Now even the teachers are encouraging kids to Skype.. Enabling this can be done through the Skype API and some smart presence sharing directories.

World Class Schools, a collection of forty high schools and organizations all across the world, is introducing several innovative projects for 2005. One of the their most ambitious and innovative project is the Skype Foreign Language Lab Project. This project uses technology from the Skype Company and applies it to the classroom.

Cunningham explains that Skype technology allows person setting at one computer to call a person at another computer and then talk to that person for free. He adds that this allows for projects like their Skype Foreign Language Project to turn a classroom of computers into a language lab by allowing students in a language class the opportunity to call and talk with native speakers on a daily basis for free. i-Newswire.com

Posted by Stuart Henshall at 03:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Another experiment on the SkypeCasting front. What's required to capture Skype Calls from any PC directly onto an iPod. With an iPod combined with iTalk you have a line-in option.

With a headphone sharing cable you can use Julian Bond's approach (although you will hear yourself talking too. and connect up your iPod as a recorder. It could work for underpowered PC's with limited disk space. Another option is to use a PC that has a second sound card or plug in a USB soundcard. Then you can use the iPod to record off the second Skype profile. (see SkypeCasting Instructions). Under either of these methods it may be good enough for simply capturing an interview, it is not likely to be podcast material and tuning beyond workable is not worthwhile. Possibly the right audio mixer connected to both the iPod and the PC would work.

Then all these solutions just prove the futility of looking for a hardware related solution when the right "software" is just over the horizon. $10 for the "SkypePodcastRecorder" would be about right. A recording device that captures and balances the full audio stream from a single Skype profile. That will then create a whole new market for audio messaging.

I've also found that iTalk on the iPod records .wav files at 128kps consuming approximately 1mb per minute. It's great for audio notes. and even longer sessions. You still have to convert it to an mp3. Any recorder above will do that automatically.

Enough playing around....

Posted by Stuart Henshall at 07:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

Another paper on how Skype works. "An Analysis of the Skype Peer-to-Peer Internet Telephony Protocol" Orginal paper bye Salman Baset and Henning Schulzrinne. Plus the corresponding powerpoint. No new conclusions some nice detective work dated September 2004.

Posted by Stuart Henshall at 03:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

My letter last night to Santa got a little note back from the elves asking if this Sonorix bluetooth Stereo Headset is what I want? It looks perfect, then I'd really like to try it out first and I've never seen it in any of the stores. With it i could trade in my current bluetooth headset as well. I'm not sure what it retails for. Each time I click the link the price goes up. It is probably very expensive.

The SONORIX Bluetooth Audio Player OBH-0100 is the first product of its kind in the world to integrate Mobile, Wireless and Audio technologies into a multi-purpose entertainment device, thereby providing the user with the Ultimate Solution for handsfree and audio demands. It functions as Wireless Headphone for PC enabling 2 way voice communication(voice chatting) and direct streaming of high quality audio, Wireless Headset for handsfree operation with mobile phones, Standalone Audio Player for listening to music anytime, anywhere. SONORIX.com :::

Ok so who is going to buy it first? Plus Santa says I'm out of luck this year... it really is the iPod. Still I really really want to try it out. Let me try yours if you get one! I don't even think I've seen this on Engadget. See the Brochure.

Posted by Stuart Henshall at 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Dear Santa, this is what I really really want and no one but you might have it. It's sort of hush hush, my friends might find it too practical or too geeky, so let me tell you I know you have a nice big iPod in the bag for me. Still Santa that is a little late I would have liked it last year and my son's had a mini since the first day. Let me whisper what I really want. It is really quite simple.

It's a cordless stereo headset with mic (not at all like the picture). It needs to be supremely comfortable so I can wear it for long periods of time. The battery will have to last a whole day even if it is being used lots. Maybe your elves can provide two batteries and a rapid charger to go with the USB wireless device I presume it needs. I don't like Bluetooth much and really want more range. If you must know I'm completely accustomed to using my Bluetooth headset with my mobile (great in the car) and now want some of those features at my desk. Even if I could work out how to connect my Bluetooth phone headset to my laptop and make it work with Skype I'd still not be completely happy.

