Skype didn't cost eBay 4.1 billion dollars in court

A company called StreamCast alleged that Skype's founders who also developed the Kazaa online file-swapping software took the phone technology with them after they sold Kazaa to another company and went on to wrongfully profit from its use. They claim Skype broke an agreement to give StreamCast an option on Skype's voice over IP technology.

Streamcast were asking for more than $4.1 billion and an injunction blocking eBay from selling Skype services. Seeing as eBay already paid $2.6 billion for Skype this would have been pretty detrimental to the bottom line. The news comes just hours before the fourth quarter results are due to be announced later today.

All claims against Skype and eBay have been dismissed.

Skype confirm new price plan

Skype have finally revealed the details of the "disruptive" (we think they need to find a better translator) pricing changes they announced before Christmas. For a flat fee of €2.00 a month, Skype Pro will offer free calls to national landlines after a connection fee of €0.039 (2.9p + VAT). This doesn't seem particularly disruptive, or even revolutionary: it's a very similar deal to what I'm getting from France Telecom and Vodaphone at the moment, and BT and most UK mobile phone providers offer something similar. If you use SkypeOut on a fairly regular basis, though, it seems like a pretty good deal. We're betting this is only the beginning of eBay's plans to monetise their rather controversial purchase of Skype.

All you need is Skype

With Valentine's Day not so very far away, Skype want to hear from you if video calling has kept you and your loved one together. If you'd like to be part of a cheesy romantic Valentine's promotion, send them an email (not a Skype text then?!).

TalQer bout Skype costs

Currently in the UK SkypeOut calls to UK landline numbers (starting 01 or 02) are free for six months for users that spent £10 on credit prior to 31st December. However they still have to pay for calls to non-geographic numbers and mobiles. For anyone that missed the promotion the rate is £0.014 per minute - significantly cheaper than BT rates at £0.03 per minute.

TalQer now offers an alternative tarriff (TalqOut) with a plug in for Skype and a rate of €0.012 (approx £0.008) per minute to 22 countries! The TalQer Skype plug in gives up to 53% savings for European users (because they're not based in Europe they don't charge VAT which Skype does).

Talqer is the service which allows Google Talk users to dial out and now offers an alternative to SkypeOut. With Skype due to release a new disruptive (innovative?) pricing strategy on the 18th January (which will include a connection charge of €0 – €0.039 per call) many people may look at TalQer as an alternative.

TalQer can provide a dial in number so that people can call you (TalqIn), voicemail, call forwarding and integration with browsers and email clients to make telephone numbers clickable. TalQer goes one step further then Skype with the ability to highlight any telephone number in any application and click an icon in the Windows System tray to dial the number.

You can choose whether you to integrate TalQer with Skype and/or Google Talk or use it as a stand alone application. TalQer is not associated with either Skype or Google Talk but gives an alternative means of calling to traditional telephone networks (and yes you can pay with PayPal).

Every move you make

I've always resisted the idea of a web cam for use with Skype. I mean, who wants to have to put make-up on just to make a phone call? But after Ryan's piece of genius in The Chatter about using two Skype accounts and a web cam to help house train his dog, I think I may have to reconsider. This has so many possibilities, from security monitoring when you're away from home to keeping an eye on your kids in the next room, I think I'll get myself a web cam now.

Genius Skype MSN Yahoo Messenger VOIP mouse

The new Genius Navigator 380 mouse can combine Skype, MSN, Yahoo, Googletalk, QQ and AIM into one window and flip open to become a VOIP phone. Imagine sitting at your desk, clicking to initiate a Skype call and then flipping your mouse open into a phone handset to talk!



The mouse opens like a clamshell mobile phone and combines multiple instant messenger clients into one application. Seven buttons in Navigator 380 are for the phone functions: Phone on/off, List up/down, Volume up/down and OK for call up the IM window.

For those longing for one application to combine interoperability for all their IM clients this has got to be a must have!

eBay listings

The end of the year is a time for writing random lists of stuff, and far be it from us to break with tradition. Here's a list of some of our favourite lists from the last few days:

Bayraider.tv bring us their top thirty celebrity auctions of 2006: some astonishing tat there.

eBay didn't quite make law blogger Eric Goldman's top ten cyberlaw developments of the year, but the eBay v. MercExchange case did make the runner's up list.

