MichaelGowin.com/blog » Tutorials

Skype + iPhone, Part 3

Michael — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:47:16 +0000

This morning we downloaded the Skype app from the iTunes Store for my wife’s iPhone. We used it to do both Skype text and voice chats with my computer as well as make a call using Skype Credit to my cell phone. All worked without a hitch. Hilariously, TechCrunch reports that the release of the Skype app for iPhone “blows a great waft of flatulence in the face of the [telephone/cellular] carriers.”

So, let me update the instructions I wrote just a couple days ago. Here’s how you can use Skype on your iPhone to make VoIP (voice over the internet) calls for stinkin’ cheap, as long as you can find Wi-Fi access:

Get yourself a Skype account and install Skype on your computer. If you intend to call from your iPhone to a landline or mobile phone, you’ll also need to buy some Skype Credit. We bought a block of credit for $10. If I understand the fee structure correctly, this should give us around 480 minutes of talk time.
Download the Skype app from the iTunes Store and install it on your iPhone. If you’ve set up Skype correctly on your computer, the iPhone app should find all your contacts, etc. when you login to the Skype app. I don’t remember this distinctly, but you may be able to create a Skype account directly from the iPhone app.
Set up the phone numbers for the phone contacts you want to call with Skype on your iPhone. VERY IMPORTANT! In order to use Skype to call someone’s phone, the phone number has to be configured like this: + country-code area-code number. For example, a US number might look like +12175555555. Here’s a list of international country codes.
Set your iPhone to Airplane Mode (Settings > Airplane Mode > On). This will ensure that you don’t make or receive expensive calls over the cell network–critical if you’re travelling internationally.
Turn Wi-Fi on. Airplane Mode turns off Wi-Fi by default, so you’ll need to turn this back on manually. Skype should now work over the Wi-Fi network, thus enabling your VoIP calls.

You have now been liberated from the cell company.

Blogging and Podcasting Workshop, Part 1

Michael — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 06:58:28 +0000

I led a faculty/staff development workshop today entitled Change Your Life: The Power of Blogs and Podcasts, Part 1. Yes, there will be a Part 2 in a few weeks. In that workshop, we’ll tackle the (not so difficult) challenge of creating your own blog. For those who attended today’s workshop, feel free to offer feedback or ask questions in the comments on this post. Thanks for coming!

We mentioned several web sites that you could use to discover and manage blog and podcast feeds. For your convenience, they are listed here.

Blog Tools

Google Blogsearch
Google (just add "blog" along with your keywords)
Technorati
Technorati Top 100 Blogs
Google Reader

Podcast Tools

During the presentation, I also showed three short videos on blogs, RSS, and using iTunes to subscribe to podcasts. The last one, "Getting Started with Google Reader," wasn’t shown in the presentation but it’s an excellent step-by-step tutorial for beginners. Those videos can be accessed below.

Blogs in Plain English via CommonCraft

RSS in Plain English via CommonCraft

iTunes Get Podcasts via Apple

Getting Started with Google Reader via Capture the Conversation

Tags: blogging, podcasting, tutorial

iTunes “Get Podcast” Tutorial

Michael — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 17:16:05 +0000

If you’re new to the podcasting phenomenon, Apple has released a tutorial video that shows you how to use iTunes to easily subscribe to podcasts. Of course, you’ll also need iTunes (a free download here).

Tags: iTunes, podcasting