I think your elves need to make one with good range, long battery life, great sound and low weight. I'd like it to be portable and thus robust. I want some simple buttons on it to control volume and switch from Skype to iTunes to "silent white noise". Oh and that great voice dialing feature I've got with my Bluetooth on my Nokia mobile, I'd like that and make it work with iTunes selection too.

Anything else? Well I'd like it to retail for less than a hundred dollars, but frankly given the amount of time I now use a headset I'd pay more for comfort and a "sound" that protects my ears from damage. Listening to all these podcasts is going to be very important and I should have to tell you how to make people happy.

Well really Santa, I've been good, I gave up chocolate and became a Skypeaholic - still that is harmless enough right? And that Santa is exactly why I want this headset and not the iPod although I realize one must compromise from time to time.

Oh and Santa, I know my friends would love some too!

Can I be really greedy now Santa? Perhaps you can also influence the guys at Skype and Apple to provide a solution that works like it does with WinAmp. (See Skype file / options /advanced/auto-pause win amp). Plus Skype when it is from a buddy or anyone.. perhaps you can let me know "who is calling" voice before I answer. Then activate a voice trigger for accept, decline etc. Maybe Santa you can fix it with them. They have all these alliances and I'm still having to hunt for my mouse to answer it. It's hard to finish when you encourage a wish list. I want this headset to be really smart. When i put it down.. I want it to ring out loud.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Posted by Stuart Henshall at 06:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Following yesterday's post on SkypeCasting - recording call content on Skype for sending out for podcasts. I learnt a few more things and had some great suggestions.

One point of clarity. What we did with VAC virtual audio cables and Window Sound Recorder may seem like a kludgy solution. However it has one distinct benefit over other methods that have been shared with me to date. The benefit is I don't have to listen to myself amplified in my headset as I speak. Julian Bond's solution in the post comments provides just this solution for free without additional Skype profiles running. You will hear yourself speaking. Testing with Peter Cooper's approach provided the same result. I was also recently pointed to Replay Telecorder. Yet another answerphone / recorder to be added to what will become a very competitive space. I certainly got it recording both of us... I tried it with different profiles and such. In principle running it on another PC and dialing that PC into a conference call will give you the instant recording capability you need. However the problem remains. How do you use your laptop in the park to record an agreed improptu conversation and turn it into a podcast? Plus put it on air in minutes not hours. Cameron and Mick's approach is way more difficult. While I think they may have improved it, this was tough.

"Replay Telecorder", a little app which is supposed to record both sides of a Skype call (we live in different cities). Turns out though, when one of us hit "record", the other person would get terrible echo of their own voice and not be able to hear the recording party. After lots of mucking about and googling, we finally stumbled upon the idea of each of us recording our OWN voice using Audacity and then merging the two files later in post. It was about 11.30pm by the time we figured that out (90 minutes into the session). So we recorded for half an hour. That was the easy part. Then Mick compressed his recording as an 15 Mb mp3 (20 minutes), uploaded it to his server (20 minutes) and I then downloaded it (20 minutes). Then I merged the two files, that worked okay, and I added an intro and tail and re-compressed the whole thing as an mp3. cameronreilly: G'Day World

Find the right recorder and you can always use another PC as a silent partner in a three four or five way conference. Just set the mic on mute. You can even automate it with an answer machine like SAM don't enable you to record longer than a minute or two and may not convert the output yet into an efficient mp3 file. Separately, I'm going to write up what we really need, which is only partially about recorder and more importantly focused how tech may work to solve the "recording" challenge. For at the moment almost anything can be recorded. You also won't know when it is happening. Somehow I think it is something the Skype team wants to solve too.

Posted by Stuart Henshall at 06:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Dave Winer picks up on using Skype for Podcasting and wants an easy solution. Actually I'd be interested to hear how the Mac community is working the Skype to mp3 to Podcast. Aren't Mac's supposed to be easier? Still the point i wanted to make was the immediacy in which audio can be blogged as quick updates or mini briefing. For immediate Eric Rice is leading with mobile phone calls to Audioblogs. It's one area where we are all going to need more stories to make it work and see it in action. It's still much easier to scan text, and yet audio brings a sense of presence unique to the medium.

