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Facebook and T-Mobile Launch Bobsled. With Huge Privacy Glitch. Or is it By Design? Skype, Google Voice and Telcos Beware, Anyway…

Out of left field, T-Mobile and Facebook launched Bobsled, a VOIP service that allows voice calls to anyone on your Facebook list for free.  At this moment the entire blogging world is busy writing about it, so I skip the basics… and just run to some funny experience while testing it.

First, here’s how you call from your Chat list: click the phone button.. then voila!:

bobslead0

As it happens, none of my contacts pick up my test call – I suppose the feature is too new, nobody knows where the funny sound comes from or how to react.  They will get used to it.  But here’s the real surprise: it has VoiceMail.  To the World.  Literally:

(Cross-posted @ CloudAve » Zoli Erdos)

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Skype Blocks Fring – Or Not? Fingerpointing… But Where is Skype for Android?

Image courtesy of FringJust two days ago I reported how mobile video call app Fring enabled making video calls on 3G, even to other platforms, say Skype.  That was a huge improvement for iPhone users, since their native Facetime only allows iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 calls, and only over wi-fi.  But the new option proved to be too popular, overwhelming Fring’s servers, so hours after the announcement they had to suspend support for Skype.

Today the story changes again, now it’s no longer up to Fring.  Skype decided to block Fring calls.  Forget openness.. competition is tough, I guess Skype wants to fully “own” video callers. Except they can’t.  Get access to Skype, that is.

Like I said in the earlier post, the real losers are in the Android camp, where Skype made an exclusive deal with Verizon to be the only carrier who can offer the Skype app.  Yes, that’s correct: Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile..etc are all coming out with high-end Android superphones, but their owners won’t find Skype on the Android App Marketplace. For them, Fring has been the obvious solution – until now.

Update: TechCrunch reports that “Skype also claims the decision to no longer offer Skype
interconnectivity was entirely made by Fring and that they had nothing
to do with it
.”

Update:  Skype responds on their blog:

there is no truth to Fring’s claims that Skype has blocked it. Fring made the decision to remove Skype functionality on its own.

Update:  Now I really want Fring, if it hooks me up with Samantha 🙂

(Cross-posted @ CloudAve)

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Fring’s Popularity BackF(i)ring

FringHooray, iPhone users can now make video calls on 3G, even to other platforms, say Skype, but using the popular Fring app.  Or not…

The new option proved to be too popular, overwhelming Fring’s servers.   This morning Fring announced suspension of support for Skype.

The biggest losers are Android users on all carriers but Verizon, which apparently has an exclusive deal with Skype, preventing all others from offering the Skype app via the Android marketplace.  For them, the workaround has been to use Fring to connect to Skype.  Until now Sad smile

(Cross-posted @ CloudAve)

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As Twitter Takes Over IM, We Need Clients with Friendly Nicknames

twitter breakup It used to be Yahoo, MSN or AOL chat. Then Skype took over – it is my default IM system now, despite it’s obvious flaws. But nowadays the fastest way to reach most of my contacts is DM on Twitter.  That is if I can remember their Twitter account names. While @firstnamelastname has become a quasi standard, quite a few users have more cryptic names.

@bhc3, @treerao,  @scottfarkas, @tardate,  @ricmacnz, @nielr1, @philfree, @tardate, @sfishy – how am I supposed to remember all that?

Other communication systems have a “contacts” directory with customizable nicknames  – perhaps it’s time Twitter Clients look at this feature…

(Cross-posted @ CloudAve )

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Malware Attack on Skype

I’m used to Skype Spam, but not a malvare-attack.  Here’s what just popped up on my Skype screen:

Registry Online: URGENT SYSTEM SCAN NOTIFICATION ! PLEASE READ CAREFULLY !!

http://www.updategt.org/

For the link to become active, please click on ‘Add to contacts’ skype button or type it in manually into your web browser !

FULL DETAILS OF SCAN RESULT BELOW
****************************************

WINDOWS REQUIRES IMMEDIATE ATTENTION

ATTENTION ! Security Center has detected
malware on your computer !

