Software for cheap calls
I downloaded Skype a while back. It looked good, but didn't interest me enough because - at the time - no one knew what it was. It was great - you install it, then -with the aid of a microphone - you could talk for free to anyone else with Skype installed.
Ah.. anyone else got Skype ?
Well, yes - some people did, but not everyone. "Use Messenger, I'm always on that", they'd say. Hmm.. not quite the same.
So what it Skype ? Well, it was programmed by the boys who did Napster. No, we're not talking about the legal puffy Napster rubbish that you get now, we're talking about the original peer-to-peer monolith that was Napster. This time they've gone legal, and this really is a killer app now. Why ? I'll tell you why.
Skype can now "break out" onto the public telephone network. Yup, you can call any phone number in the world over the Internet using Skpe. Is it free you say ? No, of course it isn't, but you can call half-way across the world for a penny a minute. Yes, a penny a minute - that's about the same as a local call around the corner! Check out the rates - and remember, it's not important where you call from, only where you're calling to!
http://www.skype.com/products/skypeout/rates/
Like the sound of it ? See how cheap those calls are?!? Do you fancy calling your relatives abroad and not watching how long you're online? Well, all you need to do is download Skype (www.skype.com) and then - if you intend to call using "SkypeOut" (which lets you call "normal" phone numbers) you buy some calling credit. I started off by buying 10 Euros worth of calling credit (which is about 7 quid at the time of writing, or $13 US), however you can buy 25 Euros, which is about £17.50 or $33 US. Don't forget though - you can call the USA for a penny a minute, even mobiles in the US are really cheap, so this credit will probably last you for ages!
Right, now you're set... almost. Next is to get a nice internet connection, broadband will do fine, and as long as your PC / laptop is connected, everything will be cool. Internet Central do broadband in the UK with a fixed IP address, no port blocking and no download restrictions, so I use them. OK, so Skype is running, now all you do is type in the phone number you want to call (complete with the international dialling code, so if you're calling the UK and you're IN the UK you still need to type +44208 or whatever).
You can also save your contacts too, so you don't need to type out a big long international telephone number. Oh, and you'll also need a microphone so you can talk to people. Ah, now we get onto the next topic...
Hardware for cheap calls
You can make your own handset with the aid of a microphone and an ear-piece, or buy them from the Skype store - see the link below..
http://www.skype.com/store/accessories/
I got this Cyberphone K thing from Dabs.com - it costs about £39.
The phones' keypad doesn't have a way of keying in the "+" sign, but that's OK because you can also use "00" or "011" before the country code. All I do then is make my call, to the USA, to Australia, to Canada, where-ever - and I can talk for hours, because it's not costing me much at all. The phone comes with some Skype buttons too, like a "dial" and "disconnect" button. It also has volume control and mute.
It interacts well with Skype - the minute you pick it up Skype will flash up on your PC so that you can make your call.
Plus, because the laptop I use has a wi-fi card, I can walk around the house with it too (ok, so that's a tad cumbersome 'cus the laptop is quite large, but you can move from room to room if you need).
So, next time you're in a hotel and you cringe at the rates for calling externally (I once got charged £38 at a hotel on Heathrow airport for a 10 minute mobile phone call... gits...), just ensure that you can go somewhere with a Wi-Fi hotspot (using sites like www.myhotspots.co.uk etc) or get a hotel with a bundled broadband internet connection and use that to make your calls instead!!!
