Skype Hacks: Tips & Tools for Cheap, Fun, Innovative Phone Service

Description

If you've heard about Skype--and who hasn't with all the recent media attention devoted to internet telephone services--chances are you've been mighty tempted to try it out. Skype Hacks tells you what all the Skype hype is about, explains the basics, and shows you more than 100 clever tips and tricks for tweaking and tuning Skype to make it do just what you want and more.

Millions of people (48 million and counting, in fact) have opted for Skype, which uses peer-to-peer (P2P) technology to turn any PC, Mac, or Pocket PC into a telephone. Skype offers free calls between computers and extremely cheap calls to "old-fashioned" phone numbers (landlines and mobile phones). The sound quality is excellent, and end-to-end encryption means the connection is private and secure.

But if you really know what you're doing, Skype can accomplish a whole lot more than that. Software developer and author Andrew Sheppard recently converted his entire house to Skype and uses it for all his personal and business calls, even when he's traveling. In Skype Hacks, he shows you how to do things with the technology that even the engineers at Skype probably never intended.

Skype Hacks shows you how to:

• Get started with Skype
  
• Figure out how much money you're saving and maximize your savings
  
• Cut the ties to your old phone company
  
• Optimize your Skype configuration
  
• Integrate Skype with desktop tools like Microsoft Office and your web browser
  
• Set up a Skype-based call center

The book offers ideas for creating and organizing a contacts list, using Skype to transfer files, taking advantage of chat and voicemail capabilities, turning a PDA into a mobile phone, and automating Skype for even greater efficiency. So whether you'd simply like to give Skype a trial run, you want new Skype ring tones and fun on-hold music, or you're considering wiring your home with Skype to get rid of "regular" phone service altogether, Skype Hacks is your ideal guide.

Table of Contents

Credits  

Preface  

Chapter 1. Start Using Skype 

      1. Make Your First Skype Call  

      2. Chat Using Skype  

      3. Set Up and Make a Conference Call  

      4. Try SkypeOut, Risk Free  

      5. Try SkypeIn, Risk Free  

      6. Try Skype Voicemail, Risk Free  

      7. Roam the World with Skype Zones  

      8. Transfer a File Using Skype  

      9. Make Toll-Free Calls  

      10. Forward Calls  

      11. Dial Like a Wizard  

      12. Troubleshoot Skype  

Chapter 2. Save Money with Skype 

      13. Back-of-the-Envelope Estimate of Skype Savings  

      14. Avoid Falling Foul of the Taxman  

      15. Avoid Problems Paying for Services  

      16. Claim Your Money Back  

      17. Avoid Higher SkypeOut Rates  

      18. Avoid Additional Mobile Phone Charges  

      19. Make Money with Skype  

      20. Make Money with the Skype API  

      21. Avoid Forfeiting SkypeOut Credits  

      22. Get the Best Deal for VoIP Telephony  

      23. Round Call Time to Your Advantage  

      24. Manage Bandwidth Costs  

Chapter 3. Configure Skype 

      25. Test Your Sound System  

      26. Test Call Sound Quality (echo123)  

      27. Choose and Configure a Microphone and Speakers  

      28. Choose and Configure a USB Handset or Headset  

      29. Choose and Configure a Bluetooth Headset  

      30. Configure Skype to Use Regular Phones  

      31. Configure Skype on a Laptop  

      32. Configure Skype on a Pocket PC  

      33. Test Your Internet Connection Bandwidth  

      34. Test Your Internet Connection Latency  

      35. Build a Skype Server  

      36. Make Skype Work with Personal Firewalls  

      37. Set Up Multiple Phone Lines  

      38. Test Your Connection for Skype Friendliness  

      39. Eliminate Echo and Noise  

      40. Reset Your Skype Configuration  

      41. Run Skype Based on Time of Day  

      42. Schedule When Skype Runs the Mac Way  

Chapter 4. Tweak and Tune Skype 

      43. Make Calls from Your Web Browser  

      44. Accelerate Skype Using Your Keyboard  

      45. Tweak Skype by Editing config.xml  

      46. Run Skype from the Command Line  

      47. Display the Technical Details of a Call  

      48. Remove Unused Names from the Login List  

      49. Add Fast-Dial Shortcuts to Your Menu or Desktop
      50. Fix Windows Wireless  

      51. Fix Badly Behaving Routers  

Chapter 5. Skype at Work 

      52. Automate Skype Installation  

      53. Set Up a Toll-Free Number for SkypeIn  

      54. Set Up a Call Center  

      55. Integrate Skype with Microsoft Office  

      56. Record and Archive Conversations  

      57. Transfer Files Among Diverse Machines  

      58. Disable Skype File Transfer  

      59. Improve Service Quality  

Chapter 6. Mobile Skype 

      60. Make Cheap Long-Distance or International Calls from Your Mobile Phone  

      61. Communicate Using Skype, Even When Bandwidth Is Low  

      62. Give Your Mobile Phone an International Dial-In Number  

      63. Run Skype from a USB Memory Stick  

      64. Make Free Calls While on the Move  

Chapter 7. Skype Fun and Play 

      65. Fun with Ringtones  

      66. Band Together with Skype  

      67. Stop Incoming Calls from Interrupting Game Play  

      68. Learn to Speak a Foreign Language  

      69. Build Skype Communities  

Chapter 8. Skype Chat and Voicemail 

      70. Log Chat Sessions Outside of Skype  

      71. Automatically Forward Voicemail  

      72. Listen to Voicemail Using a USB Handset  

      73. Run Commands Remotely Using Chat  

Chapter 9. Security and Privacy 

      74. Manage Your Skype Privacy Settings  

      75. Scan Files Received via Skype for Viruses  

      76. Manage (or Delete) Your Skype Public Profile  

      77. Avoid Skype "Spammers"  

      78. Choose the Right Username to Avoid Being Harassed  

Chapter 10. Quirks, Gotchas, and Workarounds 

      79. Avoid Problems with Interactive Telephone Services  

      80. Find a Fax Alternative  

      81. Workarounds for 911 Emergency Service  

      82. Workarounds for 411 Directory Assistance  

      83. Workarounds for Home Alarm System Monitoring  

      84. Transfer Folders, Not Just Individual Files  

      85. Dial with More Than Just Digits  

Chapter 11. Skype Add-Ons and Tools 

      86. Control Skype Using Spoken Commands  

      87. Add Video Conferencing to Skype  

      88. Show Your Online Status in a Web Page  

      89. Send Skype Chat Directly from Your Browser  

      90. Manage Add-On Access Control  

Chapter 12. Automate Skype 

      91. Hot-Switch Among Sound Devices  

      92. Automate Chat  

      93. Automate Your Interactions with Telephone Systems  

      94. Schedule Calls and Chat Using iCal on the Mac  

      95. Send Email and SMS Notification of New Voicemail  

      96. Convert Your Friends List to Fast-Dial Shortcuts  

      97. Make Chat Talk Out Loud  

      98. Erase a Skype User Account  

      99. Spy on Skype API Messages  

      100. Disable the Skype API  

Index