Speaking of Skype, I wonder if they know how central they've become in the podcasting world? One feature to die for, a way to record a call to an MP3. I'd be happy to meet with people from the company. Are they in Silicon Valley?Scripting News: 12/21/2004

Dave followed up this note with a prod at all of us who don't read RSS 2.0 specs and just copy, paste and go. The points confirmed what I learned last night without reading the manual that RSS 2.0 only wants one enclosure per post. I don't read my manual for the DVD, the VCR, etc, --- just about anything I buy at least until I want to do more or I'm having problems. I almost never for software. I simply learn by using. So paste in MT-Enclosures and you are in business.

What did amaze me was the number of new subscriptions I got to the RSS 2.0 index.xml feed last night.

Posted by Stuart Henshall at 10:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I tested podcasting over the weekend on my MT 3.12 Test Blog. So today I thought adding MT-Enclosures and an RSS2.0 feed to 2.66 --- what this blog still runs on would be easy. It's now working. I still don't understand why iPodder still misses and didn't download the same podcast link in the previous post. At the moment I put that down to mixed media. RSS 2.0 Podcast ready feed

Podcast: SkypeCasting (see previous post)

Posted by Stuart Henshall at 08:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Introducing instructions for SkypeCasting. The front-end solution for podcasters to create great sounding audio recordings from interviews and conference calls using Skype. For the last few days I've been recording podcasts using Skype. As the call ends with a couple of clicks it is converted to mp3 and uploaded to a blog. This is a real bloggers solution providing podcasting in almost real-time without resorting to studios, or fancy gear. Let the New Year ring in with new voices, and new conversations. Audio and podcasting will make a difference. Let's get the thoughts out into the world. Innovate in 2005 --- start podcasting. This post contains my first podcast and the instruction on how (links at the end).

The SkypeCasters' recipe is simple and we have written it up in detail. Add together Skype, Virtual Audio Cables, Windows Sound Recorder, a simple Wav to mp3 converter MT_Enclosures and iPodder and you can be Podcasting later today! The solution will cost you $40.

Why podcast? Why record? Where are immediate opportunities.
There are many situations on the phone or Skype where you would like to be recording. Professional interviews are a prime example. Makes it easier to write up your notes later while you can completely focus your attention on the interview. Then we have the equivalent of "panel" discussions. The mini conference call fueled by good chatter and a great topic. Perhaps you are a budding poet wanting to spread a reading to a small group? Want to send a joint message or birthday greeting where the parties are dispersed, record a Skype conference call and e-mail the mp3. Similarly, finishing up a conference call --- create a simple 5 minute SkypeCast of the key action points. Blog it to your group. An hour in five minutes. It's over to you now. Tell us how you use it.

Approaching podcasting like this is different to staged professional recording studios, and big production values. We know that if you have a talented studio behind you then mixing and turning out a professional Podcast will be no problem. This is the solution for those with no money who are happy to create SkypeCasts on the fly.

What we have done: (GET INSTRUCTIONS)

Another little discovery in the Skype Beta 1.1. As with many innovative changes you have to try it or have it put right in front of your before you say WOW! Almost from the beginning we have known Skype will introduce voice mail. Well.... seeing visually how it will work I immediate thought this is going to be very different. Anyone who thinks voice mail on Skype will just be a crippled form of telephony still doesn't get it. In fact voice mail on Skype is another telephony revolution. For what is emerging is not an application that is one to one telephony rather it is really many to many communications. Each step forward on that course further separate Skype from the telephone. It also makes going back impossible.

In the new beta right clicking on a contact provides the opportunity to send a voice mail. I seem to have a few contact for which it is active although it remains turned off and they don't go through. With a few Skype enabled Answering Machines emerging and ongoing developments in presence it's useful to think about how integrating voice mail into Skype will change behavior and build it's business.

Some Observations:

Voice Messaging: Voice Mail on the phone is a failure case. It means you didn't get through and were unable to complete the details of your call at that time. Voice Mail on Skype means that was the least intrusive medium to leave a message. It's friendly and brokers a better introduction than just using a text (now chat) message. As I can leave a message directly I may choose to use voice rather than text or write an e-mail. My perception is that Skype removes a barrier to sending voice messages. Thus I'd expect Skype voice mail to rachet up efficiency. It also further differentiates Skype from IM systems (re-establishing it's voice-centric nature.)