Jaanus from Skype give us his highlights of 2006, which has certainly been an amazing year for Skype.

Brad Schepp's top ten resources for eBay sellers is a brilliant exercise in looking like you're giving away 'Powerseller secrets' without actually saying anything useful at all. Anyone thinking of writing a book on their eBay experiences next year might want to note this technique.

For the geeks among us, the Board of Wisdom has the top ten geek sayings: "I would love to change the world, but they won't give me the source code."

And finally, Wired's wild predictions for 2007... call those wild? Check in over the weekend for TameBay's predictions for the next year: you'll have read it here first.

Yule log on

What are you doing reading this - haven't you got anything better to do, on this of all days?, asks the BBC. Actually, I'm being terribly Christmassy even though I'm online. I've used SkypeOut to call my sister. I was going to call my parents, then realised they'd be in church, so I checked their church's website to find out when their service would be over so I could call back when they were home. Later (when I've figured out the time difference!) I'll be Skyping my brother in Canada.

And I've emailed some people too: I think an email on Christmas day says "I'm thinking of you, but I don't want to interrupt your family day by calling you", the perfect thing for friends I'm not going to see, wherever in the world they might be.

Because I'm now a grown up and don't "need" gifts wrapped under the tree, the entire world has given me Amazon vouchers, so I spent a jolly hour this afternoon choosing my presents.

I listed a bunch of new stuff last night, and I've had eBay orders today :-D I've also had one guy mail me to whinge that something he ordered last Wednesday hasn't arrived: and I managed to avoid sarcasm in my reply to him: good for me, that deserves an extra mince pie.

I think it's crazy to ask us to avoid the internet on Christmas day. I've no doubt that eighty years ago, the concept of telephoning at Christmas seemed odd and alien, but now, the internet is as much a part of our lives as the telephone is, and just as unavoidable.

But now, I'm going to turn the computer off and go and watch some television. As the man said, happy Christmas to all, and to all, a good night.

Skype virus spreads from Korea

The first Skype worm is on the loose according to an Internet security firm - Websense. As with most worms you're perfectly safe if you follow basic Internet security rules i.e. don't accept or open unknown attachments! Websense indicates the worm has the following actions:

* users receive messages via Skype Chat to download and run a file
* the filename is called sp.exe
* assuming the file is run it appears to drop and run a password stealing Trojan Horse
* the file also appears to run another set of code that uses Skype to propagate the original file
* the file is packed and has anti-debugging routines (NTKrnl Secure Suite packer)
* the file connects to a remote server for additional code
* the original site has been black holed and is not serving the code anymore
* the number of victims is still TBD
* the original infections appear to be in APAC region (Korea in particular)

Individuals should pay particular attention to their security but fortunately companies installing and using Skype have an advantage. The Business Version of Skype enables network administrators to disable file transfer to remove temptation from employees clicky fingers.

Finally the best advice as ever (once again) is never accept or open files if you don't know where they came from and what they contain! A great website with advice on staying safe online is Get Safe Online which eBay sponsor

More eBay categories with Skype buttons

Just in time for the really panicking Christmas buyers, Skype buttons can now be added to the following categories:

• Art
• Consumer Electronics: Accessories: Headphones
• Consumer Electronics: DVD & Home Cinema
• Consumer Electronics: Satellite/ Cable/ Freeview
• Consumer Electronics: TV Accessories
• Consumer Electronics: VCRs
• Consumer Electronics: Vintage Electronics

I'm really failing to see why eBay don't just say "all categories" now.

Skype security problem yes or no?

Skype version 3 network traffic is harder to detect and block than previous versions according to iPoque. iPoque specialise in software which logs, throttles back or blocks undesirable traffic for corporate networks. They have upgraded their software to detect Skype 3

There are two issues with using Skype. First security - opening holes in firewall to allow traffic always carries a risk. Not huge, but it's there. A bigger risk is if users start transferring files or are sent links which they click. Logic says this is no worse than traditional email, you should never accept attachments or click on links if you don't know what they are and who they're from. Security flaws in Skype have been found in the past but it should be noted these are NOT flaws in voice, they required the user to click on a link causing a buffer overflow.

