Chris Pirillo extols traveling with the IPEVO S0-20 Wi-Fi Skype Phone

Chris says you save on roaming and keep connected with Wi-Fi when cell coverage is spotty. The IPEVO S0-20 WiFi Phone for Skype on Amazon.

AmperorDirect has a detailed unboxing video.

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.

See also: VoIP Planet review. CrunchGear review. Skype forum feedback.

tags: skype, wi-fi, wifi, phone, hardware, gear, gift, mobile, ipevo, so20, s020, s0-20, so-20, so2o, confusingname

Call me at +1-510-316-9773, Skype me, follow @skypejournal and @Phil Wolff.
Visit our Skype Journal private technologist roundtable, one of the longest running public Skype chats.

Review: The new IPEVO Solo adds Wi-Fi, lowers cost

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.

We've reviewed this phone before and liked it in January 2008. 

Things I still like:

• 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.

Buy it from IPEVO Store. Amperor Direct. Fry's. Amazon.

tags: skype, ipevo, deskphone, desk, phone, telephone, solo, s0-10, firmware, embedded

Call me at +1-510-316-9773, Skype me, follow @skypejournal and @Phil Wolff.
Visit our Skype Journal private technologist roundtable, one of the longest running public Skype chats.

IPEVO P2V Point 2 View USB Camera Review

Guest post by Howard Chang, AmperorDirect, Houston, Texas.

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:

1. 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.
2. Look at the keyboard when you type. But, again, your girlfriend will see you looking down all the time.
3. 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

See also:

• IPEVO P2V Overview, Gallery, FAQ, Tech specs, Downloads
• POV: IPEVO webcam: first glance, IPEVO PoV webcam now shipping in US 
• P2V photos on flickr

tags: skype, ipevo, p2v, pov, webcam, webcams, cameras

Call me at +1-510-316-9773, Skype me, follow @skypejournal and @Phil Wolff.
Visit our Skype Journal private roundtable, one of the longest running public Skype chats.

Skype news roundup: CNN ad deal, AOL open to interop, $50 IPEVO speakerphone

Products:

Skype for iPhone: Now Legally Available for Canadians. Congratulations, Canada! tip: type (flag:ca) in Skype chat.

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."

Skype For SIP channels are on sale for € 19.95  per month (without VAT – EUR) plus Skype's standard per minute call rates (no country, global calling plans).

ASUS Eee Reader could be built for Skype video calls, near the £100 mark. via Times Online.

IPEVO TR-10i speakerphone is now $49.99. Value hat tip to Michael Rose.

Business:

Skype to run ads on CNN's Connect the World show. Off-air chats to follow.

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?

tags: skype, asterisk, iphone, canada, sip, asus, eee, ipevo, cnn, exabytes, bradgarlinghouse

Call me at +1-510-316-9773, Skype me, follow @skypejournal and @Phil Wolff.
Visit our Skype Journal private roundtable, one of the longest running public Skype chats.

Review: IPEVO Wi-Fi Skype Phone

When most people think about using Skype, they probably envision a nerd with a headset sitting in front of his computer. Skype is primarily a computer-to-computer internet telephony product, but there are a few options for using your Skype service on more traditional handsets.

I have evaluated the VOIP841 from Philips before and was overall happy with the device, minus the OK audio quality. However, recently I heard about and received IPEVO's new Wi-Fi Skype handset for review.

This little unit is as small as most candybar mobile phones and contains the Wi-Fi chip directly in the handset. Contrary to the Philips VOIP841, which requires a separate base station along with the handset, everything with the IPEVO phone is housed on the handset itself.

This means you can take the IPEVO phone and use it wherever you can get a Wi-Fi signal for free Skype calls and ridiculously cheap calls to traditional landlines and mobile phones.

Opening the Box

First impressions with the IPEVO Wi-Fi Skype phone are postive. The black handset has a bright and readable screen and well-sized buttons that are used to navigate the handsets traditional Skype menus. Anyone familiar with the Skype user interface on a PC or Mac will easily be able to adapt IPEVOs implementation of them on the Skype phone.

The Skype handset takes about 4-5 hours to charge and after doing so, you are ready to assign the device to your wireless network and start making and receiving Skype phone calls.

