RSS
Archive: VoIP
November 27, 2008
Build a Skype server and replace your land line
With some of my family overseas, Skype and iChat have become important tools for voice communication, second only to the cell phone and face to face protocol. It occurred to me that outside of telemarketers and the very occasional late-night pizza dial, the land line has become a relatively unused service. Unused, yet a consistent and not insubstantial monthly bill.
With thoughts of finally ditching the land line, but still a bit resistant to going completely phoneless in the home (what about when my cell battery dies?), I came across an article in Linux Journal by Andrew Sheppard, author of Skype Hacks, that shows you how to reconfigure your home telephone system to be completely routed through a server running Skype and Linux.
My solution was to build a Skype server that provides 24/7 phone service with the minimum of hassle and fuss. By dumping your regular phone company and taking back control of your home phone wiring using a Skype server, you will have not only a phone system with nearly the same capabilities as before--indeed, in some ways better--you will also save a bundle of money! In my case, I save a little less than $700 US each year (this year, next year, and the year after that, and so on), or about 82% off of my old phone bill.
Using a Skype server plugged in to the existing copper phone wiring of your home means that you can lift a receiver anywhere in your home, at any time, and get a regular dial tone. Incoming calls either from Skype users or regular phones ring all handsets throughout your home. Basically, you can make Skype behave like a regular phone line, but at a tiny fraction of the cost.
There are some big benefits to switching to a Skype server. It's likely a lot cheaper and if you're a regular Skype user, you can now use the service with any handset in the house instead of sitting at your computer.
There are also some downsides. The phone system still remains one of the most reliable services. It's more likely that I'll lose electricity than I won't have a dial tone, which may be of some concern for fire and bugler alarm systems. You also wouldn't have 911 service in this scenario, but if you have a cell phone anyway, this may be a moot point.
What are the rest of you hackers doing for phone service these days? Is it time to give up the land line entirely, simulate it with a Skype server or VoIP service, or are you still happily rocking the POTS? Give us a shout in the comments.
Build a Skype Server for Your Home Phone System
Andrew Sheppard's Skype Hacks - Tips & Tools for Cheap, Fun, Innovative Phone Service
Posted by Jason Striegel |
Nov 27, 2008 10:00 PM
hacks, Telecommunications, VoIP |
Permalink
| Comments (8)
| Email Entry
February 9, 2007
Experimental High-resolution Skype for Mac and PC
Jason has a sweet Skype hack...
Jaanus Kase posted instructions over on Skype's developer site for enabling higher quality 640x480 video. You need to upgrade to the latest Skype release (2.5.0.85 or later for mac and 3.0.0.216 for PC), quit Skype, and then edit the config.xml file in your settings directory ("~/Library/Application Support/Skype/[skypeusername]/" in OS X).You should see an entry that looks similar to:
<Video>
<Device>Built-in iSight</Device>
</Video>Modify that to read:
<Video>
<CaptureWidth>640</CaptureWidth>
<CaptureHeight>480</CaptureHeight>
<Device>Built-in iSight</Device>
</Video>When you've finished, your contacts will be seeing you in glorious 640x480 instead of the standard 320x240. There are some tweaks and hardware requirements that might be required for the PC version, so check up on the links below for the nitty-gritty details.
Related links:
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 9, 2007 05:47 AM
Telecommunications, VoIP |
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Email Entry
November 13, 2006
HOW TO - Skype headset adapter (2.5mm to 3.5mm jack, mobile phone to PC adapter)
MAKE reader Cuthbert writes - "If you don't like carrying two headsets with you (one for using Skype on your laptop and another for your cell phone) then here is a small adapter that will convert a cell phone headset with a 2.5mm jack plug to the 2x 3.5mm jack plugs used by PCs." - Link & cached.
Related:
- DIY Skype VoIP Phone Adapter - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Nov 13, 2006 08:42 PM
DIY Projects, Electronics, VoIP |
Permalink
| Comments (8)
| Email Entry
September 6, 2006
HOW TO - Make a USB phone
Noelix writes - "Want to talk to people through your computer but are sick of using those cheap headsets out there? Do you want that unique, styled, classic look in a USB phone? The standard Singapore-slung mic/line input knockoffs are so unsexy. Look no futher, this how-to guide will show you how to make a Western Electric 2600 headset telephone work with your computer using USB." [via] - Link.
Related:
USB / phone projects - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Sep 6, 2006 11:27 AM
DIY Projects, Instructables, VoIP |
Permalink
| Comments (1)
| Email Entry
August 12, 2006
Use regular phones with Skype
The VIVOphone VoiceKey lets you plug in a regular phone / cordless phone to your computer and use Skype (or VIVOphone) [via] - Link.
