Navoto fights roaming with Skype

Verizon's Skype mobile apps for Android and Blackberry, tied to Verizon's Wi-Fi, won't roam internationally. The new Navoto GSM Gateway for Skype offers a way around this. The gateway connects your hometown wireless carrier to your on-the-road mobile phone.

Omri Navot was one of the first to pioneer hardware that added value for Skype users. Skype Journal introduced his SkyQube from Singapore's Qool Labs in April 2006. Now his own company, UGI Telecom, an original design manufacturer in Rehovot, Israel, is releasing the gateway today.

Getting set up takes about ten minutes. Plug in the cables and install the software. Before your trip, take the SIM card from your mobile and put it into the gateway. When you arrive at your destination, get a local prepaid SIM and put it in your mobile phone. Then "pair" your new SIM by texting the gateway.

Once Navoto knows your new SIM, it starts to work. Calls to your mobile number at home are forwarded to you through a SkypeOut call.

You can make calls through Navoto's ringback feature. Ping the gateway, it calls you using SkypeOut, you hear dialtone and make your call. You can also setup speed dial contacts to make it easy to reach phone numbers or a few of your Skype contacts.

Let's look at the gear, in this case a prototype from a few months' ago.

The front of the box has a slot for your local SIM card. By putting your mobile phone's SIM card in the box, Navoto looks like your mobile phone to your wireless carrier.

You eject your SIM card poking a paper clip into a small hole.

The back of the box has (from left to right) a power jack, two RJ11 phone line jacks so you can keep your home phone connected, a USB port to connect to your home-town PC, and a connector for the GSM antenna. 

The GSM antenna lets the box talk with your home-town wireless carrier. 

The software running on your PC is a Skype plug-in, talking to your Skype desktop client. None of this works unless Skype for Windows is running.

The Navoto desktop software has many features.

Voice mail, call recording, voice messages, simple configurable IVR (phone menus), voicemails sent to your email account, SMS texting, and scheduled mode changes (home, work, offline, etc.).

Navoto Gateways are entering the distribution channel this week.

In my experience, the prototype gateway works as advertised.

However it is still very early for this product and I haven't worked with final production versions of the software or the gear. Both the hardware and software are improving quickly in response to known bugs and feature requests. I experienced installation bugs with the email feature, for example. My version of the box, one of a handful of production tests, didn't have final CE FCC certification, packaging, finish, labels,  or documentation. I look forward to giving the finished product another look.

International calling is the largest (only?) growing telecom sector. Skypers called for more than twelve percent of all international minutes in 2009. Demand for cross-border calling is proven. How much is due to travel? How many billions of dollars does the international roaming market collect? Omri Navot aims to find out.

tags: navoto, hardware, software, gsm, mobile, gateway, skype, skypeout, israel, is, emea

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.

Photo on wood table: Navoto. Other photos and chart: Phil Wolff.

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.

A busy week ahead

My calendar's full and to do list is overflowing. Monday's full moon brings the Social Web Camp at Sun Microsystems in Santa Clara with members of the W3C's Social Web Incubator group, Enterprise 2.0 in San Francisco's Moscone (#e2conf), ApacheCon in my home town of Oakland, VoiceCon (#voicecon) in San Francisco (Skype will be on a Thursday cloud communications panel and exhibiting), and this week's Yi-Tan community call is about High Performance Organizations.

Tuesday starts with a DataPortability Project Steering Meeting, and the ninth Internet Identity Workshop starts (#iiw), the group that gave you OpenID and oAuth through the best of unconferences.

e2conf, iiw, voicecon, and apachecon continue on Wednesday, joined by Cisco and Vonage quarterly earnings conference calls, ad:tech New York, and Google Wave API Office Hours.

The cons (and uncons) continue on Guy Fawkes Thursday. Afterward, get your hack on at the Ning Hackathon in Palo Alto.

The Skype Journal review bin has the new Vodburner, Pamela 4.6, IPEVO's Point 2 View usb camera, the ASUS Videophone Touch AiGuru SV1T, the two-year-old Skype certified Yamaha USB Microphone Speaker (PSG-01S), and an amazing Marshall desk microphone, the MXL AC-404 USB Portable Conference Mic. This round is all about High Quality audio and video going in and out of Skype.

Sometime soon I get to give Don Kennedy a destination for his promised Skype app code sprint. I've picked a project and a winner. Now I have to turn the wish into a spec and post the results.

Notes to self:

The Bay Bridge is still shut down. Pack the power squid. Must. Prioritize. Sleep.

When Skype Goes Mobile: INQ1

Guest post by Martyn Davies, News Editor at VoIP User,  Principal Consultant at Dialogic, Podcaster at Blue Box: The VoIP Security Podcast, and contributor to the Voice of VOIPSA blog. @martyndavies on twitter.