Setup

On my home wireless network, I employ WPA-PSK encryption. When I tried to utilize the phone's wizard interface to join my Wi-Fi network, it had issues and would not properly connect. As a result, I had to manually select my home network and enter in the security setting and details by hand. After successfully joining the network, the phone prompts you to log in to your Skype account.

With the IPEVO device, you can either sign into your existing Skype account or create a new one directly on the handset without having to log into Skype on a computer. I thought this was a nice little feature.

One note about the IPEVO Skype phone: if you have special characters in your Skype or Wireless password, it is a little tricky to figure out how to input these into the phone. When you press the pound key, aka #, you are presented an on-screen menu with all the special characters you might have in your passcodes.

Usage and Performance

The IPEVO Skype phone is quite easy to use, especially after you are set up on your wireless network and signed into Skype on the phone. Upon signing in, your Skype contact list is available and shows your contacts' presence information. Like the Philips VOIP841, from the IPEVOs home screen, you press the "Contacts" button to load your contacts for easy dialing. The homescreen also displays the current local time, the current user name that is logged in, and the current Skype balance.

The call quality with the IPEVO Skype WiFi phone was outstanding for a handset. My callers were very audible to me, in fact, they were clearer and louder than when I called them with the VOIP841, for comparison. Callers said I sounded great as well. This was true for both Skype-to-Skype calls and Skype to landline/mobile calls as well.

While call quality was good, battery life left a lot to be desired. I found that with moderate usage and keeping the phone powered on, the IPEVO device could only stay powered on for about 5 hours.

This is understandable, considering the IPEVO has the power-hungry Wi-Fi chipset on board the device, but this poor battery life is something to keep in mind if you are a heavy Skype user who needs a handset that will last a considerable amount of time.

Conclusion

Overall, the IPEVO Skype Wi-Fi phone is an attractive, feature rich handset that makes great sounding calls. Anyone who wants to be able to talk to their Skype contacts or make/receive very inexpensive Skype calls should consider this device for a purchase. Having Skype on a handset like this really makes Skype no different than a normal cordless phone for regular dialing.

One important note: if you have areas of your house that have weak Wi-Fi signal quality, this specific phone won't work in those areas. The IPEVO handset does have a Wi-Fi signal indicator, but I noticed choppy calls in rooms that are far away from my wireless router.

The IPEVO Skype Wi-Fi handset is Skype Certified and is available for around $130 at various Intetnet-based retailers.

Skype Journal columnist Jason Harris, engages communities for corporations and explores internet telephony, mobile technology, and the leaders who bring them to market on his Techcraver blog and onTwitter.

Tell your love story, win a pair of webcams

IPEVO and Skype Journal believe in love. So IPEVO is putting up five pairs of their naughty POV webcams in time for Saint Valentine's Day. Share your love story in our POValentines Day Confessions Contest. We'll publish all decency will allow right here on Skype Journal.

All we ask is that it's true, it's your own story, and in your own words. Winners will be selected randomly because, frankly, we thought we'd get into lots of trouble picking the most romantic, sexiest, most embarrassing, best use of a webcam, or funniest confessions.

February is  warming up. What's your love story?

tags: skype, ipevo, pov, webcam, video, love, sex, lust, romance, stories, contest, affection, internet, writing, distance, intimacy, fun

Talk with Phil Wolff on Twitter or FriendFeed or on Skype.
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Skype COO Outlines Skype's Software Guidelines

During our conversations with Skype COO Scott Durschlag last week at CES, Scott outlined Skype' criteria for its software development going forward.

First was the emphasis on "liquid communications" through statements such as "Skype Whenever, Wherever". Just as today you can pick up any PC or mobile platform and find all the Google Tools (Search, Maps, News, Reader, etc.). Skype wants to be on virtually any platform or device.

Pick up a smartphone, find the Skype button. Turn on the TV, find a Skype button, have a conversation. Open a web browser; start a Skype session. All this to complement Skype on the desktop. Today, besides on the desktop, you can find Skype on over 200 mobile phone handsets, several (Sony) mobile devices, Skypephone and Apple TV. But Scott emphasized, this is only the beginning. It will only start to get real when we see Skype on higher profile devices such as the iPhone and BlackBerry or when we start to see Skype seriously back into the hardware device business with vendors such as Philips and iPevo.

