Skype phones

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dintymoore

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Don't know if this the place for a post like this, but for sure people will be using this technology in studios so:

Is anybody using a USB Skype phone that you can plug into your cable modem's USB jack?

My understanding is that you can do this and not have to have your computer on and phone Canada & US for $3 a month through Skype. They give you a phone number so anyone can call you like a regular phone.

I talked to a friend via Skype on my Mac laptop this summer. He was in France and the connection and sound quality was light years better than if I'd phoned my nextdoor neighbor on my conventional phone. It was super loud and clear and made my regular phone sound like 8 bit.

Are these VOIP phones? It's important that it be able to ring when the computer is off. So far I've seen only two phones, both Philips and one was $70 (out of stock) and the other $160.

Can I get an adapter and use a regular cordless house phone?

I went to BestBuy and they had never heard of this technology. What's up with that? Radio Shack never heard of it either. ??? Are they avoiding it because it will be the end of their rip-off phone contracts?

If anybody's using these I'd love to hear what kind of phone you're using.

thanks
 
Please forgive me because I might be wrong but I think I have seen something like that at Wal-Mart. I didn't pay much attention to it but the next time I run by their I'll take a look.
 
dodgeaspen said:
Please forgive me because I might be wrong but I think I have seen something like that at Wal-Mart. I didn't pay much attention to it but the next time I run by their I'll take a look.
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Thanks, that's one place I haven't had a chance to look. What it needs to have (I'm gathering) is a USB cable, and it would be nice if it said something about not needing a computer, because what I'm looking for is a phone that people who don't have Skype can phone me on using their regular phone.

I always thought it was odd that for so many years now when CNN talks to people in Iraq that there was this long delay. It was awkward and the other day I saw that they were using Skype on CNN and the delay was gone.
 
I have been everywhere looking for a USB phone that doesn't need a computer that will allow you to have a phone number and call US & Canada for $3 a month and have found none.

I just talked to the manager of the nearest Radio Shack and he said they aren't bringing them in. Daaaa... wonder why... they have all the other latest toys.

What appears to be happening is that the Skype phones are real but Radio Shack, Best Buy and all the other scamsters don't want you to know about it so you will keep buying their bullshit contracts and instead of paying $3 a month for your phone.

On top of that, the quality of Skype calls is light years better than a regular phone - the difference between 24/96 and a micro-cassette.
 
They do sell it at Microcenter...and Ive seen radio remotes done using that technology.
 
There is magic jack you can find it on the net. Goes in computer usb my friend has one and I should ask him about it.
I don't think the computer needs to be on. $19.95 a year they give you a number goes through to your house phone with all the perks, even has an answering machine function.
It's kinda coolieo.
 
drstawl - yes my computer was on (?). That's the totally free way you can use Skype anytime. They do make USB phones that do not need to be plugged into a computer so anyone from a regular phone can phone you anytime.

darrin_h2000 - I don't think we have Microcenter here but thanks

moresound - yes, I have seen the ads. Magicjack comes off kinda hokey, and you'd have to be sitting there with your computer on. The cordless Skype phones are just like a cordless house phone, you don't need the computer in any way except if you want to use the video feature.

I think this technology is being squashed by the big boys and that's why nobody knows about it.

I don't normally believe in conspiracy theories but this is an actual true one.
 
dintymoore said:
moresound - yes, I have seen the ads. Magicjack comes off kinda hokey, and you'd have to be sitting there with your computer on. The cordless Skype phones are just like a cordless house phone, you don't need the computer in any way except if you want to use the video feature.

I think this technology is being squashed by the big boys and that's why nobody knows about it.

I don't normally believe in conspiracy theories but this is an actual true one.
Click to expand...

Ya it's kind of like the Sham Wow ads -Oh well-
Lets break this conspiracy wide open.What to do?
 
what's the hype about Skype?

Well, I bought an Ipevo Skype phone and it works wonderfully. So today I am getting rid of my $36 a month long distance phone that I had through my cable company.

This isn't a conspiracy - they just don't want you to know about it.

I can't believe that this isn't mainstream.

