My boss signed up for Skype last year in order to talk to friends in Latvia, Russia, Israel, and all over the world. He has been telling me about this free service through one's computer for a while. He signed up to stay in touch with friends he had made initially in Latvia, while on his annual mission trip he takes to help with a church construction over there.
This is the coolest thing. You can talk to people all over the world with a head set through your computer.
I signed up for it last night so I could talk to good friends far away.....so Mary and Marcus, that invite was from me through an alternate email address I use.
Then, lo and behold, there is an article in today Richmond Times Dispatch on Skype, site below:
http://richmondtimesdispatch.com/servle ... 5855934855
Does anyone out there use it? What do you think?
Vicki
Have you tried Skype through your internet???
Moderator: Available
Have you tried Skype through your internet???
"Cry in the dojo, laugh in the battlefield"
-
Bill Glasheen
- Posts: 17299
- Joined: Thu Mar 11, 1999 6:01 am
- Location: Richmond, VA --- Louisville, KY
It seems to be the way to go for international calls, Vicki. They can cost you a small fortune.
The buzz with Skype is the 256-bit encription used to keep calls private. So if you're plotting to take the world over, Vicki, this is your communication venue of choice.
Of course there's always the shoe phone...
- Bill
The buzz with Skype is the 256-bit encription used to keep calls private. So if you're plotting to take the world over, Vicki, this is your communication venue of choice.
Of course there's always the shoe phone...
- Bill
-
benzocaine
- Posts: 2107
- Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2003 12:20 pm
- Location: St. Thomas
Long distance is obsolete
This is why the Baby Bells are struggling to stay profitable. They are still in this mindset that says "we must charge more for a call based upon how many switch boards it passes through". Calls aren't routed by little old ladies anymore and it doesn't take any more appreciable effort on the part of modern phone or data networks to send a call across the continent or across the world.
Of course, the problem with calling over the internet (VoIP) technology is low quality of service (QoS). With your traditional phone network you get several 9's of reliablility (i.e., your call will go through and won't drop out 99.99999% of the time). With the internet however (and, to a degree, cell phones) you get a much lower QoS for the same $$. This is why you see internet phone services such a Vonage warning users that 911 service may not always be available and why many recommend that you have a standard telephone in your house for emergancies.
As far as the encryption topic goes... I guaren-damn-tee you that the NSA can crack a 256-bit encryption key. Although it should slow down any hacker without a array of super-computers.
cheers,
chewy
Of course, the problem with calling over the internet (VoIP) technology is low quality of service (QoS). With your traditional phone network you get several 9's of reliablility (i.e., your call will go through and won't drop out 99.99999% of the time). With the internet however (and, to a degree, cell phones) you get a much lower QoS for the same $$. This is why you see internet phone services such a Vonage warning users that 911 service may not always be available and why many recommend that you have a standard telephone in your house for emergancies.
As far as the encryption topic goes... I guaren-damn-tee you that the NSA can crack a 256-bit encryption key. Although it should slow down any hacker without a array of super-computers.
cheers,
chewy
Oh, I already have one of those phones, Bill....and I use the deadly shoken-like pointy end on my dates when men misbehave.
I believe in multi-tasking.
Actually, it came in loud and clear last night. I just need a better head set than I presently have....and maybe some speakers added in to listen without the headphones.
Vicki
I believe in multi-tasking.
Actually, it came in loud and clear last night. I just need a better head set than I presently have....and maybe some speakers added in to listen without the headphones.
Vicki
"Cry in the dojo, laugh in the battlefield"
-
Bill Glasheen
- Posts: 17299
- Joined: Thu Mar 11, 1999 6:01 am
- Location: Richmond, VA --- Louisville, KY
Ahh yes... Cryptography was my math project for the science fair in high school. Fun stuff!chewy wrote:
As far as the encryption topic goes... I guaren-damn-tee you that the NSA can crack a 256-bit encryption key. Although it should slow down any hacker without a array of super-computers.
And the ability of U.S. code crackers is legendary.But...