Then Scott outlined four benchmark criteria that every implementation of a Skype on any platform or device must meet:

• High call quality
• Simple and easy user interface
• Consideration for battery life
• Security

Last week's hotfix upgrade of Skype for Windows 4 beta 3 included the first implementation of Skype's three year effort to develop the SILK codec, increasing the audio bandwidth to 12 KHz while effectively reducing the Internet bandwidth consumed during a Skype call.

A key reason for Skype's rapid and widespread adoption has been associated with its ease-of-use. Yet Scott says the Skype conversation user experience needs to be even easier to encourage adoption by a broader user base. Developing a more effective user interface has certainly been a focus of the Skype for Windows 4 beta program. At the Skype CES press conference Scott reported that, in a recent survey of users, 88% preferred the new UI to the previous Skype for Windows 3.8. But I'm still wondering if the Skype for Windows team could take a look at Skype for Mac and implement a "drawer" type interface to manage and select the active conversation. For the longer term evolution of Skype clients hopefully Skype also has a look at Dan York's post on Skype's fragmented product strategy.

Battery life on smartphones was a key issue that prevented Truphone, who uses a native VoIP client for calls over WiFi, from launching a native VoIP smartphone client running over 3G networks. Instead they launched Truphone Anywhere that takes advantage of the underlying network 3G GSM voice channel and uses the data channel to set up a call via a server that, in turn, sets up a VoIP client. That voice channel tends to make much less use of the device battery than a constantly compressing/decompressing VoIP client that devours the underlying processor activity. Addressing the battery life issue is a major reason why we see Skype using a similar calling architecture when launching the Skype Lite Java client on over 100 Java-enabled cell phones, including those based on Google Android.

Security is an issue that I'll leave to Dan York and others who are able to cover this issue more knowledgeably and effectively. Suffice it to say that we would expect security to continue to be a feature of all Skype products, including those that use the mobile voice channel for placing calls from mobile phones.

Two take-aways from these statements:

• Fundamentally we should expect Skype, going forward, to be a provider of real time conversation-enabling software on desktop, web, TV and mobile platforms. To use an old telegraphy term: Full Stop! For instance, rather than developing their own social network, we should expect Skype to seek out agreements with other social network service providers, such as the MySpace agreement. Skype is an enabler of real time conversations; it is not in the community building or social networking business. Facebook, Twitter and MySpace, amongst others have already captured that space and done an excellent job at it.
• These benchmarks also provide a basis not only for deciding what product offerings Skype will develop but also when they are in a position to release a product.

The new Skype executive team is finally starting to set some benchmarks and guidelines against which we can not only measure executed performance but also have a better understanding of where Skype wants to go.

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Skype at CES 2009, Part II: An Overview and Observations

There's a "new sheriff in town" when it come to running Skype; CES 2009 was a "coming out" event for the new executive team.

CES 2009 provided an opportunity to catch up personally with many of the vendors we have covered in Skype Journal including Skype, Truphone, SlingMedia, Philips and Research in Motion (BlackBerry). I also had a chance to attend a most informative afternoon session of Jeff Pulver's Social Meia Jungle event. Unfortunately Palm closed their suite after only two days of CES; thus, I missed an opportunity to learn more about the Palm Pre on Saturday. As Palm had just been awarded a CES "Best of Show" award, that was a "Huh?" moment when there was only a security guard at the suite's door.. I also wanted to catch iPevo and Nokia but did not have time to get to their booths.

With respect to Skype we had three activities: the Skype press conference, an interview with new COO Scott Durschlag and Skype's first reception event Friday evening. It was our first opportunity to observe the new Skype executive team in action. While I will be providing some more detailed posts, here are a few observations:

• For the first time, a senior C-level Skype executive personally acknowledged Skype Journal's participation as a playing a significant role in the Skype ecosystem. Scott thanked us for our loyalty to Skype through all the challenges of the past two years. (That does not mean we'll always be cheerleaders; it's important that we maintain a skeptical and critical viewpoint within the context of the overall IP-based communications space.)

While we have had co-operation in the past, usually via Skype's public relations agency, from many Skype employees at an operating level, it's important for the media to be able to communicate regularly and openly with those at the C-level who are providing overall direction and developing high level strategy. Josh has initiated such openness through his blogging and interviews; now we are seeing it on a person-to-person basis.