The INQ¹ is the third generation of phones from the “3” network (Hutchison 3G) that has Skype integrated into it. The INQ1 is designed and made by a division of 3, so the handset is currently for 3 only, and more handset models are expected to follow this year. On 3, Skype calls are free, which means that INQ1 to Skype (on a PC/Mac) calls are free as well as INQ1 to INQ1. 3 also offer flat-rate data (even for prepay customers), and this gives a lot of freedom to use IM and social networking without the bill worries.

Brushed, Bright and Vibrant

The INQ1 comes beautifully packaged in a cuboid box with a Japanese painting design. Opening the box you see the handset itself (in my case silver, there is also a matt-black version), with all the cables, power supply and so on underneath. The handset itself has a brushed metal case and feels strong and substantial; the screen is bright and vibrant, and the sound is good and loud. The handset is quite thick because it has a slider that reveals the keypad underneath. The slide action is strong, and tactile. The keylock is automatic when you shut the handset.

I won’t go in to the full specs, as they’re available on the 3 website [editor: inserted following this review], but it has an adequate camera for still/video (with comparable quality to my Nokia E71, although without flash).

A stereo headset is provided for hands-free and music listening, although unfortunately this has quite an ugly connector that goes into the side, making the phone less easy to put in a narrow pocket. There’s one connector for everything, a mini-USB that accepts the power supply, data cable and the headphones. It has 3G data (HSDPA) and can be used as a PC modem (tether), via cable or Bluetooth.

It also has a micro-SD slot, so you can store quite a bit of music or photographs/videos.

Social Mobile Software

The key feature of this handset is obviously the integration of Skype and other social networking features. 3 have been pushing this hard with the Skype (S1, S2) phones, and the INQ1 is offered with the same free calling to Skype contacts. The Skype client in this phone works well, and offers presence, IM and calling as you would expect. The only niggle I had was in the implementation of Skype chats, which seemed to want to open a new chat window every time someone posted to the chat.

Once you have logged-in with your Skype credentials, the client offers to integrate the contacts into your address book. In fact it does this trick for Facebook (FB) too, and this turns out to be a very compelling feature of the INQ1. Once done, all of your contacts appear in the same contact directory, with an icon to show which social network each contact comes from. There is also a ‘favourites’ list; so it is possible to make a preferential list of your ‘real-life’ friends, so that you don’t get swamped by FB and Skype contacts if they number in the hundreds. When you receive a call, caller ID is used to match up with the FB list, so the handset can display the photo of your friend downloaded from FB.

A further integration feature is that all the messaging inboxes also appear in a single list. The Messages screen shows you inbox (= texts), FB inbox (also pokes and requests), Skype chats, Windows Messenger chats and email. It’s great to have that all in one place. The email is slightly schizophrenic, in that 3 offer an email aggregator (to pull emails out of existing accounts), but there is also the separate Gmail application.

There are other useful applications too. In addition to Gmail, there is Google Search and Google Maps (a cut-down version with no location features). The music player is quite useable, and can log-on to your Last.fm account and ‘scrobble’, i.e. tell the world in real-time what music tracks you are listening to. The web browser works well, and I find that I use it a lot in ‘landscape’ mode, as turning the phone sideways does switch the display. This landscape trick also works in the music player.

Navigation between applications uses a side-button (the ‘switcher’) that controls a horizontal app ribbon at the bottom of the screen. You can quite happily run multiple apps (e.g. browser, Skype, music player) and switch between them quickly and efficiently.

Most of my criticisms of the handset are really trivial: The FB font is incredibly tiny and (unlike the browser) couldn’t be changed using the +/- buttons; the landscape mode screen should work in all apps; the volume control wasn’t granular enough, and jumped to fast from quiet to “too loud”. Also, because I’ve been using Twitter a fair bit recently, it would have been nice to have a built-in app for that.

All in all, it’s a well-made phone with a lot of features of a smartphone for much less money (£80). I imagine this handset appealing most to people in their teens and twenties, and with these kind of features built-in to a prepay handset, I'm sure there will be a lot of interest.  3 is the smallest of the five UK mobile phone networks, but they’ve already seen that the Skypephones help retain the notoriously fickle prepay customers. What 3 are trying to do in this area of Skype/social software integration is still unique, and kudos to them for creating their own path among the mobile operators.

tags: skype, 3, hutch, Hutchison Whampoa Limited, hutchison, inq1, facebook, fb, mobile, handset, inq¹, review, uk

Call me at +1-510-455-4384, Skype me, follow @skypejournal and @Phil Wolff.
Visit our Skype Journal private roundtable, one of the longest running public Skype chats.

