Skype For Dummies E-Book

Loren Abdulezer

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 453

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

Here's the fun and easy way to understand all the hype about Skype and make this cool alternative communication system work for you People love Skype because it's fairly simple to use, it's free, it doesn't have advertisements or pop-up screens, and its communications are encrypted and secure. If you want the ability to make free voice calls or want to maximize Skype and get the most out of this free global telephony system, you've come to the right place. All you need to get going with Skype is a computer with Internet access, a headset or microphone -- and this book! Although the technology is simple, it has some complexities when you go beyond making simple calls. Skype For Dummies covers call forwarding, voice mail, and conference calling and explains the use of two very popular and important Skype features: * SkypeIn: Receive telephone calls that you can answer through Skype on your computer * SkypeOut: Make calls out to regular old telephones from your computer This no-nonsense guide is written in plain English, leaving the jargon at the door. You'll learn to * Install and configure Skype on different platforms and various mobile connections * Create a contacts list * Set up voicemail and call forwarding * Use Skype for worldwide conference calls and Skypecasting * Enhance Skype with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi wireless, and video * Change your Skype menus to a different language * Adjust different hardware configurations and add-ons * Troubleshoot problems with hardware configurations and other common issues Skype For Dummies provides guidance on using this technology in a business setting, including some implementations that can help reduce support desk costs and automate surveys and interviews. A popular use of Skype is for video calling, and the book shows how you can easily install and configure this can't-miss feature. A dedicated web site keeps the book up to date as Skype adds new features. Additionally, you'll discover ten ways to use Skype to promote your business and ten ways to use Skype at school. With an appendix on multilanguage support and another on tips and tricks, you won't want to Skype anyone until you have your copy of Skype For Dummies in hand.

Leseprobe

Skype® For Dummies®

by Loren and Susan Abdulezer and Howard Dammond

Foreword by Niklas Zennström

CEO and co-founder of Skype

Skype® For Dummies®

Published byWiley Publishing, Inc.111 River St.Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2007 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, [phone], fax [phone]. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, [phone], fax [phone], or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. Skype, SkypeIn, and SkypeOut are trademarks or registered trademarks of Skype Limited in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.

LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. The fact that an organization or Website is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or Website may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet Websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read. FULFILLMENT OF EACH COUPON OFFER IS THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE OFFEROR.

For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax [phone].

For technical support, please visit www.wiley.com/techsupport.

Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2006929466

ISBN: 978-0-470-04891-7

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

About the Authors

Loren Abdulezer is CEO and President of Evolving Technologies Corporation, a New York–based technology consulting firm. He is an experienced IT professional serving many Fortune 500 companies. Loren is the author of Excel Best Practices for Business and Escape from Excel Hell and served as technical editor of Crystal Xcelsius For Dummies, all published by Wiley. Loren is always exploring new technologies and finding pragmatic and innovative applications. When Skype came along he was quick to recognize its benefits in business and all walks of life. This book is a direct result of wanting to bring those benefits one step closer to a broader audience.

Susan Abdulezer is currently a full time Multimedia Developer in New York City. Susan creates interactive DVDs, documentaries, and Web-delivered media. She has received many honors for technology innovation, winning the prestigious Computerworld/Smithsonian Award in Technology and Academia in both 1996 and 1997. Susan has also written numerous feature articles on education and technology as the contributing editor of Converge Magazine from 1998 to 2002. Susan is active in the Digital Storytelling community, exploring the nature and power of the emerging digital culture. She has also been known to tear herself away from the computer to play classical violin in the Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra.

Howard Dammond is an experienced IT professional and technical instructor, having consulted at several major Fortune 500 companies. Howard has 20-plus years of experience as a technical trainer and developer of innovative learning materials. His perspective on teaching and skills development was first inspired and then intensively developed at Yale University in its unique Master of Arts in Teaching program, where he focused on learning theory, the acquisition and nurture of analytic skills, and interdisciplinary methods of curriculum planning and development.

Dedications

Loren Abdulezer: To my parents, Ralph and Joyce.