• On the other hand many times, last week in both the press conference and our discussions, Scott acknowledged the existence of several previous controversial issues, such as technical support, platform development, the role of partners and internal management structure issues as requiring attention by the new management team. The newly recruited management team will be introducing a new level of experience and maturity to address these issues; execution over the next few months now becomes critical.
• One future post will cover Skype's new operating and management structure focused on products and geographical markets.
• Another will cover Skype's overall focus as a software platform developer and the standards being set for these developments. Within this context I'll provide my perspective on what is meant by "liquid communications".
• We'll soon have a follow up post about our discussion with Scott of what Skype's new executive team learned from the TOM-Skype privacy breach last fall and how it became a bonding exercise within Skype as well as establishing some new operating parameters to avoid a repeat.
• Skype is NOT shoving its partners under the bus. The new executive team is determining what innovation Skype will drive and what innovation they can expect partners to drive. Andy Abramson articulates his perspective on the issue:

Most of all, Skype is not sitting back. The are pushing the envelope, but at the same time sending mixed messages externally to partners and developers. But that too will change. Some recent hires have brought maturity to the table.

• We learned the answer to "Will There Be a Skype Client on the iPhone?"
• Finally, for the first time since I have been writing about Skype, we can see some well-articulated high level vision for where Skype is heading, where they need to focus and how they want to play in the real time communications market space at a strategic level.

Looking forward to writing about the evolution of Skype as it grows from a $500MM per year operation with 500 employees into a business with a revenue level and valuation that finally justifies eBay's initial investment in Skype.

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What’s your New Year’s Resolution?

IPEVO and 12seconds.tv are are hosting a contest this week: “Give a New Year’s Resolution that will make the world a better place.”

Leave a twelve second long video and you can win passes to MacWorld or IPEVO hardware for Skype. Twelve seconds is short, just 40-50 words.

Skype Journal will pass along a Sony PSP with Skype microphone to the most inspiring resolver; PSP courtesy of Skype North America.

Technorati tags: skype, ipevo, 12seconds.tv, resolution, resolutions, macworld, skypejournal, sony, psp

Are you going to MacWorld or CES in January?

Skype Journal will be at both events.

Skype will be there too, boothless, doing the quiet meetings and press visits thing.

Good news: Skype friends will be at CES, too.

ASUS, Sennheiser (headphones), Panasonic (Panasonic KX-WP1050 Wi-Fi phone for Skype), IPEVO, Sony (PSP-3000, Mylo), Intel (Skype on MID Linux devices), Nokia/Symbian, Netgear, Gennum, Cisco/Linksys, Thomson.

Sad news: So far, I've confirmed some Skype-friends won't be at CES:

Belkin, Phillips, Auvi Technologies, RTX, TrendNet, Topcom, and Pepper. Tough times, new marketing priorities or nothing Skypey to show.

Will you be there?  If not, why not? If so, ping me, maybe we can say hello or find something interesting to do.

tags: party, schmooze, hangover, networking, macworld, ces, macworld09, ces09, sanfrancisco, lasvegas, january, 2009, events, conferences, tradeshows, ASUS, Sennheiser, Panasonic, phones, skype, IPEVO, Sony, PSP-3000, Mylo, Intel, Nokia, Netgear, Gennum, Cisco, Linksys, Thomson

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IPEVO gives free Skype minutes, free US shipping

A message from IPEVO's Caroline Andreolle:

Happy Thanksgiving! To celebrate and thank our customers, we're offering free ground shipping until the end of year (to the Continental US).

And to celebrate that, we're offering 300 free Skype vouchers to all Skype lovers and to our friends at Skype Journal! Simply email iWantSkypeMinutes@gmail.com for your free minutes today!

All vouchers must be redeemed this month, before 31 November 2008, limit one per household, 300 vouchers total.

IPEVO makes Skype USB and desk phones, speakerphones, and webcams.

tags: blackfriday, ipevo, skype, discounts, pricing, free, minutes

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Scar Search

"Pain heals. Chicks dig scars. Glory... lasts forever." – Shane Falco, The Replacements

IPEVO's cute handheld pointercam inspired the Scar Search. IPEVO and Rockstar Energy Drinks held the contest this summer, the public voting on the best scar story video.

