who is speaking. Publish meetings, interviews, and training sessions on the web. A subscription runs $9.95 (USD) monthly.
Pamela Professional Edition, the Skype Assistant. Proven software with built in voice mail, birthday reminders, and in-call sound effects. Like Vodburner, it records calls but without an audio or video editor. An all around utility kit for Windows Skype users. I’ve been using Pamela for many years. PamSoft. €19,95.
Hair: Kent White Bristle Hair Brushfor those stray hairs. (Ah, I remember the days when I had hair on the top of my head worth brushing.)
Inspection: Jerdon First Class Mirrorso you know you look good and bounce a little light your way. See yourself the way others see you.
Skin: Avon mark Cheat Sheet Shine-Blottersto remove oils from your face that shine in the light. (I always thought it was a reflection off my eyeglasses that blinded viewers, but it was the glare from my forehead. )
Wardrobe: Everyone looks better on camera in a clean, dark blue shirt: Soffe Men’s Base Layer Long Sleeve Crew Tee. White clothing creates glare and throws off your camera’s sensors. Keep a clean, dark and solid top by your desk for the unexpected Skype call.
This is IPEVO‘s best selling Skype phone in 2009. Be sure to upgrade the firmware for the latest version of Skype’s software.
Caveats: the SO-20 doesn’t come with a web browser; many Wi-Fi hotspots require you to log in before getting a connection. It doesn’t appear to import SkypeOut contacts.
IPEVO updated their IPEVO S0-10W desk phone (pronounced "solo") with Skype inside. Wi-Fi adapter is now included (so you only need a power cable), the handset is now black like the rest of the unit instead of a contrasting white, and the price is down 36% to $109.99 from $169.99. More for less.
It’s really pretty. Ipevo’s been making the classiest Skype phones for years. Every edge, button, and cable has a designer’s elegance and an engineer’s usability. You’ll look good on a budget.
The audio is clear. Not music quality in either handset speaker and microphone or the hands-free speaker. But as clear as any off the shelf PSTN phone. Even better, other software doesn’t consume CPU or disk Skype needs, so audio quality is consistent.
The buttons and control layout are big and easy to use. It’s nice to just reach over dial a number when you have to. Or scroll down and pick a name.
No PC required. So I can put this in any room in the house.
Things I don’t like:
Audio quality is limited to old CODECs, so you don’t get High Quality audio from Skype’s SILK codec.
Skype’s built in software is clunky and awkward, far from Skype’s more elegant and engaging software for Mac, Windows, and iPhone. It represents Skype’s first efforts around 2006-2007 to design compact user interfaces for devices.
Some simple tasks can be difficult. Scrolling to find someone’s name in a long list can take a very long time. Adding a contact takes many steps and is unforgiving.
No more than 500 contacts. No big deal for most people. But you can cross that limit if your company is on Skype, or you import your Google contacts, or you are the editor of Skype Journal.
It spontaneously logs out from the Skype network. Darned software leaves you back at the sign in form. It does not remember my Skype login, so I have to rekey it each time. Because it may be logged off from Skype, I can’t rely on it ringing when someone Skypes me.
Cable still required for handset. Cordless phones, handsets and headsets rock.
Firmware not automatically updated.
Skype hasn’t issued a major refresh for embedded software in a while. The average Skype phone won’t be much smarter until the design aesthetic used in Skype’s Mac and MID products finds its way into the embedded codebase.
Bottom line: This is a useful PC-free Skype desk phone. The addition of Wi-Fi and the lower price makes this a reasonable deal.
I received the new Point 2 View (P2V) USB camera sample from IPEVO recently. The P2V is indeed designed with interesting concepts. The most eye-catching part is the white, elegant long-neck webcam stand. IPEVO, did you get the idea from Pixar’s iconic long-neck lamp?
Its main body looks very similar to IPEVO’s old POV webcam, which includes a camera capable of taking extreme close up shots (within 2 inches), and comes equipped with a snapshot and a force focusing button. The major change from the previous version is that P2V is now an auto-focusing only device. It has removed the manual focusing adjustment knob on the webcam. To a control-freak like me, it is somewhat non-desirable. However, with the auto-focusing technology available today, it should not create any issues with using the device. Besides, there is a switch on the main body which tells the P2V to work in the "continuous focus adjusting" or a "focus once and use the same setting later" mode. It is still smart enough, and can adapt to different applications.