Susan Abdulezer: To my parents, George and Cele (better known as CyberPops and Mamou).

Howard Dammond: To my wife, Daria; my daughter Rhianna; my son, David; my father, HR; my mom, May.

Authors’ Acknowledgments

In writing this book we feel as though we embarked on an enormous journey. We couldn’t have done it without the help and assistance of colleagues, friends, and peers who have gone out of their way to be helpful. We express our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation, and we acknowledge their contribution in the making of this book and its companion Web site (www.skype4dummies.com).

Numerous people have been generous, devoting their time, energy, and expertise. We need to single out two people who were especially instrumental in facilitating the connections to the right people within Skype and throughout the Skype community. Thank you, Kat James and Romain Bertrand. Lester Madden, Dan Houghton, Raul Liive, and Tony Saigh opened many doors for us. We’ve had numerous and engaging conversations both inside and outside of Skype. In order of first name, we thank the following people:

Aaron Wellman, Adam Gross, Allison Kohn, Anders Hallin, Ash Valeski, Ben Lilienthal, Bernard Percy, Bill Campbell, Bill Good, Brian Phillips, Charles Bender, Christophe Melle, Dani Shefer, David Cohen, David Rivier, Deborah Quinlan, Dick Schiferli, Elspeth Knight, Eric Choi, Eric Partaker, Erica Jostedt, Eyal Gever, Faye Williams, Gershon Goren, Gordon Evans, Graeme Gibson, Grete Napits, Heron Stone, Imogen Bailey, Jaanus Kase, Jen Webb, Jennifer Ruff, Jeremy Hague, Jim Brady, Jin Kim, Joan Gordon, John Martin, John Picard, Karen Gorman, Karen Richardson, Karen Sohl, Kelly Reed, Leslie Schecht, Liz Tierney, Lou Guercia, Martin Dougiamas, Mat Taylor, Melinda Kolk, Natasha Konstantinova, Nicola Riordan, Olivia Selbie, Philip Pool, Philippe Tessier, Phillip Pyo, Rich Conti, Rouzbeh Pasha, Sam Aparicio, Sandy Krochek, Sara Reitz, Scott Miller, Shira Litvak, Stan Kwang, Stella Porto, Stephanie Zari, Tom Gillen, Viktoria Randalainen, and Wendy Dominguez.

We also thank all those friends and family members who helped us put Skype through its paces, and especially George and Cele Pomerantz, who embraced Skype wholeheartedly.

We are grateful for having Susan Christophersen, Leah Cameron, and Colleen Totz Diamond as our editors to give our book shape, clarity, and coherence. Susan Christophersen and Greg Croy did an incredible job of pulling this book together. We also wish to express our gratitude to Jen Webb, Jodi Jensen, Mary Corder, Andy Cummings, and Lisa Coleman.

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/.

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development

Project Editor: Susan Christophersen

Acquisitions Editor: Greg Croy

Development Editors: Susan Christophersen, Leah Cameron, Colleen Totz Diamond

Editorial Manager: Jodi Jensen

Media Development Manager: Laura VanWinkle

Editorial Assistant: Amanda Foxworth

Sr. Editorial Assistant: Cherie Case

Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com)

Composition Services

Project Coordinator: Kristie Rees

Layout and Graphics: Lavonne Cook, Stephanie D. Jumper, Barbara Moore, Barry Offringa, Laura Pence, Ronald Terry

Proofreaders: Techbooks

Indexer: Jessica Kramer, Techbooks

Anniversary Logo Design: Richard Pacifico

Publishing and Editorial for Technology Dummies

Richard Swadley, Vice President and Executive Group Publisher

Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher

Mary Bednarek, Executive Acquisitions Director

Mary C. Corder, Editorial Director

Publishing for Consumer Dummies

Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher

Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director

Composition Services

Gerry Fahey, Vice President of Production Services

Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services

Foreword

When we launched Skype back in 2003, our dream was to allow people around the world to talk to each other for free. To make this possible, we created a little piece of software that people could easily download onto their computers and use straight away. Today, talking over the Internet using Skype has become a natural form of communication around the world.

