Chris Pirillo » skype

What’s Better than Ventrilo for Voice Chat?

Chris — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 06:26:52 +0000

What’s Better than Ventrilo for Voice Chat? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I used to rely on Ventrilo to communicate with the moderators from WyldRyde who help keep control in my chat room. It was kind of difficult to use, so we eventually just stopped connecting. However, I’ve found something much better that we can try!

Voxli is a free voice chat that anyone can use – anywhere, anytime! It’s great to use when gaming, as you can have up to 200 people at any one time chatting! Voxli runs right from within your browser (although it works best in Firefox, it works in any!) and you can enable push-to-talk so you aren’t taken away from your game.

Set up your Voxli chat and send the unique URL to up to 199 other people. It really is that easy. There’s nothing to download, and it works on both OS X and Windows!

Voxli allows you to add and change an avatar, or simply listen in on conversations other people are having! Once you install the plugin for Firefox, you don’t have to even ever sign in again!

Come on – you don’t need to keep downloading and connecting to programs like Ventrilo, Teamspeak or Skype. Those can all be resource hogs, and have problems and bugs all their own. Check out Voxli and you won’t be sorry!

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TeamSpeak vs Ventrilo vs Mumble Audio for Gamers

Chris — Sun, 31 May 2009 03:13:42 +0000

TeamSpeak vs Ventrilo vs Mumble Audio for Gamers is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Voice over IP (or VoIP) is just not going to go away, despite what Wicket wants. It’s not just here for awhile, it’s definitely going to be around. You may have used Skype, or Vonage before to talk to someone. If you have, then you’ve used VoIP. But if you need to talk to several people at once, these are not good choices. What do you use in situations like these?

Some of you use Teamspeak or Ventrilo, and those are both good options. The Mods and I use Ventrilo here on the live stream at times to talk to each other, have conferences, or even let them talk to all of you. Once our Ventrilo license expires, we may just start using this new open source program: Mumble.

Mumble is an open source, low-latency, high quality voice chat software primarily intended for use while gaming. Even though it says it’s “intended” for gaming, it can be used by anyone. It won’t suck up your bandwidth like Skype will. There isn’t much of an interface to Mumble, but it IS clean. And – it’s seriously configurable! Being open source… it’s free to use.

If you’ve used anything else for this type of communication, consider Mumble. It is mature enough to use, and I definitely recommend it.

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Skype on the iPhone / iPod Touch

Chris — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:29:56 +0000

Skype on the iPhone / iPod Touch is a post from Chris Pirillo

This morning, CNET reported that Skype is officially coming to the iPhone in a few days. I’m impressed, but not really thrilled. I usually keep Skype open on my desktop, but prefer to use it for video calls only – which you won’t be able to do on the iPhone, so… whatever. On the other hand, if you’re an iPod Touch user, this is HUGE news.

I asked for your opinions on Twitter a few minutes ago…

chrispirillo: Skype is coming to the iPhone. Is this big news or a big snooze?

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:51:40 +0000 2009

joshcheney: i think BiG news! lol

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:53:44 +0000 2009

MetalHaze: Remember, #Skype only works on 3G #iPhones .

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:53:54 +0000 2009

susanbeebe: Skype VoIP is big news – free calls over 3G, WiFi is cool ! :)

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:53:54 +0000 2009

ChickenStudios: Hmm a bit of both, could be useful could just be more clutter for the app store

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:53:59 +0000 2009

JakeOSmith: NEWS!

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:54:08 +0000 2009

INFECTEDPB503: feel asleep at skype…

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:54:11 +0000 2009

DaddyCast: with video would be big

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:54:24 +0000 2009

apabate: travel internationally then ask that question again. Skype is your best friend overseas. Skype on iPhone – FTW all the way!!!

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:54:31 +0000 2009

topicm: it's cool, but would be better if iPhone did video and allowed Skype to use 3G as well (in addition to Wi-Fi)

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:54:35 +0000 2009

michaelg: Skype on iPhone will be very convenient for international travel

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:54:39 +0000 2009

TechFrog: SInce it will only really work during WiFi connection, its moderately #SnoozeNews

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:54:46 +0000 2009

ludovicah: its not news certainly.. people have been bleating about it since yesterday

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:54:46 +0000 2009

geekgiant: Since it's WiFi only, it's kind of a snooze. Will be nice to have native though.

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:54:58 +0000 2009

crackass: big snooze as i don't use Skype and i don't know anyone who does, bar internetz people who i don't speak to!

