Technology Inc. Go-Go-Gadget Arm! All things from the 21st century that are suppose to make our trips and lives a little easier |
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07-25-2008, 04:20 AM
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#1
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TPunk Moderator
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What's the hype about Skype?
^heh pretty clever...
anyhoo everyone's like "you gotta download skype!" and then when I was traveling, a lot of hostels had skype headphones and whatnot, so I downloaded skype but now I'm like uhh... wtf?
is it like a telephone but online or what?
I'm pinknic38 on skype if you wanna add me ps haha.
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07-25-2008, 05:16 AM
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#2
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The " ... " queen of TP!
Join Date: Aug 2004
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For those of you who carry cellphones abroad, www.talkster.com is also AMAZING! It's how I talk to my boyfriend who's long distance. It gives you a local number to call on your cell/landline and them a local number and then it connects you for free with like 1 ad and that's it. It's amazing.
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~Laura
GO CANADA!!!!
If you walk backwards, you'll find out that you can go forward and people won't know if you're coming or going.
Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today.
-James Dean
Countries I've Visited: Austria, Botswana, Canada, Costa Rica, Democratic Republic of the Congo, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Italy. Malawi, Mexico, Portugal, Rwanda, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, Tanzania, Uganda, USA, UK, Vatican City, Zambia
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07-25-2008, 05:49 AM
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#3
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Indiana
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pinknic38
^heh pretty clever...
anyhoo everyone's like "you gotta download skype!" and then when I was traveling, a lot of hostels had skype headphones and whatnot, so I downloaded skype but now I'm like uhh... wtf?
is it like a telephone but online or what?
I'm pinknic38 on skype if you wanna add me ps haha.
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You can use Skype for cheap calling abroad. I call my buddy Mike in Australia for 2 cents a minute.
Also you can do Skype-to-Skype. So if you have your parents/friends hooked up on it. You can setup a meeting time or whatever, and call each other(basically a voice chat feature).
It's a real useful tool regardless, it's saved me loads calling Oz.
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July 23 - Sept 13: Back in Europe! Off to Brest, France for a French language course. Schedule is open before August 7 and after August 28, suggestions?
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07-25-2008, 07:32 AM
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#4
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TPunk Recognized
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Ireland
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It's basically a voice instant messenger system. If you and a friend both have Skype you can instant message or talk to each other.
Outside of that it also allows you to call an ordinary phone number but you have to pay for it. You just buy some credit like you would for a pay as you go mobile phone.
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07-25-2008, 08:17 AM
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#5
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Yoda
Join Date: Jan 2004
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I use it to call a certain someone on a certain other continent halfway around the world for about .09c per minute. Even at 9c per minute it adds up, but it's better than the $1.50 per minute T-Mobile would charge me if I used my phone.
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07-25-2008, 04:31 PM
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#6
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TPunk Emeritus
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: vancouver, canada
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I found that it was a godsend for me when I was travelling in asia. Phone cards are ultra expensive so skype was how I contacted my fam. My sister and I did the video chat thing a few times so I got to see my baby nephew.
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I have been to: Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, New Zealand , Australia, Fiji, Costa Rica, United States, England, Ireland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland , France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Vatican, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Panama, Colombia, Mexico, India, Nepal.
Where to Next? Iceland!
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07-25-2008, 05:06 PM
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#7
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TPunk Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: USA
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Skype rocks. It costs like 2 cents a minute to call the US, and my mom was able to call my Russian number for 7 cents a minute. Plus if you wanna meet up w some locals or other travellers but didn't bring your cell you can shoot them a call from skype.
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07-25-2008, 06:15 PM
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#8
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Rabidly Xenophilic
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Austin Texas, but originally from Ann Arbor!
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I used it for the first time the other day, I called American's US number to change a flight from an internet cafe. I don't quite understand why but I wasn't charged anything (maybe 800 numbers are free?).
What took me FOREVER to figure out is that you open your account through the Skype client, there is no link whatsoever of creating an account on their website despite asking you to log in there constantly. I assumed I had to buy some credit, which you do on the website but you need to give it your account info (and the skype client was in Spanish so I didn't understand the open an account link).