The response to our technology has been amazing. It has exceeded even our wildest dreams. Skype is now used by more than 113 million people all over the world and is available in 27 different languages. And people don’t just use Skype to talk to one another. They can do all sorts of things with it — from instant messaging to sending photos to hosting conference calls.

When I found out that Skype was to be included in the popular For Dummies, series, I was delighted. This book explains how a good idea can create powerful connections between people and their friends, family, and business colleagues across the world. It also tells you about some of the new gadgets and software you can buy that make Skype really exciting to use. It’s incredible to think that only a few years ago, if you wanted to call someone on the other side of the planet, doing so would have cost you a fortune. But now, with Skype, you can call whomever you want for free. And it’s fun, too!

We are tickled pink by the way Skype has changed people’s lives. And we hope to keep delighting our users just like you every single day. You make Skype what it is. Thank you.

Niklas Zennström

Contents

Title

Introduction

About This Book

How to Use This Book

Foolish Assumptions

How This Book Is Organized

Conventions Used in This Book

Icons Used in This Book

Where to Go from Here

Part I : Getting Started with Skype

Chapter 1: What’s All the Hoopla about Skype?

Seeing What Skype Can Do For You

Going Beyond the Basics with (Not Necessarily Free) Services

Getting a Load of Add-Ons and Accessories

Making Skype Play Well with Others

Chapter 2: Hooking Up with Skype

Downloading and Installing Skype

Choosing Your Skype Name and Password

Filling Out Your Skype Profile: Making It Profile You

Testing Your Connection

Making Your First Skype Call

Chapter 3: Getting Familiar with Skype’s Interface

Understanding the Skype Menus

Using the Skype toolbar

Status Icons: Announcing and Changing Your Online Status

Part II : As You Like It: Skype Your Way

Chapter 4: Customizing Skype Options to Suit Your Style

Fine-Tuning Your General Options

Protecting Your Privacy

Receiving Notifications when Someone Skypes You

Customizing Your Sounds

Customizing Hotkeys

Connecting to the Internet when Skype Default Settings Aren’t Enough

Keeping Up-to-Date

Improving Your Skyping with Advanced Options

Chapter 5: Getting Personal

Personalizing Your Skype Profile with Graphics

Having Fun with Avatars

Skype Is a Communication Kaleidoscope

Chapter 6: The Mad Chatter

Set ’er Up and Let ’er Rip

Mastering the Chaos

Chatting Strategically

Modifying Your Chat Window Dressing

Chatting in the Past, Present, and Future

Chapter 7: Skyping Eye to Eye: Skype with Video

Enhancing Your Conversations with Live Video

Considering Types of Webcams

Understanding Webcam Features

Shopping for Webcams

Installing and Setting Up Video for Skype (On Windows)

Installing and Setting Up Video For Skype (On the Macintosh)

Video in Action

Creative Uses of Skype Video

Chapter 8: The Ins and Outs of SkypeIn and SkypeOut

Connecting Skype with Regular Phone Lines

Understanding SkypeOut

Staying in Touch Through SkypeIn

Redeeming Skype Credit from a Voucher

Part III : Calling All Seasoned Skypers

Chapter 9: Managing Your Messages

Staying Connected via Skype

Bridging Skype with Your Outlook Contacts

Handling Voice Messaging with Skylook

Pamela Is Not Just Another Pretty Voice

Chapter 10: Partying On — On the Conference Line!