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:55:01 +0000 2009

RamonNuez: Albeit very cool and don't think it's big news. If you use the fring app then you already have skype.

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:55:07 +0000 2009

BayouBengal56: Skype = snooze for iPhone but win for iPod touch.

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:55:07 +0000 2009

AwesomeRobot: a big snooze for me

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:55:09 +0000 2009

SamBSJA: big snooze!

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:55:25 +0000 2009

EMcCready: as it only works on wifi and I only get it @ home its pretty much snooze, as I could use my house if I wanted to call someone

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:55:32 +0000 2009

JMGubbins: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:55:32 +0000 2009

chrisspera: RE: Skype on the iPhone: Snooze. Skype on the iPod Touch: News!

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:55:44 +0000 2009

annimetti: If it works with skype international calling, which I presume is the news, then it's pretty big news. No?

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:56:09 +0000 2009

AngryChad: @chrispirillo: Neither. It's medium level news.

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:56:21 +0000 2009

Fee501st: Wake me when you can use it on edge/3G

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:56:32 +0000 2009

Neonez: big news!

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:56:33 +0000 2009

richgilberto: It's big news if the iPod touch gets a standard earpiece/mic config attachment.

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:56:34 +0000 2009

tommycarlier: As long as the Belgian mobile market is what it is, I'm not using a lot of mobile online applications on my WinMobile device.

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:56:38 +0000 2009

TheRubberband: It would be awesome news if all iPhone users got on board.

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:56:38 +0000 2009

jaredatch: about damn time, but still big news!

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:56:51 +0000 2009

TheBorzoi: There were already a few Skype apps for iPhone. I know quite a few people that have been using them.

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:57:07 +0000 2009

tomacintosh: an absolute snooze to me

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:57:13 +0000 2009

martinjon: International calls on every iPhone – thats news I think – I've used a MYLO for years for that sort of access = NEWS

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:57:17 +0000 2009

muppetaphrodite: If Skype were coming to the iPod Touch, that'd be a big deal. But we iPhone users are stuck with too many minutes anyway.

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:57:29 +0000 2009

atothebed: This is very exciting! I would potentially use Skype on my iPhone …but I'd rather have MSN make an official app first!

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:57:46 +0000 2009

tpbtpb: medium news, if it works.

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:58:03 +0000 2009

AndersHa: for me: big news. Skype is the future!

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:58:26 +0000 2009

harrysaxon23: Snooze, at least up in Vancouver, since voice chat only works over wi-fi, which is generally hard to find outside your home.

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:58:40 +0000 2009

thekiwiguy: snooze..Fringe client has been around 4 a while,and its “good”. without a front cam, & videocam iphone is crippled for this..

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:58:43 +0000 2009

victoria0918: Big news is when the iPhone is sold unlocked for user option on which provider to use.

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:58:52 +0000 2009

RandyNieland: Huge news! Skype is the first crack in the AT&T exclusivity armor, as far as placing “calls” from the iPhone (and iPod Touch)

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 17:58:59 +0000 2009

kpslover007: I hear it is controversial. I think that it will be a good move.

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 18:01:04 +0000 2009

marcoscmartins: like Fring, I think is the same old history… wasn't enough. If voice signal still clear, should be nice, but I doubt.

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 18:01:17 +0000 2009

tristanlueking: Big news! been waiting for it for awhile. The question is, will it measure up to expectations?

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 18:01:31 +0000 2009

laurentmeyvaert: I think it's big news. I've been waiting for it since the start of the App Store. I prefer the real thing :)

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 18:01:33 +0000 2009

JustinCarmony: Depends on if and how easy I can make Skype calls with it.

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 18:02:16 +0000 2009

LaceRocks: snooze

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 18:02:56 +0000 2009

bdegrande: Skype is really big news for those of us with an iPod Touch. Not the first VOIP app, but I hope it's the best.

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 18:03:10 +0000 2009

Condawg: Big news, in my opinion. Especially if it's for the Touch, too. Cheaper calls. Much cheaper calls. Hell yeah.

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 18:03:15 +0000 2009

Mpieters: big news…but only useful post iphone 3.0 – my writeup at http://www.mpieters.com

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 18:04:18 +0000 2009

Kennethturner: big news to the people who goes over their minutes and make international calls

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 18:05:36 +0000 2009

tgarlanger: I'm wondering how great Skype is going to be on the iPhone as well.

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 18:06:14 +0000 2009

tialoc: would be nice to have access to skype contacts. May use at hotspots but otherwise.. Zzzzz. ..

