gHacks technology news » voip

The Plot Thickens Around The Google Phone

Shailpik — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:29:56 +0000

The Google phone is all over the Internet, thanks to a fresh wave of new leaks and speculations. It looks like the Google phone is ‘very real’ and it is being developed by Google as you read this. This news, brought to us by the good folks at TechCrunch, has created quite a sensation everywhere. So lets take a stock of what’s going on and see where the rumors stand.

According to the report published by Arrington, Google has been in the process of making a smartphone that follows the company’s directions to the T. That basically means they have a handset manufacturer who is working with them and following their specifications. In fact, the latest buzzword there is probably ‘Google Says’. So what does Google say?

That is something we don’t know yet but we do know that this new phone is not going to compromise on anything at all. It is being made to deliver what Google thinks a modern smartphone should be like. So this is not just a Google Experience phone but the true Android vision that Google has. It is meant to show their customers exactly what Google means by a smartphone.

But therein lies a problem. Google is not supposed to make an Android phone. They have too many partner companies who are making their own Android phones. Google’s handset would compete with theirs and that is not how you maintain a healthy relationship. So how do you maintain it and still get what you want?

Arrington has an idea. He suggests that the device will not be a true phone but merely a VoIP device. That way, it will get to have everything awesome that Android has to offer and yet will not compete with the offerings from their partner companies. If they are really making such device, why not just make a tablet? I am sure they see the vast potential in that. What is the use of giving someone a phone shaped MID that has VoIP instead of GSM or CDMA?

May be this is Google’s idea of the future – everything based on the Internet. It does tie in with what Google has to say about practically everything that involves technology and communication of some sort – move it online! Case in point – the Google Chrome OS. It takes your standard Linux OS and turns it into a mere client for all sorts of cloud services. As a result, you get to forget about backing up, maintaining, cleaning and generally thinking about how to get it to work and stay working.

However, the viability of such device depends greatly on one thing. This is that one thing that Google cannot move online – the very means to get online! You have many other carriers all over the world who have the fasted 3G network just like AT&T does and also the spottiest coverage, against just like AT&T does! And worst of all, they may be the best carrier in some countries! What use will be the phone then? We are still far away from a truly global coverage on mobile data networks, especially in countries that are no fully developed.

The current Android Super phone

However, if Google chooses to work with an existing partner who agrees to play ‘Google Says’ – will it harm them all that much? We already have Google Experience phones. So now we can have the Über Google Experience phone. In any case, Google has at least realized the age old truth – if you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself. Dear old Steve knew that decades ago and now look where he is. Google has done things their own way so far (Search, Ads, Mail, Wave, etc.) and that has led to exponential growth. So why stop now? They have done it with the Chrome OS, where they will be strictly controlling what hardware it is running on. And I am sure they have been disappointed with some of the recent Android phones. So it makes sense logically to make their own version of the Android phone. Wouldn’t you agree?

Tags: android, Google, google phone, google voice, voip

Skype Translator

Martin — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:45:23 +0000

Automatic translations are a good but imperfect way of being able to understand text that is written in a language that is not spoken by the user (or not spoken sufficiently to understand the text). Google’s translation service is without doubt one of the most popular – and widely used – automatic translation services on the Internet. One of its interesting features is the api which can be used to add translation options to software programs and other web services.

The Skype Translator plugin is using Google Translator to provide automatic translations for Skype conversations. The plugin needs access rights which can be given or denied upon first start of the plugin and Skype.

Once the rights have been given it is possible to chat with contacts using the external interface. The interface consists of a separate chat window with translation options provided for messages that are send and received.

Sending a message with translation enabled will display the translated message to the chat partner. A protocol that is displaying the original and translated message is shown in the same program tab which makes it possible to chat directly from that tab without paying attention to the Skype window at all.

