Skype-to-Skype NO LONGER FREE on 3G ...

[GreyGeek]

http://www.zdnet.co.uk/blogs/jamies-...-eye-10015786/ Short article, here's the whole thing:

For a long time - in fact, from the beginning if my memory serves correctly - Skype has "promised" that Skype-to-Skype calls will "always be free". Well, it turns out that promise is worth exactly as much as any other promise Skype has ever made, or will ever make for that matter. A big, fat nothing.

Skype calls made on the iPhone via 3G will be "free" only until the end of this year. They originally tried to make the cutoff even earlier - August 2010 - but have apparently retreated to a later date as a result of a huge protest from Skype users. They don't mention it specifically, but you can bet your last dollar that the same "Whoops, no longer free" policy will apply to other mobile/3G versions.

Everyone here who is surprised raise your hand...

I am assuming that Skype-to-Skype via a PC over VOIP will remain free. Just in case, I am limbering up my Ekiga account.

[dibl]

Re: Skype-to-Skype NO LONGER FREE on 3G ...

Just in case, I am limbering up my Ekiga account.

You might also have a look at Twinkle. I tried it today, but it doesn't recognize my headphone separate from my speakers, with Pulseaudio as the sound server. Ekiga works pretty well, although you can go grey(er) twiddling the audio settings.

[PhilT]

Re: Skype-to-Skype NO LONGER FREE on 3G ...

Can you call Skype users from Ekiga? And vice/versa? I'd love not to have to use Skype if possible, but there are so many users who do!

[dibl]

Re: Skype-to-Skype NO LONGER FREE on 3G ...

Can you call Skype users from Ekiga? And vice/versa?

No, unfortunately. Ekiga (and Twinkle and Kphone and others) use the SIP protocol:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Session...ation_Protocol

Skype's protocol is proprietary and closed-source, so skype only talks to skype:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skype_protocol

[GreyGeek]

Re: Skype-to-Skype NO LONGER FREE on 3G ...

.....
You might also have a look at Twinkle. I tried it today, but it doesn't recognize my headphone separate from my speakers, with Pulseaudio as the sound server. Ekiga works pretty well, although you can go grey(er) twiddling the audio settings.

I downloaded the Twinkle source the other day and had a look-see. It's well written but totally dependent on Qt3, which I try to avoid when ever possible (but I am not religious about it).

I don't use Pulseaudio, either. With Jaunty I also noticed that Ekiga was sensitive to audio volume settings for both the headphones and the mic. Apparently it doesn't have Automatic Volume Control, like Skype does. I prefer Skype because of the "Share your screen" capability and its usefulness for supporting my group of elderly Linux users. But, Ekiga works good enough for friendly chats with friends and family. If Skype gets greedy I'm gone.