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 18:08:47 +0000 2009

notsleepy: big news to me. Avoid huge bills when travelling overseas

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 18:09:02 +0000 2009

lmdupont: it would be big news if it worked on g3 but it requires wifi

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 18:09:29 +0000 2009

GourleyGirl: tiny little screen, fuzzy connection..hmmm..sounds frustrating. But being able to see your people from anywhere, I like that.

about an hour ago

Mon Mar 30 18:10:20 +0000 2009

steveofmaine: Well, it's bigger news than cut and paste IMO.

about 58 minutes ago

Mon Mar 30 18:12:38 +0000 2009

davepope: The big news would be that that means it's coming to the iPod Touch as well…

about 57 minutes ago

Mon Mar 30 18:13:35 +0000 2009

zargam: nothing shocking to me..lol

about 56 minutes ago

Mon Mar 30 18:14:34 +0000 2009

patrickem: Skype to iPhone = snooze

about 55 minutes ago

Mon Mar 30 18:16:16 +0000 2009

kevinkinnett: it is the eventual future of voice communication (just another type of data service) this is one important step along the way

about 51 minutes ago

Mon Mar 30 18:20:16 +0000 2009

foleymo: Hey Chris, Have you heard about this? http://bit.ly/NjTm

about 44 minutes ago

Mon Mar 30 18:27:09 +0000 2009

BuayaGuy: what if Skype + iPhone = call online around the world for free or low cost?

about 44 minutes ago

Mon Mar 30 18:27:10 +0000 2009

iPhoneFTW: CHRIS UR AWESOME and hilarious watched u when u used to b on tv and still watch u now i also sub, macs are awesome eh?

about 44 minutes ago

Mon Mar 30 18:27:16 +0000 2009

iPhoneFTW: hey chris what do u think of the new iPhone OS 3.0 i think its awesome CUT COPY PASTE!!!

about 42 minutes ago

Mon Mar 30 18:29:04 +0000 2009

Crinklex2: Truphone and Fring already have Skype built in correct? Plus new Skype app can only be used via WiFi. I say big snooze.

about 38 minutes ago

Mon Mar 30 18:32:24 +0000 2009

iPhoneFTW: i think its gonna be an interesting app

about 37 minutes ago

Mon Mar 30 18:33:18 +0000 2009

joeyv: – depends on how well their app works, I am impressed with the latest update, on windows atleast.

about 37 minutes ago

Mon Mar 30 18:34:05 +0000 2009

Crinklex2: Of course that won't stop me from downloading the Skype app and trying it out. You know, the tech geek thing in me and all…

about 36 minutes ago

Mon Mar 30 18:34:44 +0000 2009

TimBrazer: skype for iPhone? Big Snooze! Fring is available too…

about 34 minutes ago

Mon Mar 30 18:37:13 +0000 2009

stemount: Skype on the iPhone is ok but Fring already does it, but I would think it would be better UI but still only wi-fi calls :(

about 33 minutes ago

Mon Mar 30 18:37:47 +0000 2009

unclelouie9841: I think it is a bigger deal for people with iPod Touches than for iPhone users.

about 33 minutes ago

Mon Mar 30 18:38:07 +0000 2009

melanieruth78: if it's still free, then it's big. Otherwise it's not.

about 32 minutes ago

Mon Mar 30 18:38:52 +0000 2009

Skype Coupons + Skype 4.0 Beta Released

coupons — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 23:38:50 +0000

Skype Coupons + Skype 4.0 Beta Released is a post from Chris Pirillo

Skype rolled out Beta 2 of version 4.0 for Windows yesterday. In response to negative feedback about the previous beta’s use of screen real estate, the new beta allows you to resize more parts of a window and display the list and messages in separate windows. They’ve also added compact view, which looks almost exactly like the current production version of Skype. The new design makes it easier to create new categories and drag contacts into them, and notifications when minimized now appear as a popup window with a preview of the message in the lower right corner of the desktop. It’s definitely an improvement over the last beta, but so far I’m not seeing a lot of innovation. At least it takes up less space than the last beta…

Skype Coupons:

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Find More Coupons

How to FAX over VOIP on the Internet

Chris — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 04:22:10 +0000

How to FAX over VOIP on the Internet is a post from Chris Pirillo

Brightstar wrote: “I keep hearing about how hard it is for faxes to work through VOIP. I’ve prepared a top 5 list of things you can do to make sure your faxes have the best chance of going through.”

