Building a Skype phone into a mouse has indeed been done before but here’s another implementation for your perusal. This one’s got a nice 128×64-pixel LCD display, too, which ought to make it easier to see who you’re drunk-dialing after a long night of drinking Mudslides.

Billed as the first ever sliding-cover VoIP mouse, the “Skype Travel Mouse” features a USB connection, 800-DPI optical sensor, built-in mic and speaker, and automatic detection between mouse and phone mode. That is to say, if it rings and you pick it up and put it next to your ear, it’ll know to work as a phone. Magic!

It’s $35 plus $5.49 for shipping at UXSight.com.

[via Gadget Review]

Oh, patents. They’re fun for about two minutes, then you realize that companies file patents for every cockamamy idea that R&D devises. (Also, to receive a patent, you don’t even have to prove that your idea actually works, which I learned while reading Michio Kaku’s book. It’s a nice thing to know when you see a product advertised on TV as holding U.S. patents numbers 12345 or whatever—they hand out patent like old ladies hand out candy corn on Halloween.) But to the point: Apple filed a patent that shows a front-facing camera on the iPhone. Such a camera would make video calls a possibility. Get excited.

The patent application, which was published today, shows Apple’s thinking when it comes to user interfaces. Cupertino is trying to tackle the issue of controlling the iPhone while the user’s attention is elsewhere. Let’s say you’re jogging—you don’t want to scroll 1,000 scrolls just to find, um, Kate Bell, do you? No! So the iPhone, in this scenario, alters the user interface. Icons are bigger and less work (F=(d/dt)*(mv)) is required by you to get to your contact.

Big deal, right? The biggest news here, which in no way reflects its position in this here post—inverted pyramid says “hi”—is that front-facing camera.

Should AT&T gets its network in order, imagine ringing up your spouse and being able to see him or her as you talk. Bliss! And when you’re on a fast Wi-Fi network—remember, future iPhones are set to support 802.11n, imagine someone a video-enabled version of Skype. (That could be useful for so-called citizen journalists—Hey, CNN, a truck carrying watermelons just crashed on the highway, here’s live video till your team gets here.)

But, again, all of this is merely patent talk, and could well be rubbish.

Help me out here. The iPhone version of Skype was released the other day; it’s Wi-Fi-only, but it’s a VoIP product, so I don’t understand from where the outrage is coming. Do people, e.g. the Consumers Union, expect AT&T to subsidize the phone to the tune of hundreds of dollars, and then allow you to use some other provider exclusively? A “dance with the one who brung you” sort of scenario.

Of course, I understand the value of Skype. I lived in Europe for a few months last year, and used Skype to call New York without paying Telefónica €8 zillion a minute. But to expect AT&T permit you to use this or any competing service when it, in a very real sense, is footing the bill for your phone (granted, unless you buy it without a contract), seems silly to me.

Skype, like any VoIP product, needs to play by Apple and AT&T’s rules, as our little graphic illustrates in such terrific detail.

And despite all this, the FCC may well look into updating the rules to prevent AT&T (and Apple) from limiting what you can put on your device, in the interest of an open Internet.

So we’ll see, I guess. I just don’t understand all the brouhaha.

Sweet mercy! Is this the soul of the new machine? A breathless post on 9to5mac points out that it is generally possible to run Skype on AT&T’s 3G network. Their question: “IS THIS THE END OF THE VOICE CARRIERS?”

I’ve been trying to download the flipping thing all morning so I can’t quite report on the accuracy of these claims but I suspect this is user/programmer error more than THE DEATH OF ALL CARRIERS EVERYWHERE!

Note: this appears to only work under the 3.0 firmware, which means it’s definitely an oversight. Don’t get too excited.

It should be available from the App Store for free.

UPDATE – OMG! It’s also coming to the Blackberry in May!

You obviously cannot make a Skype call over 3G or EDGE but you can make VoIP calls over Wi-Fi. The system also meshes with your iPhone contacts and allows you to filter and search based on users who already have Skype accounts and even make SkypeOut calls, again under Wi-Fi.

You can also chat with friends and family using the iPhone’s keyboard and the system brings in avatars from your Skype sessions.

VoIP has long been a bugaboo for the carriers and the addition of Skype essentially blows their arguments a new one. Skype is a formalized, popular app and the outcry if they had “banned” it would have been mighty. Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed and now we can have our VoIP calls and chatting without fear of harsh and righteous retribution.

A data-only iPhone plan might look mighty nice, though, if a Skype application were to become available, work well, and data-only plans were affordable and truly unlimited.

If you have an iPhone and you live and die by Skype, using it for keeping track of all your contacts, then it’d likely make a great addition to your downloaded apps. Second-gen iPod Touch users, too, may benefit as well with the use of Apple’s earphone/microphone combo.

