Thursday, June 08, 2006

SKYPE: Way To Go For Free Calls Within The USA and Canada- TRY IT, IT WORKS!

Click photos to enlarge*

Yesterday morning, I was voice chatting online via yahoo instant messenger (yahoo IM) with my long time friend, CHAS NAVARRO, (faculty at the American School of Madrid) who is based in Madrid, Spain. All was okay until his voice got distorted and my voice was echoing right after I had spoken. It was a nuisance so he suggested I go to google and search for the SKYPE website. I did and was able to download the program while on chat with Chas.


Well, yes- calling is free locally here in America using the SKYPE VoiP or Voice Over Internet Protocol. Using SKYPE, voice chat was fantastic-we had great time talking; it was in synch with the webcam video that Chas invited me to view. It was on REAL TIME unlike the slowmotion speed you get when you use yahoo instant messenger when you are on webcam. Another interesting feature of SKYPE: its instant messenger box shows the person on webcam inside it, yahoo does not have this. Seeing the person to whom you are speaking with is interesting, especially when the figure does manifest from the messenger box. Similar to yahoo, SKYPE has the capabilities as well to provide its subscribers with multiple files individually- for webcam and chat (text). Delighted with this new technology called VoiP, I asked my husband to order a webcam for me (with mic and led night vision) online. All is done and delivery is due next week. Wow! That easy!!! He ordered in Ebay, brand new is reasonably priced. When it arrives next week, I can voice chat with webcam again with my family and friends! Our old webcam at home has its moments and has the tendency to freeze my laptop whenever I use it so I stopped using it since last year.

After my chat with Chas, I called Blue-Eyed husband via VoIP through my laptop. He answered my call but hesitated at first to do it, he said- because the caller ID that manifested was 000123456. Aha! If you think about it- Now who on earth would have that for a caller I.D.? But indeed, that is the number that registered! I tested and called my own cellphone and landline here at home and yes, oo123456 is the caller I.D. that recorded in reference to my call!

I told husband about the origin of my call which was via internet and he was amazed! He said the sound of my voice was just perfect-like it was coming from a regular phone- so it works! Now, If you want to try making free calls in the USA or if you are based in CANADA, try downloading the SKYPE software for free at www.skype.com

If you are living in Asia, you can also download it to chat by text or voice chat and use your webcam with ease. No hassle of loose connection, bad connection or no connection at all. The reception via SKYPE to voice chat or to make phone calls is quite clear! But if you want to call via VoiP from Asia to USA and vice versa, you need to purchase a phone card. The cost is a bit more expensive when converted in U.S. dollars. In this regard, I love my speedy phone card that husband orders online. It is cheap at 6 cents a minute to call Manila from Nevada, Oregon or California!

BTW, I almost forgot, the first overseas VoIP call I received was from my sister Balloon who lives with her artist husband Tito and their kids Paco and Muriel- in the Philippines. She called me one time using this technology months back, all the way from her home in Cavite. She mentioned that Globe Telecom in the Philippines offers this. I was amazed, I said "Wow! Hi-tech!" See? The Philippines may be a Third World nation but it is always abreast when it comes to information technology!





No comments:

Post a Comment

Comment: