A superior telephone service, it has literally given the other telephone services a run for their money and entrenched itself at the helm with the very best. Needless to say that Skype phones are extremely popular amongst the masses. One of the major reasons behind the huge popularity that Skype phones enjoy is the fact that it allows call from a Skype phone to Skype phone absolutely free of cost. Though it must be added that a call from Skype phone to another service provider end up being charged as per minute basis.

The slash in the price range as well as the relay of voice signals was the clinching factor for Skype phone. As if this was not enough, the Skype phone users also get such benefits like cordless Skype phones, Skype headsets, USP Skype headsets, Skype adaptors, Wi-Fi phones and web cameras, which really makes Skype phones a cool prospect and give it a cutting edge over its rivals.

About the Author:

Dennis Jaylon is a renowned business writer who has years of experience in writing technical reviews, product descriptions and product feature analysis of technical gadgets and gizmos. He has won appreciation especially for enlightening people about the latest communication gizmos…the Skype phone

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Skype Phones: a Real Cool Service

Anyhow, getting back to the point, we all use tools like messengers, cell phones, etc.. It gets harder all the time to protect yourself and your family from predators of all sorts. Some want to chat, some to sell you something, others can have intents that are more nefarious. All modern communication comes with any number of protective measures you can use.

Today, I want to discuss Skype.

Most of one half of my family uses Skype to keep in touch with each other. Some of us have been members for quite some time, others have only recently gotten on the program. Everyone has at one time or another gotten a message from someone they don’t know, or might simply prefer not to.

The reaction unfortunately is to either not use the software, or run in an invisible mode which, while useful, makes it so nobody knows if you are on or not. If I could tell you how to use Skype, not appear offline, and only get messages from people you knew, would you be interested?

Let’s start with the status; or “Presence” as Skype likes to call them; options which many users mistake as Privacy Settings. When Skype is running you should see an icon by your clock for the software. Which icon you see depends upon which status setting you’ve selected.

There are the important status settings you can select:

• Online. This is the automatic status setting when you are online and available.
• SkypeMe!™. Means you are happy to be contacted by people who are not in your contacts list.
• Away. You’re signed in, but you’ve been away or haven’t used your computer for a while so probably won’t answer a call or instant message.
• Not available. You’re signed in, but not used your computer for a long time, so aren’t available.
• Do not disturb. You’re busy and don’t want to be contacted right now. In this setting the notifications of calls or instant messages will not be displayed.
• Invisible. When you don’t want users to know that you are really online, choose this one and you appear offline. You can still call and send and receive instant messages.
• Offline. You’re not signed in, and can’t call or send or receive instant messages.

Myself, I run in Online mode. These are the same icons which show up in your Contact List next to mine, and anyone else’s name, showing you what their status is. As you can see these settings are useful, but limited. Especially if, as in our stated scenario you want your contacts to reach you, but not some creep in Romania (or down the street) looking for cyber-sex or your credit card…

If you open the Skype program by right clicking on the icon in the taskbar; you could also double-click that icon, or click the icon on your desktop you get the main program interface.

We can do many things here. Today though we just want to control whom, and how, we can be contacted. Looking at the program we see a menu across the top of the window, click on Tools then Options.

Clicking Options opens the main settings window. . Now click the button in the left labeled Privacy. You should only see the few options in the basic settings, look for the button saying Advanced Options. Click it. Let’s go through these settings one at a time.

1. Allow calls from…
   1. Anyone: this means that anyone can call you with the Skype software if they know your user name.
   2. Only people in my contact list: this is the locked-down setting. A user Must be in your contact list to be able to contact you.

2. Allow SkypeIn calls from…
   1. Anyone: anybody can call your SkypeIn number.
      1. There is an option under Anyone to block hidden numbers. Therefore, if you use SkypeIn and do not want to talk to people with their caller-ID blocked like many telemarketers, checking this option turns their phone call down.

   2. Only numbers in my contact list: again, this is the locked-down setting that means somebody has to know you, and be in your list to call you.

3. Automatically receive video from…
   1. Anyone: this means that anyone can initiate a video chat or call with the Skype software if they know your user name.
   2. Only people in my contact list: this is the locked-down setting. A user must be in your contact list to be able to video chat with you.
   3. No one: absolutely nobody can connect to you via a video chat or call.

4. Show that I have video to…
   1. People in my contact list: this is the locked-down setting. A user must be in your contact list to even know you have the capability for video calls.
   2. No one: absolutely nobody can see whether you can conduct video chats or calls.

5. Allow chats from…
   1. Anyone: this means that anyone can send you a text or chat message you with the Skype software if they know your user name.
   2. Only people in my contact list: this is the locked-down setting. A user must be in your contact list to be able to contact you.

6. Keep chat history for…
   1. When you are in a chat or text conversation with another user Skype, like most messenger systems keeps a history of who said what, and when. This can be useful for many reasons, but can conceivably become quite large if you are an active chatter. You can define how long this history is kept with this setting.

