A group of Canadian researchers has discovered that a Chinese version of the communications software Skype is being used to filter and record text chats that include politically charged words, such as “democracy”, “Tibet” and “Communist Party”. The finding by Citizen Lab, a University of Toronto research group that focuses on politics and the Internet, has provoked outcry among free expression and privacy advocates.

Skype, used to make telephone calls and send instant messages over the Internet, Read the rest of this entry »

The recent news that the Chinese government is censoring text messages sent via Skype’s services has led to the firm continuing to receive criticism.Skype works by letting mobile phone users with Skype software on their handset tune in to the signal provided by the nearest Skype user to send cheap text messages or make free phone calls.

The popularity of the service could be dented by claims made by Canadian research company Citizen Lab which has reported finding a database Read the rest of this entry »

iPhone 2.0 only: Free application Fring puts popular chat applications on your iPhone, including Skype—and the ability to make Skype voice over IP calls when your phone is connected to a Wi-Fi network. Fring puts all your chat buddies from AIM, MSN, Google Talk, Yahoo, ICQ, Twitter, and Skype on your iPhone, and lets you know who’s online when. Chat your buddies whether you’re connected via data or Wi-Fi, and make Skype calls (or Skype Out calls) when you’re on a local network. Fring is a free download for iPhones running the 2.0 software.

It was a bit less than a year ago that I looked at the original Skypephone. Like the original, the new Skypephone S2 is only available from 3 in the UK. You have two payment options. You can get it on a Pay As You Go basis for £69.99 or on various contracts from free. Online the cheapest contract on which it is free is an 18 month £12 a month deal. The original Skypephone remains available for the time being and will cost you less.

As its name clearly indicates, the Skypephone is intended to help you make use of Skype’s free VoIP calling. Read the rest of this entry »

The current iPod Touch supports the microphone on Apple’s new earphones; which makes for a very exciting possibility – namely that it should be able to function as a Skype phone. It is not a perfect solution, indeed it would have been much better for Apple to have incorporated an onboard mic, but it is certainly an interesting development. I would say that the development of Skype for the iPod Touch will only be a matter of time. The iPhone Skype software will need a few modifications to function in the iPod Touch environment, but if the hardware capability exists, you can bet people are going to make use of it. Read the rest of this entry »

ASUS just can’t seem to stop its success lately. Not only do they have those hot netbooks, but they have just added to their success with the world’s first Skype Certified videophone called the AiGuru SV1.

The AiGuru SV1 allows the user to make unlimited phone calls with a webcam, speaker, and microphone, and to see the person he or she is calling with the seven inch screen.

Of course, Skype is a funny thing. Read the rest of this entry »

Skype’s GM of audio and video has declared VoIP dead. Wonder what that does to SkypeIn and SkypeOut?

Speaking at IT Expo in Los Angeles earlier this week, GM Jonathan Christensen declared VoIP morte as he walked through the history of Internet telephony, noting the benefits of lower cost, a who-cares attitude towards geographic number plans, and making long-distance calling irrelevant.
Read the rest of this entry »