But the idea that Skype will be able to save you a ton of money by allowing you to replace your voice plan is likely NOT in the cards.

Skype for iPhone to Be Released as Early as Next Week [GigaOM]

Sorry about the delay in announcing the winner for the Ipevo Skype phone, but I’ve been a little preoccupied with GDC today. So, without further ado, the CG staff would like to congratulate Robert Johnston. Watch your inbox, Robert. Thanks to everyone for entering and we’ll be sure to run more contests like this in the future.

Short Version: If you’re looking for an alternative to using your computer’s built-in mic and speakers or a wired headset for use with Skype then Ipevo’s handset could be right for you. It has one simple purpose and works quite well. Battery life is fairly good and call quality varies based on signal strength. Compared to competitors like Belkin, the Wi-Fi Phone for Skype performs admirably at a lower cost.

Long Version: Truth be told, I rarely use Skype and, as is, I hardly even use my cell phone. Landlines are a foreign concept and I haven’t had one of those since the mid-90s. VoIP just makes sense these days since we’re all paying for Internet access anyway. Now that I think about it, I probably don’t use Skype as much because wired handsets and the built-in protocols are a hassle. What if I need to use the little boy’s room while I’m on a call with granny? A wireless handset just makes sense, no?

Features

• Skype ready
• Supports WEP/WPA/WPA2 network encryption protocols
• Supports 802.11b/g
• Up to four hours talk time
• Up to 30 hours standby
• Works over DHCP and Static IP network protocols

Like I do with all my gadgets, I charged the Ipevo handset overnight just to be sure the battery gets a good charge the first go-around. A charging cradle is provided with the Wi-Fi phone, but it can also be charged via the miniUSB port located on the end of the handset. When you turn on the device for the first time, you’re greeted with a white sun on a yellow background. Why? I have no idea. The Skype logo then appears for about 10 seconds. The device immediately searches for all networks and asks you to connect to your preferred network. Assuming your network of choice is security enabled you’ll input the password and then be prompted to sign into Skype or create a Skype account. Creating a Skype account on the device is pretty painless. Just pick a username, password and then agree to the terms of service and voila, you’re ready to roll. Otherwise, you need only input your username and password. You have a choice as to whether the device automatically logs you in or you can choose to input your password each time you turn the handset on.

Ipevo’s Skype phone supports all Skype features except chat and video chat. You can view your history, update your status, add contacts, or search for others. It also supports Skype In and Skype Voicemail, but you’ll have to add those services along with credits from your desktop. Call forwarding is also enabled in case you step away.

When viewing your contact list you can call, send a voicemail, or view their profile. Under an advanced option, you can rename your contact, remove them, or block/unlock them.

Call quality is about as good as you’d expect from a VoIP call. That’s not to say it’s bad. Skype to Skype calls were clear and Skype to landline phones were also crisp and clear. Users on both ends hardly noticed any discernible characteristics that made the calls unbearable other than our boring conversation about how good the quality of the call was. Overall, I was quite pleased with the call quality.

The hardware itself is nothing to write home about, but it’s small, lightweight and gets the job done. It actually looks exactly like my old beloved Nokia 8210. The whopping 1.8-inch LCD is plenty bright and big enough for even the geriatric crowd to make out what’s what. The 900mAh Li-ion battery managed to get me a few minutes shy of the rated four hour talk time. And it sat idle for a good day and a half off of one charge. On the left side of the handset are volume controls and the right side has a 2.5mm jack for wired headsets in case you need the use of both hands.

Like I said, the device works well but the $130 price tag is a bit much for a single purpose gadget. However, it’s cheaper than the alternative from Belkin by $40 based on MSRP. But times are tough, so we’re giving our review unit away to one lucky winner. Sure, it’s used, but it’s in mint condition! To win, leave a comment and be sure to use your real e-mail address. We’ll pick a winner at random on Wednesday at 12PM ET. Good luck!

Product Page

When you’re done Skypeing away just drop it back into the cradle to recharge. The final hardware doesn’t seem to have changed much from the prototype we saw last year and its dimensions are akin to those of the Nokia 8260.

The Wi-Fi phone for Skype is 802.11b/g compatible and supports WPA, WPA2 and WEP encryption.

Pick one up today from Ipevo’s online store for $129.99.

Row44. That’s the name of the company that plans to bring satellite-delivered Internet access to your laptop while you’re flying from finished New York to phony Los Angeles; everywhere in between, too.

In-flight Internet access isn’t entirely new. Aircell lets you cruise Web sites on Virgin America and American Airlines, but that uses cellular towers so who cares. Only two airlines, Southwest and Alaska, will offer the service initially on select flights, but it’ll be for free. Think of it like as a beta.

