A walk with the Skype VoIP client
PHONE BANDIT
The free but proprietary Skype is a popular calling option.
If you use Voice-over-IP (VoIP), you are probably familiar with the feeling that the world just keeps shrinking. Calling a friend in Japan cost a fortune just a few years ago, but thanks to VoIP, you can now call remote corners of the globe for free, and without sacrificing voice quality – assuming you have a computer with a broadband Internet connection. VoIP technology is putting a lot of pressure on the telcos. Niklas Zennström, the inventor of the Skype [1] VoIP client, recently stated in a Spiegel Online interview that Vodafone is trying to prevent wireless high-speed Skype access to the Internet. This is unlikely to faze Niklas Zennström: his free client is currently storming the desktops – Skype is easy to install and easy to use, and it offers usable voice quality. Of course, some critics have taken aim at Skype: the program is closed source, so you have trust the company’s promises when it comes to security. And the client uses a closed, proprietary protocol, rather than keeping to known VoIP standards, at least at the present time. Does this make Skype a bad thing?
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
News
-
Titan Linux is a New KDE Linux Based on Debian Stable
Titan Linux is a new Debian-based Linux distribution that features the KDE Plasma desktop with a focus on usability and performance.
-
Danielle Foré Has an Update for elementary OS 7
Now that Ubuntu 22.04 has been released, the team behind elementary OS is preparing for the upcoming 7.0 release.
-
Linux New Media Launches Open Source JobHub
New job website focuses on connecting technical and non-technical professionals with organizations in open source.
-
Ubuntu Cinnamon 22.04 Now Available
Ubuntu Cinnamon 22.04 has been released with all the additions from upstream as well as other features and improvements.
-
Pop!_OS 22.04 Has Officially Been Released
From the makers of some of the finest Linux-powered desktop and laptop computers on the market comes the latest version of their Ubuntu-based distribution, Pop!_OS 22.04.
-
Star Labs Unveils a New Small Format Linux PC
The Byte Mk I is an AMD-powered mini Linux PC with Coreboot support and plenty of power.
-
MX Linux Verison 21.1 “Wildflower” Now Available
The latest release of the systemd-less MX Linux is now ready for public consumption.
-
Microsoft Expands Their Windows Subsystem for Linux Offerings With AlmaLinux
Anyone who works with Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) will now find a new addition to the available distributions, one that’s become the front-runner replacement for CentOS.
-
Debian 11.3 Released wIth Numerous Bug and Security Fixes
The latest point release for Debian Bullseye is now available with some very important updates.
-
The First Alpha of Asahi Linux is Available
Asahi Linux is the first distribution to fully support Apple Silicon and is now available for testing.