The Benefits of Conference Calling

Native Skype Conferencing

Conferencing with Skype Plus Third-Party Web Conferencing Tools

Chapter 11: Spicing Things Up with Great Gadgets and Add-Ons

Giving Skype a Mobile Platform

Replacing Your Bulky Computer Phone

Getting Clearer Communications

Adding Bluetooth for Wireless Connections

Expanding Your Options with Software Add-Ons

Guess Who’s Calling? Customizing Caller ID

Shopping at the One-Stop Skype Shop

Part IV : The Professional Skyper

Chapter 12: “Skypifying” Your Business

Skype in Your Business

Meeting Core Business Needs with Skype

Mega Conferencing at Warp Speed

Staying One Step Ahead by Being One Click Away

Addressing IT Security Concerns

Chapter 13: Exploring Skype Communities

Finding Your Perfect Skype Venue

Discovering Birds of a Feather Who Skype Together

Joining Education Communities

Skyping in All the Right Places

Chapter 14: Skypecasting

Skypecasting: More than Just an Online Town Hall

Organizing a Skypecast in 5 Minutes or Less

Getting the Word Out

Moderating Your Skypecast

Making Your Skypecast Everlasting

Transcribing Your Skypecast Recordings

Podcasting Your Skypecast

Part V : The Part of Tens

Chapter 15: Ten Reasons Your Mom (and Other Family) Will Love Skype

Skype Is Free

Skype Is Easy

Relive Mom’s Home Cooking from a Thousand Miles Away

No-Sweat Party Planning

No-Sweat Messaging

Keeping Track

Guilt-Free Interruptions

Guilt-Free Reminders

Stamp-Free Announcements

Keep in Touch and Stay in Sight

Chapter 16: (Almost) Ten Ways to Promote Your Business Using Skype

Notify Your Customers of Important News

Use SkypeWeb Alerts to Get Customers

Make Your Business “Local” Anywhere

Conduct a Global Town Hall Meeting

Mentoring and Training

Skype on a Business Card

Large-Scale Online Conferencing

Promotionals and Giveaways

Improve Customer Service with Skype Call Transfer

Chapter 17: Ten Ways to Use Skype at School

Connect to the World on a Teacher’s Budget

Master a Foreign Language (Or Practice a Phrase)

Have School Beyond the Classroom Door

Provide Professional Development

Encourage Student Collaboration

Host Poetry Slams, Debates, and Book Clubs

Record a Group Thought Process

Use Skype as a Homework Helper

Conduct Read-Alouds

Support Special-Needs Students

Appendix A: Skype Multilanguage Support

Changing Skype to Your Language of Choice

Appendix B: Skype Tips and Tricks Guide

Troubleshooting Skype

Part I

Getting Started with Skype

In this part . . .

This is the place to begin if you’re not exactly sure what Skype is, where to find it, or how to get started using it. In this part, you get a brief introduction to the world of Skype, find out how to download it, sign up for a Skype Name, locate fellow skypers, and get talking! You also get the lowdown on navigating through the Skype menu with all its options and tools.

Chapter 1

What’s All the Hoopla about Skype?

In This Chapter

Introducing Skype

Using Skype for more than a phone call

Enhancing Skype

Do you know what happens when you speak to someone over a phone line? Your conversation is converted into an electronic signal and sent over a copper wire or some wireless network to someone else’s phone. The phone companies have set up vast networks to seamlessly connect you to just about anyone on the planet and these days, the networks are all digital even if your phone is not. In addition to managing the call, phone companies track where you are dialing to and how long the call persists so that they can send you a bill at the end of the month.

Wait a second — if the zeros and ones pushed through the phone lines are the same as the zeros and ones found on computers like yours, networks, and the World Wide Web, why can’t you push those zeros and ones through the Internet? Well, you can. That’s what Skype is all about.

In this chapter, you find out what makes Skype different from regular telephones, along with surprising ways to use Skype and a quick overview of ways to make Skype fun and productive.

Seeing What Skype Can Do For You

Skype can dramatically alter how you exchange information, how you meet new people, and how you interact with friends, family, and colleagues. Although you can make calls on Skype, there is oh so much more to it. For starters, here are some things you get or can do with Skype:

Call to or receive a call from a regular telephone, a cell phone, or a computer on the Internet.

Send or receive files over the Internet to and from fellow skypers.

Search your Outlook contacts and call them within Skype.

Search the Skype database of all Skype users on the planet.

Hold a conference call with a group of people. Besides participating in audio conferencing, you can “simul-chat” with your conference participants — exchanging text, live Web links, and files.

Make live video calls.