From 3's data sheet:

Overview

The INQ¹ handset is the next device to feature in our internet category and is designed exclusively for 3. It takes the principle of easy-to-use internet to new levels and is the world’s first fully integrated social networking phone. Purpose built for 3 customers in the UK this handset is designed to get the best out of the biggest and best 3G network in the UK.

Highlights

Internet services such as Facebook, Skype, Windows Live Messenger and Last.fm are deeply integrated into the handset, transforming the mobile internet experience that consumers are used to.

But rather than constrain internet usage with artificial caps on downloads we’ve created a new tariff which, for only £15 a month, provides UNLIMITED mobile internet access, UNLIMITED texts, UNLIMITED 3 to 3 calls and 75 cross network minutes. Or for £20 a month you can get the same deal, but with 200 cross network minutes.

Pricing Info

• £79.99 on PAYG
• Free on Mix & Match tariffs
• Free on the INQ¹ £15 and £20 tariffs

Key features:

• Advanced integration of Skype, WLM, Facebook and Last.fm, plus home screen widgets
• Integrated phonebook with Facebook status & profile picture, Skype and WLM presence
• Switcher key and menu carousel for easy navigation to major internet sites
• 3.2MP camera, 2.2” screen, and auto-landscape browser
• HSDPA 3.6Mbps technical spec, and pre-loaded with modem drivers making it a plug and play dongle
• Picture blogging; upload photos directly to Facebook

Full Specifications

• Size: 97 x 47.6 x 14.4 mm
• Weight: 110g
• Battery: 329 hrs (standby) 324 mins (talktime) application dependent
• Connectivity: Bluetooth A2DP, USB 2.0
• Camera: 3.2 Megapixel
• Network: HSDPA enabled
• Games: Java compatible - xgames preloaded
• Screen: 2.2”QVGA -262K colour TFT
• Memory: internal 50MB - external to 4GB (Note 1GB card supplied in-box)
• Music: MP3 player
• Integrated Facebook
• Integrated Skype
• Integrated WLM
• RSS support
• Widget support

See also:

• INQ1 flickr photo set

Skype Mobile Battle: iPhone vs. PSP

Guest Post by Andy Yang of The Mobile Experience Blog

Skype, one of the most used IM/Chat/VOIP/Video-Conferencing application for PC and Mac is slowly working its dominance up the mobile alley and we love it! I've always known it's support for Windows Mobile, Nokia devices and Wi-Fi Phones (Skype Phones) but it was the recent integration with Sony's Playstation Portable firmware upgrade as well as the hot-off-the-press Skype for iPhone/iPod Touch that is really cooking up some serious mobile progress. With Skype application for BlackBerry phones coming soon, Skype is in a very good position to become one of the leaders in mobile application. Having Skype on the go across multiple platform is definitely going to enhance our mobile experience, this is very exciting indeed.

In this article, I will attempt to compare Skype for iPhone vs. Skype for Playstation Portable. I'll update this entry when the BlackBerry version becomes available.

The iPhone (iPod Touch) and Playstation Portable is arguably two of the most popular gadgets for travelers on the go. When I review communication gadgets or software, I always like to imagine myself traveling abroad where I would not have access to a local cell phone and would like to keep in touch with friends or family at the luxury of my own mobile gadget. The appeal of Skype has always been there for me for that reason, that is why a laptop has been essential for all my travels until smartphones started to feature applications to support various communication needs such as Fring. That said, I think iPhone or Playstation Portable (PSP) are two of the most carried devices for travelers. I can just see myself in an airport lounge dialing international long distance over Wi-Fi to keep in touch with loved ones via either device.

Skype for iPhone

The iPhone and iPod Touch needs very little introduction. With a large touch screen display and portrait layout, it makes a very good UI candidate for Skype (much like its desktop counterpart).

Everything is integrated so well together on this handy little app. For example, your contacts from your iPhone is automatically hooked up with Skype in addition to its default contact list. To see who is online, you can easily toggle the software button towards the top of the screen.

One of the big advantage of iPhone is it's integrated microphone that Skype can take advantage of without the need of additional headset. The VOIP function will only work in a Wi-Fi environment (at home, coffee house, airport lounges, etc...) whereas the text Chats can work over your phone's standard data plan.

I love the fact that this little app does everything its desktop counter part can do, including editing one's profile or add more Skype-out funds over the handset. Overall, its an amazing application that has been done right, I love it and its free to download!

Pros: Excellent UI and layout, very easy to use and intuitive. Perfect integration to leverage iPhone's hardware (buttons, camera, etc...) Everything your desktop Skype can do can be done here!