Here's what I know so far:

* You buy this cordless phone for $130 and it's a tiny (looks like a cellphone) unit that has a small cradle to charge it up. I plugged it into the wall and it wirelessly hooked up to my wireless router (an Apple Airport in my case). The sound quality is like the difference between a CD and a cassette. The range of the phone doesn't seem great - maybe I should put my router up really high? Overall I wish the phone was larger because the mic is on my cheekbone and I don't like phones like that. The phone needs no computer hookup, so your computer doesn't need to be on. It works like a regular phone!

* you can phone anyone with Skype for free. If you pay $36 a year (not a month!) you can phone any phone number in Canada and the USA for free, and you can phone to anyone on any phone just as you're used to. It works just like an regular phone.

* there is a hour limit but it's sky high. If you divide it by 30 days it's 5 1/2 hours a day.

* for $36 more a year you get a phone number so anyone can phone you. I will be doing that. You can have that phone number in any of 25 countries and for people there it's a local call to call you. They have the USA, UK, Japan, Malta... but you can't have a phone number in Canada yet. I'm in Hawaii and they don't offer phone numbers here, so I'll get a NYC phone number. Hey, offices in New York and Hawaii - I must be somebody!

* the manager at Radio Shack here had never heard of this - what a crock of shit! :rolleyes: They know that the days of bullshit phone contracts are over!

* I don't know about cell phones for out and about but I believe that's an option too.

* for $350 you can get a phone with a video screen, camera and speaker on the front and walk around talking to your buddies - it's the Jetsons.

* it doesn't replace your land line phone and you still need that for emergencies.

* for $6 a month (unlimited, sorta, calling and your own phone number) you can shitcan your long distance service and Skype sounds way, way better.

* so far I can't see anything wrong with it.

I want to hook up adapters so the whole thing comes through my recording system.
 
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Score so far: Skype = pass Ipevo = fail

Been using the system for about 5 days and my impression is that the Skype part of it is good and absolutely I'd recommend getting rid of your long distance service asap, but I don't like Ipevo phone at all, because:

It's so short that either earpiece is by your ear or the mic is by your mouth, they cannot both be where they should be at the same time.

The max volume is less than my other phones and has only 4 volume settings.

The earpiece that came with it is, at best, 1/4 the volume of the phone. I think it's defective.

You have to press the phone against your ear and after a few minutes the phone gets very warm (like a laptop does) and that's uncomfortable not to mention it feels like it's giving me brain cancer.

It doesn't monitor your own voice so unless the person you're talking to says something after you do, it always sounds like you've been disconnected - there's no way to tell if you aren't.

So fuck the Ipevo phone- it's garbage.

I suspect I'll be sending it back this week and buying a Philips version for about $180. The Ipevo was $130 or so. Who ever heard of Ipevo? Philips is a great company, I don't know if everyone realizes this but they are the company that developed all the light systems for growing marijuana. Philips is from Denmark. Hmmmm...

On a side note: about two years ago I saw a CNN story on the top major companies that were donating money to legalize marijuana. This was not reported very well! Two of the top three were Progressive Insurance and the University of Phoenix.

Here's the WIKI article where it says Progressive Insurance chairman donated $3M in 2007:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Lewis_(businessman)

That's why that chick is always smiling!

My opologies to the OP for the sidetrack! :o
 
This sounds oh so good please keep updating this post about skype.

I saw the icon on someones laptop and asked about it, there was little time for her to give her explanation only to say she talks to her family here in New Hampshire when she's in Rio for free but she said they used the mics and speakers of the computers which I guess you could do also anywhere.
 
moresound said:
This sounds oh so good please keep updating this post about skype.

I saw the icon on someones laptop and asked about it, there was little time for her to give her explanation only to say she talks to her family here in New Hampshire when she's in Rio for free but she said they used the mics and speakers of the computers which I guess you could do also anywhere.
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Yes, if you go on Skype right now you can download their program for free, and if a friend of yours does the same thing in Moscow you can then talk to him forever for free - no catches. The quality will make your regular phone sound like a bad cassette. I did it last year and talked to a friend in France over my Mac laptop's built in speaker and mic. Oddly, even though normally I can barely hear YouTube through the Mac's speakers, I could talk to him and hear clearly, with the computer a foot away.