The comment above is true - up to a point. Now... Imagine a department snooping through thousands to millions of calls "listening" for key words. Suddenly what is possible one call at a time is nearly impossible without knowing exactly whom your target is.
Which brings me to a child's story that we all must remember. In it, the good guy reaches a door behind which is the young lady to be rescued. The door has literally dozens of locks on it, some highly sophisticated.
So what does the hero do? He removes the door's hinges.
Remember Desert Storm? Remember Saddam's impenetrable line of defense?
Think like a good Uechi martial artist.
- Bill
wow!
Wow Bill! You are somewhat of a renaissance man aren't you? 
I did a couple of small encryption projects in college. Unfortunately I never got a job in that market segment 
... it was fun stuff. Now I mostly do EE work for telecom companies. Different set of math skills required.
What you say about the government snooping issues are true, but there are ways to cleverly filter all those random phone calls. What I imagine the NSA, and other code cracker do, if devote one or more supercomputers just to cracking the key on all the data packets they intercept. Then a whole separate bank of supercomps is used to filter through the decrypted messages. Obviously you can weight the algorithms to give preferential decryption treatment to messages going to/from particular IP addresses or traveling across certain data switches. Then on the filtering end of things you do the key words/phrases weighting.
The problem, of course, is the decryption is much more expensive (computationally) that data filtering, so you need many more decryption computing cycles to keep the pipe from backing up.
chewy
I did a couple of small encryption projects in college. Unfortunately I never got a job in that market segment ... it was fun stuff. Now I mostly do EE work for telecom companies. Different set of math skills required.What you say about the government snooping issues are true, but there are ways to cleverly filter all those random phone calls. What I imagine the NSA, and other code cracker do, if devote one or more supercomputers just to cracking the key on all the data packets they intercept. Then a whole separate bank of supercomps is used to filter through the decrypted messages. Obviously you can weight the algorithms to give preferential decryption treatment to messages going to/from particular IP addresses or traveling across certain data switches. Then on the filtering end of things you do the key words/phrases weighting.
The problem, of course, is the decryption is much more expensive (computationally) that data filtering, so you need many more decryption computing cycles to keep the pipe from backing up.
chewy
-
Bill Glasheen
- Posts: 17299
- Joined: Thu Mar 11, 1999 6:01 am
- Location: Richmond, VA --- Louisville, KY
As a biomedical engineer, I often describe myself as a jack of all trades and a master of none. 
On most subjects, I know enough to know what I don't know, and at least know where to go to find the details.
We had the CIA recruiting our department. They liked our image processing and signal processing capabilities. But at the time they were more interested in geeks who could go from locating tumors in mammograms to sorting out the movement of "things" on digital satellite images.
It's all math to me.
I did my years in EE as well. Years back I helped Teledyne Hastings Raydist install transmitter stations in the most godforsaken places so they could set up their pre-GPS navigation systems. They wanted the brains of an EE and the resilience of a college student who didn't mind an occasional case of chiggers.
You're lucky to still have a job in Telecom. That was a shrinking industry a few years ago.
- Bill
On most subjects, I know enough to know what I don't know, and at least know where to go to find the details.We had the CIA recruiting our department. They liked our image processing and signal processing capabilities. But at the time they were more interested in geeks who could go from locating tumors in mammograms to sorting out the movement of "things" on digital satellite images.
It's all math to me.
I did my years in EE as well. Years back I helped Teledyne Hastings Raydist install transmitter stations in the most godforsaken places so they could set up their pre-GPS navigation systems. They wanted the brains of an EE and the resilience of a college student who didn't mind an occasional case of chiggers.
You're lucky to still have a job in Telecom. That was a shrinking industry a few years ago.
- Bill
It's still shrinking Bill. I've been through over half a dozen layoffs in the last 2-3 years. We've gone from 200+ EE's to two dozen in my facility. Somehow I'm always finding a new skill set to keep me in play, but we are cut to the bone now. Any "dead weight" was gone after layoff #2; they all hurt now. 