The translated messages that are send will appear in the original Skype window as well. Skype Translator is a plugin for the voip client. The plugin is available for download at the Skype website. It is only compatible with Windows operating systems and requires the Microsoft .net Framework 2.0. (via Blogs DNA)

Tags: google translate, skype, skype plugin, skype translator, voip

Skype 4.1 Beta Adds Screen Sharing

Martin — Wed, 27 May 2009 20:39:19 +0000

A new beta version of the Windows edition of Skype 4.1 has been released today. The new version adds several new features to the voice over IP client that increase its value for end users and business alike. Probably the most popular change is the addition of screen sharing which makes it possible to share part or all of the computer screen with contacts. This can be quite interesting for people working in IT to get a visual of what the user is doing that is causing the problem. It could also be interesting for presentations and demonstrations.

Another interesting addition is the contact importer which allows users to import contacts from services like Gmail or Aol. These contacts can now also be send again to other Skype users. Old time Skype users might remember that the feature was already implemented in Skype 3 but got removed in previous versions of Skype 4. Configuring birthday reminders is another feature that is making a comeback in Skype 4.1 Beta.

Windows users can download the beta of Skype 4.1 (via Download Squad) from the official homepage. Keep in mind that betas should not be installed in productive environments.

A pdf containing the Skype 4.1 release notes is available on the same website as well.

Tags: beta software, skype, skype 4.1, voice over ip, voip, windows software

Skype 4 Lite

Martin — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:33:17 +0000

So called lite applications try to bring down the storage requirements and resource usage of bloatware to increase performance by removing components and features that are not needed by the majority of users. Well known examples for lite applications are Nero Lite or Adobe Reader Lite.

The voice over IP client Skype 4 is another example of a lite application. It tries to optimize Skype 4 by blocking several of its components during installation. There are two ways of achieving this. The first is by downloading a Skype 4 Lite installer which is a execute and install type of approach. The second is by downloading Skype 4 Business which comes as a msi file. This msi file can be run with parameters that block several components from being installed.

The components that will not be installed are the Skype plugins for web browsers like Firefox and Internet Explorer, the Skype Plugin Manager and Skype Toolbar. Furthermore autostart of Skype 4 will be disabled and the generation of the Skype icon on the computer desktop will be blocked.

What are the benefits of this installation method? Skype 4 will noticeable startup faster and overall performance during usage is increased. You can download the custom installer for Skype 4 at the Custom Installers homepage.

Download Skype 4 Business from the Skype homepage for the second method. This will download SkypeSetup.msi to the local computer. To install Skype 4 Lite issue the following command (via MSFN Forum)

start /wait msiexec /i SkypeSetup.msi INSTALLLEVEL=1 STARTSKYPE=FALSE ALLUSERS=1 TRANSFORMS=:removeStartup.mst TRANSFORMS=:removeDesktopShortcut.mst /qr

The most important parameter is setting the installlevel to 1 which will tell the installer only to install the phone components and not the plugins or the plugin manager. The other parameters should be pretty much self explanatory.

Tags: skype 4, skype 4 lite, skype installlevel, skype msi, skype setup, voip

Skype VOIP Recorder

Martin — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 08:21:27 +0000

One of the biggest issues many users have with the VOIP software Skype is that it does not provide a way to record phone conversations. Plugins for Skype are one of the alternative at this point and we have covered some already here at Ghacks: Record Skype Calls. Skype Call Recorder is another computer software program that can be used to record Skype conversations. It uses an external interface that provides all the functions and settings needed to record calls easily. Three buttons on top are used to record Skype calls, to stop the recording and to open the folder containing the recorded conversations.

The folder where the recorded conversations are stored can be selected in the same interface. The recordings will be saved as mp3 files which reduces the storage space requirements on the computer’s hard drive. It is also possible to change the recording mode to Mono, Stereo or Joint Stereo and the recording bitrate (quality) to 32,64 or 128 Kbit. The Skype call recorder can record conversations to Skype online numbers as well as SkypeOut calls which are calls from Skype to regular phones.

Skype Call Recorder runs on Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Vista. It requires the Microsoft .net Framework 2.0 or later and an installed version of the VOIP software Skype.

Tags: call recorder, skype, skype plugin, skype record, skype software, voice over ip, voip, voip recorder, voip software

Skype Voice Changer

Martin — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 08:49:15 +0000

If you always wanted to sound like someone else when making calls in Skype you might find the Skype Voice Changer application handy. The software provides the means to change the voice in Skype but can also alter the voices in mp3 or wav files that get loaded directly into the software. The current release is an experimental release that makes use of filters to alter the voice in Skype in realtime. All that needs to be done is to select one or multiple filters from the list of available ones and press the Connect To Skype button in the top bar.