Winners:  

Jeremy (Grand Prize)

Danielle (Editor’s Choice)

I love this promotion. Intimate, direct, sub-cultural, social, bold. The cutting edge. Scraping the bottom of the elbow. Leaving your mark. Branding your customers; literally.

tags: skype, ipevo, webcam, pointercam, contest, scar, scars, injury, scar search, scarsearch, marketing, promotion, brand, branding

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Monday reading

Gear

Cute. Minoru from Novo 3D stereoscopic webcam, works with Skype. Anthropomorphism intended. They may be competing with IPEVO at the CES I-Stage in Vegas this weekend.

CNET reviews the Sony PSP 3000 (black). Skype inside.

Nokia N810 WiMAX starts shipping in the US. Skype inside.

Business

3 orders a campaign for the new Skypephone S2 from glue London. Glue explains their approach. Online ads "Poke" and "Beard." 

Pike & Fischer predicts US may have 25 million Vonage-like households by 2010.

7300 Family Mart stores are selling Skype credit tokens throughout Japan.

Joonathan Mägi, Skype web front end team lead, now leads Edicy user interface development. More vested Skype alumni finding startup homes. CORRECTION: "web front end team lead", not "UI designer"

Freedom

UK Home Secretary to roll back privacy, blames Internet phone calls like Skype for crippled fight against terrorism

Life

Charleston, West Virginia, high school teacher Skypes her AP English class from home while recovering from injury.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist lists Skype as one of five ways to use your PC to save money.

Slate's Barack Obama & John McCain Crank-Call Generator.

Dan Benjamin explains How to Record a Podcast with People in Multiple Locations. In short, talk on Skype, but record locally and mix together in post-production. Hardware recommendations for podcasters.

Communicating in military families. Skype one option among many.

Hello Apple! IPEVO diversifies

Speakerphones. I love 'em. I'm using one from IPEVO now.

Swing by your local Apple store and you'll find IPEVO's new TR-10 for iChat in the speaker section.

It's the TR-10 for Skype but with reprinted buttons and software for your Mac. IPEVO's software lets you control iChat from the trio and record your iChat calls. $79.90 MSRP.

Gee. Apple? For a company created to build products for Skype in North America?

Skype hasn't promoted IPEVO's seven Skype-integrated products much.

• Only occasional referrals from Skype.com to IPEVO.com.
• Skype certification which lets IPEVO put a Skype logo/badge on their boxes, for which IPEVO pays a hefty royalty.
• Skype helped some hardware partners find some shelf space in Wal-Marts for the last two years, but not IPEVO.
• It's only been this year that Skype is finally becoming a consumer brand name in the US and Canada.

I can't find IPEVO in the online Skype store.

Apple, on the other hand, has stores. These are shots of the merchandise on Cupertino and New York City shelves. 

 

Skype had the potential for a large and healthy hardware ecosystem. Sadly, hardware partners from Skype's early days have burned through so much cash, talent and goodwill, that most have walked away from Skype.

The few remaining, like IPEVO, are eager to partner with companies that help them demonstrate design leadership or even simple distribution support. They may love Skype, but relationships are two-way streets.

From the spec sheet:

Package Content

• IPEVO TR-10 for iChat
• Installation CD http://www.ipevo.com/mac
• USB Cable
• USB Extension Cord
• Quick Guide

Dimensions / Weight

• Size: 15.1x4.2x3.7cm (LxWxH)
• Weight: 140g

Color

• White

Control Buttons

• iChat window launch
• Dial / Answer
• Cancel / Hang up
• MIC mute
• Volume control
• Record / Pause
• Stop record
• Mode switch

LED Indicators

• Green Active LED to indicate: incoming call, outgoing call, call in
  progress
• Red Active LED to indicate: microphone mute
• Green Power LED to indicate: power on/off
• Red Record LED to indicate: record on/off/pause
• Green Switch LED to indicate: speaker / handset mode

Audio Performance

• Microphone Voice Sampling Rate: (UPDATED 17-October-2008)
• Speakerphone: 8KHz
• Handset (holding up to your ear): 16Khz
• Communication: Full Duplex
• Echo cancellation: up to 60dB
• Support AGC (auto gain control) function

