I came across an interesting link today while browsing Twitter. The author writes about how companies who are new to social media are failing miserably when it comes to writing job descriptions for their newly-created social media positions. He goes on to say he used to blame the companies themselves for writing poorly-constructed ads. Then, he realized that it isn’t the company’s fault at all. They don’t know what they’re doing, remember? They are new to this whole social media scene, and may not even know what it is they are looking FOR, exactly.

How would you suggest a company create a position for this, and market it? What should they look for? How should their ads be worded to be the most effective? I think that the social media experts in our community are the perfect place to get ideas flowing, and help these companies out!

What have you read today that sparked your imagination and interest, or made you stop and think? Make sure you share the links with the rest of us, so we don’t miss out!

• Spinning disk drives are not quite ready to be put out to pasture.
• How do you define happiness?
• The Microsoft Office 2010 Beta is now available for public download.
• What can you do with your old USB drives?
• Is AMD now the undisputed champion?
• What is your impression of the Droid so far?
• What are your thoughts on Internet Explorer 9?
• Do you want to remove the volume icon from your Windows 7 desktop?
• Are you a Logitech fan?
• Can your business save thousands of dollars by switching to VoIP?
• Don’t let yourself become a victim of coupon scams online.

Don’t miss our downloads center today! There are some excellent deals for both Windows and Mac people!

• Twitter For Dummies
• Twitter Marketing For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))
• Everything twitter – From Novice To Expert: The Unofficial Guide to Everything Twitter – THE BLUE BOOK (Black & White Edition)

• Are YOU a Social Media Geek?
• How Do You Get Started in Social Media?
• Putting the Me in Social Media
• Social Networking in Hawaii
• How to Create and Browse Lifestreams
• Seattle Social Media Scene (with WTIA)
• What Do You Need to Know About Social Media?
• Word of the Year: Unfriend
• What is Twitter Good For?
• What Technology has Shaped Your Life

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

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.

• Made in USA Sharpening Fixture Pc-101 Sharpening Fixture
• VOIP/SKYPE Handsfree Stereo Headset w/ Microphone
• 3-in-1 256MB USB 2.0 VoIP Handset/Flash Drive/Sound Card
• Logitech Cordless Internet Handset – USB VoIP wireless phone – DECT\GAP – Skype
• Philips VOIP 321 Skype Dual Phone Single Handset ( VOIP3211G/37 )
• IPEVO S0-10 Skype Desktop Phone-Black handset
• USB Cordless Phone for Skype, Yahoo and MSN

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PDHNdMzh488"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PDHNdMzh488" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://chris.pirillo.com/">Chris</a> | <a href="http://live.pirillo.com/">Live Tech Support</a> | <a href="http://media.pirillo.com/">Video Help</a> | <a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/ChrisPirilloShow">Add to iTunes</a>

• VoIP Tips Skype, Phones, Gizmo, and Ventrilo
• What’s Better than Ventrilo for Voice Chat?
• What is Ventrilo?
• Skype on the iPhone / iPod Touch
• How to FAX over VOIP on the Internet
• 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

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

What do you currently use for your phone service? Do you use a traditional land-line company, or something like Vonage? I’ve been using Vonage in my home for a couple of years now. Lately, though, some people were asking me what I thought about MagicJack, so I decided to try it out.

I figured we’d set it up together in this video. After all, the package promises “60 seconds to a lifetime of savings!”. It also talks about having free voice mail, free International calling, and even free local and long-distance. All you need is a phone and a broadband connection.

I actually had to go buy a cheap corded phone, because all of the phones in my house were cordless! I plugged the MagicJack in, and it instantly opened. The little interface told me to click a button to start calling – even while everything was downloading.

Within about 30 seconds, I was ready to register. I entered my email and a password into the program. I was told that following activation I would receive a confirmation email to finish the process. Then, it asked me my name, and approximate location for proper 911 services. After this step, it gave me the option of which area code I wanted to go with for where I live. Then, I could choose any number I wanted. Heck, I could’ve even chosen a number and area code back in Iowa!

I then had to of course agree to the Terms of Service. Don’t do as I did – or didn’t do. Always read your Terms of Service before agreeing! After doing that, I had my very own MagicJack phone number. I didn’t like the giant banner ad in the middle of the dialer though. I guess that’s what we get for having free phone service though.