Set your baud rate to 9600 and turn off Error Correction Mode. The slower your Fax goes, the more likely it is to go through without errors. Most VOIP providers are unable to support the default baud of 33600 baud due to the amount of data that has to go through. Error Correction Mode was designed for faxing PSTN to PSTN. Voice over IP often has extra noise added due to jitter instabilities in the connection as it travels from one fax to another. This causes false positives for Error Correction Mode because it will cause the fax to loop over and over trying to fix these noise errors, when it can’t be fixed. This will end in a communication error usually.
Use a provider that supports T.38 – T.38 is an audio codec designed for Faxing over VOIP. it allows for more detail and better looking images as well as stability by creating redundancy in the RTP stream.
Set your packetization to 10 milliseconds or less. The more header there is in the stream, the less likely jitter and instabilities in your internet connection are going to cause a synchronization error. (You may need to contact your provider to make this happen if your box is locked, such as if you use Vonage.)
Keep on top of your ISP. Stability in your internet connection are paramount in making sure that faxes are successful. Speed tests can help you track this. Look for an advanced speed test that offers more than just and upload and download speed. A personal favorite of mine is located at MyVoipSpeed (Note: An up to date Java version is required) which is really nice because once you’re done, you can click on the detailed analysis link and then call up your ISP and give them the URL for the test so they can see what’s going on.
When all else fails, call your VOIP provider. There may be issues in the routing of your calls that are causing problems. Only your VOIP provider’s call processing team will be able to fix this kind of thing. Have your provider test from a PSTN line and then their own VOIP line. If they can send through PSTN but not their own VOIP line, it’s a routing issue on their own end.
Bonus Tip!Don’t even think about faxing using Voice over IP on a satellite or wireless connection. These kinds of connections are too unpredictable, and add a huge amount of latency that will make it impossible for fax machines to sync up properly.

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VoIP Tips Skype, Phones, Gizmo, and Ventrilo

Chris — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 03:01:22 +0000

VoIP Tips Skype, Phones, Gizmo, and Ventrilo is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I don’t use traditional means of communication anymore. I tend to use VoIP more than anything. I have Ventrilo open pretty much constantly, to communicate easily with my friends and co-workers. I also just installed it on Ponzi’s computer, so we can use it as an on-demand intercom. Today, I decided to give the Gizmo Project a try, as well.

Gizmo is a free phone for your computer that lets you make and receive calls as easily as sending an instant message. The key features are:

Unlimited free calling
FREE calling to landline and mobile phones using the All Calls FREE plan.
Chat with Windows Live Messenger, AIM, Yahoo! Messenger, GoogleTalk, and Gizmo users.
Free voicemail

For about $35.00 a year, you can receive unlimited Call In. This allows anyone to call you from anywhere. You will be assigned an actual phone number, and will have call transfer, dual ring and even call forwarding capabilities!

It’s so easy to use. I demonstrated by calling my new Gizmo number from my iPhone. I then walked into another room and talked into the phone, while you all could hear it coming through the computer. Very cool, very easy… very affordable!

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What is Ventrilo?

Chris — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 05:32:21 +0000

What is Ventrilo? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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The community-at-large is loving GoToMeeting as we’ve been using it (they’re offering an exclusive 45-day trial for you right now). While we were chatting tonight, Wirelesspacket demonstrated a VoIP client that we’ve started to use on a regular basis around here (even though it’s been used by gamers for a while now).

Ventrilo is the next evolutionary step of Voice over IP (VoIP) group communications software. Ventrilo is also the industry standard by which all others measure themselves as they attempt to imitate its features. By offering surround sound positioning and special sound effects on a per user, per channel, per server or global configuration level the program provides each user the option to fully customize exactly how they wish to hear sounds from other users or events.

Ventrilo is best known for it’s superior sound quality and minimal use of CPU resources so as not to interfere with day to day operations of the computer or during online game competitions. It is also preferred for the simple user interface that any first time computer user can very quickly learn because the most commonly used features are immediately visible and can be activated with a single click of the mouse.

Version 2.3.0 introduces more user control of how the main window is displayed. You can turn on and off the title bar, display the large buttons on the right or switch to toolbar mode with icons on the top to maximize the usable width of the window. Extended mode which hides the User Name, Server and Bindings options. Turn on and off grid lines in the user list window. You can also customize the user list window icons and toolbar icons.

All of these changes still keep the most commonly used features at your finger tips by means of a single click of the mouse. No need to navigate clunky multi-stage menu options just send a comment to the other users. Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

Are You a Skype Supernode?