Anyway, it seemed ok. It was a bit choppy on the hideously bad internet access in Tena Ecuador but I was still able to communicate with the agent and get it done.
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07-30-2008, 09:34 AM
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#9
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TPunk Emeritus
Join Date: Mar 2004
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I used it when I was in Costa Rica. Actually, most internet cafes had Skype set up instead of phone lines for calling overseas.
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Amber
"If I had a kid I'd f**k it. Then kill it. Then f**k it again." Seattle 2006
blog of travels and such
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Currently located in HAWAII
Been to: Alaska, Bahamas, Canada, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Hawaii, Spain, Switzerland - - also meetups in Chicago, LA, and Seattle
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07-30-2008, 12:41 PM
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#10
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celebrating jacks b-day!
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Belfast
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it's a freakin life saver! I don't even have a landline anymore, just use skype!
The problem is how popular it has become - everytime I'm on it atleast 11 million people are on there too which can slow the service... but hey I'm not going to knock it!
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08-10-2008, 04:16 AM
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#11
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Members
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I's ubercheap for the calls you make, but also provides a great incoming solution. I keep numbers in the US, UK and Oz, all three of which come to the same place. I can forward them to my mobile, if I have one locally. I can answer on my computer, when convenient. If I let them go to voicemail, they all end up in the same mailbox, accessible from anywhere, with notification. All told, I spend less than US$100/year (+tolls) on the set up, which includes tons of free calls. Not bad when you consider that most people pay more than that on their monthly mobile contracts, these days...
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08-10-2008, 07:17 AM
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#12
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Indiana
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Quote:
Originally Posted by snodogj
I's ubercheap for the calls you make, but also provides a great incoming solution. I keep numbers in the US, UK and Oz, all three of which come to the same place. I can forward them to my mobile, if I have one locally. I can answer on my computer, when convenient. If I let them go to voicemail, they all end up in the same mailbox, accessible from anywhere, with notification. All told, I spend less than US$100/year (+tolls) on the set up, which includes tons of free calls. Not bad when you consider that most people pay more than that on their monthly mobile contracts, these days...
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So if you had a Skype number. Would it be free for someone to call skype to skype, and then the forwarding to your mobile where incoming calls are usually free in anywhere but the U.S.? Does that make sense?
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US Soccer and Toronto FC Fanatic.
July 23 - Sept 13: Back in Europe! Off to Brest, France for a French language course. Schedule is open before August 7 and after August 28, suggestions?
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08-10-2008, 12:41 PM
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#13
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Members
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SGRHewitt
So if you had a Skype number. Would it be free for someone to call skype to skype, and then the forwarding to your mobile where incoming calls are usually free in anywhere but the U.S.? Does that make sense?
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The first part involves the caller reaching your Skype account. Skype to Skype is always free. Any other call treats your Skype number as a landline, so having local numbers can save those calling you money.
The second part is the forwarding. Basically, you'll pay for a call from your Skype account to the number to which you are forwarding. This means that if you are in the US/Canada, you'll pay about 2¢/minute, but if you have a subscription covering local calls, pay nothing. In China, Hong Kong & Sigapore, calling/forwarding to a mobile is also similar to a landline, so, again, you're looking at about 2¢/min.
In most of the rest of the world, calling mobiles is much more expensive (and excluded from Skype's calling plans). In India and most of SEAsia, you're looking at somewhere around 8-12¢/min for calls/forwarding to mobiles, so you may find it worthwhile at times. In most of the rest of the world, you're looking at 20-30¢/min, so I don't bother, unless I'm expecting a call that would make it worth my while.
I guess that means that the short answer to your question is "yes, with the appropriate subscriptions."
Speaking of subscriptions, Skype seems to have changed plans very recently. It looks like they want to compete with phone companies...prices have gone down for folks who call within a country or region, but up some for those whose habits are global. At least I'm grandfathered in on the old SkypePro plan. w00t!
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