As mentioned in an early post, Skype is another audio/video conferencing tool available on Android devices. Skype has been pretty well supported for a few years. It started out requiring cellphone connections, however for a while you've been able to make wifi calls for free.
Again, Skype supports both audio and video. Skype has a proprietary encryption protocol which should keep out your neighbors from overhearing over wifi, however the government has been hacking at it for a while. (The NSA was actively hiring to crack this one protocol a few years ago.)
Recently, Skype was purchased by Microsoft. At least one blogger has proposed that Microsoft gave the government a back-door into the service. Then of course, the whole PRISM thing blew up. Therefore, I would not assume that is safe for planning your next coup.
Skype has a friendly social environment, where you can look up your friends and see if they are online and available for chat. Multi-party conferences are possible.
Finally, Skype has excellent telephone integration. You can get a Skype-in number such that people can call you and have it ring over wifi. Also, you can buy credits such that you can dial-out. Obviously, when talking with a legacy network, there is zero encryption (however the wifi is still relatively safe.) You can also activate (for free) voicemail for your account. Call forwarding is available but I believe that it incurs standard charges.
I would go so far as to say that Skype is a better version of Google Voice. That is, it is what everyone wishes Google Voice would be. When you're off-line, incoming calls go to voicemail, and you are notified via email about them. (It doesn't do transcription (yet).) You can receive calls over wifi for free - both cost free and hassle free. You can also make cheap 2c/minute calls, again, over wifi if necessary. Skype to Skype calls can include video and are theoretically encrypted, unlike Google Talk. [ Is this true ? Talk doesn't use SSL ? ]
You would think that Google Voice would make a nice companion to Skype. That is, you would have Google Voice ring both your cell phone and your Skype account so that, if your cell phone is out of the reception area, you could just pick up the call over wifi.
Unfortunately, it isn't this simple. When Google Voice rings both your cell phone and Skype account, your phone literally leaps out of your pocket ringing both numbers. Its a toss up which call will come in second (which trounces the first call) but it is usually Skype.
Additionally, if you have voicemail for these accounts, they will all pick up, conspiring to bury your Google Voice voicemail. I disable voicemail on Skype for this reason, but if I got rid of Google Voice, I would make Skype my primary voicemail.
What you need is a service that rings *either/or*. That is, if you're signed in with Skype, use that. Otherwise, use the cell phone. Once again, Skype trumps Google Voice here. Skype will do this, but you incur their cheap rates during the call. Also, Skype wants $5-6/month for the DID number.
hmm, if you pointed Skype at your Google Voice number, then all your phones would ring when you weren't signed in...
No comments:
Post a Comment