7. Allow my status to be shown on the web:
   1. This one confuses, even scares, some people. It does NOT mean there is some database that shows whether you are online or not. What it does refer to is IF you have a web site, and IF you’ve gotten special code to put on that site, THEN your status can be seen; look at the left column of this site for an example.

8. Accept Skype Browser Cookies:
   1. These Cookies are pieces of data that Skype may store to help various (web) applications to recognize you or your preferences. These cookies allow Skype to learn about the use of its websites, and to allow tailored content for an individual user. Third parties for Skype might analyze this information additionally cookies may contain identifying information.

Please be aware that depending on versions and updates, you may see different options, but the general principals should for the most part hold true regardless.
Because I use Skype as a major means of communicating, as well as for business, I run wide-open settings; Figure 5.

If on the other hand you are like some of the people I wrote this for, you might want some very tight settings; like this . With your settings put this way Nobody but your direct contacts can reach you.

With the privacy settings in the options you can control how the world sees you, and how they can, or cannot, interact with you. Then you use the status, or “Presence”, settings to further tweak things.

NOTE: If your status setting is at SkypeMe! It does not matter how tight your privacy settings are. This is a special setting overriding everything and tells the world you want to chat — Now! Be careful to avoid this if you do not want unsolicited contacts.(This article is provided AS IS and makes NO guarantees to your actual security or privacy.)

About the Author:

Greetings fellow denizens of the Web, I am the Web Warrior; a Writer, 3d Artist, Photographer, Web Developer, & Man of many Opinions. You have stumbled down a dark hole into the underbelly of the Internet. This site is a collection of snippets from my life covering a number of topics. Should you be interested, this is the place that you can read my opinions throughout The Blog, explore my Photography & Computer Generated Art (CGI), read my Poetry, share in my 20 years of experience using computers, & follow along with my experiences as a dystonic with a Deep Brain Stimulation implant. I hope you find this site interesting at worst, & useful at best.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Skype Privacy

With the help of Skype, it is possible to make calls over the Internet via Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). Using a Skype VoIP phone, you can make a call to another Skype user for free. You are only charged when you make a call from your Skype VoIP phone to landlines and cell phones. Skype offers facilities like instant messaging, file transfer, and video-conferencing. The SkypeIn feature allows users to receive calls on their computers from regular phone subscribers to a local Skype phone number. Skype provides local numbers for countries, like Australia, Brazil, Chile, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. They offer high-quality video-conferencing with full-screen and screen-in-screen modes. The Skypecasting facilitates recording voice over IP voice calls and teleconferences. These recordings are used for podcasting, enabling audio and video content to be syndicated across the Web. Skype is compatible with all major platforms, such as Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. Some Skype-enabled devices are Skype cordless phones, Skype headsets, Skype Wi-Fi phones, and more.

Tupelo Super Store offers a wide range of leading-edge Skype compatible products. The DECT 6.0 Cordless w/ Skype is a GE DECT 6.0 Skype cordless telephone, which can make Internet and standard calls simultaneously. These cordless telephones can be connected to phone lines for standard calls and can be linked to your PC for Skype calls. The GE DECT 6.0 Skype cordless telephone allows you to see when your Skype contacts are online. They are Wi-Fi and Bluetooth friendly gadgets. GE has come up with another Skype friendly product, the DECT 6.0 2-in-1 Internet/Standard, which is a 2-in-1 expandable Internet and standard cordless telephone. They can support a maximum of 4-handsets and come with a VoIP gateway base and charger. DECT 6.0 2-in-1 Internet/Standard do not require a computer and provides direct access to your Skype contact list. These Skype cordless phones are also Wi-Fi friendly, have a Skype call forwarding facility, and allow conferencing between standard phone lines and Skype. The 78592-01 is a wireless Bluetooth headset with Skype that allows clear communication whether you are making calls from your cell phone or from your PC. This Skype headset starts functioning as soon as its USB adapter is plugged in. The 78592-01 Skype headset lets you answer all your Skype calls away from your laptop or PC. The Wi-Fi Phone for Skype does not require a PC; you merely need to connect to a Wi-Fi network. These Skype Wi-Fi phones come with an executive travel kit, case, and a router.

About the Author:

Tupelo Super Store: Discounted electronics, fitness and sports supplies, GPS, marine equipment, computers, stereos, casino and poker accessories, home audio and video, home theater systems, flat-screen TVs, home security, auto accessories.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – The Skype Revolution

Skype, like many things comes in many flavors. Let’s break down the basic (free) service and what comes with it.

Skype-to-Skype calls: Once you set up an account with Skype, you can use it to make voice calls to any other user on the network — regardless of what country they happen to be in. You can also set up a conference call with up to twenty-five people, or invite a contact to join a call in progress.*

Transfer calls to people on Skype: With Skype, it is quick and easy to transfer calls to your Skype contacts – useful in a holiday setting when family member are talking, or in business if you need to send a caller to a different colleague.

