Renaming Contacts in Skype

When you add a Skype user to your contacts list, the name that is displayed by default is the full name from the person’s Skype profile, or if no such name exists, his or her Skype user name. If you are a SkypeOut subscriber, you are asked to name phone numbers as you add them to your contacts list. In either case, you can change the name of any contact to a name of your choice to help you better organize your contacts list.
To rename a contact, right-click on it in your contacts list. Then, from the popup list that appears, choose Rename …, and type in a new name then press the enter key or click elsewhere with your mouse. The name will change and the entry will reposition itself in your contacts list based on alphabetical ordering (within the group to which it belongs.

Searching and Adding Contacts in Skype

To search for other Skype users to add to your contact list, either click on the Search icon on the Skype softphone toolbar, or go to Skype:

Contacts: Search for Skype Users.
Search for other Skype users.

Using the search window, you can filter the list of all users in the Skype online community down to only those people you are interested in and that you might want to add to your contacts list. Note that the users you are searching for don’t need to be signed in to Skype for you to find them and add them to your contact list. When you find someone you want to add to your list, highlight her entry in the list and then click on the Add Selected Contact button. When you’re finished adding new Skype contacts, click on the Close button. An alternative way to search for, and add, new Skype contacts is to click on the Add Contact icon on the toolbar of the Skype softphone.
Alternatively, you can go to Skype: Contacts: Add a Contact ….
Either method will display the Add a Contact window, as shown in the following figure.
If you are a SkypeOut subscriber, the preceding method is the only way you can add regular and mobile phone contacts to your contacts list without first making a call. In the Add a Contact window, just click on the link To add a SkypeOut contact, click here (this link is only displayed if you are a SkypeOut subscriber). Otherwise, when you hang up after dialing a phone number not in your contacts list, you will be invited by Skype to add that number to your list. Using the Add a Contact window, you can search for a Skype user by Skype user name, full name, or e-mail address. Entering a search string and clicking the Search button (or the Search Again button if you are conducting additional searches) presents you with a list of matching Skype users. Again, simply highlight a name and click on the Add Selected Contact button to add the name to your contacts list. Alternatively, if you are a SkypeOut subscriber, clicking on the link To add a SkypeOut contact, click here enables you to enter a name and a regular phone number for that name.
By whatever method you add a new Skype contact to your contacts list, when adding the contact, you will be given the opportunity to send him a personal message, as shown in the next figure. In the interests of everyone’s privacy, just adding a contact to your list does not automatically give you access to that person’s contact details (for example, that person’s online status). A person you invite to join your contact list can choose to accept the invitation, ignore it, or block you from contacting him ever again. If a contact accepts your invitation to share his contact details with you, his entry in your contacts list will provide more information; if not, all you will see next to his name is a gray icon with a question mark on it, and when you mouse over his entry in your contact list you will see a message saying, “This user has not shared his/her details with you”.

Importing Skype in Contact

Your contact list is a tiny subset of the Skype online community with whom you communicate more often. If you are a SkypeOut subscriber, you can add SkypeOut contacts as well. Contact names are displayed in your Skype softphone for convenience and ease of use. You can also call or chat with someone not in your contact list by using her Skype user name or phone number by manually entering in the address bar her name or number each time you want to communicate with her. However, organizing and managing your contacts list can be a real productivity boost!
Skype is unlikely to be the first application you run on your PC that maintains a list of contacts. So to help get you started, Skype has a tool for importing contacts that already exist on your computer. It will import, if you so choose, contacts into Skype from the following applications:
Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Outlook Express, Microsoft
MSN Messenger, and Opera (www.opera.com). To import your existing contacts into Skype, go to Skype: Contacts: Import Contacts …, and follow the instructions of Skype’s contact import wizard tool.