Chris — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 06:54:22 +0000

Are You a Skype Supernode? is a post from Chris Pirillo

If you run Skype outside of a NAT configuration, you may be passing traffic as a supernode. Skype’s documentation claims the impact of this extra traffic is negligible, but you can prevent your Skype client / connection from becoming a supernode altogether:

Beginning with Skype 3.0, an explicit switch is provided in the registry settings to allow the disabling of supernode functionality.
Any computer hosted on a network that is behind a network address translation (NAT) device or restrictive firewall will disable supernode functionality.
Skype clients behind an HTTP or SOCKS5 proxy will not serve as supernodes.

I’m guessing that most of you are behind a router with NAT, but the University of Waterloo has a fantastic wiki page with further Skype tweaks in relation to the supernode feature.

Skype Audio Problems on the MacBook Pro

Chris — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 09:59:17 +0000

Skype Audio Problems on the MacBook Pro is a post from Chris Pirillo

For the life of me, I could not figure out why I was only getting audio out of my right MacBookPro speaker. Live chatter Eric Wrixon made the reason abundandly clear:

I think I might know why your Skype client on your Macbook Pro only plays audio out of the right speaker. If I’m not mistaken the microphone on the MBP is located under the left speaker grille. If the audio in your Skype conversation was played back through the left speaker it would generate a lot of nasty feedback into the mic. The client may be purposely using only the right speaker to reduce the amount of microphone feedback. I don’t know if that really is the reason for the Mac client using only the right speaker, but it sounds like a reasonable explanation to me.

Makes total sense to me now.

Skype and VOIP Thoughts

Chris — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 23:45:52 +0000

Skype and VOIP Thoughts is a post from Chris Pirillo

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http://live.pirillo.com/ – Online auctioneer eBay Inc. said Monday, Niklas Zennstrom, the co-founder and chief executive of Internet phone service Skype, , is stepping down and will become non-executive chairman of Skype’s board.

Four of my friends joined me for this discussion: Kat, SC_Thor, Wirelesspacket, and last but certainly not least… Datalore.

EBay acquired Skype, a provider of Internet telephony services, in October 2005 for approximately $2.6 billion, plus an optional amount dependent on the achievement of certain goals.

From the start, many have questioned the logic behind the acquisition, suggesting that eBay would have a difficult time recouping its investment and leveraging Skype to boost interactions eBay among buyers and sellers.

Skype will try to boost its monetization capabilities by exploring broader e-commerce options, possibly within services like SkypeFind, in which businesses are listed and recommended, and SkypePrime, a service for selling advise and expertise.

The general consensus amongst us on the Skype call is that Skype is a good service for communication. I personally don’t use it much, because I prefer my phone or other IM clients. We haven’t come to an agreement yet, though, on what the future of Skype actually will be. What are your thoughts? Do you use Skype? Do you feel it’s going to become a huge force in the VOIP world, or will it fizzle out? Let me hear your comments, thoughts and ideas!

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Skype on Windows Vista

Chris — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 03:21:13 +0000

Skype on Windows Vista is a post from Chris Pirillo

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http://live.pirillo.com/ – A user asked if Skype works on Windows Vista, as he was having trouble getting it to work for him. The short answer is yes! Skype works on virtually any platform you would have on a computer.

The day this question was asked, Skype was apparently having issues. That may have been a contributing factor to the problems he was experiencing. All over Twitter, people were commenting how Skype was broken, and then how it was working again. You have to remember, Skype only works if your computer is configured and working properly, your Internet service is working correctly, and Skype’s services are running. There are a lot of factors that come into play, which makes it more difficult to diagnose a problem.

Another thing you can try is to run Skype using Windows Compatibility Mode. This option can help you use programs that worked well on older versions of Windows, but are giving you nightmares in Vista (or any Windows platform).

I use Skype myself, although not as much as many of you do. What other VOIP programs or applications do you use? What ones do you find are the best? I’m always interested in your comments and feedback. You can leave me a comment here, send me an email, or send me a video through YouTube.

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Skype Increases Cost of Calls, Silently?

Chris — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 10:43:45 +0000

Skype Increases Cost of Calls, Silently? is a post from Chris Pirillo

From Skype Journal, although the permalink for the article is currently 404:

Effectively without telling you Skype has raised the cost of every Skype Call. They call it a connection fee. So you make a less than 30 second call and leave a quick voicemail. In the good old days of SkypeOut this action cost you 2 cents. You would probably be surprised to learn that today the same call will cost 6 cents. Not much if all your calls are one hour long. A huge amount if the other person isn’t there.