The program provides access to a dozen filters ranging from Delay and Tremolo to Chorus and 3 Band EQ. While it is not currently able to change the voice in Skype to that of Darth Vader, or any other famous living, dead or fictional celebrity in this regard. Each filter can be configured separately by using the sliders that appear after the selection. The amount and function of the sliders depend on the selected filters. They usually range between 3 and 6 different sliders to change the frequency, length or delay.

Multiple filters can be combined with each other to use all their effects for the voice changing process. Skype Voice Changer is currently available for computer systems running Microsoft Windows. A version of the Microsoft .net Framework seems to be required to run the software although no details are given on the program’s homepage.

Tags: portable software, skype, skype call, skype voice, skype voice alteration, skype voice changer, voice over ip, voip, windows software

Skype Log View

Martin — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 18:57:12 +0000

Skype saves logs of all conversations in the voice over IP software. In Windows those files are stored in the Skype folder in the user profile. These log files are hard to read but reveal some information about the conversation. The problem with Skype logs is that Skype is sorting them by size instead of time. There is also no option to find out the date of a conversation by just looking at the logfiles in a text editor because Skype is encoding the time.

Skye Log View is a Nirsoft application. Nirsoft makes high quality portable applications that serve their purpose well. The main purpose of the software program is to list all conversations that have taken place in Skye chronologically.

Conversations meaning any means of establishing a contact between two or more users including phone calls, chats or file transfers. The exact date and time of the contact and the user name of the contact will be shown in the application.

Skype Log View can be pointed to Skype log files meaning that it works without Skype being installed. It provides the usual means to export data into html or txt files. The software program is compatible with any version of Windows since Windows 2000 including Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008.

Tags: analyze logs, logs, nirsoft, portable software, skype, skype log, voice over ip, voip, windows software

VoxOx Unified Messaging

Martin — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 16:41:12 +0000

Unified messaging describes a software or service that combines different ways of communication in one application. VoxOx comes out of private beta with an impressive looking number of services. The software combines Instant Messaging, Voice over IP, Video Conferencing, Email, Text Messaging, Social Networks and File Sharing into one software application.

That many features have its price though which observant users will notice after taking a look at the computer memory that the VoxOx processes uses. A little bit less than 100 Megabytes on Windows leaves surely some room for improvement.

The client is available for Windows and Macintosh with a Linux and mobile client in the making. The first step after installation is the account creation which is done easily in the interface. The program reminds the user that an email will be send for verification purposes. That message however seems to have been a leftover from the past because it was possible to login right after signing up to the service. An email was send but it did not contain a verification code but only information about the service itself.

A wizard will pop up after logging in that can guide the new user through adding accounts to the unified messaging software. It is possible to add AOL, ICQ, Yahoo, Google Talk, MSN or Jabber Instant Messaging accounts or other accounts such as Yahoo Email. Some of the options are grayed out which seems to suggest that these networks have not yet been implemented fully in the software.

The interface looks shiny and modern but poses a problem for users who like to change the sizes of their applications. The size of the application’s window cannot be reduced indefinitely which means that it will look huge on smaller monitors. It can be minimized though which reduces the memory usage tremendously as well.

The website and client are missing some vital information though, especially about pricing. There is no information whatsoever on costs for calls, text messaging or video conferencing. Business users should probably wait until those information are published on the developer’s website and in the client before they start evaluating the unified messaging software.

Tags: email client, instant messaging, macintosh software, messaging, skype, text messaging, unified messaging, voice over ip, voip, windows software

Time To Look For A Skype Alternative

Martin — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 18:34:19 +0000

The voice over IP client Skype never got off the radar of privacy activists. There were always rumors about backdoors in the voice communication software and that several organizations were able to record calls made by Skype users although Skype claimed otherwise.

Skype messages were in the focus of privacy groups since first news about text filtering messages in China became known to the public. Back then Skype released an official statement that the text filter applied by the Chinese Skype partner Tom Online would not affect security and encryption mechanisms of Skype, that people’s privacy would not be compromised and calls, chats and other forms of communication on Skype would continue to be encrypted and secure.

