Make your next prank call with Skype

Skype is a free VOIP service that was acquired by Ebay last year.  It has a worldwide user base of about 35 million users.  I've played with it off and on for a year, but I never really got that interested in it.  It really just seemed to be another Yahoo Messenger, MSN Message, AOL Instant Messenger clone.   It was impressive that they had developed such a large world wide following, and they had premium services that you couldn't find anywhere else like the ability to call real phone numbers for a really low rate and a voicemail service.  But those cost money, and I really don't have a need for them.  I don't call overseas, and I have free long distance with my cellphone.

But then something magical happened.  Skype said "we'll let you call US and Canadian numbers for free."  Really – here's the announcement.   Naturally, I had to try this out, and it works.  I started by calling my cellphone, home phone, and work phone.  Everything works as expected – except the sound quality from the Mac wasn't as good as from the PC laptop.  I even used it for an hour long conference call yesterday.  It sounded great, and I just used my computer speakers to listen in… no wasted phone battery, no warm ear.
So, check it out.  Call Moe's Tavern and ask for "Amanda… Amanda Hugginkis"  It doesn't show a caller id, so you're in the clear.

~ by dnorton on May 20, 2006.