Using Skype zone

To find an access point using a web browser, first go to www.skype. com. Click on the Skype Zones link, which can be found toward the bottom of the home page. On the Skype Zones web page that appears next, clicking on the link Find Skype Zones will display the web page shown in the figure above.
Suppose you’ll be in Madrid, Spain, some time during the next few days and you want to find out where you can access Skype Zones. Type “Madrid” in the city search criteria, and then click on Search. You will be given the list of Skype Zones available in Madrid, as shown in the figure.

Sign up for Skype Zones

To sign up for Skype Zones, complete the following steps:

1. Go to www.skype.com and click on the Skype Zones link, which can be found towards the bottom of the home page.
2. From the Skype Zones web page that is displayed, click on the link Sign up for Skype Zones now to get started.
3. Next choose the plan you want, Unlimited or AsYouGo, put an acceptance tick in the box underneath the service agreement, and click Next.
4. Enter your personal details (name, address, and so on) into the web form that appears and click Next.
5. Because the Skype Zones service is provided by Boingo, you must next create a Skype Zones user account (a user name and password, which need not be the same as your Skype user name and password) with Boingo. Enter your desired user name and password for Skype Zones, and then click Next.
6. Enter your credit card information for billing purposes, and click Next.
7. Finally, review all the information you have entered so far. If the information is correct, click Submit.

Phew! Now you are a Skype Zones subscriber. However, there is one more thing to do before you can actually use Skype Zones: you must download and install the Skype Zones software. After clicking on the Submit button on the final page of the signup process, you will be presented with a web page from which you can download the Skype Zones software. Just click on Download Skype Zones For Windows and in the popup window that appears, click on the Run button. Follow the instructions of the Skype Zones installation program, which will install and then run the Skype Zones program, which is shown in the figure above.

Chewcking if Wireless is Enabled

Before launching yourself into this chapter any farther, you should first understand that Skype Zones is a wireless network service, so your PC must be wireless enabled in order to make use of it. To check whether your PC has a wireless network adapter installed, go to Start: Control Panel and double-click on Network Connections. This should open a window that displays the available network connections for your PC. If, under the category LAN or High-Speed Internet, you have an entry named Wireless Network Connection (or something similar), you’re good to go for this chapter. If not, you’ll need to install and set up a wireless network adapter for your PC before you can use Skype Zones.

How to Get Skype VoiceMail?

The easiest way to get Skype Voicemail if you are not a SkypeIn subscriber is to click on the My Account tab (which is the tab on the far right, and might have a SkypeOut credit balance amount on it if you are already a SkypeOut subscriber) of the Notification Bar in the Skype softphone. This displays a group of links, one of which is for Skype Voicemail, as shown in the following figure. Click on the link for Skype Voicemail. You will be asked to sign in to your Skype account, which requires the same username and password that you use to sign in to the Skype softphone. After signing in, you’ll see the Buy Skype Voicemail web page.
Choose a subscription period, 3 months or 12 months, and the click on the Buy this button for your choice and complete the payment process.

Configuring Skype Video

Go to Skype: Tools: Options …, and click on Video to display the configuration settings for video, as shown in the following figure. Most of the configuration settings in this figure are self explanatory and, as you can see, Skype video is enabled by default when you install Skype. If you don’t want to make video calls (perhaps your bandwidth isn’t quite up to it, or you just don’t like it), you can uncheck Enable Skype Video. Alternatively, you can leave Skype video enabled, but uncheck Start my Video Automatically, which gives you control over when to make your video available to be seen by others.

Installing a Webcam

A typical webcam plugs into a USB port on your PC and comes with drivers and software to make it work with Windows. Some webcams require the drivers and software to be installed on your PC before you plug in your webcam, while others do it the other way around. If you follow the instructions supplied by your webcam manufacturer, you should be fine.
To install a webcam, you will need a spare USB port. Most PCs have anywhere from two or four USB ports, but given the number of peripherals that use USB, these can fill up pretty quickly. If you need more USB ports for your PC, you can use a USB hub to give you additional ports.
To use the webcam to make Skype video calls, you will need to position it so that you can look at it while you talk. Most webcams come with a privacy shield, which can be placed over the lens to block your image when you don’t want anyone to see you. Many webcam users leave the privacy shield in place most of the time, and only flick it out of the way when they’re sure they want to be seen.