Interestingly, part of the reason for the telecom bust did have to do with the tech bubble bursting (and all the extra equipment the big telephone and data companies had already bought). The bigger problem, IMHO, in telecom tehn and now is that too many of the old Ma Bell children are treating traditional voice networks like they are still going to be arround forever. Many companies still haven't seen the light of day: data, data ,data. No more voice, video, internet, etc. as discrete entities. As far as the electronics is concerned (and the software for that matter) it is all digital data. I suppose I shouldn't expect much with a American History major running my company. I digress...
chewy
Interestingly, part of the reason for the telecom bust did have to do with the tech bubble bursting (and all the extra equipment the big telephone and data companies had already bought). The bigger problem, IMHO, in telecom tehn and now is that too many of the old Ma Bell children are treating traditional voice networks like they are still going to be arround forever. Many companies still haven't seen the light of day: data, data ,data. No more voice, video, internet, etc. as discrete entities. As far as the electronics is concerned (and the software for that matter) it is all digital data. I suppose I shouldn't expect much with a American History major running my company.
I digress...chewy
Skype is a pretty cool tool
Vicki,
Rather than spending money for a speaker and headset, another alternative that I use is the web cam with built in microphone - speakers are right off the monitor.
This set up works great and allows me to call over to Hong Kong with no loss of voice quality! The camera part is a little on the lacking side...this would depend on what your connection you have at home and the megapixels you have for the web cam, but overall not bad.
I'm able to even run 4 way conference using the voice portion without video though
Hopefully a newer version will rectify this. Well that's all I have for my 2 cents.
Happy Skyping,
William
Rather than spending money for a speaker and headset, another alternative that I use is the web cam with built in microphone - speakers are right off the monitor.
This set up works great and allows me to call over to Hong Kong with no loss of voice quality! The camera part is a little on the lacking side...this would depend on what your connection you have at home and the megapixels you have for the web cam, but overall not bad.
I'm able to even run 4 way conference using the voice portion without video though
Hopefully a newer version will rectify this. Well that's all I have for my 2 cents.
Happy Skyping,
William
Great idea, William. We just got one for Christmas and are trying to decide which of our computers to put it on. Can't wait to use it though.
I have invited at least four people to join. I think if you contact someone outside of the Skype, it costs 3 cents a minute, or something like that. It is free to join. My take is 'what do you have to lose'?
Let you know how it goes.
Vicki
I have invited at least four people to join. I think if you contact someone outside of the Skype, it costs 3 cents a minute, or something like that. It is free to join. My take is 'what do you have to lose'?
Let you know how it goes.
Vicki
"Cry in the dojo, laugh in the battlefield"
I took your advice, and bought the web cam and a really good head set. I love it. I got to talk to my wonderful pal in New Zealand.....so nice to see a face and a voice. It didn't take long to hook up. Reception, considering how far, was fine.
I went to Best Buy yesterday and a web cam by Creative. It was originally $52.00. It had an instant rebate for $16.00 plus another mail-in rebate for $10.00. After taking off the everything, it comes to $30.00. I am very pleased with what I got.
You guys gotta try this.
Now, if I can just get some of my friends in Canada and London to get on, it will be fantastic.
Gotta love technology!
A very happy Vicki
I went to Best Buy yesterday and a web cam by Creative. It was originally $52.00. It had an instant rebate for $16.00 plus another mail-in rebate for $10.00. After taking off the everything, it comes to $30.00. I am very pleased with what I got.
You guys gotta try this.
Now, if I can just get some of my friends in Canada and London to get on, it will be fantastic.
Gotta love technology!
A very happy Vicki
Last edited by chef on Sun Feb 19, 2006 11:51 pm, edited 2 times in total.
"Cry in the dojo, laugh in the battlefield"
-
Stryke
200+ million people can't be wrong
chef wrote:
You guys gotta try this.
Now, if I can just get some of my friends in Canada and London to get on, it will be fantastic.
Gotta love technology!
Sure would be nice if we could get our service folks overseas in the Middle East connected back to their family and loved ones back home.
-
Bill Glasheen
- Posts: 17299
- Joined: Thu Mar 11, 1999 6:01 am
- Location: Richmond, VA --- Louisville, KY