I want to focus on two very cool features in this P2V review: "true point 2 view ability" and "realizing eye-to-eye contact in a video chat." I believe they are the important factors that make the P2V stand out from the over-crowded Logitech and Microsoft webcam sea.
True Point 2 View Ability
As the name suggests, P2V is a true point 2 view webcam. While the extreme close-up capability and the detachable main body help to achieve this feature, the included long-neck stand really evolves this point 2 view concept from a novel idea, to practical use.
Think about this: our human hands cannot sustain long periods of time staying in a fixed position. A shaking hand might create a nauseating, uncomfortable feeling for the viewers. With the webcam sitting firmly on the stand, you can now point the camera at the object you want to share for as long as you would like, and still ensure a pleasant viewing experience for the receivers on the other end.
Here are some examples of what this IPEVO P2V can do:
Pointing to a thin paper document: you can go over an important document on a thin paper with your co-workers residing in another state.
Pointing to a thick book: you can conduct a group study with your classmates on Skype.
Pointing to a colorful drawing: see what your lovely daughter prepared for Dad when you are traveling overseas.
The extreme close-up shots are very clear, right? There are three more little things I want to point out in the design:
The bottom round-shaped base of the P2V stand is heavy. You can extend the arm to the longest distance with the main body almost touching the table top without tilting the base. Everything can stay steady even in the worst of conditions.
The recovery time for the stand to go back to stable after you adjust the webcam position is minimal. 3-seconds is the longest period of time that I have counted of which there is a little residue vibration on the stand after I move the webcam to a different position.
There are three webcam connection pins on the stand. This feature allows for the flexibility of the document positioning on the table. Of course, you can still detach the main body from the stand to achieve maximum flexibility.
Again, those little things demonstrate that IPEVO is still willing to go the extra mile to please potential users. That’s why I like the products from this company.
P2V Realizing Eye-to-eye Contact in a Video Chat
Eye-to-eye contact is a very crucial part in human communication. Sometimes, your eyes can deliver all of those subtle feelings of which you want to express but have no words to describe. But, simulating eye-contact is always an issue with online video chat. You can:
Always look at the pretty face of your girlfriend on the computer screen. But, unfortunately, the webcam is usually not at the same location of the screen. Therefore, the webcam will always capture you looking at another place.
Look at the keyboard when you type. But, again, your girlfriend will see you looking down all the time.
To compromise your girlfriend’s video chat experience, you can always look at the camera. But, without the eye interaction, your girl friend will see stone eyes, those which do not seem to contain a soul.
Anyway you try, there will be always lack of eye interaction. I think this is why online video chatting is not more popular.
Luckily, IPEVO has rolled out the P2V. Although IPEVO might not have intentionally designed the P2V to accomplish the eye interaction feature, the long, slim neck of the webcam stand and the not-too-big webcam front size can be used to create the eye contact. Just get your girlfriend and you both a P2V, stand the webcam right in front of the computer screen, pull the main body to your eye level, and you two are ready to experience video chat in a whole new dimension. When you look at the screen, you are simultaneously looking at the P2V. You might need to learn to use the camera in this way. But, you really won’t miss a lot on the screen since the front dimension of the webcam and the neck is minimal.
Below, you will see a video generated with this setup. When I say "I’m looking at the screen", I’m looking at my image on the screen.When I say "I’m looking at the webcam", I’m looking at the P2V. There is really not much difference! I can look at the image on the screen, do the chat, and the other party will feel that I’m looking at the webcam / them.
Suggestions to IPEVO
Add an LED light at the front of the P2V camera? Depending on the location of the light source, sometimes, the shadow of the webcam main body sits right on the top of the document you want to scan.
Maybe match the color on the P2V main body part (silver) and the stand (white)?
Or, hire a porn star to do a point 2 view video chat demonstration session. This point to view USB camera might get enormous publicity by doing so… :p
Skype For Asterisk "is available to download now from Digium for $66 USD per concurrent call or from Digium Authorized Resellers and Distributors worldwide, and comes with 90 days of installation support from the time of purchase."