I plugged the phone it, picked it up and dialed. It went through! That quickly, I called myself! I even answered myself. The sound was pretty clear, as well. I was impressed at this point, for sure. It took no time to set up, and it works!

If you shut down the MagicJack application on your computer, you cannot receive incoming calls. So – keep that in mind! Oh! Cool! There’s a call log! However, I don’t like that the address book cannot coordinate with my address book within my operating system. That would rock! Maybe they can work on that with a future release.

Well, there you go. There’s my opinion on MagicJack. It’s free, it’s simple, and it works. Try it for yourself. You may want to consider this as an alternative to a traditional land-line phone.

• magicJack – No More Phone Bills – Free Local & Long Distance Calls!
• magicJack: PC to Phone Jack
• magicJack VOIP phone device – Free phone calls
• 1 ft Telephone Cord RJ11, 6P/4C Flat Silver Satin Cable
• 2 ft Telephone Cord RJ11, 6P/4C Flat Silver Satin Cable
• NEW MINI FLIP TELEPHONE FOR MAGIC JACK DEVICE.

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/msgIBKuJpcc"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/msgIBKuJpcc" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://chris.pirillo.com/">Chris</a> | <a href="http://live.pirillo.com/">Live Tech Support</a> | <a href="http://media.pirillo.com/">Video Help</a> | <a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/ChrisPirilloShow">Add to iTunes</a>

• Vonage Sucks
• How to FAX over VOIP on the Internet
• The Ultimate Skype Add-in
• Skype is the Anti-Christ
• How Can Companies Hire Social Media Directors?
• TeamSpeak vs Ventrilo vs Mumble Audio for Gamers
• Skype on the iPhone / iPod Touch
• Are There Extensions for Cell Phones in Your Home?
• Vonage FAX?
• Christmas with the Pirillo Family (by Phone)

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

• TeamSpeak vs Ventrilo vs Mumble Audio for Gamers
• 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?

Ronni was a speaker at Gnomedex last year. She is one amazing lady, and a good friend. She has an excellent question, sent to me recently via email. Sadly, I don’t have the answer. However, I’m hoping one of you out there will know if there’s something like what she’s looking for.

Since you are my guru for all things technology or vaguely related, I’ve got a question for you:

I use a VoIP service for my home telephone. I have one base phone with two extensions so I don’t need to run the length of the apartment when someone calls. I also have a cell phone.

Cell reception is so good in my neighborhood, I don’t really need to be paying $300 a year for the VoIP service. But if I cancel it, I’m stuck with one cell phone and who knows where it might be when it rings. I have trouble remembering to stick it in my pocketbook when I leave the house, and I certainly wouldn’t remember to take it with to the bedroom at night or wherever else in the house I’m going to be for awhile. Plus, I don’t see the point of having two telephone numbers these days.

So here’s what I’m wondering:

Is there such a thing as an internal network for cell phones that combines with normal extension handsets? Maybe a box of some sort connected through the landline jacks that most homes have already installed? I can’t imagine that this doesn’t exist, and it would be particularly useful for women whose clothes don’t often have pockets like men’s clothing, so it’s not easy to keep a cell phone with you all the time.

Or maybe there’s another solution…

Perhaps you’ve addressed something like this in one of your videos that I’ve missed, or maybe you could do so if you haven’t.

I hope you and Ponzi are well,
Ronni

Come on Geeks. Ronni is right… there has to be something out there that can help her. What have you come across that may fit the bill?

• Vonage Sucks
• How Can Companies Hire Social Media Directors?
• Todd Friesen – Confessions of a Reformed Spammer
• Gnomedex 9 Photo Awards with Kris Krug
• Chris Brogan and Julien Smith – Rise of the Trust Agents
• Phil Plait – Active Skepticism Online
• The Business of Social Media
• Christine Peterson – Life Extension for Geeks
• Firas Khatib – FoldIt
• Jay Grandin and Leah Nelson – 20,000,000 versus 20: Audience vs. Impact

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.

• No Matches Found

• Skype is the Anti-Christ
• TeamSpeak vs Ventrilo vs Mumble Audio for Gamers
• What is MagicJack?
• Skype on the iPhone / iPod Touch
• Vonage FAX?
• 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

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

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!