Initiate a group chat.

Hold a Skypecast for as many as 100 people at a time.

Transmit secure and encrypted voice conversations, text, file transfers, and video.

Skype (the basic stuff) is free

To use Skype, you need only three things:

A computer with access to the Internet: Your Internet connection should be faster than dial-up. Just as Web access with dial-up does not work very well, the same is true of Skype with a dial-up connection. You’re best off using a high-speed broadband connection DSL or cable

A free software program called Skype: You can get this program from www.skype.com (see Chapter 2).

A microphone and headset: Plenty of audio device options are available (see Chapter 11), ranging from inexpensive ($20 or so) to a little more pricey.

That’s it. To be able to make your first call, you just download the Skype software from the Internet, create a Skype Name for yourself, test your audio connection through Skype, and you’re good to go. You can talk to fellow Skype users around the world without any time limits and without having to pay anyone.

If you want more than just the basic service, however, you will have to pay. Skype is free when you talk to another Skype user on a PC. But what if you want to call, say, your grandmother, who doesn’t have a computer? For a small fee (as low as two cents a minute or even free), you can “SkypeOut” from your computer to a conventional phone. The cost depends on whether she’s in the same country as you are and how long you speak. Similarly, someone who doesn’t have Skype can call you using the “SkypeIn” feature. (See Chapter 8 for more about using SkypeIn and SkypeOut.)

You can use equipment and services you already have

Why would you want to use the Internet to manage phone conversations? First, you already have it (and pay for it). Internet use is widespread; it seems that nearly everyone has it. The technology keeps improving every day. If you already have access to the Internet, you can handle much of your long-distance calling over the Internet for very low cost or for free, and often with better sound quality than you get from cell phones and regular phones. Also, you may be able to do things with an Internet-based phone system that you can’t do with a conventional phone system. You can run a Skypecast with a hundred people. You can send and receive files that would choke your email system. You can send and receive live video from anywhere in the world. Better yet, all these transmissions over Skype occur on secure and encrypted lines of communication.

It’s great for personal communications

The Skype community is international. People from all corners of the globe show up in the searches, so it helps to provide identifying information in your Skype profile, such as your language, country, and perhaps city.

Click the Profile icon to get public information about any Skype user selected in your search results (see Figure 1-1).

Figure 1-1: The Skype Profile page.

More important, you can add a person to your Contacts list (see Figure 1-2). Adding someone to your Contacts list entails seeking that person’s permission and receiving his or her contact information. See Chapter 3 for more details about contacts, including how to find and add them.

Figure 1-2: Adding a Skype user to your Contacts list.

You’ll quickly find that people enjoy working with Skype and are usually eager to exchange information on how to best use Skype.

After you start making the rounds, you’ll want to try the chat or instant messaging capabilities. You can find plenty of information about chats in Chapter 6.

And great for professional services, too

Chats are fun, but Skype can be good for your career, too. Think about how Skype can serve you. Say, for example, that you’re sitting in an airport waiting for your flight. The Director of Sales has just attended a briefing with a major customer and found out that the customer needs double the amount of merchandise that was negotiated six months ago. Now the two of you need to validate that you can fulfill the revised production schedule, and doing so involves the Product Development Manager. Why not set up an impromptu conference call that includes all three of you? You’re in an airport in Chicago, which has a public Wi-Fi network. The Sales Director is in the Dallas office, and the Product Development Manager is at home in San Diego. But that’s okay — it doesn’t matter where you are.

One of the marvels of this technology is that any of you can instantly convene a conference call, and you can all be in different cities around the globe. It is great to have the convenience of a conference call. This one sounds as though it’s pretty serious. Think you might need to exchange documents, such as spreadsheets or PowerPoint slides? Well, you can do just that. To find how to transfer a file, go to Chapter 6.

Hold on — what about the fact that you’re sitting in an airport? An airport can be a favorite spot for industrial espionage. Skype, however, creates a roadblock for your corporate competitor: All the file transfers, all the chats, and all the conversations that take place are secure and encrypted!