Skype Video Requirements

For you to make use of Skype video, you need to meet certain minimum requirements, as detailed in the following sections.
If you want to have a good experience using video, you should double those minimum requirements. Skype recommends, as a minimum, that your processor speed be around the 1 GHz mark. As most webcams connect to your PC using USB, you will also need a spare USB port.
If you are to have anything like real-time moving pictures, puts additional demands on your Internet connection.
Specifically, you will need a good deal more available bandwidth (data transfer speed) than for plain-vanilla Skype voice calls. Skype recommends a bandwidth (send and receive) of at least 256 Kbps for Skype video to work well. Skype video will work at lower speeds, but the streaming image might be jerky and broken up.
To use Skype video, you will need a Skype-compatible webcam. You will also need to install the webcam and configure it for use by Skype.

Making First Skype Call

Skype has conveniently provided a call test service that enables you to test both your Skype softphone and your sound devices, ensuring that during a call others will be able to hear you, and you will be able to hear them.
To make a test call, click on the Contacts tab in the Skype softphone. Select the contact named Skype Test Call, and then click on the large round green button with a phone on it, as shown in the next figure. This connects you to the Skype test call service.
During a Skype test call, an automated voice at the other end of the call gives you instructions on how the test works. But in essence, the test consists of you talking to the test service and the test service playing back your voice to you. If you hear your own voice clearly, everything is working and you can start using Skype.
Congratulations! You’ve just made your first Skype call.

Registering Skype Account

If you don’t already have a Skype user name and account, you’ll have to set one up. This will give you access to all of Skype’s free services (remember, it’s completely up to you whether you want to subscribe to any of Skype’s fee-based services).
Start Skype by double-clicking on its icon on your desktop, or from the Windows menu (go to Start: All Programs: Skype: Skype). This presents you with the Sign In window shown in the next figure. Click on the link Don’t have a Skype Name?, which displays the window.
Fill in the details for the Create a new Skype Account window, and then click on the Sign In button. You are now signed in to the Skype network, and you should see the Skype softphone displayed on your screen.
You’ll use your Skype name and password to sign in to the Skype website to manage your account and sign up for Skype’s fee-based subscription services.

Running Skype

When you run the Skype install program, you will first be presented with an introductory window that enables you to choose your preferred language, as shown in the figure that follows. This will select the language used for both the remainder of the installation process and the default language for operation of the Skype softphone. Clicking the Next button in the Setup window takes you to a window that asks you to accept (or reject) the Skype license agreement, as shown in the next figure. Select “I accept the agreement” and click Next to proceed to the final step of the installation process. (Selecting “I do not accept the agreement” aborts the installation.)

Installing Skype in Internet Explorer

Clicking on the Run button will download the Skype install program to your PC. After it is downloaded, you’ll see the window shown in the next figure. Click the Run button in this popup to start the Skype install program. If you don’t want to install Skype, click Don’t Run to cancel the install process.
Clicking on the Save button will generate the popup window shown in the next figure. Using this window you can choose a folder in which to save the Skype install program. Be sure to remember where you put it, as you’ll need this piece of information for the next step. After the Skype install program has finished downloading, you must run it. The easiest way to do this is to navigate to the Skype install program using the Windows Explorer file browser, and then doubleclick on it. This will run the Skype install program, though you may be asked by Windows to confirm that you want to run this program.