The second issue is one of network management. Sure a network administrator should be concerned with which applications are running on computers and traffic consuming bandwidth. What seems to have been missed is that security doesn't start with blocking traffic at the firewall level! Security should start with barring users from installing unauthorised applications in the first place. All the way back to Windows NT user profiles have been available. User profiles deliver the applications a user needs, and can vary by log on so that different users get different applications tailored to their profile. This means users have the applications they need to carry out their job, but nothing else. Additionally companies should have security policies which are reflected in employee contracts making it a sackable offence to install unauthorised software.

In summary ANY application communicating to the Internet poses a risk - they all open ports (holes) in your firewall. The biggest risk with skype isn't with voice - it's with file transfer and URL's in chat windows. Companies like iPoque are trying to plug holes which, with good network management and security profiles, shouldn't be an issue in the first place.

It should be noted that there is a Business Version of Skype with a Network Managers Guide to deliver versions tailored to a companies specific requirements. Network administrators can configure which parts of Skype users can use including for example blocking chat and restricting the ability to add users to the address book. Users should NOT be installing the standard version, they shouldn't be able to install ANY applications.

"No secret sauce," says Kazaa, Skype founder

A fascinating article about and interview with Niklas Zennstrom, founder of Kazaa, Skype and a new internet TV venture, The Venice Project. Some highlights:

Zennstrom does not seem to have an outsized ego - until he talks about his ambitions for Skype. When he started it in 2003, he told Fortune, "There is multibillion dollars in potential in Skype. We're not here to try to make some small business."

"It's the same plan," he says now. "We have 136 million users. There aren't many telephone companies that have more customers. We are still in growth mode. In terms of revenue per user, Verizon gets much more, but they also have much higher costs."

"We didn't plan to sell," Zennstrom says. "We started a conversation with (eBay CEO) Meg Whitman because we thought we should work with eBay." He actually thought eBay wouldn't like Skype because a Skype voice connection could be a way for sellers and buyers to cut deals that eBay couldn't track.

Whitman saw something else: a fast-growing business that might also help eBay users talk to each other and close transactions more easily, especially those that involve big-ticket items like cars. "We always seek to remove friction from e-commerce," Whitman told USA TODAY soon after the Skype deal. "It leads to a better experience and an increase of velocity of trades."

Whitman has been criticized for the deal by analysts and investors. She has not clearly shown how Skype helps the eBay site - though, on the flip side, it's clear that eBay's marketing muscle has helped Skype grow 122 percent in North America in 2006.
...
Zennstrom insists he's happy with the marriage. "You never know how the chemistry will be, but it's been really great," he says. "Meg did not impose on us to do everything the eBay way." He says he's learning a lot about management from Whitman and other eBay executives.

Skype buttons on eBay obsolete

eBay have dragged their feet introducing Skype buttons in all categories but why worry? With the release of Skype version 3 all you need in your auction is your phone number and Skype will turn it into a clickable link for your customers. In fact it will turn any phone number on a webpage into a a clickable link to initiate a phone call. If you're in the UK and the number is a landline (begining 01 or 02) you can get free calls for the next six months by spending £10 on credits for other Skype services such as voicemail, SkypeIn or SkypeOut.


eBay spokesperson Hani Durzy said "Although it's still early, we see opportunity in the Skype Me buttons, particularly on higher priced categories like motors, jewelry, and electronics where buyers often have detailed questions for sellers." He said eBay continues to gather feedback from the community to improve functionality. Too little, too late!

Regardless how enthusiastic Durzy is about Skype buttons the facts are that eBay have been too slow to allow use of Skype buttons in all categories. By the time they allow them it may well be too late and be superceded by click to call. Don't forget you can get a SkypeIn number which acts as a land line but directs calls to your computer. If you want to take Skype calls on your normal handset consider the RTX SKYPE Dualphone 3088 for Skype and landline calls in one handset!

Skype version 3 full release with free phone calls

We blogged on the 2nd December about Skype 3 and the fantastic new features due to be released. Well the good news is that today it was released in full. One of the best additions is click to call for FireFox and Internet Explorer. Any phone number on a website turns into a clickable skype button - with free calls to UK landlines for six months if you spend £10.00, this is a must have.

If you're in the US don't worry - you can get unlimited calls to any US number for just $14.95 for the year (sign up before the end of January; normal price is $29.95). It's likely that calling plan offers similar to this will be introduced in the UK once the six months free calls are up. Skype are concentrating on building a customer base and will look to monetise it in the future.

