Skype, the Internet-calling phenomenon that eBay acquired for $4.1 billion, is set to break into the U.S. consumer mainstream by selling its telephone kits in RadioShack stores.
Skype, which counts 66 million users of its free- and low-cost Web-based telephone services, mainly in Europe and Asia, said Sunday that it would distribute Skype phone gear through 3,500 RadioShack stores.
The move into retail promises to raise Skype’s profile with U.S. broadband clients who have begun using alternatives to traditional phone systems that rely on Internet connections on computers or phones from Vonage, SunRocket and others.
Skype, which has signed up 20 to 30 times more users than other broadband phone alternatives, offers software to allow users to call other computers or phones. It works like a music file-sharing service and needs no central phone network switches as Vonage does, making it cheaper to operate.
By next March, I intend to lose my landline — keeping just my cell numbers. The only sorting I need is my occasional TiVo phone call. Whether that will be via PPP or Skype or a device bringing my cell service into household wiring — is to be resolved.
John,
Hook your TiVo into your network. In addition to allowing more frequent and faster updates, it will give you access to additional video feeds. Streaming video to your TiVo is something the company is experimenting with. I receive C-NET videos and others this way. It’s pretty neat.
Take care,
Mark
By next March, I intend to lose my landline — keeping just my cell numbers. The only sorting I need is my occasional TiVo phone call. Whether that will be via PPP or Skype or a device bringing my cell service into household wiring — is to be resolved.
You’re thinking the same way I am, but both PPP (via a Null Modem connection) and VoIP have been reported as unreliable by numerous sources. Do you know of something already out there that would make your third option, cell service in the house, possible?
Tossed the landline two months ago and went with VOIP from the local cable company. One bill for cable, internet and phone plus no long distance charges. So far, so good.
Mark — it’s Eideard, not John. James mentions the problems many have experienced. I’m on the DirecTV path; so, no off-the-shelf networking. And I’m not hacking the box I hope to be swapping out for the mpg4-flavor, sooner or later.
James — there are two hardware approaches just on the market [and overpriced, I think]. RCA has a base/charger you plunk your cell phone into and it enables answering the cell with at least 1 cordless you can get from them. Phone Labs has the same thing; but, apparently enough hp to enable your existing phone circuitry when you plug it into the nearest wall jack. I think the RCA can be rigged to do the same; but, haven’t tried it, yet.
I’ve had some chatter with Phone Labs and [1] they say it doesn’t work with TiVo’s and [2] though they list beaucoup cellphones, all flavors of each mfg. don’t work. Apparently, a core problem is that just about every cell system is completing the conversion to digital — TiVo’s that are out there have analogue modems.
Eideard, it just doesn’t seem like what we want to do should be such a pain in the ass. I’m fine with my DirecTV HDTivo wanting to call home, but I shouldn’t have to hold on to dated technology to make it happen.
Likewise, I shouldn’t have to hack a tuner, or authorize at a friend’s house, or get another type of technology I won’t use (VoIP) to get around the issue. And I sure as hell shouldn’t have to go back to cable TV, even if I get my broadband from that same cable company, to dump my phone.
And here I thought Uncle Rupert was going to take better care of me. Doesn’t he know I watch FNC?
You still have a land line?
If you can get by on just your cell phones, you’re a better man than I, Gunga Din. Either that or your locale has WAAAAAAYYYYY better cell phone service than either Philly or Minneapolis. I’ve tried ATT (Cingular), T-Mobile, Verizon wireless, and at least one other. Without exception, THEY SUCK. Good for an emergency, but I wouldn’t want to use them for routine use. Much as I hate paying $25/mo for a land line, I can’t dump the service. Although I can “surf the web”, play games, make voice recordings, take pictures, send text messages, and about a dozen other things on my cell phone, I STILL CAN’T MAKE A DECENT QUALITY CALL on a regular basis. Those old brick phones from 15 years ago were so much better, they’re not even in the same ballpark. I wish they still made them.
Without a land line, how will you get junk phone calls at dinnertime?
That’s not a problem for us: They call the same fake number we give to the bill collectors.
We dumped the landline months ago and do not miss it. The only calls we were getting were telemarketers and slipped through the loopholes in the do not call list.
We had cell phones but were in danger of running of minutes on daytime calls.
so we use skype when we have to.
we bought skype out credits in 10 euro increments (about 12.5 $) and can call any where in the western world for 2 cents per min.
we also bought a skype in local number 4$ per month for a three month trial and extended it another three months
the phone quality is excellent. we occassionally experience cut offs but just call back.
you also get for no additional charge, call waiting, call forwarding, voicemail and conference calling and with an add on, video calls.
computer to computer we dont use very much, thats the free service. but when we do….the voice quality is so real it is scary, with digital end to end it and with headphones, it is like the person is in the room with you.
i like conversing with my grad student friend and he flashes document and powerpoint show over the skype program.
we are still tied to the computer as we do not have a phone to plug in yet but i can and do use skype on a wireless laptop and it works as a large heavy portable phone.
till i buy a portable unit to USB plug in.
summary. superior service for tenth the price i was paying the telcos