You can join Skype Christmas competition for a chance to win a Skype gift pack. Christmas Competition – win a Skype gift pack
“If you are planning to stay in touch with uncle Gerald in Rotterdam or cousin Rachel in New York this Christmas, then we’d like to hear from you! The winners will be selected randomly by a computer programme, and the lucky ones will be awarded with a Skype Gift Pack.” Also you can Record Skype video calls with SuperTinTin.
From Skype: http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/support/user-guides/call-with-video/
Make sure you’ve got a webcam and check:
– it’s plugged into your computer
– you’ve installed the software that came with it
– it’s switched on.
In your Contact list, find the person you want to talk to.
Click on them.
In the main window, click the green Video call button.
From Skype Forum: http://bit.ly/fQQ34s
There are some amazing new features in Skype 5.0 for Windows.
You can download this release of Skype for Windows from the Download area of the Skype website.
Also you can use Skype Recorder with this new Skype update.
The new features in Skype 5.0 Beta for Mac are designed to make your life simpler, and to make it even easier to do more together – even when you’re apart.
| New look | Full screen window, with the sidebar containing Contacts, Favorites and Recent conversations. |
| Group video calling (beta) | Make a group video call with your friends or colleagues. |
| Offline instant messaging | Send messages to a contact, even if they’re offline. They’ll receive them the next time they sign in. |
| Full text searching | Search contacts and conversations for a word or phrase. |
| Favorites | Add people you frequently contact, and important conversations to your Favorites list so you can find them faster. |
| Call control bar | The new mini call bar allows you to hang up, mute, and manage calls without having to switch back to Skype. |
| Add phone numbers to contacts | Show a contact’s profile and add their mobile, home or work phone number. |
| Contacts Monitor | Access your online contacts quickly with a mini Contact list that sits on top of any web pages or documents you’ve got open. |
| Avatar flow | Flick through your contacts’ profile pictures instead of viewing them as a list. |
Question 1: How do i stop freezing with skype video chat? My skype video chat keeps freezing. What do i do?
Answer: Check your PC speed, RAM, and Internet speed. Try to free up as much Ram as possible before chatting. Close any programs you are not using before starting Skype.
Question 2: Why does a giant cat show up in my skype video window?
Almost every time i video chat on skype with my friend, where her face normally appears, a giant cat shows up with moving eyes and mouth… Virus?
Answer: She is using a software which allows you to put masks on, when in webcam.
Question 3: Which mobile phones have the ability to make Skype video calls?
I just want a straight answer to the above question. Ideally a list of the brands and models capable of making video calls via Skype.
Answer: For now, Skype video calling is only available on a computer. It cannot be done on any mobile phone. But it is said Skype will bring video call to iphone4 very soon. Most likely at CES 2011.
Question 4:Do both people in two different countries need to buy a Skype Subscription in order to video chat w/each other?
I’m leaving for the Philippines in December and I want to be able to contact my family in the US through Skype Video Calls. Am I the only one who needs to buy a $12.95 subscription or do they need to buy one as well?
Answer: Skype video call is free.
Question 5: Is there a way to view old skype video calls?
Is there any way to recover and view past video calls on skype? I guess not but just wondering.
Answer: You would need to record them with a Skype video recorder like Supertintin(windows) or Ecamm(Mac0, and then play them back.
Question 6: How do you take a Skype video snapshot that shows both caller screens?
A: Windows: Press PrtSc to copy a full screen picture. And open Paint, Press Shift+Insert to paste the picture.
Mac: Press Command shift 3 to take a full screen picture. It will show as a picture file or PDF file immediately on the desktop.
Question 7: My Skype video calls are pretty choppy and it really gets annoying. I usually chat with someone who has a very fast connection. Any tips to improve its performance?
Answer: See what your connection is at. Normal DSL speed is at 150KB/s
Your internet connection might be the issue OR your CPU speed. Check your PC speed.. right click on My Computer – Properties. There should be a number ending with GHz. followed by RAM.
If GHz is lower than 1.5GHz then that might be the problem. If RAM is lower than 512MB then that’s another problem. Try closing any extra programs when you’re on skype.
Overall it comes down to your:
1. PC speed
2. RAM
3. Internet speed.
Question 8:Will the date taken of a Skype Video snapshot appear on a foto that I imported into my pics?
I had several video snapshots from Skype that were imported into my Windows
Pictures. Looking back I want to know, if the dates on them are from the day they
were imported or the date the snapshots were taken.
Answer: As always, under Windows, the date shown is the date it was taken, in the Details View.