Going Beyond the Basics with (Not Necessarily Free) Services

Skype does many things right out of the virtual box. But you can add a full complement of features and services provided by Skype and third-party companies.

Skyping in from a phone

How can people call you from a regular telephone if Skype runs on a computer? Well, for a small fee you can get a SkypeIn phone number that anyone with a regular phone can call. There are no surcharges of any kind. The person calling you calls your SkypeIn number. As far as he or she is concerned, the call is being made to a regular phone number. The charges incurred by the call amount to whatever they would be to make a call to a phone in your area code. When you sign in to Skype, SkypeIn calls are automatically routed to you. You can be anywhere on the planet. If you are connected to Skype, the calls get to you just the same.

Skyping out to a phone

Not only can people call into Skype using an ordinary telephone, but you can call out to anyone on a landline or mobile phone using SkypeOut. Making a call from a computer to a telephone is as easy as entering the phone number and pressing Enter. The charge for the call appears on your screen (if there is a charge; some calls are free). How do you pay for this? Buy a block of minutes with SkypeOut credits. When your SkypeOut minutes are used up, you can purchase more. Chapter 8 gives you all the information you need to get started with SkypeIn and SkypeOut.

Skype terms

These terms may not have made it into the Oxford English Dictionary yet, but who knows, maybe you can say you saw them here first!

to skype (verb, infinitive form): To communicate over the Internet using voice, video, text, and file transfers using a special program called Skype.

skyping (present participle): The act of calling over Skype.

skyper (noun): A person who skypes.

Skype (proper noun): The software and the company that makes it.

Skype Name: Your personal Skype ID.

SkypeIn: A service provided by Skype through which a person using a regular phone can call and connect to a skyper.

SkypeOut: A service that allows a skyper to call a regular telephone using the Skype software.

Skype Me: A mode of alerting the world that you are available for contact and making new friends.

Getting voicemail

What’s phone service without voicemail? You can add voicemail to Skype with Skype Voicemail (a plain-vanilla service), or with Pamela or Skylook (both are packed with features). Skype Voicemail is bundled with SkypeIn. If you want Skype Voicemail without SkypeIn, you can purchase it with Skype credit. Pamela and Skylook have “lite” versions for free, but the good stuff costs a few dollars (really, just a few).

See Chapter 9 for more about Skype Voicemail, Pamela, and Skylook.

Getting a Load of Add-Ons and Accessories

Having more features and capabilities to enhance Skype can be highly desirable, and Skype makes it easy to integrate third-party applications and plugins to work with its software. Skype permits and in fact encourages third-party companies to bring enhancements to Skype. (Such enhancements are handled through something called Skype Application Programming Interface [Skype API], but that’s more than you need to know.)

Going wireless

Skype delivers a new kind of freedom — the ability to make and receive calls wirelessly and without even needing a computer. A new type of phone, called a Wi-Fi phone, has Skype already built in and can tap into wireless or Wi-Fi networks. When you’re connected to a network, whether from your office, home, or public Internet hot spot, you can use Skype. With these devices, you sign on to Skype as you would from your computer and you’re good to go.

Software and gadgets, too

When you connect through Skype, you need some way to speak and hear your conversations on Skype. Most computers have an audio jack for a microphone and a speaker out line. If you don’t already have a microphone and headset, you can purchase them inexpensively. Bluetooth (wireless) headsets, USB headsets, USB speakerphones, mini-plug headsets, and built-in microphones are available in all colors and sizes, some with noise cancellation, volume control, and mute buttons. You have many choices.

The capabilities of Skype are not limited to traditional “telephone” calls. Skype supports videoconferencing, for which you’ll need a good webcam. You can record interviews and save them as media files with Skype, so you’ll need recording and playback software. If you like to skype but don’t like to be stuck at a desk, you can skype from digital handsets known as Skype Phones that work within 50 feet of your computer. You can even store your whole Skype operation on a USB drive, travel the world, and simply plug and play wherever you land. Chapter 11 covers a galaxy of Skype gadgets and software, so get ready to go where no one has gone before!