Electrical Specifications

• Operating Voltage: 4.5V ~ 5.5V
• Magnetic Speaker
  • Coil Resistance: 4 +/- 0.6 Ohm
  • Sound Pressure Level: 80 dBSPL@0.5m
• Condenser Microphone
  • Omni directional
  • Sensitivity: -36 +/- 3 dB
• Receiver
  • Sensitivity: 90 dBA
  • Frequency response: 180~7Hz

Hardware Description

• USB 2.0 compatible
• Internal omni microphone
• 4Ω 2W speaker
• Power from USB

System Requirements

• Microsoft Windows XP and Vista (32-bit)
• Mac OS X 10.4 up
• 400MHz processor
• 128MB RAM
• 40MB free hard disk space
• USB port
• CD-ROM drive
• Broadband Internet connection (DSL, Cable Modem…, etc)

Regulatory Compliance

• FCC
• CE
• RoHs

See also:

• IPEVO's TR-10 speakerphone makes nice with iChat, Engadget
• Le téléphone compatible iChat, macplus
• IPEVO Teams With Skype To Offer A Range Of Skype-Enabled Devices in US, Skype press release, October 2005

tags: skype, ipevo, voip, speakerphone, speaker, microphone, ichat, apple

Follow Phil Wolff on Twitter or FriendFeed or on Skype.
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Photo credits: IPEVO.

Skype Journal Interviews Josh Silverman: The Way Ahead - Platform and Partners

This is the fourth in a series of posts resulting from an interview a week ago Friday with Josh Silverman, Skype's recently appointed President. In this post we talk about directions for the Skype platform and partner programs.
When I first attended a Skype developer event in June 2006, there was lots of enthusiasm for the Skype partner program and for its integration into various third party applications and service offerings. Several of the feature requests, such as call transfer and access to the voice stream, that had come to the surface by the time of this event, have since been implemented. In December 2006 Skype announced the Skype Extras program for which there are over 100 offerings available, mostly for the consumer user but the list also includes about ten in the small-to-medium business space. Most importantly, partners have been asking not only for a platform roadmap but also for execution on that roadmap.
Skype Extras included a publishing and transaction platform, yet to date, only PamConsult has taken full advantage of these feature for its well received (and award winning) PamFax offering. On the other hand, OnState has been able to figure out how to provide a friction-free full services program for its call center customer base. However, over the past eight months market visibility of any significance for the entire Skype partner program has just not been there. Yet we see "Skype access" continue to be built into various platforms such as Ribbit and Voxeo. Skype Certification exists for only seventeen offerings. InnerPass has received Skype Certification two weeks ago (review coming). At IT Expo last week in Los Angeles I came across several service providers and application developers who wanted to have a Skype presence in their offerings.
On the hardware side there have been many innovative offerings; I have experienced many of them. As confirmed by 3 executives at last Thursday's Mobilize 08 event, the Skypephone has met with phenomenal acceptance in the nine countries serviced by 3. Yet several hardware partners have drifted away to the point where we only see limited visibility for Philips, GE and IPevo dual mode (Skype and landline) phones and a few accessory products, such as the FreeTalk Wireless Stereo Headset, from InStoreSolutions (who largely address the European market). Beyond the Skype Store availability, WalMart is carrying Skype hardware in the U.S. (and I found some at Fry's in Sunnyvale this past Saturday).
Frankly, sorting out its platform strategy and partner relationships, and giving them appropriate visibility, is perhaps one of the biggest challenges that Josh and his team face in sustaining Skype's presence in the IP-based conversation space. In our interview with Josh it became quite apparent that these issues have not missed Josh's scrutiny leading up to the business reorganization we have been discussing in the various posts in this series:
SJ: In your interview with Om Malik yesterday you mentioned as one of your key growth initiatives "Skype as a platform, embedding Skype as the conversation infrastructure for devices and services". Tell use more:

JS: We're incredibly lucky that almost everyone in the world wants to do something with us. That's fortunate because we need to be everywhere. For Skype to be successful and to fulfill its full potential we need to be part of every device and every communications experience. We can't do that on our own. We need a really robust platform that allows us to be part of other people's experiences or devices and allow other people to be part of us. We all recognize that we have a long way to get from where we are today to there. With the relatively small program we have and small investment we have made we have 15,000 partners who have signed up for our program today. I think that's a great indication that if we really invest behind this we can do something magical.