Researchers and privacy activists of the University of Toronto discovered files on unprotected Chinese computers that contained filtered Skype messages that were recorded in China.

The filtering system uses a blacklist that contains words that will not be shown in Skype conversations. If a blacklisted word is send over Skype the word will be filtered and the conversation recorded including personal information about the users taking part in the chat.

Some of the words that cause the filtering and recording are Tibet, Taiwan Independence and Voice of America. There is no way of telling if and how Skype is working with authorities in other countries but who would want to risk that?

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has Skype replacements on their priority list with links to multiple voip clients that can be downloaded freely.

The complete report from the researchers can be downloaded at the Infowar Monitor website. The major findings list:

The full text chat messages of TOM-Skype users, along with Skype users who have
communicated with TOM-Skype users, are regularly scanned for sensitive keywords, and
if present, the resulting data are uploaded and stored on servers in China.
These text messages, along with millions of records containing personal information, are
stored on insecure publicly-accessible web servers together with the encryption key required to
decrypt the data.
The captured messages contain specifc keywords relating to sensitive political topics such
as Taiwan independence, the Falun Gong, and political opposition to the Communist Party
of China.
Our analysis suggests that the surveillance is not solely keyword-driven. Many of the
captured messages contain words that are too common for extensive logging, suggesting
that there may be criteria, such as specifc usernames, that determine whether messages are
captured by the system.

Tags: china, china surveilance, ebay, skype, skype backdoor, skype china, skype tom, tom online, voice over ip, voip

Skype Backdoor Speculations

Martin — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:51:29 +0000

The well respected German website Heise Online has fueled speculations about a backdoor that is implemented in the Voice over IP software Skype. According to Heise the Austrian interior minister revealed at a conference with representatives of ISPs and the Austrian regulator on lawful interception of IP based services that they were able to listen to Skype conversations which was confirmed to Heise by several attendees of the conference.

Heise was not able to get a statement from eBay about the allegations other than they would not comment on media speculations. The Austrian broadcaster ORF (German article) published an article last week that already contained the allegations that the Austrian police was able to listen to Skype conversations. The possibility to listen to Skype conversations was not trivial but doable.

Tags: backdoor, ebay, skype, skype backdoor, voip

Skype for Visual Studio

Martin — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:27:00 +0000

Lets talk about a highly specialized application for a while, shall we ? Visual Studio is a suite of development tools for software developers while Skype is a VOIP client with chat and video functions. We all know that software developers are a lazy bunch which is probably the main reason why Keng created the Skype for Visual Studio add-in which adds the Skype chat into the Visual Studio.

The first release is compatible with Visual Studio 2005 and Visual Studio 2008. The main benefit is that one does not have to switch between Visual Studio and Skype (Chat) all the time when developing an application and chatting at the same time. Please note that chatting could also be project related which would make sense in my opinion.

This would provide an excellent way to copy and paste code comfortably to another user who is working on the same project. Selected code can be send to another use with the Send button of the add-in.

The developer is providing two versions of the Skype add-in, one for Visual Studio 2005 and the other for the 2008 version of Visual Studio. Windows XP users install the software by double-clicking the StudioSkype.msi executable while Windows Vista users have to right-click setup.exe and select to run the file as an administrator.

The new window is available in the View > Other Window > Skype menu in Visual Studio.

Tags: skype, skype chat, software, visual studio 2005, Visual Studio 2008, voip

Mute for Skype

Martin — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 20:33:54 +0000

It is really annoying that Skype does not come with an option to pause and resume music playback in the background when the user receives an incoming call. The VOIP client Skype 4 currently does not provide a way to automatically pause and resume music on the PC and the previous version of Skype offered a way to pause but not to resume Winamp when a call was incoming.

Mute for Skype is a software that can do that, most of the time without problems. The lightweight application requires the Microsoft .net Framework 1.1 or newer. The developer of the plugin unfortunately misses to mention the supported operating systems on the website, it is working in Windows XP.

