Here is an article by David Pogue on Skype for the iPhone. If this
should not get through, you can access it at technical site of New
York Times , April 2
Marta
Begin forwarded message:
From: "NYTimes.com" <[email protected]>
Date: April 2, 2009 2:09:46 pm EDT
To: [email protected]
Subject: Circuits: Skype Comes to the iPhone
Reply-To: [email protected]
If you have trouble reading this e-mail, go to:
http://www.nytimes.com/indexes/2009/04/02/technology/circuitsemail/index.html
April 2, 2009
Circuits
Skype Comes to the iPhone
By DAVID POGUE
So Skype has come to the iPhone.
Skype, of course, is the free software (for Mac, Windows, Linux,
BlackBerry, iPhone, etc.) that lets you place free "phone calls" (or
even video calls) to other people who have Skype. That's now over
400 million people, so it's not so hard to find someone to call.
The calls have better sound than phone calls, and, in case you
missed it, the calls are free, even to people in other countries.
That's what makes Skype so irresistible to students and anyone with
loved ones living abroad.
Continue reading...
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So if all of these calls are free, how does Skype make money? (And
don't say, "They make it up in volume.")
The problem with Skype is that, to get the free calls, both you and
your calling partner have to be running Skype, which usually means
sitting at a computer--or, in the case of the iPhone, the Skype
program has to be open and running to accept incoming calls.
Therefore, Skype offers a service called Skype Out, where you can
call actual telephone numbers. You still have to be using a computer-
thing, but the recipient doesn't have to have Skype--only a phone.
Skype Out is cheap, about 2-3 cents a minute.
The significance of Skype of the iPhone (and iPod Touch), of course,
is that now 30 million people can make Skype calls without being
tethered to a computer.
The downside of Skype for the iPhone is that it works only when
you're in a Wi-Fi hot spot. So the real meaning of Skype on a
cellphone--that fantasy of ducking cellphone airtime charges
forever--doesn't quite come to fruition. (On some other smartphones,
on the other hand, you can place Skype calls over the cellular
airwaves. If you have an unlimited data plan, that's a lot cheaper
than making cell calls.)
Still, the Skype for iPhone app works great. It's good-looking and
familiar, and permits both typed chat and audio calls. (Not video,
of course.) Sound quality is excellent.
Pretty cool, when you think about it, that you can now make free
iPhone-to-iPhone calls (or Touch-to-Touch calls).
Now, iPhone programs like TruCall, Fring and NimBuzz also let you
make free Wi-Fi Skype calls--and, in fact, offer typed chat with a
much wider variety of instant-message networks (not just Skype). But
it's nice to know that a big player like Skype is now officially in
the game, with its 400 million customers ready to receive your
iPhone/iPod Touch calls. If I were a phone company right about now,
I'd be starting to sweat.
Visit David Pogue on the Web at DavidPogue.com »
Get home delivery of The New York Times for as low as $3.15 a week.
Circuits
BASICS
An Online Toolbox Starts With a Polished Résumé
By JOSHUA CONDON
Updating the content of your résumé is only half the battle -- how
you wield it online determines how effective it can be.
All Basics Columns »
STATE OF THE ART
Reminders From Out of the Blue
By DAVID POGUE
An improved personal reminder system collects your every utterance
and idea and holds them for posterity.
Turning Down Free ‘Help’
By J.D. BIERSDORFER
I used to type in the middle part of a Web site’s domain name and
get to the page. When I do that now, some Road Runner search page
pops up to tell me it can’t find the site. What’s going on?
Eyewear Gives Big-Screen Quality to iPhone Videos
By AZADEH ENSHA
The Cinimizer Plus from optics maker Carl Zeiss makes watching the
small screen a cinematic experience.
DigitalPersona Adds Biometrics to Security Suite
By J. D. BIERSDORFER
The identity protection suite combines password-manager software
with the U.are.U 4500 fingerprint reader.
Verbatim Drive Offers Four Ports for Sharing Data
By J. D. BIERSDORFER
A portable drive made for media professionals who need lots of data
space and easy connections for collaboration.
From Canon, a D.S.L.R. That Shoots HD Video, Too
By RIK FAIRLIE
The Rebel T1i may be the entry-level digital single-lens reflex
camera to beat this spring.
Go to Circuits »
Podcast
This week: A free online showcase for budding artists, new gadgets
suitable for travel, a Circuits preview and technology news,
including Skype for iPhone.
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