Skype: Free International Phone Calls
We will be installing Skype on our computer to allow us to call home for free while we're in France. This free software allows you to "call" other Skype users free over the internet. I believe the only investment you need is a microphone that you can plug into your computer. For more information, see the Skype website at: http://www.skype.com/download/
Some of you may quite reasonably be skeptical of free international calling services. You can read about the downside of Skype at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skype Mostly I find the Wikipedia article unintelligible, but the take home message for me is that some folks who know a lot about computer stuff have some concerns about Skype's security and usage of computer resources. Despite these potential pitfalls, there seem to be many millions of people using it without apparent harm.
If any of you are already Skype users, please leave a comment on this blog and let us know about your experiences. Thanks.
Some of you may quite reasonably be skeptical of free international calling services. You can read about the downside of Skype at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skype Mostly I find the Wikipedia article unintelligible, but the take home message for me is that some folks who know a lot about computer stuff have some concerns about Skype's security and usage of computer resources. Despite these potential pitfalls, there seem to be many millions of people using it without apparent harm.
If any of you are already Skype users, please leave a comment on this blog and let us know about your experiences. Thanks.
posted by Nancy at 8:26 PM
3 Comments:
Bonjour tout le monde,
Re Skype
I have tried it a few times and wasn't comfortable talking to my computer (I am not sure why that is as I unconsciously chat with it throughout the day) but I have friends that use it religiously. I think it takes some practice. They combine it with a webcam to get the "virtual" experience. I prefer phone cards that allow me to call Europe for $0.03 per minute or $1.80/hr. It's not free but I can call from anywhere, like sitting on the porch with a cup of French Roast . The trick is to not buy more minutes than you can use in the alloted period, usually six months. http://speedypin.com/
Re: Phat
Rule # 1. Don't eat when your not hungry. I have been trying this lately and realize that I only need about 1.5 meals/day. I think I lost about 5-lbs in as many weeks
Rule # 2. Don't forget that French women all smoke. There is no doubt in my mind that if I still smoked I would still weight 160 lbs.
Bon voyage et bon appétit,
Ron
Ron, Thanks for the tips on cheap phone cards to Europe.
The smoking for weight control idea is interesting. I'm going to look into that one for a future post.
I used Skype for a short time and it worked great. I conversed with boater friends. Unfortunately, I had an old computer with Windows 98 and dial-up service. It took up a lot of memory and made everything slow. I have not tried it with my new computer. When I get some high speed service I plan on trying it again.
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