Affected Software:

Microsoft Windows Vista
Microsoft Windows XP
Microsoft Windows 2000
Microsoft Windows Server 2003

Impact of Vulnerability: Remote Code Execution / Virus Infection /
Unexpected shutdowns

Recommendation: Users running vulnerable version should install a repair utility immediately

Your system IS affected, download the patch from the address below !
Failure to do so may result in severe computer malfunction.

http://www.updategt.org/

For the link to become active, please click on ‘Add to contacts’ skype button or type it in manually into your web browser!

Now, I don’t ever click on suspicious links (I bet this is a rogue one) from unknown sources, but I’m afraid people might fall for it.  Also, how come Skype allows strande IM’s through when my security setting is “Contacts only” ?   And of course if you’re not careful enough and follow the request to add the scammer as a contact, then they will get through even easier next time.   Beware: don’t click, Block and Report the sender!

(Cross-posted @ CloudAve )

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Skype is not Only VOIP: It Reigns in IM But How Long?

exochartwidget.aspx Nowadays the only context we hear about Skype is the legal fight (care to bet how long it will take for the previous Net Celebs to become the Hated Greedy Ones who try to sc**w all of us?) – I would much rather read about new features, improvements.

After all, Skype is the single most popular voice and video calling application.  But let’s not forget it’s also an IM system – in fact as this Infoworld article points out, it has become the reigning IM system.

And therein lies the rub: it is less and less suitable for text chat.

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Skype is not Only VOIP: It Reigns in IM But How Long?

exochartwidget.aspx Nowadays the only context we hear about Skype is the legal fight (care to bet how long it will take for the previous Net Celebs to become the Hated Greedy Ones who try to sc**w all of us?) – I would much rather read about new features, improvements.

After all, Skype is the single most popular voice and video calling application.  But let’s not forget it’s also an IM system – in fact as this Infoworld article points out, it has become the reigning IM system.

And therein lies the rub: it is less and less suitable for text chat.

Remember the early Skype 4 Beta?  The forced full-screen may have been great for video, but made it a nightmare trying to maintain simultaneous chat sessions with 5-6 or more people.  It clearly showed where Skype’s focus is: follow the money, that is voice and video, and ignore IM-ers.  Finally they listened to the user revolt, and gave our resizable screens back, but there are still issues with multiple chat windows, notifications..etc – purely for IM the “old” Skype 3.8 was better.

If you want to sit in a comfy chair and video-chat with Grandma, the kids while on a business trip, or even conduct business with one person at a time, video calls are great.  If you are a web-worker, work with distributed teams (don’t we all?), and are the multi-tasker type (aren’t we all?), nothing beats text – and let’s not forget IM sessions also generate a searchable archive.  Or do they?

You can search – but will you find?  If you use Skype from more then one computer, fragments of your IM history are spread around between those machines.  In the age of Cloud Computing, Skype still stores history locally on your computer – years ago we had the same problem with contacts, and they fixed it, why not do the same with log files?

The way we use computers has changed, and Skype is left in the dust. I often write about situational computing, and it appears I am not alone – a recent TechRepublic study confirms that 74% of tech professionals use 3 computers or more during their work-week.  If you’re like them you would need history stored on the Web.  Ironically, while the ongoing legal battle is all about billions of dollars, one potential workaround to bypass the Skype founders appears to be web-ifying Skype, which could bring resolution to the IM problem, too.

(Cross-posted @ CloudAve )

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Skype Spam

The last place I expect to receive spam is on Skype, and so far it has remained clean, I assume due to my privacy settings:

Capture

So how on earth could this have popped up on my screen:

[12:05:42 PM] Zora Giannoni: hi! i’m briannahh from http://www.slutsdating.com are we still on for saturday?

No, Zora, or Briannah or whoever you are: we’re not on.   Anyone with similar experience? Are we seeing major trouble with Skype?

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The Skype Downgrade Experience

First, kudos to Skype for listening to customers, many of whom considered the first Skype 4.0 beta’s full-screen a deal-breaker.  Yes, they listened and gave us a compact view, somewhat similar to good old 3.x, which is why I installed it in the first place, but after an hour or so I am ready to uninstall.

In a nutshell: the new Skype is great for single-channel communication, long video calls with one person, but if you’re a multi-tasker (aren’t we all?) who usually has several chat windows open at a time, you’ll be disappointed.

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