Some have pointed out that Row44’s service could be used for pure evil. That is, some guy could use it to talk on Skype the whole flight. May I suggest to the people who find that scenario so disagreeable—Heaven forbid you talk to your loved ones, or to business partners while in the sky—that you get a cheap pair of earbuds? Problem solved.

Nothing about any sort of Internet filtering.

Photo: Flickr

The executive branch of the European Union is investigating whether wireless carriers there are illegally blocking VoIP calls from being carried over their networks. You know you can’t use Skype-like applications over 3G using your iPhone? If the Commission gets its way, that practice would end, one would assume.

It’s like this: the European Commission doesn’t like it when companies screw you, the consumer, over. So since it suspects, apparently, that the wireless carriers are, in fact, screwing you, it’s launched the investigation. The Commission sent a questionnaire to several unknown wireless carriers asking them a whole host of questions about what “tools” they use to manage their network, including the restriction of VoIP.

And why are mobile carriers so fearful of the likes of Skype running on their network? They’re afraid that consumers will exclusively use VoIP instead of the regular voice network to make calls.

In any event, carriers wouldn’t be allowed to do that anyway, actively blocking you from using VoIP.

Hell hath no fury like a Brussels bureaucrat scorned.

It’s hard out there for a VOIP solution. Skype rules the desktop and Vonage rules the den so where does an upstart like VoxOx belong?

The product, founded by a group of voice networking ninjas who wanted to create a desktop-based VOIP and chat solution with full IM and social network integration. Think of it, then as a cross between Adium/Digsby and Skype with a little Grand Central thrown in.

The beta I tried – and that you can get here (but read on to find out how you can get free call time) was fairly polished. It works on Windows and OS X and each account comes with its own phone number which means friends and relations can call you right on your desktop. This, I believe, is VoxOx’s killer feature. If I could completely do away with my phone while at the PC I’d be a happy man.

First, let’s talk about the calling system. The phone service includes 2 free hours of call time and, as mentioned before, a free phone number. It also has a call forwarding system that sends calls to multiple phones – sort of like GrandCentral. You also have voicemail and fax control as well as conference calling and video calling.

It also works with most IM platforms including Yahoo! Messenger and AIM. It also supports SMS messages and uses a unique system of email-based chatting that lets you send emails to contacts in a way that mimics instant message chats.

Finally, it supports Facebook, Linked In, and MySpace contact connections as well as file transfers from almost any window. There are also plans to offer compatible hardware that will convert standard telephones into VoxOx phones.

But the best feature? The “Fun” button. This brings up a set of SoundBoards that let you send audio clips over the phone. Right now there is a Terminator soundboard that let’s you say “I’ll be back” to folks over the telephone. Ok. Maybe it was just fun for me.

VoxOx is still in Beta so I don’t want to comment too much on the interface but I think most users familiar with Skype or Adium will find it slightly cluttered. An initial wizard allows you to add all of your accounts and import your contacts from various services. Once they’re in the program you can contact them using various methods including phone calls for contacts with phone numbers and IM via the various social networks.

One pet peeve: you can’t turn off the visual notifications in OS X. I don’t care when my contacts come online, but VoxOx wants to tell me for each and every one. The beta also crashed quite a bit and I couldn’t connect to the online contact update service that you’re moved to when trying

In short, VoxOx is an amped up calling service with a few potentially game changing features. Is it a game-changer right now? Partially. I think the free phone number and calling facilities are the real draw at this early date and as the UI is improved and streamlined VoxOx essentially replaces standalone IM programs and browsers when it comes to IM. VoxOx is a switchboard on your desktop and works quite well as it stands. The call quality is good, the pricing is strong, and the feature set is well-thought out and implemented. The only hurdle is convincing a jaded public to switch. Give it a try and report back with any problems, praise, or concerns and we’ll send it along to VoxOx.

That said, VoxOx was kind enough to offer 1200 minutes of free calling to the first 500 users to register via our CrunchGear and TechCrunch links. Click either one – maybe we can use the links as a show of support for each site! First come, first served, so head over now and give it a go.

The Windows client, at least, allows such messages to accumulate in the taskbar, but OS X users get popups — trouble if your Skype is idling and your kid is googling something. I can hear them now: “Dad, what’s a horny webcam?” — “Look mom, she’s hugging her friend with her legs!”