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mCSGToJwSLY"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mCSGToJwSLY" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://chris.pirillo.com/">Chris</a> | <a href="http://live.pirillo.com/">Live Tech Support</a> | <a href="http://media.pirillo.com/">Video Help</a> | <a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/ChrisPirilloShow">Add to iTunes</a>

• TeamSpeak vs Ventrilo vs Mumble Audio for Gamers
• What’s Better than Ventrilo for Voice Chat?
• What is Ventrilo?
• The Ultimate Skype Add-in
• Skype on the iPhone / iPod Touch
• How to FAX over VOIP on the Internet
• Are You a Skype Supernode?
• Skype Audio Problems on the MacBook Pro
• Skype and VOIP Thoughts
• Top 10 Skype Problems for OS X

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

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:

<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9-Hb7vgQ0uw"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9-Hb7vgQ0uw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://chris.pirillo.com/">Chris</a> | <a href="http://live.pirillo.com/">Live Tech Support</a> | <a href="http://media.pirillo.com/">Video Help</a> | <a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/ChrisPirilloShow">Add to iTunes</a>

• TeamSpeak vs Ventrilo vs Mumble Audio for Gamers
• VoIP Tips Skype, Phones, Gizmo, and Ventrilo
• What’s Better than Ventrilo for Voice Chat?
• Skype on the iPhone / iPod Touch
• How to FAX over VOIP on the Internet
• 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

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
• Skype Increases Cost of Calls, Silently?
• TeamSpeak vs Ventrilo vs Mumble Audio for Gamers
• Skype on the iPhone / iPod Touch
• How to FAX over VOIP on the Internet
• VoIP Tips Skype, Phones, Gizmo, and Ventrilo
• What is Ventrilo?
• Skype and VOIP Thoughts
• Top 10 Skype Problems for OS X
• Skype on Windows Vista

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.

• Are You a Skype Supernode?
• Skype Increases Cost of Calls, Silently?
• TeamSpeak vs Ventrilo vs Mumble Audio for Gamers
• Skype on the iPhone / iPod Touch
• How to FAX over VOIP on the Internet
• VoIP Tips Skype, Phones, Gizmo, and Ventrilo
• What is Ventrilo?
• Skype and VOIP Thoughts
• Top 10 Skype Problems for OS X
• Skype on Windows Vista

Chris | Live Tech Support | Video Help | Add to iTunes

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!

Want to embed this video in your blog? Use this code:

<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KDHtInlIxwU"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KDHtInlIxwU" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://chris.pirillo.com/">Chris</a> | <a href="http://live.pirillo.com/">Live Tech Support</a> | <a href="http://media.pirillo.com/">Video Help</a> | <a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/ChrisPirilloShow">Add to iTunes</a>

Formats Available: MPEG4 Video (.mp4) Flash Video (.flv) MP3 Audio (.mp3)

• TeamSpeak vs Ventrilo vs Mumble Audio for Gamers
• Skype on the iPhone / iPod Touch
• 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
• Top 10 Skype Problems for OS X
• Skype on Windows Vista
• Skype Increases Cost of Calls, Silently?

Well, they may not be problems for everyone – but they’re problems for me with the latest OS X client:

1. I can’t seem to turn off warning messages – like the one that tells me that I have multiple tabs open in a chat window.
2. I can’t seem to turn off cascading windows – I want my video chats to be in ONE position, period. This becomes a problem when…
3. When I’m in the middle of a call, new calls interrupt that call when I have Skype set to pick up all calls automatically. “That’s a feature, not a bug” – yeah, but Skype should be smart enough to understand that I’m already in the middle of a freakin’ call, man.
4. You can’t tweak the volume of a current call if the other side is sending video. At least, not that I have discovered.
5. This should go without saying, but the Skype Mac client is a distant second to the Windows version. I’m starting to understand the frustration Mac users have had all these years, and I’m about to become a LOT more vocal about it.
6. The login pane doesn’t adhere to the size I set for the client. If you’ve bothered to resize your contact list window, you’ll know what I’m talking about.
7. The menu bar icon doesn’t remain when you exit out of Skype. At least, if I’m offline, Skype should eliminate the icon from the Dock – or allow me to configure it that way.
8. There’s no “Mute All Sounds” toggle in the Notifications preference pane.
9. I can’t resize the PIP in a video call.
10. I can’t swap the PIP with the recipient’s video (since I use CamTwist with a chat overlay for my video source).