Downloading and Installing Skype

To download Skype, visit www.skype.com in Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) and click on the Download menu item at the top of the home page. This displays the Download Skype page. Click on the link for the Windows platform, which takes you to the download page specifically for Skype for Windows. Next, click on the Get it now button, which displays a page with helpful step-by-step instructions. Click on the Download button, which will then display the popup window shown in the following figure. This popup gives you three ways to proceed:
Run, Save, or Cancel. The third option, Cancel, is fairly obvious in that it cancels the download process. Run and Save can both be used to run the Skype setup program, but they do so in different ways, which I explain in the following sections.
Before downloading and installing the Skype softphone, you might want to familiarize yourself with the user interface—the look and feel of the Skype softphone. That way, when you run Skype, you will already know how to do some basic things with it. Check out the screenshots of the Skype softphone at www.skype.com/download/screenshots.html. Also, look at the online user guides for Skype at www.skype.com/help/guides.

Internet Requirement for Skype Connection

Skype can work with a fast dial-up Internet connection over a telephone line in a pinch, but don’t expect much in the way of quality. For practical day-to-day use, you have to have a broadband connection to the Internet, such as that provided through cable or DSL. To get the most out of Skype, there are two characteristics of your broadband Internet connection that you must pay attention to:

• Bandwidth, measured in bits per second, is a measure of the rate at which data can be transmitted over the connection. The higher the bandwidth, the better your Skype experience will be, as your voice will be clearer during a call.
• Latency, measured in milliseconds, is the delay between when

you start speaking during a call and when the person at the other end hears your words. If this delay is too long, say, more than half a second, the other person might start talking back to you before you are done talking. A long latency means that conversations will be stuttering and awkward, as each person runs the risk of talking over the other. The shorter your latency, the better will be your Skype experience.
Most cable and DSL Internet connections are asymmetric in the sense that the rate at which you can send data is different from the rate at which you can receive data. That is, the bandwidth in each direction is asymmetric. Normally the rate at which you can send data is substantially less than the rate at which you can receive data. From Skype’s point of view, the overall quality of a voice call over the Internet will be limited by the minimum of the two bandwidths in either direction: send or receive.
To find out the bandwidth and latency for your Internet connection visit www.numion.com and click on the YourSpeed link, then click on the Quickstart link. This will run a test that will tell you your bandwidth for both send and receive, and tell you the latency for your Internet connection. For a good experience with Skype, you will need a bandwidth of at least 128 Kbps for both send and receive, and a latency less than 500 milliseconds (that is, a latency less than half a second).

How to use the Skype search directory?

The ability to search Skype is a powerful feature. Although you can search for a Skype Name, full name, or email address, you can narrow your search based on a set of filters. Although this search example is contrived, the search results are filtered using a specific age group and gender.

The Skype search directory gives you a number of ways to look for fellow skypers. Sometimes it is difficult to find the person you are looking for because he or she has not entered much information in a Skype profile. But you can still perform a successful search because you have several search options. If your Search window is not open, click the Search icon (looks like a spyglass) or, in the Skype menu, choose Contacts>Search for Skype Users.
You can search by adding one or more of the following search options:

• Use the Search for Skype User box to:
• Enter a full name.
• Enter an email address. This information is not revealed in a profile, but if you know someone’s email address, you can use it to find that contact if the person put it in his or her profile.
• Enter a Skype Name. Sometimes you have a Skype Name but no other information. You can search and then open a profile to find a time zone, full name, or Web site for further contact.
• Search by location. If you don’t have a name or an email address, you can always try searching by location. If only a few Skype Names show up in an area, you might be able to find an individual. Looking by location also gives you an opportunity to meet skypers close by. To search this way:
• Select a country or region from a drop-down list. Enter a city, state, or both by entering the names into the boxes provided.
• Search by language. Select your language from a drop-down list. Language searches work best in combination with other parameters unless you are looking for something very specific, such as people who speak Vighur, Volapuk, or Shona living in Manhattan, Kansas.
• Search by gender or age range.
• Search people in Skype Me mode. Skype lets you display your online and Skype Me mode is an online status that lets the world know you are eager to receive calls and chats from anyone. When you search for skypers, you may want to select the Search People in Skype Me Mode box. Selecting this box guarantees that the people you find are people who want to talk.