Some diligence can prevent this potentially hilarious tragedy, but the program is meant to replace your phone, so why should you have to turn it off when you’re not actively using it? Just make the option to block all but your contacts available, people!
[image credit: The Register and its tipper]

IPEVO has lots of experience at making hardware for Skype and they’ve been there from the start. Over the years they’ve slowly branched out into other venues to satisfy the masses with POV web cams (review above), VoIP handsets and products specific to the Mac (Not yet announced, but available in Apple stores, pictured below), which have also been well received and readily available. Beginning next year we can expect them to branch out even further and take gadgets that are already available now and tweak them to be more unique. We’ve got the inside scoop so read on, dear friends.

First up is the Wi-Fi enabled Skype handset that we managed to snag a few grainy camera phone shots of. The hardware is close to final and not much will change from what you see now. It’s rather lightweight and may not be the prettiest thing to look at, but if you’re a power Skype user and need something ultra portable then this is what you’re going to want. Unfortunately there weren’t any open networks where we were, so I couldn’t test the call quality. The UI comes from the development team at Skype at is rather straight forward. Nothing too far off from what you see on other handset models or desktop clients. No word on price, but expect an announcement in the coming weeks. The handset will initially launch in Asia and should be coming to the States shortly after.

“Digital picture frames:” The those words make me want to blow my cookies. They’re stupid, they’re ginormous in some instances and the picture resolution is abysmal. Well, IPEVO is coming out with one too and they’re hoping the additions they’ve made to their 7-inch frame will be unique enough for you to want one. Picture resolution is said to be better than those on the market now and we were sans electric outlets, so I cannot attest to the picture quality, but it’s the other features that make it cool, IMO. It connects over Wi-Fi, so you may be able to figure out what it can do. One of the things I don’t like about digital frames is the fact that you need to update the memory card to get a refresh of photos. The screen also rotates and photos adjust accordingly. A row of buttons are placed on the base and it also comes with a remote. This, too, will launch in Asia before coming to the US.

And last but not least is what IPEVO hopes to be an extra display for your desktop or laptop. The design itself is unique and if there’s a photographer or cinema photographer in you then you might appreciate it. You know how you position your hands to act as a frame around certain things you see? One pointer finger connects with your opposite thumb and the same applies with the other. I think you know what I’m talking about. Anyway, the design for this upcoming display plays off of that and can be seen in what I assume is the final design draft. It aligns with the corner of your monitor or accentuates your laptop depending on how you place it. This one connects over USB and does something similar to the aforementioned digital frame. It’s not too shabby and from a design standpoint I really like it. Will it be useful? Depends on the user, I guess. No word on when this will come to market.

Oh, and more thing. The POV web cam will be getting a refresh with an AF 2-megapixel sensor and adjustable stand like those old desk lamps from the 90s.

TOM, Skype’s local partner in China, was censoring and tracking Skype chats, flagging conversations that could have been embarassing to the ruling junta. Originally, TOM filtered by keyword and threw out objectionable material – a good comprimise – but now it seems TOM was also storing and reporting bad messages to certain Communist Parties. Not so good. They also discovered that TOM’s system was completely unsecure and that those store messages were accesable to others.

Well, Skype President Josh is informing the world that TOM, whose software included the censorship system, is not officially part of Skype and that Skype messages – using original Skype software – are always secure and private. Clearly that doesn’t help if you don’t have access to Skype software in China but I’m sure industrious Chinese have found ways around that little stumbling block. Again, all we’ve learned is that government meddling in electronic communications creates more fools than leads.

Where in God’s name is Skype for the iPhone?

The best Mr. Malik could get out of Skype CEO Josh Silverman was a “stayed tuned.” Great, thanks. Maybe while we’re waiting, while we’re staying tuned, one of them there indie developers creates an absolute hit of an iPhone VoIP app, leaving no reason for us to keep waiting for a Skype app. Then what, Skype?

I do like how Skype is all, “we need to be available on all cellphones, and not just limit ourselves to one platform.” Fair enough, but when that one platform is the iPhone, it makes sense to put a few resources into coming out with a app as soon as possible.

And yes, perhaps Apple (or AT&T here in the U.S.) is playing hardball, doesn’t want you to use Skype over 3G, or have the app be able to run in the background. That’s fine. Just release your app as Wi-Fi-only, get your blue little icon on millions of iPhones, and build an audience.

Expressivo 1.4.2 from IVO Software integrates speaking capability into Skype functions. As Skype has grown from just a cheap way to make calls, they have added features such as IM and video calling. Now, with Expressivo, Skype has the ability to inform users when friends log in without having to check the screen.

While Skype can now read instant messages, it can’t receive dictation. (still waiting…) Even though this will be of no small consequence to the eyesight impaired, it will have its uses for the casual user too. The ability to let your computer do the talking from time to time will surely have its applications. The promo video shows a dude getting a to-do list from his girlfriend, but I imagine there are more fun uses than that.