Om interviews Brad Garlinghouse, formerly the Yahoo! exec who owned Yahoo! Messenger, lately an in-house advisor at Silver Lake Partners (soon to own 50%+ of Skype), and soon to be president of AOL’s email and AIM service. Interop with Skype is on the table. Mmmmm, peanut butter!
Exabytes per month worldwide in our mobile broadband future. 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes. How much will be people lifestreaming video? Skype video multicasting?
"Release notes for cordless DUALphone suite v2.22 14/12 2006 [...] - Added support for Windows Vista. —– Release notes for cordless DUALphone suite v2.32 2/5 2007 [...] - Bugfix: Vista audio device handling. - Bugfix: Vista User Account Control (UAC) issues. —– 02/10 2007 [...] - Vista sound devices: Automatically show hidden devices."
This step is very unlogical and sad in my eyes. I hope it will work nicely in Wndows 7!
So I started an inquiry and here is the answer I received:
"If you have Vista, MAC, UNIX or LINUX systems on your computer it is not sure that it will work, this product is an old product, which was produced before these things came on the marked.
You can only use Windows XP/2000/2003-server with the product.
This product is no longer being tested or produced, and therefore we cannot do the support on something we have not tested."
A few notes:
Truly, it has not been certified to work with Skype 4.1 but it works (There has not changed too much things that would break the support of the DualPhone API interface.)
They also should give credit to the previous product manager Carsten Helmuth because thanks to him the Dualphone Suite was fixed for working with Windows Vista (32 bit and 64 bit) as you can see the progress documented by the release notes log PDF.
So their statement that the DualPhone has never been tested under Windows Vista is wrong. That means as soon as it doesn’t work in newer Skype versions and/or Windows 7 X64, I need a new Skype USB/DECT phone.
RTX puts an end to an awesome Skype phone product, the first DualPhone that was really awesome and professional but also affordable to the Skype freaks that wanted something sophisticated.
2004 is where it started, 2009 is maybe where it will end.
[Editor: RTX is now out of the retail products business under their own name. Now they are exclusively an Original Design Manufacturer (ODM), making devices for other companies, leaving Skype product branding and retailing to others.]
Your PC must convert all that video into streamable bits. The image encoding/decoding and compression take serious processor power, lots of memory, and real broadband bandwidth. Microsoft says this requires a dual core 1.6GHz processor, and recommends a 3GHz dual core processor and 2GB of memory. No news yet on which drivers and codecs they’ll use, how much burden using the Cinema will put on your system (will you be able to run Outlook while calling?), nor how much bandwidth a HD video call will take.
LifeCam Cinema Features: 4x digital zoom, glass lens, auto focus, Microsoft "ClearFrame" frame-rate doubling technology, noise-cancelling microphone, Windows Live calling button, aluminum body. For Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7. £70 or $80.
Some downsides. Freetalk isn’t worried about sound quality; your home phone’s microphone and speakers won’t do justice to Skype wideband audio anyway (G.722, G.729 and Skype NWC codecs). No emergency dialing. It uses an additional power outlet, and is wide enough to require three outlets on a power strip. It occupies one of your router’s few Ethernet ports; no WiFi. It may ring on non-Skype calls. If you use multiple Connect.mes, you’ll have to install the Safari browser on your PC to configure them. You won’t be sending caller ID but you’ll be able to see incoming IDs.
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Absolutely the best audio quality anywhere near this price from 
. $55.
Still one of the best for looks, quality, comfort and ruggedness. More than five hours of talk time and even then it works while recharging. I use it daily without tripping over cables. 
Whiter teeth take years off. Feel free to smile. 
for those stray hairs. (Ah, I remember the days when I had hair on the top of my head worth brushing.)
so you know you look good and bounce a little light your way. See yourself the way others see you.
to remove oils from your face that shine in the light. (I always thought it was a reflection off my eyeglasses that blinded viewers, but it was the glare from my forehead. ) 
White clothing creates glare and throws off your camera’s sensors. Keep a clean, dark and solid top by your desk for the unexpected Skype call. 
makes you look marvelous. I use the 
on Amazon. 
the 
Join the Skype 6.X Text Chat Room