• TeamSpeak vs Ventrilo vs Mumble Audio for Gamers
• Skype on the iPhone / iPod Touch
• 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
• Skype on Windows Vista
• Skype Increases Cost of Calls, Silently?

Chris | Live Tech Support | Video Help | Add to iTunes

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.

Want to embed this video into your blog? Use this code:

<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oHw6ZnTZB2U"></aram><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHw6ZnTZB2U" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://chris.pirillo.com/">Chris</a> | <a href="http://live.pirillo.com/">Live Tech Support</a> | <a href="http://media.pirillo.com/">Video Help</a> | <a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/ChrisPirilloShow">Add to iTunes</a>

Formats Available: MPEG4 Video (.mp4) Flash Video (.flv) MP3 Audio (.mp3) Microsoft Video (.avi)

• Windows Vista Stories
• Automatic Login for Windows Vista
• Back to School Laptop
• Installing Linux in Windows
• Speed Up Windows Startup with a Processor Tweak
• Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate Blue Screen of Death
• Safe to Delete Windows Prefetch
• Windows Recycle Bin Tips
• Sharing Files Between Mac OS X and Windows XP
• Windows Experience Index

http://live.pirillo.com/ – VoIP – Voice over IP – allows you to use your computer in order to make phone calls, either from computer to phone or computer to computer.

How can you get free phone calls? Use any popular instant messenger application that supports voice, such as Skype or Google Talk. This lets you use voice as a communication medium rather than text.

If you want to make free phone calls to a landline, there probably isn’t a service out there that offers it 100% free of charge; however, there are a lot of VoIP providers that provide very low rates.

Yahoo! Messenger dials out at 1 cent per minute, in the US. Gizmo also has very similar, competitive rates.

Skype has SkypeOut, which you can subscribe to for a full year for only $30.

JahJah also offers a similar service, which acts as in intermediary between the two phone numbers.

There are a ton of options out there, which one do you recommend?

Want to embed our How to Make Free Phone Calls video in your blog? Use this code:

<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/–iyW1f4urM"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/–iyW1f4urM" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://live.pirillo.com/">http://live.pirillo.com/</a> / <a href="http://chris.pirillo.com/media/">http://chris.pirillo.com/media/</a>

Formats available: MPEG4 Video (.mp4), Flash Video (.flv), MP3 Audio (.mp3)

• How Can Companies Hire Social Media Directors?
• TeamSpeak vs Ventrilo vs Mumble Audio for Gamers
• What is MagicJack?
• Skype on the iPhone / iPod Touch
• Are There Extensions for Cell Phones in Your Home?
• 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

My vision is a 24/7 tech channel with live audio and video. The on-demand media will always be on so that participants can ask questions and receive answers at any time. The great thing about Gaboogie will be that the community can join in and take pride in the work being done because that is something that everyone is involved in. It can be a spontaneous event (all the time) or it can be something planned. If someone needs an answer to a question, then it can be the job of the person who can’t answer the question to refer back to the community to find someone else who can.

Gaboogie is a little different than the other conference call services out there. It combines the latest IP communications technology and a lightweight AJAX Web interface for booking, scheduling, and managing your call(s). The full transcript (from “Fatman”) has been posted to How to Record Phone Calls – with the ustream archived recording intact:

You can start every conference on time, because Gaboogie calls everyone automatically – there’s no waiting for late attendees to show up.You can schedule your call when you sign on and even do it on demand instead of waiting if the need is there.

• Skype Increases Cost of Calls, Silently?
• How Can Companies Hire Social Media Directors?
• TeamSpeak vs Ventrilo vs Mumble Audio for Gamers
• What is MagicJack?
• Skype on the iPhone / iPod Touch
• Are There Extensions for Cell Phones in Your Home?
• How to FAX over VOIP on the Internet
• VoIP Tips Skype, Phones, Gizmo, and Ventrilo
• What is Ventrilo?
• Are You a Skype Supernode?