At the Skype site they have other ones, but post up what you're using for VoIP too in the comments too - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 12, 2006 12:27 AM
VoIP |
Permalink
| Comments (1)
| Email Entry
July 31, 2006
HOW TO - Dial out using an ATA and SkypeOut
Kurced @ Oldskoolphreak has a how-to I'm going to if I can get working with Asterisk - "As most of you know SkypeOut is free until the end of 2006, and using headsets is all nice and fun, but I know I'd rather use a real phone. Cordless or otherwise, here's a way to use your ATA to dial out for the time being." [via] - Link.
Pictured here, Skype payphone...
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Jul 31, 2006 06:40 AM
DIY Projects, Online, VoIP |
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Email Entry
June 5, 2006
Zasterisk - Play Zork over the phone!
Wow! Here's voice recognition and speech synthesis for playing Infocom games (like Zork) over the phone, this might be the coolest VoIP project ever - [via] - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Jun 5, 2006 03:27 PM
Computers, DIY Projects, Gaming, Retro, Telecommunications, VoIP |
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Email Entry
May 24, 2006
Make secure phone calls with the Secure-Phone-Miser
If you want make secure phone calls, these phone Misers look pretty good. A little pricey, but can you really put a cost on privacy? Yes, $295 for one, and a second for $195 (you need 2).
For absolute secure phone calls, The Secure-Phone-Miser is a secure telephone unit that utilizes multiple unique encryption algorithms with 1 million user programmable codes to secure voice communication links and provide maximum security. The Secure-Phone-Miser provides privacy for confidential conversations even if a line is electronically tapped. Eavesdroppers will not be able to decipher the contents of the secure phone communication link. The Secure-Phone-Miser can secure multiple phone links for conference calling. A maximum of ten (10) links may be secured simultaneously. Connects between handset and your phone base.
The Secure-Phone-Miser - [via] - Link.
And in other secure phone call news - here's a free way to encrypt your VoIP calls, now for Windows. You can use this with Project Gizmo.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
May 24, 2006 08:20 PM
Gadgets, VoIP |
Permalink
| Comments (16)
| Email Entry
May 20, 2006
Portable Skype Phone v2
Matt writes - "Heres an easy way to make your own cordless phone skype ready, Dont need to open your phone, and you can dial from it as well! All for about $5." - Link.
Related:
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
May 20, 2006 05:34 AM
DIY Projects, VoIP |
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Email Entry
May 15, 2006
Portable Skype phone
This is a good use for those old cordless phone, mod them and hook them up to Skype (it's free now!) - "Here's how to make a portable skype phone from an old cordless phone. You need an old cordless phone. (one that you dont care about.. because you might break it) try and get one that has an "intercom" because they are much easier..." - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
May 15, 2006 12:23 PM
DIY Projects, VoIP |
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Email Entry
Free phone calls with Skype
Remember when you had to make a redbox to get free phone calls? Well, Skype now has free phone calls to any landline and mobile phone in the USA & Canada until 2007. Just install Skype and that's it - There are going to be a ton of phone projects with this soon! (Pictured here, Skype Payphone) - Link.
Related:
Tons of Skype projects - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
May 15, 2006 11:10 AM
VoIP |
Permalink
| Comments (3)
| Email Entry
March 16, 2006
HOW TO - Palm TX external headset mic mod
PalmInfocenter member twrock has posted images and details about his external headset mod for the Palm TX. He added a smaller 2.5 mm headphone/mic port to his TX in an external adapter that connects to the athena hotsync port. He intends to use it for voice recording and for future Palm OS VoIP applications. Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Mar 16, 2006 07:58 PM
DIY Projects, Electronics, Gadgets, Telecommunications, VoIP |
Permalink
| Comments (1)
| Email Entry
HOW TO: Portable Skype - Run Skype from your iPod
Ablaka writes - "There has been quite a bit of buzz recently surrounding so-called "portable apps". Portable storage devices such as USB flash sticks (and to a lesser extend, micro HD drives) are dropping rapidly in price/GB, so why just store stuff on them? There's even an industry consortium to promote a standard to facilitate running apps off portable storage devices. Turns out, you don't actually need a "U3 smart drive" to do this.
There are a number of reasons for not wanting to install a particular piece of software directly onto your computer's hard disk (be it privacy, portability etc), but instead carry it around with you wherever you go and have it ready when you need it. Enter the "Skyppod" (sort of)." - Link.
Related:
Skype Payphone - Link.
More Skype projects, hacks, mods and news - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Mar 16, 2006 07:18 AM
iPod, VoIP |
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Email Entry
March 6, 2006
Hacking the FON router
Steve writes - "I've just received my $25 Linksys WRT54GL from FON, as part of their promotion, and have gone through the code to find out how it phones home to let FON know it's connected. The article I've linked to here is what I've found out - mainly that the router they supply sends a heartbeat with its MAC address to a URL at fon.com." - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Mar 6, 2006 03:57 AM
Telecommunications, VoIP |
Permalink
| Comments (4)
| Email Entry
March 4, 2006
Skype 5-way calling limit cracked
Maxxuss of Apple Mac OS X on Intel fame is freeing more hardware and applications for all of us - Thanks to his patch Skype on AMD processors can now do 10-way calling. You see, there's a limit to the number of participants you can if (5) unless you have an Intel processor (10) - it's scary that the app looks for the processor ID and then decides to cripple itself, but Maxxus has a patched version of Skype that allows 10-way calling regardless of the processor installed - [via] Link.