The only problem is that this application is not developed anymore it seems. The last version is still a beta version from 2005 and I have doubts that this works in Skype 4. If anyone knows a solution that is still developed let me know, would love to give it a try.

Tags: mute skype, skype, skype plugin, voip

Find out if your computer acts as a Skype Super-Node

Martin — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:41:12 +0000

Bandwidth usage can be extremely different for Skype users which can be attributed whether computers are being used as Skype Super-Nodes. A Super-Node is basically a computer that is running Skype and not preventing the software access to the ports 80 and 443 which are used to route traffic from other Skype users who are behind a protected system.

The major problem with being a Skype Super-Node is that the bandwidth usage per hour will be much higher which might cause concern for users with Internet accounts that are having bandwidth limitations.

A great way for finding out if your system is being used as a Skype Super-Node is by installing a software that logs the bandwidth usage of Skype when the application is running. One tool that can do that is the trial version of Netlimiter which can be used for 30 days before it has to be registered.

Netlimiter logs all incoming and outgoing connections and their traffic consumption and it is possible to display the traffic consumption of a specific application as well.

The best way in my opinion to find out if Skype is acting as a Super-Node is to start it and let it run for a few hours without using it actively. Bandwidth consumption is obviously higher if you make calls or transfer data with Skype and it is more difficulty to find out if Skype is acting as a Super-Node if you have to analyze the traffic in direct and indirect traffic.

The above screenshot is showing the incoming and outgoing Skype bandwidth for most of today and as you can see it’s less than 500 Kilobyte. Super-Nodes can use hundreds of Megabytes.

The easiest way to prevent Skype from being a Super-Node is to block access to the ports 80 and 443 in Skype. You can do that under Tools > Options > Connections. Just uncheck the option “Use port 80 and 443 as alternatives for incoming connections”.

Tags: netlimiter, skype, skype super-node, skype tips, voip

Should you try Skype 4.0 Beta ?

Martin — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:07:41 +0000

Skype just recently the first beta of their new Skype 4.0 client that is currently only available for Windows. The focus of this release is to receive user feedback to work further on the client and provide a release version after the summer. Major changes have been made to the interface which comes completely redesigned and provides fullscreen access to the features.

Skype 4.0 is missing several essential features when it is compared to the current release version 3.8 of the VOIP client for Windows. Among other functions Skype Prime, the History, Sending Contacts and Skypecasts are missing in the initial 4.0 release of Skype. A full list of features currently missing from the beta release can be seen at the Skype announcement of this version.

This essentially means that if one of the features is a requirement for your work you should wait with the upgrade until they have implemented it. The new version overwrites the old one and there is no obvious way to go back to the old version of Skype once the beta has been installed on the system.

The only possible way would be to use a System Restore Point to go back. This beta version does not allow multiple Skype instances from being launched which is unfortunate for those users who either use Skype extras that require that feature and also for those that use several Skype instances for work, home and other activities.

The window can be resized up to a point but not further than that. Looks pretty much like 800×600 on my screen taken up by Skype as a minimum which is definitely unfortunate.

The major shift in this version will be away from concentrating on phone conversations to video conversations which is unfortunate for me because I do use Skype mainly as a way to call and send messages to some of my friends.

My advise would be to forget about installing this beta client in a work environment. It should not be that problematic for most home users though who would like to test the new client. Everyone else probably fares better with the 3.8 client.

Have you tried Skype 4.0 ? What is your opinion about the software ?

Tags: skype 4, skype beta, voip

Skype Firefox Extension is causing many problems

Martin — Thu, 08 May 2008 08:52:40 +0000

I was witnessing some erratic behavior lately after installing several applications on my new computer. One of the applications was Skype and it did turn out that Skype did install a Skype Firefox Extension which causes many problems. My problem was that some images were not displaying at all but simply returned a The image [...] cannot be displayed, because it contains errors failure. I also witnessed that Netvibes was constantly reloading it’s content which made me almost switch to another service because I thought at the beginning that it had something to do with the new version of Netvibes.

Several users responded in the thread and it turned out that the Skype Firefox extension was the culprit. It can cause a permanent page refresh, stop a page from loading correctly, cause image and pdf display problems and make Firefox unresponsive and even hang the browser completely.