Voice Broadcast: I've never mastered the art of sending broadcast voice mails on the telephone. With the behavior learned in Skype to create both conference calls and now multi-party chat, Skype is training you in the one step method to send multiparty invites and greetings. Think it is not a big deal? Look at Swarming on SMS and now click fifty buddies and broadcast a voice message that says "party". Your friends come running. On the enterprise side... message from the CEO. It's huge and it will be adopted by both kids and companies alike. (It may just get the kids off AIM!).

Viral Subscription: Skype Voicemail is also likely to be viral. If I buy voicemail then you will need it to for the added benefits. Two immediate features. 1) Sending a voicemail may be more "polite" and less intrusive. It also enables all the broadcast features above. Thus corporate and mulit-profile / person accounts are on the horizon. 2) The voicemail function must enable differentiation between "buddylist", "registered skype accounts" and "free accounts". VoiceMail can intercept all non buddy list calls as a matter of course. Second, as it is less intrusive to leave a voice mail (and it won't be ringing on their desk disturbing them) in many instance a voice mail will be more appropriate than a text message. Example an update they don't need right now. Via your account you may also want to control the duration of the message that can be left. eg max 30 seconds and no repeat messages from the same caller within 10 minutes. We don't know what it will cost. (Voice mail should always be available to "buddies" for a paid subscriber!)

Social Useablity: Note that everything is virtually one or two clicks. When I blogged SAM I pointed out how it was a more intelligent answer machine, simply by enabling one-click call back and the ability to select the listening order. Voice Messaging on one click for many will be easier than sending an e-mail. Recently I've ended up on some conference calls where we are chasing the last person via SkypeOut on a mobile. It's been amusing to leave a multi-party voice message. With the voicemail functionality it will be possible to close a four-way conference call and leave a call wrap-up in a voice mail. Then it will be interesting to see how voice messaging becomes more social.

Timing: At the moment it is hard to time schedule a text message. They go in real time unless the other person is offline. However, voice mail (like sending a birthday wish) will make this potentially a simple matter. It's another service that builds on the premium service capabilities. It's also a good way to operate. For example in a department... understanding. send me... "want to see you about" chat messages at 10:00 am. Meeting beginning... agenda. etc.

This emerging functionality may be the piece that means enterprises can't ignore Skype. With voice mail and premium accounts the whole system becomes more effective. Concurrently with the Skype API pulling presence enhanced corporate directories is a relatively a simple matter. The global nature of these many to many conversations will also encourage the development of new translation services.

I still believe the premium services will be worth about 25 euros per annum (needs to enable multiple profiles eg five so I can deal with my kids!) with SkypeIn line charges extra. I'd think the voice mail only capability could be even cheaper. Skype may just be the first mass IM client to work out how to make money without advertising.

Posted by Stuart Henshall at 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (1)

Skype is on the verge of obsoleting their text messaging system. Today a new Skype Beta 1.1 for Windows is available with mulitparty chat. The chat solution is very very elegant and solves the problem that all conference users have had (which chat client to use?). See using Skype Chat. It also has some nice memory features, including "recent chats" and "topic" capabilities. Plus... a big plus.... "When you are in a chat with several people (the new text chat in 1.1), the button in toolbar changes its shape and its tooltip is "Send File to All". And it does exactly what it says." from the forum. Try it.

Beta version available (advanced users only)
This beta version contains new features which have known issues. Before you download it, make a backup of your contact list and all data. New Skype users should not use this beta version. Download Skype for Windows

Posted by Stuart Henshall at 05:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (4)

I've been experimenting with different Skype Answer Phones. I wrote some specs over a year ago. And the simple answer is a well developed application will be a game changer… The general wisdom is you won’t leave your computer working to handle your telephony needs. An early look at SAM a Skype Answer Machine makes traditional solutions seem old fashioned. This is the second Skype API enabled application that I've reported on.

Think about your current phone answer machine. When you come home, you step through the door and hear it beeping away with new messages. You press the playback button… visually you can see how many messages were left but you can’t choose the order. You begin listening. The first caller leaves a message no number.. the second a message with a number…. You search madly for a pen that works and any scrap of paper… the next message is already playing…. Before you know it have to listen to them all again carefully trying to write down numbers and names.

Now what if you had:

Has all the other usual features.

SAM created by Alex Rosenbaum is still in beta. I had no problems with the install. I know he is still refining it for sound card compatibility. SAM requires the latest version of Skype so download it first. It's only available in PC format, sorry Mac fans.

What else may be engineered into this answer phone over time?