Skype

Skype Founders Stalled eBay's Re-Sale Deal to Get in on the Action

Chris Dannen — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:25:09 -0500

In October, we reported that Skype's founders were suing eBay--which acquired the VOIP service in 2005--over a snippet of code that, they say, wasn't part of the Skype acquisition. The suit gained notoriety for its astronomical damages claim of $75 million per day.

Forget Everything You've Heard About Book Publishing

Adam Penenberg — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:00:26 -0400

Part 1: Today's Author, Yesterday's Business

Forget everything you've heard about book publishing.

For instance, recently at a party to celebrate the publication of my latest book, a number of people asked, "Is your publisher sending you on a tour to promote your book?"

Dicl;dsCKWDfce9qdck. Sorry, I was laughing so hard recounting this story that I hit my head on my keyboard.

Cisco Spends $3 Billion To Beef-Up Teleconferencing

Kit Eaton — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 08:26:02 -0400

Cisco Systems is making a bid for Norwegian video-conferencing firm Tandberg--it's a move to consolidate its teleconferencing strengths, but it's coming at a steep price: $3 billion in hard cash.

Will the Skype Founders Actually Win $75 Million Per Day From eBay?

Chris Dannen — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:18:00 -0400

Earlier this week we reported that the founders of Skype were filing suit against eBay over a piece of programming code they allege the auction site is using without permission. They're asking $75 million in damages for every day that eBay continues to use the code. How did they arrive at such an astronomical number?

Skype Founders Sue eBay for $75 Million Per Day

Chris Dannen — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:36:21 -0400

The ever-litigious founders of Skype, Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom, are suing former majority stakeholder eBay at a rate of over $75 million per day for what they say is theft of intellectual property. The companies that are purchasing eBay's portion of Skype are also named in the suit. (Below, eBay's San Jose HQ.)

Skype Sold for $1.9 Billion, Back in Private Hands

Kit Eaton — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:25:22 -0400

Skype's management just announced that the rumors are all true: Ebay is selling Skype, and the paradigm-breaking VoIP company is back in private hands. What'll this mean to the millions of Skype users? Not much.

Psychology of Technology: The Evolution of Connectivity

Dr. Jim Taylor — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:44:37 -0400

Consider the evolution of connectivity. We officially became homo sapiens approximately 200,000 years ago. With the emergence of sophisticated language, we were able to communicate with each other face to face in a way that allowed for the emergence of civilization as we now know it. Of course, this connection was limited to, well, shouting distance, but it was a start.

Is 3jam Better Than Google Voice?

Chris Dannen — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:55:29 -0400

You've probably heard a lot about Google Voice since Apple punted it from the iTunes App Store: It's a free telephony service that allows one phone number to ring all your phones. It also lets you receive and send SMS messages on your computer, centralize your voice mailbox on the Web, block and re-route callers, record calls, and perform other bits of phone-related chicanery. The only real problem with Voice is that it's hard to get into--you need an invitation. And like all things Google, it's still in Beta.

Why Is Apple Stifling Google Voice for iPhone? [Updated]

Kit Eaton — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 06:31:28 -0400

Google's amazing Voice may be changing the whole telephony game, and it's happily rocking on BlackBerrys and Android phones. But you won't see a Voice app on the iPhone, since Apple's officially killed it.

Skype Set to Go Public

Chris Dannen — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 10:10:37 -0400

According to the Associated Press, eBay plans to jettison Skype from its corporate holdings by holding an initial public offering for the company in the first half of 2010. Ebay paid $2.6 billion for Skype in 2005, confusing analysts and confounding some investors with what many deemed an over-priced deal.

Skype for iPhone Out Tomorrow, Guess Which Features are Missing

Kit Eaton — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 07:35:58 -0400

It's been a long time coming, but Skype's voice-over-IP service is finally coming to the iPhone tomorrow, and a Blackberry client will be out in May. But before you leap with joy, thinking "the future of cheap mobile comms has arrived!" you should know the service is slightly crippled.

Skype’s New Visual Voicemail Definitively Proves That Talk is Not Cheap

Dan Macsai — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:42:31 -0500

Asus Planning Skype Video Phone

Chris Dannen — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:17:28 -0400

It's getting increasingly difficult to make fun of Asus [TPE:2357] for its incredible fecundity, simply because it keeps coming up with good ideas. The latest is a Skype-certified [EBAY] video phone that looks simple enough for anyone to use.

Philips Portable VoIP Phone For Those On the Go

Stephen L Rose — Wed, 28 May 2008 00:58:22 -0400

I wrote several months ago about a device called MagicJack. It's a VoIP adaptor for those looking to use their own home phones as a VoIP phone. I got a lot of emails from people stating that they were looking for a more portable and mobile solution. One they could use with a laptop from their car, in the field with a wireless card, from a convention floor or from a hotel room. And it had to be small, portable and low cost. I think I found a perfect solution for you.