So that's computer to computer, which is 100% free. Forgot to mention it has video too so phone sex just reached a new level!

What this thread is more about is going a step further and getting a special phone that doesn't require a computer and allows you to call any regular phone numbers and have your own phone number so anybody with any phone can phone you, and we're talking $75 a year approx. Way, way better than Vonage that I had last year and was crap compared to this. Skype sounds like 24 bit compared to 8.

I've phoned about 10 people so far and they all say it's the clearer than my other phone.

Check this out, very Star Trek... now if I could only find Beyoncé's Skype number...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...093649&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_5937wt_686
 
You know I've been on this computer journey for a long time. My brother was making radios, tube gear and even a computer around 1961.

And everything I've thought of that could happen, ended up happening.

The ramifications of Skype are astounding. I was just visualizing that on Cubase, on the outputs for a track I'll end up having:

MOTU 1 & 2
MOTU 3 & 4
MOTU 5 & 6
MOTU 7 & 8
S/PDIF L & R
SKYPE L & R

If I can think of it, there's a few hundred nerds in Japan working on it right now.

We'll be laying down tracks with buddies in different countries - live.
 
I think I'm going to install a asus phone in my shower ! :laughings:
This is very "jetson"/"startrek" it will revolutionize phone conversations, you just can't call in sick and sound sick you'll have to look and act sick.

And you'll need back drops so that when you get a call from telemarketers you just tell them your in the operating room just pull down the operating room backdrop and then for real show them the finger while yelling f*ck off!!!!

This is going to be so cool............wounder what happens when you get a blocked call ? Is there some generic screen that shows ?

You can also do a out going video message for voice I mean video/voice message it can be produced like an MTV video back in the day. the possibilities of this will be endlessly fun.
 
When I go on Skype I always wear my..........................Nixon Mask
Richard-Nixon-mask.jpg

I'm going to install an Asus phone in my toilet bowl!
 
:laughings::laughings::laughings:That's funny.:laughings::laughings::laughings: I just had seen a Nixon / Agnew bumper sticker and it brought back memories.:laughings::laughings::laughings:
 
dintymoore said:
We'll be laying down tracks with buddies in different countries - live.
Click to expand...

How's the latency? As I hear it, that's the biggest hurdle with real-time long distance collaboration; even at light speed, there's an audible delay for something to go all the way around the world.

(When will we perfect the ansible already?!?)
 
VomitHatSteve said:
How's the latency? As I hear it, that's the biggest hurdle with real-time long distance collaboration; even at light speed, there's an audible delay for something to go all the way around the world.

(When will we perfect the ansible already?!?)
Click to expand...

There was no delay that I could hear. None. I was surprised at that since I'm in Hawaii and phone friends in New York and Nova Scotia all the time and we've had all kinds of delays, echos, you name it on normal phones.

When my friend was gigging in France last summer I was amazed at the clarity, volume and total lack of lag. Light years better than if a person called from next door.

If you want, go on Skype, download it for free and talk to a friend somewhere who has done the same, and it's 100% free no catches. The people from Skype never contact you or hassle you. The product sells itself.

You can get a corded phone for your computer to use if you just want to call out, don't have to walk around and can stand to have your computer on, just get a USB phone, they're dirt cheap (under $10) and phone for free forever. For example, probably what you'd expect in a crap phone, but to give you an idea (should be better than MagicJack):
http://cgi.ebay.com/USB-Skype-Phone...ultDomain_0?hash=item3359bbcab4#ht_1255wt_808
 
i posted on primetime about magicjack.

you need hi speed internet and its been great.
i was spending $200 month on a house phone, went to Vonage was like $35....then MagicJack $20 a year.

I never use the home phone much, but I like new widgets and MagicJack was one...is one. I still use it. Setup the 911 stuff and tried it out and spoke with the operator and you can set notes up so if 911 is called, they see the notes too.

I paid once, and looking at the calender I'm due another $20 for the year.
You can use wireless standard phones, just plug it in. I bought a new set that has 2 remotes and they work fine as normal.

I still never use the home phone much with cells and unlimited plans these days. But for overseas its cool.

Skype is used in many gov places,

the USB phones I haven't tried, thanks for the suggestion.....FREE is better than $20 a year!
 
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