You can mix and match all the search parameters. When you have everything entered in the Search window:

• Click Search to find skypers matching your search terms. Scroll through the results of your inquiry.
• Click Search again after changing the search parameters if you did not see the skypers you want to contact.

You can sort the order of the search results by clicking the appropriate header bar of the search results.
If you use multiple Skype accounts and have just one email account for all of them, all the accounts will turn up in a search. Other than the email addresses you place into your profile, all the information you place into your profile is visible. People can find you by searching Skype using your email address only if they already know it.

Although you can opt to leave much of your profile blank, you will find that populating your profile with information such as language and country is helpful because this information is displayed in the search results. As the number of users in the global Skype community grows, people trying to find you have an easier time doing so with this extra information.

How to Initiate a Call?

Now that you’ve located someone you want to call, you’re just one click away from a Skype conversation. To make a call from your Search window, follow these steps:

1. Double-click the contact’s Skype Name to bring up your contact’s profile window.
2. Click the green call button. This button appears as a green circle with a white telephone handset inside. When you click it, you hear the sound of a ringing telephone, and a call window appears. The call window contains:
• The Skype Name of the person you are calling.
• A photo, if posted, in his or her profile.
• A red hang up button.
3. When your contact answers the call, just talk!

Sometimes your call is not accepted because you are not an authorized contact for that person. Receiving authorization and adding names to your Contacts list is an important part of communicating on Skype.

Conducting a simple search for a fellow skyper

You can get started by searching for fellow skypers. To do that, follow these steps:

1. Locate the Windows Start button on the lower-left corner of your desktop and choose Start>Skype to launch Skype. The Sign In to Skype window opens.
2. Enter your Skype username (that is, your Skype Name) in the Skype Name box.
3. Enter your Password in the Password box.
4. Click Sign In. The Skype program window opens. The menu across the top contains File, View, Contacts, Tools, Call, and Help.
   
5. From the Skype menu, choose Contacts>Search for Skype Users. Alternatively, you can click the Search icon to bring up the Search window.
6. Enter the person’s name in the uppermost text box. In our example, the name Newbie Skyper appears in that box. You can start your search by entering a full name. If your friend has not added his or her name to a profile, you may not be able to find the person this way.
   
7. Click Search. Skype searches through its directory to find the name you entered. When found, this name appears in the lower half of the Search window under “We found 1 contact.”

Eliminating feedback

You may encounter some feedback problems when using Skype, but these have simple solutions, as the next sections explain.

Feedback you can hear
Even if you are prepared with the appropriate headgear for Skype calls —meaning that your headset/microphone unit is plugged into your computer —the person you are calling may not be as prepared. If you skype someone who is using his or her built-in microphone and no headset, you will hear feedback. That is, you will hear yourself a couple of seconds after you speak because your voice is coming back through the other person’s built-in microphone. Your Skype partner will think all is okay because he or she doesn’t have the same feedback problem (you have eliminated echoes by virtue of using a headset).
So, encourage people to use Skype with the proper equipment. Trying to talk through a feedback loop is no fun! If you don’t have a regular microphone, you can actually substitute it with any available set of headphones. Just plug the headphone into the microphone jack and speak into the earpiece. Of course, you need an extra headset to use as a, well, headset! Go ahead and try it. We did, and it actually works. We heard the giggles loud and clear.

Feedback you can see
Sometimes the person on the other end does not have a microphone handy or can’t talk out loud because he or she is in a meeting, for example. In such a case, you may be the only one talking while your Skype partner is using the chat window. This mode of communicating actually works more smoothly than you might think. Other uses for this alternative to voice chat is for skyping in a noisy office or with people with hearing difficulties. How many times have you wished that you could hold up a sign to a person on the other end of the telephone because the person couldn’t make out what you were saying? The chat window is like having a built-in captioning service.