Go and download the latest version of Skype today!

Better beta from Skype

Skype last week released the latest version of their software in beta, with some fantastic fun new features, and some very useful ones too.

Probably the most fun addition is Crazy Talk. This allows an animated avatar to appear to speak your words on screen, and, if you're using a webcam, to mimic your physical movements too. Don't want to bother putting your face on just to make a phone call? Who needs to when you can have a ginger cat or a baby to speak for you.

You can also play games via Skype 3: backgammon and Chinese checkers are available now, with bingo, chess, some other kinds of checkers, hangman and battleships marked "coming soon". Other extras like a sketch pad and call recorder can also be added: I've yet to test out the lie detector, but I'll let you know how I get on with it!

Moving on to tools with more obvious usefulness, SMS now works properly: perhaps it was just me, but it never did with 2.5. Skype "Live Chat" has great potential as a tool for just about anyone from businesses to bands, though the ones that were live when I went to look were the usual suspects: get rich quick, sex and religion. Nice to see nothing changes.



But the best feature, the genius feature of this Skype release, is the click to call browser plugin. This turns phone numbers displayed on websites into buttons that can be just clicked to call via SkypeOut. With more and more customers abandoning directory enquiries in favour of cheaper sources of information, making finding the number to calling seamless like this has to be the way to really monetise the product with SkypeOut.

I'm seriously impressed with the direction Skype have taken with this new release. Now if they'd only incorporate some interoperability with other IM clients, my life would be complete.

Skype buttons expand into new eBay.co.uk categories

Back in July eBay relaxed the rules on livechat programs on auction listings allowing Skype buttons to be included on listings in a small number of categories. eBay have today announced an expansion to the eligible categories to include:

• Crafts
• Everything Else
• Health & Beauty
• Home & Garden
• Photography

The sub categories of:

• Consumer Electronics > Televisions
• Wholesale & Job Lots > Antiques & Art
• Wholesale & Job Lots > Baby
• Wholesale & Job Lots > Consumer Electronics
• Wholesale & Job Lots > Pottery, Porcelain & Glass
• Wholesale & Job Lots > Sports Memorabilia

The complete list including the original categories can be found on the 'Skype for buyers and sellers' page on eBay.

If you don't already have Skype on your computer, now's the time to get it, because someone somewhere wants to talk to you! It's worth noting that eBay have yet to update their links policy to incorporate Skype useage on their site.

Free SkypeOut credits starting next week

Starting next week Skype will be running a "Winter Days campaign" in some EU countries. To claim your SkypeOut credits you simply sign in to your Skype account and click a button. You'll then be able to use the credit for SkypeOut calls to anyone with a landline telephone.

We'll keep a watch on which countries are eligible for the free calls and post on Tamebay so don't forget to check back daily.

As an alternative Skype have an offer already where if you purchase a £10 credit you can get free calls to all UK landlines starting 01 or 02. Simply visit the skype website to get an account and start calling for free

VoIP regulations "may put lives at risk"

New regulations controlling access to UK emergency numbers could put lives at risk, claimed the Internet Telephony Service Providers' Association. The regulator Ofcom's proposals to further regulate access to 999 are, they say, "likely to discourage the provision of emergency access by VoIP providers". The full report is is available as a PDF.

An Ofcom spokesman said that "consumers should be aware of what they can or can't do on a VoIP service". Skype cannot currently be used to contact the emergency services.

Via The Register.

Skype in your Second Life

Skype Journal reports that you can now add Skype links to Second Life. I daren't start playing this because I know it would very rapidly take over my First Life: after all, I'm the person who had to apologise for being late for work because they'd sat up all night playing Monkey Island.

Skype: "out!"

Skype's entire business development team underwent a massive reorganisation yesterday, with several senior figures leaving the company and marketing to be centralised in London.

Senior executives in Poland, France (Jerome Archambeaud, French Market Development Manager), UK (Alistair Shrimpton) and Italy have been let go, while Jonas Kjellberg, who headed up Skype’s Scandinavian operations has been redeployed in UK. Alberto Lorente, head of Skype in Spain and Portugal has been offered a position in London. In total about 14 people are leaving the company, many of them pre-merger employees. Many of them have till end of the year to finish their duties at the company.