SJ: What would that future platform look like?

JS: What we want to do is lay out a set of principles around the platform that say:

• we want people to be able to incorporate Skype into their experience.
• It should be the full Skype stack of functionality
• it should include all of our feature set and not just hive off one piece or two pieces.
• When you use Skype you should know you're using Skype and
• you should have a SkypeID which works across all of our experiences,

So somebody who wants to take Skype and build it into their experience but create a walled garden of "only within their experience" doesn't build value for the greater ecosystem. If you start with Skype on one experience and then you go to another experience with another platform partner, you still need to be able to communicate. There needs to be one SkypeID that works everywhere and then it needs to hold true to some basic sense of brand principles around what the Skype brand should be. Beyond those principles we really want to allow people to innovate and use Skype and do what they will to extend the functionality for our users.

SJ: Has the architecture for this started?

JS: Right now we have created the job of GM of Platform; I hope to very soon name a GM of Platform. That person is going to have to really work on what does the architecture need to look like to support this, what are the API's going to be - reference UI's, technical documentation - as well as evangelizing to the broader community forming some of our partnerships, so we have some work to do.

SJ: Is the job posted on your job board?

JS: Not yet, we have some candidates; but if there are folks in your community that are excited by this and we haven't already filled this in the coming days [faded away but implication was to apply].

SJ: Is there a timeline?

JS: I don't want to speculate too much. We do have a API [set] today, we do have lots of people working with the API's so we have something to build from. I'm not an expert. I wouldn't be able to lay out a timeline but we are going to get an expert who can lay out a timeline. ... As with everything at Skype, we want to be fast but also make sure we do it well, in particular with a platform. It's got to be well thought through so we support our partners really well. We know there's a big responsibility in there and we take it seriously.

SJ: Would you be looking at getting the partners involved in helping design that platform and getting some feedback on it?

JS:I think that would be essential. One of the things I'm pretty passionate about is always bringing the voice of the customer in early to anything we're trying to do and I think that, for the platform, that would be absolutely essential.

SJ: What are you looking at to address ongoing partner communications issues with respect to the partner program?

JS: I take the partner program really seriously and we're aware that we've not invested adequately behind it and want to do more. The first thing we are going to do is hire an experienced, capable leader of that organization who will pull together for me a plan for what resources do we need to invest in -- engineering, partner support, evangelism, technical documentation -- to make sure we build an organization that can support our partners robustly.
What I don't want to do is over promise. Step one is, when you get somebody good in, lay out a plan and then when we're ready to announce some more forward looking things we'll do that.

Changes are not going to happen overnight when Skype is acquiring 300,000 new registrations per day and profitable. But, based on the strategy and principles outlined by Josh in this interview, going forward we should be looking to see within a three to six month timeframe:

• Announcements of the appointment of two key senior executives who bring along experience in building platforms and partnerships
• A platform architecture and developer roadmap
• Revamped plans for Skype's hardware and software partner programs

It will also be most interesting to see what forums or other means Skype provides for input into the platform architecture and developer roadmap strategy. Execution is everything, especially at this stage of Skype's growth within the IP-based conversation space.
(For background on Skype's partner program history check out: A Primer for Skype's Direction - Skype's Extras Gallery and Developer Partner Program. And for an example of what attracts developers to Skype as an ecosystem check out "On Spotlight: Don Kennedy AKA TheUberOverLord".)
Next: Markets: Business and Geographical

IPEVO will give away a Solo Skype desk phone for Skype's birthday

Tomorrow, Skype will celebrate the launch of the first public beta five years' ago.

Honoring this, IPEVO is gifting a lovely Skype desk phone to one of the people who wrote a "What Skype Means To Me" essay for Skype Journal.

Deadline:	Midnight Pacific Thursday night, Friday Morning
Judgment:	We'll pick a name randomly from those who submitted entries to Skype Journal. Employees of IPEVO are not eligible.
How to enter:	Please email your essay or short thoughts to editor@SkypeJournal.com. Be sure to tell us how you'd like to be credited. While we don't take anonymous submissions, if you tell us who you are Skype Journal can publish your entry anonymously or pseudonymously.
Prize:	An IPEVO SO10 Skype Desktop Phone.

tags: skype, ipevo, whatskypemeanstome, phone, solo

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