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
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Find SysAdmin Jobs
News
-
OpenMandriva Lx 23.03 Rolling Release is Now Available
OpenMandriva "ROME" is the latest point update for the rolling release Linux distribution and offers the latest updates for a number of important applications and tools.
-
CarbonOS: A New Linux Distro with a Focus on User Experience
CarbonOS is a brand new, built-from-scratch Linux distribution that uses the Gnome desktop and has a special feature that makes it appealing to all types of users.
-
Kubuntu Focus Announces XE Gen 2 Linux Laptop
Another Kubuntu-based laptop has arrived to be your next ultra-portable powerhouse with a Linux heart.
-
MNT Seeks Financial Backing for New Seven-Inch Linux Laptop
MNT Pocket Reform is a tiny laptop that is modular, upgradable, recyclable, reusable, and ships with Debian Linux.
-
Ubuntu Flatpak Remix Adds Flatpak Support Preinstalled
If you're looking for a version of Ubuntu that includes Flatpak support out of the box, there's one clear option.
-
Gnome 44 Release Candidate Now Available
The Gnome 44 release candidate has officially arrived and adds a few changes into the mix.
-
Flathub Vying to Become the Standard Linux App Store
If the Flathub team has any say in the matter, their product will become the default tool for installing Linux apps in 2023.
-
Debian 12 to Ship with KDE Plasma 5.27
The Debian development team has shifted to the latest version of KDE for their testing branch.
-
Planet Computers Launches ARM-based Linux Desktop PCs
The firm that originally released a line of mobile keyboards has taken a different direction and has developed a new line of out-of-the-box mini Linux desktop computers.
-
Ubuntu No Longer Shipping with Flatpak
In a move that probably won’t come as a shock to many, Ubuntu and all of its official spins will no longer ship with Flatpak installed.