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Skype is very cool. I can call all over the planet for about 2 cents a minute to land lines, though a bit higher to cell phones. I can call other Skype users anywhere for free (voice or audio) and through a price package, call the US and Canada (landlines and cell) for about $30 a year. The quality of a Skype call typically surpasses land line calls and is far superior to any kind of cell phone call.

I have a local telephone number from Skype and thus have incoming calls from anywhere just like regular telephone service. This includes voice mail, etc. I particularly like that my computer now has the function of running my telephone service including redials, history of incoming and outgoing calls, etc.

On a recent trip to Bali, I forwarded my cell phone (which has been my primary number) to my local Skype number, went to Bali and retrieved my calls on my laptop at no cost. And I was able to return calls from Bali to US land lines at 2 cents a minute from my laptop.

When I travel for extended periods of time, I can purchase a local number in some countries and be contacted that way. I can always be contacted through my Skype number at no charge.

Skype is very simple. To use Skype you must:

have a free Skype account (so far so good)
have broadband Internet connection (I am not sure about dial-up..)
a headset with a USB plug..
a reasonably new computer

And a willingness to learn how to do something that will serve you no end and open horizons to the other side of the planet as well as introduce you to technology that is just the tip of the iceberg of people communicating with each other all over the world. One of the things you will discover as you call around testing your new capacity is that people on the other side of the planet are a lot more like you than you might ever have imagined..

Install the free software and make sure you have the latest version of Skype. Follow the instructions. I am not walking you through the fundamentals.. I simply want to reduce the learning curve so you can get up and running.

You will discover that most of your activity revolves around setting up the microphone and headset.

Open Tools > Options > Audio Settings. That is most of what you need.

And, while this page remains under construction, I will enclose an article I wrote in the September 2007 Vision newsletter about Skype

Enjoy..

Namasté

J.Hamilton click on

Squeaky Geek.. (Lifted from the September 2007 issue of Vision) I always think I don't have time to write this little column but before long an idea pops into my head.. Hmm.. Maybe that is how solutions show up. And, what popped into my head this time was to quickly explain how I use VoIP as my primary telephone service. VoIP is "Voice over Internet Protocol" and it is quite interesting.

Most of the new digital telephone companies (Vonage, Verizon, Packet8 and the other dozens of digital upstarts) provide lower cost services and arrive via VoIP which simply means your telephone service is now routed over the Internet instead of telephone lines. Interestingly, this wasn't initiated by the phone companies but probably some young kid on a college campus somewhere.

For example I do not have traditional telephone service other than my cell phone. (Wait! Traditional telephone service now means a cell phone? Do you see how fast we are moving?) Instead, I use Skype for my incoming and outgoing calls - local and long distance. I can call anywhere in the world; almost anywhere in the world for about two cents a minute and to other Skype users for free!

Do you see how technology is evolving/emerging as humanity continues to evolve? It will turn out that technology is our best friend! Who thought we were going to have a Soylent Green (movie) future just because of someone's dysfunctional perspective about the future? I do not think it is a possibility - at all.

Nope.. The cost of communicating with the rest of the planet is moving toward free or very close to free. Now-a-days, you can have clients/relationships anywhere in the world. Between the Internet, email and now picking up a digital phone, anybody can be in touch with anybody and share solutions with anybody else. This is where we are going as a species. Communications is moving toward unlimited. And as humanity moves toward solutions, we will see humanity quickly redefine itself with communications being right at the top of the list. The higher vibration of a solution orientation is going to simply overrun the old because fear and doubt doesn't have as much staying power as you might think.

I don't pay much more than $60 a year for my incoming phone number, voice mail, local service, unlimited long distance to the US and Canada and extremely inexpensive rates to the rest of the world. The latest innovation is a USB (to RJ11) Adaptor that allows me to use a traditional telephone handset (and speakerphone!) with Skype. Skype has been known as a free "headset and microphone plugged into the computer" method of communicating but that is changing fast..

And, did I mention the quality of the call? It is much better than landline calls and so much better than cell phone calls. With a headset and microphone, it seems you are in the same room with the person you are talking to, no matter whether they are in Moscow, Guadalajara or just down the street. Even a cheap (new) handset is almost as good as a headset.

By the way, if you choose to work with Skype, you will have to fiddle with it a bit to get it working at its best possibility because you are practically on your own - but overall, it is quite simple. If you are new, start with a digital microphone (digital is designated by the USB plug) and headset and as you become familiar with Skype, then add the USB Adapter to move to a traditional handset.

I only recommend Skype. The company seems to have its act together, their software seems to be bug free and tech support is available though you should be able to solve your problems with the knowledge base, etc. Once you open an account, look for the packages. Skype Pro, Skype Out, Online Numbers, etc.

(I have heard it is hard to get out of a Vonage agreement and I have had very poor experience with SightSpeed)

Did I mention free video calling is part of this package between Skype users? I recommend Skype. They seem to be competent. If you could see just how fast the world is unfolding beyond the blaring headlines and racket of those who say it is so, your visionary focus would become second nature in no time.

And, be sure to use the chat feature. It's how you set up calls with other people..

Cool, huh?

Namasté

J.Hamilton

page under construction