Skype Free Phone Service April 9 2013

Video telephony:

Video calling (phone calls with video) has been around since the 1960s, but was too cumbersome and expensive for the general public to use until very recently. Improvements in video technology as well as the wide availability of high-speed internet have made video chat and video calls accessible and affordable for just about anybody. Although it's not the only service available, Skype is one of the most popular video call services. You don't need a lot of equipment and the software is user-friendly, enabling you to make video calls within minutes of downloading it.

If the person you want to talk to also has Skype, it's free to use the service (minus the cost of your Internet connection, of course). There is a fee if you're calling a regular landline or cell phone, and there's also a cost associated with some of the more advanced services. In addition

to video and voice calls, you can also hold teleconferences, instant message, share files of all kinds, text and make low-cost international calls using a special cell phone program called Skype to Go. Skype is different from other VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) providers because it

is a peer-to-peer service. This means that the program distributes the running workload across Skype users' computers via background processing, instead of running off a traditional server. It's part of why Skype is so inexpensive.

Getting Started:

Before you get started, you'll need to make sure that you have everything required to Skype.

1. How do you plan to use the service? If you want to Skype using your PC or Mac desktop or laptop computer, your machine will need the latest version of its operating system: Windows, Linux or Mac OS.

And, Skype can be used on a wide list of devices: cell phones, tablets, and even some Digital TVs. You can check it out on the Skype site.

2. However, if your computer doesn't have a built-in web cam, that's next on the list. You can get inexpensive models, but the more you spend, the better your video quality will be. If you're going to Skype using your TV, you'll need to buy a special web cam compatible with it. Most web cams have audio, so that shouldn't be a problem.
3. An Internet connection is a must (unless you're using your phone), and dial-up users need not apply -- it must be high-speed.
4. If you want to make calls to someone without Skype, it's necessary to set up a Skype Credit account using a credit card or PayPal (more on this later). All set with your components? Next, we'll look at how to set up a Skype account.

Setting up an Account:

Since most people still Skype using a computer, we'll focus on how to create an account using one of those. The screen may look a little different using a different device, but the setup is the same.

1. Your first step is going to the Skype Web site and clicking on "get Skype." Choose your operating system. Here, you can select whether you want the free version or Skype Premium. You can instant message, file share, share your screen and make video calls with other Skype users for free.
2. After downloading Skype and opening the program, you'll be prompted to create a Skype name and password. Your Skype name essentially serves as your phone number. Then, you fill out a profile with basic information about yourself. You have the option of choosing whether your information will be visible to the public (searchable by anybody using Skype), private, or visible only to your friends. Some information is always public, such as your Skype name, age, language and location (you can just limit this to your country).

3. If you'd like to use a profile picture, click on the silhouette icon to upload an image. You can also use your web cam to take a snapshot or create a cartoon avatar of yourself called a Weemee. If you like, you can link your Skype account with your Facebook account by choosing "Facebook" in the "view" menu and "connect to Facebook." Then you can view statuses, comment and even call friends via your news feed.
4. At some point during the program setup, you may have been prompted to add "echo/sound test service" to your contacts. This is a good way to test to make sure your account is set up correctly. You can also add this to your contacts by going to the "search" box on the left and searching for the name. Once you've added this as your first contact, click on it and then choose "call." This audio-only call plays a recording that allows you to record and play back your own voice. If you can hear both recordings, then you're ready to start Skyping.

Tips for Using Skype:

No matter which version you choose, Skype is pretty simple. Typically, it's just a matter of clicking on your contact, making the call and then choosing what you'd like to do within the call, like file or screen sharing. To call a phone, click on "call phones" and type in the number. However, there are some things that you can do to improve your Skype experience. Because some of your Skype profile information is public, other Skype users can search for you to set you as a contact.

That's great for allowing friends and family to find you, but it also means that strangers can potentially try to call you via Skype. You can just avoid accepting their calls, of course, but you may also want to accept calls only from your existing contacts. To do this, go to "tools," "options"

and then "privacy." This will also help you avoid falling prey to a phenomenon called "vishing" (short for video phishing, much like those realistic-looking e-mails that you may have gotten from what appears to be your bank, but isn't). Unscrupulous Skype users employ this method to contact strangers and pose as a friend or family member to get personal information, such as Social Security or bank account numbers. You can also block specific users in the "options" menu.

Your built-in or USB web cam may be working great, but some regular Skypers upgrade to higher-end products to get the best video quality possible. You may also want to get a headset to make your audio clearer. Skype sells these accessories, as well as USB phones, video phones (no computer required), cell phones and VoIP phones. Of course, you can also buy them elsewhere as long as you make sure they're compatible with Skype.