I was not able to figure out another solution but to uninstall the Skype Firefox extension. I only realized that I had it installed after someone pointed out that it could be the cause for the behavior. My suggestion is to uninstall it as fast as possible.

The only effect that the toolbar has anyway is that it marks any phone number on a page so that a Skype user could call that phone directly.

Tags: firefox, skype, skype firefox, skype firefox extension, voip

Gizmo5 Voip Software

Martin — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 07:25:07 +0000

If you ask an Internet user to name a Voice over IP software (VOIP) they will most likely mention Skype and fall silent after this. Skype is a well known brand, even not so tech savvy Internet users do know Skype. But have you heard of Gizmo5 or other VOIP applications ? Gizmo5 was previously known as the Gizmo Project, it provides clients for desktop PCs and mobile phones. Windows, Macintosh and Linux are supported.

The major problem of those contenders is actually to convince a group of users to use it. If I liked Gizmo5 I still had to convince my contacts to make the switch as well, otherwise it would not make much sense to use it at all unless you only wanted it to make (international) phone calls. There are basically four major functions of Gizmo5: VOIP calls, Instant Messenger, File Sharing and Video Calls.

Like in Skype Voice over IP calls are free to other Gizmo5 users and cheap when you make outbound calls. A feature that is unique to Gizmo5 when compared to Skype is the Instant Messenger support. Gizmo5 supports MSN, Jabber, AIM, Yahoo and some other networks.

If you buy credits for making outbound calls you will be pleased that they do not expire if you are not using them in a certain period of time. An interesting note is that the memory footprint of Skype is almost double of Gizmo5’s which could be a reason to switch if you use low end hardware.

Gizmo5 seems like a pretty good alternative to Skype and if you have some buddies that still use Skype try to convince them to making the switch to Gizmo5 just to test it out. They might like it as much as I do and make the switch.

Tags: gizmo5, skype, voip, voip software

Skype Security Hotfix

Martin — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 08:27:57 +0000

Skype released a security hotfix yesterday which raised the version of Skype to 3.6.0.248. The hotfix addresses several security vulnerabilities especially the cross-zone scripting vulnerability that led to closing access to the Metacafe and Dailymotion video sources for sharing via Skype Chat windows.

I was not informed by Skype that a new update was available and had to initiate the download by myself. You can use the Help > Check for Updates menu in Skype to check if there is a new update available or download it right from the Skype homepage. Skype did introduce a whitelist / blacklist in this new version as well to prevent malicious use of the Skype API.

Users can take a look at all the bugfixes and changes in the new version on another Skype page that lists the release notes. Two situations where Skype would crash have been fixed as well which is good to hear. I never had that much problems with Skype although the application does feel a little bit clumsy if you ask me.

It is recommended that anyone updates to the latest version of Skype immediately.

Tags: skype, voip

Bavarian Skype Trojan

Martin — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 17:03:22 +0000

Two, seemingly authentic, documents have been leaked to the German Pirate Party on Wednesday containing information about costs and technical information about a Skype trojan that could be used to eavesdrop on Skype communications. The documents contain indications of at least one operation of the Skype Trojan in Germany.

Some of the key elements of both documents were the following:

The installation of the Skype trojan could be by email or by the police in the apartment.
The software could be updated, extended and removed without leaving traces on the system.
Data would be send through a computer located outside German jurisdiction.
Access to internal settings of the Skype client and access to SSL-encrypted websites.

The two zipped PDF documents contain information about the company that designed the Trojan, the costs of the Trojan and the federal agencies. The second document contains detailed information about the technique used to eavesdrop on communications, especially what the so called Skype Capture Unit does.

The Skype Capture Unit is installed on the client’s system, capable of recording voice and chat among other things, and directs the data to a recording server. A Recording proxy was not part of the offer but would be possible to install as well. Members of the police would be able to access the data on the recording server in real time.

The document further mentioned that Skype Capture Units were only available for Windows XP or Windows 2000 at the moment.

Besides offering the Skype Trojan Digitalk also offered Man in the Middle attacks on SSL encrypted web traffic if the client would be using Firefox or Internet Explorer.