I’m getting ready to start using the Pro version of Pamela to start recording video… should I be holding off?

The Ultimate Skype Add-in

Chris — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 04:26:14 +0000

The Ultimate Skype Add-in is a post from Chris Pirillo

Miranda vs. Trillian

Chris — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 07:32:33 +0000

Miranda vs. Trillian is a post from Chris Pirillo

As reported tonight, I’ve switched from Trillian to Miranda (for several reasons). It’s been a pretty good experience so far, save a couple of random crashes. Here’s what I love about Miranda:

Active development community cranking out updates frequently
Slick interaction with popular and minor IM protocols
Polished skins are readily available through the directory
Fast startup and shutdown, relatively small memory footprint
My buddy list is transparent (read: no background)
I can see what IM clients and versions all my buddies are using
There’s a decent “Find Updates” plugin available
It’s a nice upgrade from Trillian 2.x’s feature set
Individual message windows can contain useful info
It’s open source – bonus!

Things I dislike about Miranda:

It took a full day to configure to my liking
Options are all over the map (in a disorganized config hierarchy)
no full support for Skype (read: Skype must still be open)
Skins aren’t applied program-wide (very frustrating)
I can’t undo a specific font change I made
You can’t set a universal buddy icon easily
User experience lacks the polish of Trillian’s
Some cryptic error dialogs
It was designed with geeks in mind
I’ve been having problems with MSN connectivity
Random crashes with no easy way of recovering open convos
I can’t access more than one account on any single network
It doesn’t auto-organize incoming IMs by preset protocol groups

I’ll stick with Miranda for the time being. If Trillian 4.x can lick the performance issues that dog 3.x, I’ll go back to it. No word on when the new version will be unleashed, though.

How to Handle Remote Tech Support

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:30:00 GMT

Using GoToAssist is the easiest way to view and control another person's computer online. Use it to provide instant technical support to family, friends and customers. Start a session with just one click, and instantly connect with the other party.

Network Tools for Windows

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

You need these network tools, no matter which operating systems and networks you have to support. SolarWinds ipMonitor: Affordable Network Monitoring for SMBs. Get turnkey network, server and application availability monitoring with SolarWinds ipMonitor v9.0. This easy-to-use, reliable solution for SMBs delivers out-of-the-box availability monitoring so you always know exactly what's up with Active Directory, DNS, Exchange, FTP, Web, IMAP, MS SQL Server, and SMTP. Download your free trial today. Or, try their totally free tools! And, through 2/29, save 20% when you purchase ipMonitor 9.0.

Get Your Own Web Site

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

Starting at just $3.99/month, web hosting from GoDaddy includes 99.9% uptime, 24/7 support and free access to GoDaddy Hosting Connection, THE place to install over 30 FREE applications sure to help you get the most from your hosting plan and Web site. Enter code CP2 at checkout, and save an additional 10% on any order.

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VMware and Parallels for Virtual Machines

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

It doesn't matter if you're running on Windows or Mac OS X - every power user needs either Parallels or VMware (or both). There's never been an easier way to test software without destroying your primary operating system's stability. Think of how many times you wish you could press a 'reverse' button on your computer. Plus, there's no easier way to try new Linux distributions - see what all the fuss is about. Run Windows in OS X, run Linux in Windows, but the best way to do either is with VMware and/or Parallels.

Coupons for Online Shopping

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:56:13 GMT

This feed is fueled by Lockergnome Online Shopping and Coupon Codes

Before you shop next time, see if we have a coupon first.

Chris Pirillo » skype

What’s Better than Ventrilo for Voice Chat?

TeamSpeak vs Ventrilo vs Mumble Audio for Gamers

Skype on the iPhone / iPod Touch

Skype Coupons + Skype 4.0 Beta Released

How to FAX over VOIP on the Internet

VoIP Tips Skype, Phones, Gizmo, and Ventrilo

What is Ventrilo?

Are You a Skype Supernode?

Skype Audio Problems on the MacBook Pro

Skype and VOIP Thoughts

Top 10 Skype Problems for OS X

Skype on Windows Vista

Skype Increases Cost of Calls, Silently?

The Ultimate Skype Add-in

Miranda vs. Trillian

How to Handle Remote Tech Support

Network Tools for Windows

Get Your Own Web Site

VMware and Parallels for Virtual Machines

Coupons for Online Shopping