Friday TechTip for June 27, 2008: Skype!
Today I want to pass along an important upgrade to an oldie but a goodie: Skype. A few years ago Skype was on the cutting edge computer-to-computer voice and video chat. What really set them apart was the ability to purchase credits and use Skype as a voip service allowing you to make calls from your computer to land line telephones, and vice versa. Since then the field has become crowded as both Yahoo Messenger and AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) now offer the same services. However my personal opinion is that Skype is still best in class when it comes to video and voice quality in a computer-to-computer “call.” We recently used it in a library presentation to video conference with another librarian who lives in Missouri. I simply pre-arranged the chat, initiated the call during the presentation, turned on my laptop’s webcam and voila, free video conferencing!
The reason I’m mentioning Skype this week is that they’re preparing to release version 4 which will offer an updated user interface and other enhanced features. You can download the Windows version here:
http://www.skype.com/download/skype/windows/beta/
A few possible uses include videoconferencing with remote colleagues or calling in to family and friends while away on business. The main requirement is that each user have a webcam as well as built-in microphone or headset w/microphone. Download it and give it a try! If you’d like to test it out, let me know. My screen name is andy_morton.