Cons: No VOIP over 3G data, no web-cam video conference, app must be installed separately (only mentioning this because PSP is part of firmware OS)

Skype for Playstation Portable (PSP)

I love the convenience of having my beloved PSP-3000 as a gaming device and knowing it can also surf the web with Flash while keeping up with the communications needs via Skype.

No application to install here, its part of the firmware 3.90+ upgrade. While the PSP doesn't have a touchscreen UI and the horizontal layout is not taking advantage of the screen real estate as much, it does offer a full suite of Skype features. The SkypeOut and VOIP PC calls are there along with text chat.

Because the onscreen keyboard is driven by the directional keys and based on the 12-button numeric pad, it can be frustrating when compared to the overall iPhone experience.

The one part I have to gripe about is the need of an external microphone. My Griffin Tune Buds Mobile with integrated mic works great but if I forgot my headphones at home then I am stuck with only text chats capabilities. While Sony and Skype recommend you buy their official headset/mic kit, the iPhone OEM headset with mic should work as well. Sony should have integrated a mic solution, after all, this is their 3rd revision to the PSP franchise.

Lets hope Skype will be available for the DS or DSi someday. Overall, I still enjoy having the option of running Skype on my PSP. While its unlikely I'll be traveling only the PSP, I can see myself using the PSP for Skype to conserve the battery life for my iPhone while traveling abroad. Due to the nature of not having any data connection, the entire operation is rendered useless if I am not nearby a Wi-Fi hotspot.

Pros: Fully integrated as part of PSP firmware, no application install required. PSP's large display is great for Skype.

Cons: Lack of integrated Mic (and Camera for profile picture, etc...) Wi-Fi is required all the time for any communications (including text chat)

Winner: Skype for iPhone! With voice call quality being relatively the same, I have to go with iPhone because you just can't beat the convenience of having your iPhone with Skype with you at all times. The integrated mic makes the entire package there and ready to go 24/7. The touchscreen plays well with the UI and it has instantly become one of those default applications I must have on my iPhone.

tags: skype, psp, sony, playstation, apple, iphone, iskype

Call me at +1-510-455-4384, Skype me, follow @skypejournal and @Phil Wolff.
Visit our Skype Journal private roundtable, one of the longest running public Skype chats.

Skype for iPhone – the screenshots

Slide show: (screenshots below)

Splash screen:

Connecting:

Contact list:

Contact profile:

Recent conversations:  

A chat:

Calling:

In a call, speaker on:

In conference call:

Conversation history:

My profile:

Set profile picture:

screenshot credit: Skype.

tags: skype, iphone, screenshot, screenshots, pictures, apple

Call me at +1-510-455-4384, 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.

Jealous of Skype for Mac's screensharing?

Need relief for Mac envy? Skype for Macintosh lets you turn your desktop into a webcam, so you can share your computer (including videos, applications, your browser) with someone else in a Skype video call.

Windows users can do this too. The Nyanyan Virtual Desktop Camera for Skype (2006.05.29 edition) is a free download. I've used it for years. Works great. Skype thinks it's a webcam. Enjoy.

Technorati tags: skype, windows, collaboration, screensharing, desktop sharing, webcam, virtual webcam, nyanyan, camera, video

Skype for Windows 4.0 Gold: Blog Coverage

Since its launch Tuesday, Skype for Windows 4.0 Gold has received some interesting coverage:

• David Pogue, New York Times: in addition to his column discussed here yesterday, he has produced an amusing video: Skype 4.0: The Cheapskate where a video starring Mr. Cheapskate shows a Skype video session with his daughter, Kim Cheapskate, obviously a student. But it also serves as a humorous introduction to Skype for Windows 4.0's features.
  
• Alec Saunders: Saunderslog.com: Skype 4.0 audio: smooth as SILK:

Perhaps the biggest improvement, though, is audio quality. We all thought that Skype audio was great, right? Skype’s internally developed SILK codec slipped into the final release, despite not having been in prior betas. A wideband codec that delivers the goods at half the bitrate of prior codecs, SILK makes talking on Skype a pure pleasure.

• Tom Keating: Skype Launches 4.0 with Super Duper Weenie Wideband Codec. Images conjured up when a new codec is lauded with reduced network bandwidth. Obviously Tom has his favorite food hangouts.
  
• Update: JK On The Run: Geek Session: Skype 4.0 and the HP Mini 1000 MIE provides a ten minute video recording of Kevin's Skype video call with James Kendrick from a netbook running Windows 7 beta. Not a Skype High Quality video call but still demonstrates a reasonable quality video call, even at full screen (select "HD On" in upper right corner if you go full screen) . Would love to have knows the fps and resolution from the Skype tech specs for the call.
  

Have a good weekend.

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