Skype is being released for iPhone

One thing I noticed when I was at Masonic Week in DC was the astounding number of iPhones I saw. SO for those of you guys who are endowed with the iPhone, you should know that my information is that tomorrow Skype will be available on iTunes. What that means is that if you have a Skype account you can talk to tother Skype users for free and make domestic and international calls much more cheaply and not use your mobile minutes. You do need a good wifi connection, as Skype will not work over EDGE/3G.

Still that is pretty good news for those of us who like to use Skype to keep in touch with our brothers. I discovered Skype right about the time I started X-Oriente and found it so good, that I use it as my primary business phone too. There are a couple of things that I did that made my Skype experience better. One is that I use hardware from a company called IPEVO. IPEVO makes inexpensive hardware meant to work with Skype.

I use an IPEVO S0-20, which looks like a small cell phone and allows me to access Skype from any open Wifi network. It doesn't require a computer, just a wi-fi connection. It doesn't have a browser unfortunately so those hotspots that require browser authentication will not work with it. Still it is nice to have around the house and at most cafes or if you want to have a personal phone in your office. (get your IT admin's permission first. I don't want you getting in trouble at work!)

I also love my IPEVO TR-10, which is a USB powered, speakerphone for Skype. Call quality is as good as those Polycom conference room phones that cost around US$600, but the TR-10 can be had for around US$80. It also records calls at the push of a button which is great for us podcasters.

I have no relationship with these guys other than as a happy user. It really makes Skype much more viable as a communication platform.

Skype is one of those tools that is an X-Oriente essential and is a powerful addition to the Freemasons' 21st century working tools!