The only exception to this is when you make a copy to a USB Flash Drive, for example, which sometimes shows the date the file was copied, in the Details View.
But, right-click and view Properties to see when the original photo was taken.
Question 9:How can I record a Skype Video Chat so I can put it into a movie?
I am helping my football coach with our school’s football recruiting video. One of our players last year is in Florida with the Gators, he can’t come up for an interview, so we were going to Skype of iChat him and ask the questions. If there is a free and program that I can download that will get me good quality video and/or sound? Even if its recording everything that is on the screen that is fine.
Answer: Ecamm is your best choice since you are on MAC. We recommend Supertintin on Windows. Many people use camstudio also which is a general purpose screen recorder. Ecammm and Supertintin are designed for online video recording only.
Ecamm: $20. Supertinti: $30 Camstudio: Free
Question 10:How can I get my Acer Cyrstal Eye Webcam to work with Skype video on my Acer ApireOne Netbook?
I recently downloaded Skype, and for some reason, when I go to video call someone, I can see them but it says there was an unknown error on the video on my end.
Answer: Open Skype, Tools->Options->Video Setting, and check your webcam.
Question 11:How can I download my SKYPE video conversations with sound?
I tried to down load my SKYPE conversations with my family abroad while they were chatting with me using video communication but failed.Please let me know how to do it.Thanks.
Answer: Try Supertintin (Wondows) or Ecamm (Mac).
Question 12:What options for recording of video conversations using SKYPE and MSN messenger.I already have both programmes but do not know how to record video conversations while I am talking to my family in a foreign country.Can anybody help me?Thanks.
Answer: Try Supertintin (Wondows) or Ecamm (Mac).
Release date: 14.10.2010
Version: 5.0.0.152
Changes
Calling Removed post call experience
Contact list Added an option to disable avatar pictures in contact list.
….
Full Version of Skype 5.0 Release Notes: http://developer.skype.com/WindowsSkype
P.S : SuperTinTin Skype Recorder will continue working with Skype new version.
Skype and its Chinese partner, Tom online, work together and provide a special version of Skype which can block all the words in the black list. Chinese officials have been monitoring in and out messages running through over the years for the sake of their censorship law.
From Wired:
…
Skype can now receive calls when the app is running invisibly in the background, which was a major omission in previous versions released before Apple added multitasking to its OS.
Combined with the May addition of support for Skype calls over AT&T’s 3G data network — and Skype’s simultaneous decision to keep 3G calls free indefinitely — the app is now a workable replacement for the iPhone’s normal calling feature, especially for those people who have Skype accounts which provide real telephone numbers.
Video calling is not included — “yet,” we hope, since the iPhone 4 is the first model to have a front-facing camera. But that feature may have a hard time passing Apple muster since it duplicates a new core functionality, FaceTime.
Still, this is what we’ve been talking about when we spoke of mobile VoIP nirvana, and it puts the iPhone in the forefront of Skype handsets (in the United States, anyway). Skype mobile is available on a handful of Android and Blackberry phones with Verizon, but only for Skype-to-Skype and international calls — not to “online” numbers or regular phones.
Credit for freeing Skype on the iPhone should not go to Apple or Skype, but, ironically, AT&T. When the exclusive carrier of the iPhone started limiting the amount of data users can upload and download over their phones’ wireless data connections to either 200 MB or 2 GB per month, it paved the way for “unlimited” Skype months before the multitasking iPhone that could truly support it was released. Skype video call recorder SuperTinTin is here.
Joel wrote a blog about how he record his weekly Stack Overflow podcast.
Here’s the basic schematic:
Here’s what it looks like:
Skype is probably the most widely used Internet Phone service for conducting telephonic interviews, panel discussions, conference calls, recording podcasts or plain voice chatting. To date over 190 million people have downloaded the Skype program.
Though Skype doesn’t provide native support for recording voice conversations yet, you can easily record Skype Call Sessions using third-party add-ons or hardware devices or even with software that already exists on your computer. The Skype Phone calls are recorded to regular audio files like MP3, WAV or Windows Media which can edited and shared with friends like regular media files.
How to record Skype Calls ?
Let’s look at some of the more popular Skype add-ons and resources here for recording Skype Calls.
Recording Skype Calls on a Mac
If you are a Mac User, Audio Hijack or WireTrap Pro are probably the best options to record Skype Calls or Skypecast.