Related: Intel and Skype deal - Link.
Pictured here: The Skype payphone (now able to do 10 way calling).
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Mar 4, 2006 09:51 AM
Telecommunications, VoIP |
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Email Entry
February 27, 2006
Rip, mix, burn - your phone calls
$900 is crazy expensive, but this is a really neat idea - "The FeaturePhone 175 can be used as an ordinary recorder at any time. It can be used as a dictating device and to record meetings by using the internal microphone, but it can also be connected to a special conference microphone, available as an option, or for that matter to any other microphone or audio source...Think of a FeaturePhone 175 CD as a database. Both the actual telephone and your PC can search the CD quickly using a range of criteria such as telephone number, date, time and duration of a call." You can also encrypt the phone call recordings - [via] Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 27, 2006 06:36 AM
Gadgets, Podcasting, Telecommunications, VoIP |
Permalink
| Comments (1)
| Email Entry
February 18, 2006
Have your Mac call you
Here's a clever hack - Use Skype, Applescript, and iTunes to make phone calls and play audio files automatically. Link. Pictured here, the Skype payphone.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 18, 2006 10:32 AM
Computers, DIY Projects, VoIP |
Permalink
| Comments (2)
| Email Entry
February 9, 2006
VoIP for free with the Sipura
Chris writes "I've been a regular user of Skype for about a year now and have been using my own solutions to try to make this as user friendly as possible. But it was never perfect and I've always been the only one in my house using it as it hasn't been user friendly. Then I heard about the Sipura and started looking around on how to use it, and then I heard about VoIPBuster which provided free VoIP calls to land lines all over the world. In this how-to I will explain why I made the choices I made and show you how easy it can be to have this up running in your own house. Calling nationally and internationally for free to regular telephones." Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 9, 2006 02:00 PM
DIY Projects, Telecommunications, VoIP |
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Email Entry
Distributing the Future Podcast: ETel
Bruce Stewart, editor of the new ETel site, joins The Distributing the Future Podcast for a look back at the highlights from last week's O'Reilly Emerging Telephony conference. Josh Kinberg shows you how easy it is to get started with video blogging and what to expect if you just want to watch some good ones. Bruno Souza continues his look at open source in Brazil. Link. MP3.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 9, 2006 05:17 AM
MAKE Podcast, Telecommunications, VoIP |
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Email Entry
February 5, 2006
Skype payphone...
Unigamer writes "My dream has come true. Ever since last summer when I saw the Skype Video Payphone, I wanted to have a payphone hooked up to VOIP. Not long after I saw that article on Makezine, I put a "wanted" ad on Craigslist Sacramento for a Payphone. I said I wanted it for a project, didn't have a lot of money I can spend on it, and it didn't have to be working. I left it alone, never thinking I'd get a response from anyone." Link. Hopefully, I'll have time to accept real money in the MAKE payphone soon and have that converted to Skype credits...
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 5, 2006 02:20 AM
DIY Projects, Retro, Telecommunications, VoIP |
Permalink
| Comments (1)
| Email Entry
The online premiere of Make: television is January 3rd 2009, visit makezine.tv or iTunes to see the entire first episode! The broadcast premiere will follow shortly after depending on when your local Public Television station airs it.
Happy New Year from MAKE!
MAKE's 2009 New Year's message.What we're making in 2009.
MAKE's RSS feed is here.
Add MAKE to iGoogle - GoogleGoogle.
How to add MAKE to your RSS reader - Real simple.
Add MAKE on Twitter.
MAKE's fan page on Facebook.
Add MAKE on FriendFeed
Why advertise on MAKE?
Read what folks are saying about us!
Click here to advertise on MAKE!
Makezine authors!
Senior Editor
Tel: 707-827-7311
Twitter / AIM
Gareth Branwyn
Jonah Brucker-Cohen
Chris Connors
Collin Cunningham
Marc de Vinck
Mike Dixon
Peter Horvath(intern)
Kip Kay
Luke Iseman
John Park
Patti Schiendelman
Becky Stern
Jason Striegel
Current Podcast
Maker Profile - Bicycle Rodeo
Introducing Cyclecide, an inventive band of Bay Area performance artists who make creations out of materials from the junkyard. These Makers create everything from amusement park rides to outrageous bicycle contraptions to found-object sculpture. Plus, we take a historical...
More...