Skype-to-Skype chats: you can use Skype as an Instant Messenger and chat via text with any contact; you can also theoretically add up to one hundred fifty people in a single chat…

Skype-to-Skype Video calls: If you have a webcam hooked up to your computer, you can use Skype for video chats with other members on the network.

File Transfer: as with most decent communications systems, you can also transfer files with a click of a button. Unlike many other systems though, you can also send a file to a group of people. Again, this is useful in either a family or business setting.

*(one point of clarification: it is unclear whether the free services are 25 or 9 callers. Documentation sites both numbers as a free feature.)

As you can see, even if you never use anything but the free service offered by Skype it is an incredibly powerful tool. However,…

…even if you don’t want to use the Subscription (paid) Services you can purchase Skype Credit to access all the various paid features on a pay-as-you-go basis. I will cover these in another article. I mention it here only because say you want to occasionally use Skype to call someone who does not have the software.

One example might be that you are in the United States and your long distance does not cover Canadian calls. With Skype, you can call a friend in Ottawa for about three cents a minute!*

So what do you need to do all this? Not much. You can actually use Skype over a dial-up connection though a broadband is the recommended speed, regardless of the connection, you first you need to download and install the software. It is quick, easy, and painless.

Next, you need to create an account which only takes a second. You need a valid email address; you not be spammed, I think I’ve only ever gotten four emails – two in response to a support request I issued; a username, and a password.

That gets you in and running. To make a call to another Skype member you need there Skype name, a microphone, and speakers. If you use Outlook then during the install Skype can import the addresses from your address book and see if they belong to registered Skypers. (Do not worry; nobody will get an email advertising anything. The software simply checks to see if people you know are users, and then asks if you would like to add them as a Skype contact.)

The basic microphone and speaker setup almost all computers and laptops have will function quite well, but if your going to be a serious Skyper I’d say it’s well worth the twenty bucks or so you’ll pay for a decent headpiece/mic combo at the Skype Store – or your local electronics joint. (This is my rig in the photo: FREETALK® Gamers USB Stereo Headset Beginners Kit.)

For video chat, you obviously need a camera. One cool note: you can be in a video chat with someone who only has a mic, or vice-versa. As with the headphone rigs you can buy a camera from the Skype Store with prices ranging from $40.00 to $120.00 (USD), or use virtually all but the oldest ones around for a PC. (As always Mac users, I fear you may need to look here.)

In any event, you are off to the races. Until next time…

*(Three cents per minute for a call from the US to Canada is the rate at the time this article was written.)

As always, feel free to leave me a comment, or send me an email with your questions, and if you fund this article useful or of interest, please use the Rating feature at the top of the page and consider a donation. Your votes, comments, and questions help me know what kind of articles you’d like to see.

About the Author:

Greetings fellow denizens of the Web, I am the Web Warrior; a Writer, 3d Artist, Photographer, Web Developer, & Man of many Opinions. You have stumbled down a dark hole into the underbelly of the Internet. This site is a collection of snippets from my life covering a number of topics. Should you be interested, this is the place that you can read my opinions throughout The Blog, explore my Photography & Computer Generated Art (CGI), read my Poetry, share in my 20 years of experience using computers, & follow along with my experiences as a dystonic with a Deep Brain Stimulation implant. I hope you find this site interesting at worst, & useful at best.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – So, What is Skype Anyway?

The benefits of using Skype are plentiful. For one, Skype calls to other Skype users are free regardless of location. Skype also has more features than many mobile/telephone plans, such as audio conferencing. This makes Skype ideal for very small office/home office professionals, high-volume domestic and/or international callers, independent consultants, real estate agents…the list goes on. Skype is especially useful if you require multiple “local” numbers around the U.S./World. Lastly, Skype works with newer high-tech phones, in addition to using a Personal Computer.

Skype isn’t perfect, however, and has limitations in a few areas. For one, features and collaborative tools are impossible to use if the other party doesn’t also have Skype. Skype to Skype calls are free where if you want to call a cell phone or land line, you will need to sign up for their premium service (which is still cheaper than any service a telephone company can provide). Reliability is also dependent upon your internet connection/PC stability. Also, if But if you also need a main phone number, auto attendant, multiple extensions, etc., Skype is not able to provide that. You will need to either get a basic service from your telephone company or small business can use an answering service which would provide them with a toll free telephone number, voicemail boxes, and a 24 hour secretary.

Overall though, using Skype can save your small business hundreds of dollars a year in telephone charges. Best of all, Skype can allow your business to be more competitive, productive and cost- effective than with any other service.

In summary, if you make a lot of business calls and you’re not yet using Skype, make signing up for a free account your next priority. You will kick yourself for not getting on board sooner!

About the Author:

Messages Plus a nationwide live telephone answering service for all industries. We answer for your company in your business name and follow your instructions to handle your telephone calls. Our services range from virtual receptionist to answering service.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Skype, the Best Friend of Small Business