Using a technique called Hijacking, Audio Hijack Pro will allow you to record any application’s audio including Skype, podcasts, vidcasts, DVDs or sound from streaming internet audio-video. While Audio Hijack only records the audio, Audio Hijack Pro comes with effects to enhance the audio. Supports audio recording for Skype Voice Chats and iChat. [$16/$32] [Download]
WireTrap Pro is from the developers of Snapz Pro, which is a very popular screencasting app on Mac. Like Audio Hijack, Wire Trap can record audio from any running applications, as well as from any microphone, line-in, headset or radioSHARK. WireTap Pro will save your digital recordings in the either .mp3, AAC, QuickTime, and AIFF file formats. [$19.00] [Download]
Ecamm Call Recorder is an add-on for Skype which automatically transforms your Skype calls into QuickTime movies. Call Recorder can be used for recording remote lessons, interviews and podcasts. Calls are saved as QuickTime movies with the local and remote side of the conversation on different tracks. [$12.95] [Download]
Hardware Options for Recording Skype Call Sessions
The AU-600 Skype Gateway which allows you to make/receive Skype calls from your existing corded, cordless or cellular phone can also be used to record Skype conversation. You can choose to either record all calls automatically, or you can begin and stop recording during a call, directly from your phone’s keypad. Call recordings are saved as .wav files on your computer. Requires Windows. [$53.95]
Flash Phone F3K is another Skype device from Mplat that has a flash memory card and a USB sound card. The device can be plugged to the USB port of any machine and let you make VoIP calls using Skype, Google Talk, MSN Messenger but not Yahoo! Messenger. FlashPhone comes with Voice recorder and an answering machine. Also see FlashPhone F1K for Skype [$24.90]
Other alternatives to recording Skype Calls
A PDF document titled “Skype + Podcast Recorder = SkypeCaster” has instructions to building your own Skype recording studio using Windows Sound Recorder and Virtual Audio Cable, a Windows WDM multimedia driver. The author uses this to record Podcasts using Skype. You can also use this approach with Audacity or Adobe Audition for recording and editing the quality of voice. VAC needs no audio card; it is a “virtual audio card” itself. You need two instances of Skype running on the same computer. See screenshots. [Skype Journal]
Another Do-It-Yourself approach to record Skype Conversations is explained by TDavid. It requires two computers (Skype Recorder and Skype Client), one has Skype running and the other one with line-in capability. Connect one end of male computer to LINE-IN on second computer and attach to the speaker out on the computer that is running Skype. Now on the second computer, set record properties to LINE-IN. How to record a Skype conversation
Tips on recording Skype Conversation:
» Let the other parties know that you are recording them and obtain their permission to record. This is a law in some states.
» Skype will save the voicemail locally after you’ve played it but it uses some odd format. To convert the skype dat sound file to MP3 or WAV, use HotRecorder mentioned above.
» Doug Kaye has a nice illustration of DIY skype recorder without an external mixer.
» If you plan to use the SkypeCaster method, this Skype discussion thread will be prove useful.
» Few other nice things you can do with Skype.
» Before placing Skype call or recording conversations, it’s always nice to test your Skype Sound Setup.
This article summarized 10 Skype Alternatives.
SightSpeed – Mac and Windows app offering unlimited free PC – PC VoIP calls, unlimited free PC – PC video calls. Reduced rates for PC – landline / cell phone calls. Also features video blogging capabilities.
Google Talk – A soft VoIP application for Windows that offers VoIP and instant messaging. Mac users can talk with Google Talk users using Jabber-enabled clients such as Adium and iChat. Linux users can use Gaim.
Gizmo Project – SIP based P2P client in the same ilk as Skype with integrated call recording. At the time of writing, Skype currently requires extra software to record calls.
iChat – Mac OS X application that offers PC – PC calls between iChat and AIM users.
VoIP Buster – Windows app offering free PC – PC calls and 120 days of free calls to landlines.
Jajah – Web-based VoIP interface where you enter your phone number and the number of who you want to dial. Jajah calls the caller and the person you are calling. You both answer, the calls begins and you can talk. Does not require any new software or hardware.
Amicima – Publishers of a soft VoIP application called amiciPhone that offers a combination of user presence, file transfers, photo sharing and instant messaging.
ComBOTS – German app that offers free VoIP calls, photo sharing and drag-and-drop file sharing for files up to 200MB.
OpenWengo – Open Source app based on the SIP protocol for free VoIP calls between 2 PCs with SIP-compliant software. You can hook into any other VoIP provider that uses SIP. Also offers SMS, video chat and instant messaging.
Vbuzzer – Soft VoIP Windows app offer free calls between Vbuzzer users and reduced call rates to landlines. Also offers instant messaging.
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