The costs for the operations are the following:

Skype Capture Unit €3500 per month
Installation of Unit €2500 once
Man in the Middle Attack €2500 per month

You are currently safe if you use Windows Vista, Linux or have a Mac. You are safe with Opera or Safari.

The question that a lot of people in Germany are currently asking are about the low costs of the software. Some see it as an indication that there had to be an agreement to use those units on a large scale.

Before everyone else says: Yeah, that’s Bavaria, part of Germany. I live in XXX, why should I care ? I would like to point out that other countries are most likely using techniques like that as well. Or, they simply ask Skype for assistance which is possible if you read the Skype Privacy Statement:

Please be informed that, notwithstanding the abovementioned, in the event of a designated authority lawfully requesting Skype or Skype’s local partner to retain and provide personal data, communications content and/or traffic data, Skype and/or its local partner will provide all reasonable assistance and information to fulfil this request.

Tags: privacy, skype, skype trojan, trojan, voip

Lie Detector for Skype

Martin — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 14:32:34 +0000

If you ever wanted to know if a person you are talking to in Skype is telling the truth you might want to give the KishKish Lie Detector plugin für Skype a try. Just download the plugin from the developers website and run the file once the download has been completed. It will automatically assign itself to Skype and you will have to tell Skype to give this plugin access.

Once that is done a new window appears that is giving you information about the Stress Level of the person you are talking to. It needs some time to calibrate but once that is done it displays the Stress level in a graph. I’m not sure how reliable this method is, I tested it with a friend and it seemed to display rather strange results. You should also note that the person you are talking to will receive information in the chat window about the plugin that you are using.

It seems to be free to use for now, not sure though how long this will remain. It looks more like a nice gimmick at the moment than a serious application. Let me know if you have better results using it.

Tags: kishkish, lie, lie-detector, plugin, skype, voice, voip

Voice Chat with Teamspeak

Martin — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 10:26:17 +0000

I’am using Teamspeak for several years now and would like to introduce it to you. Teamspeak makes it possible to voice chat over the internet, just like skype but without its phone abilities. Everyone using it needs the Teamspeak client software which is available for free on the Teamspeak homepage. The client software is available for windows, linux and mac. You also need a teamspeak server that can either be setup on one of the computers that is also running a client version or on a dedicated /or virtual webserver.

Installation of the Teamspeak server is really easy but differs depending on your operating system. You simply install and run it on a Windows operating system. Admin and Superadmin passwords are shown at first start and you have to use them to login into the web interface and configure the server. (login details are saved in the file server.log, you can look them up there if you forgot to write them down).

You find a detailed instruction for linux at the teamspeak homepage – the process involves adding a user teamspeak, using wget to download the current version, unpacking that version and running the start script.

The web admin looks the same for windows and linux, there is no server version of teamspeak for mac.

Select Servers in the admin interface, one server is already running and you should select this one to change the configuraton of it. Server Settings displays some values that you can change: For instance the Server name, the welcome message, you can password protect the server here and define the maximum amount of users that can connect to it.

You also enable the codecs in that menu and are free to change the port the server is running on. You are free to add users from the server settings menu or from the client version directly.

Now, logout, start the Teamspeak client and select Connection, Connect from the menu. Right-Click Servers, Add a new Server and enter the login details of that server. Please note that you need at least the password of the server if the admin protected it with a password. This would mean you login anonymous using the server password. The other method would be that you are a registered user on that server and login registered with a username and password (and no server password).

Click connect and the connection to the server should be made. If you login using your admin account you are free to add channels to the server, maybe something like Chat, Game 1, Game 2, AFK. Big servers with lots of users (clans for instance) normaly have one folder for every game and then subfolders for that game. One example would be WoW as the top folder and the subfolders instance 1, instance 2, battlefield, grinding, level, raid, crafting, afk. You may add as much folders as you like.

Channels may be for registered users only, may be moderated, may use different codecs and may be password protected. Everything is highly customisable as you can see.

Teamspeak does not use lots of ressources making it ideal for multiplayer games but also for general voice communication. The website has a big forum that should help if you run into troubles setting it up or running it.

Tags: clans, Games, teamspeak, voice chat, voice over ip, voip

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