MYBLOG by Ouriel

Skype+Skins

“Skype+Skins” has been one of the queries in Google that drove most traffic to this blog as this is a feature i was requiring for long.

The latest versions of Skype offers that at last (+many other cool features)

From that i learnt a cool blogging tip: spot a feature that you think is killer but missing in a popular application. Write often about it and tag it.

You’ll see then a lot of traffic on your blog. You might even become a reference on the matter if you do it very seriously including product specs and details

Tags: skype

The Google internet conference was interesting

Thegoogle event was good. I heard very interesting people talking about the internet. Interesting presentation by VP from Babylon (an israeli company if you did not know)  The event was massively attended and surprisingly enough many questions came towards blog and how to create a community.

I participated in a panel on micro-format in advertising with the VP marketing of Kasamba, Ahava and Netafim lead by Arie Scope (ex Microsoft Israel MD). I was asked a few questions about their websites and how to improve them (altough i am not a web agency consultant ) and was asked a few questions during and after the sessions on blogs.

The organization was cool. And i am happy to see internet is raising internet is Israel on the professional side. Another sign that Israel is raising the standards.

I had the opportunity to meet Yaron who’s writing the great blog on web2.0 www.thecoils.com (in hebrew). Below a videocast with him.

I globally enjoyed it

Google Talk on my BlackBerry

I have just installed Google Talk on my BlackBerry. It is just a fantastic piece of soft. Usage and user experience is perfect, real time and close to computer. The only inconvenient: it does not have alerts for emails and no voice functionnality (mainly due to low internet speed for now). But it is well integrated with the alert system of Blacberry and within mail client. Of course it retrieves all your existing account and your contact list is following you everywhere.

The only solution for integrated Gmail+Gtalk is to buy a solution by a 3rd party company. Apparently it is good. But i am not sure i ll jump.

Download over the air takes a sec. Now i am always connected, in real time. More information here

I think it would be just perfect if BlackBerry could partner with Skype to do the same. I have found that but cannot install it.

  

technorati tags: blackberry googletalk gtalk skype

Skype: MAKE SKINS!

When i see that the skype+skin(s) is a top google keyword for traffic generation on my blog it really means significant share of people would like to have that feature.

And i believe i have written enough about it

 

What is SKYPE waiting to offer skins?

I blogged about it in the past and since then i have seen no progression. I also just spotted that i get a lot of traffic on my blog on the request SKIN+SKYPE

If i was skype or an entrepreneur ready to launch an idea i would go for it quickly.

Those guys are introducing plenty of services to customize you Skype Client (ringtones, avatars,..) but Skin remains an open field. A lucrative one.

SKYPE AND COLDPLAY

A new great marketing idea by Skype: To celebrate the launch of ColdPlay last album, you can add a coldplay skype name to your contact list, leave a voice message there. If your message get selected you win a phone conversation with Coldplay. Through skype of course

Skype Name: talktocoldplay

More here

tags technorati : skype coldplay

CALL LANDLINES FOR FREE WORLWIDE!

A true revolution is taking place in the telco industry  in Europe, starting in France. You can now call the world for free from any phone to any phone (sounds like skype but it is not)

By paying a monthly fee for your broadband access 2 ISPs (Free and 9Telecom) offer you unlimited phone calls to landline phones not only whithin France but to main European countries, north america some asian countries and in some countries to mobile phone.

This is a serious move and we can easily guess that most ISPs are going to move that way. This will surely threaten VOIP (Voice over IP) competitors like Skype or Yahoo with a pay per minute model.

WE anticipate the traditional low cost VOIP model pay-per-use at whatever x cents/min is going to slowly disappear to the benefice of a monthly subscription model with unlimited call.

To tell the truth from a user point of view it make total sense. My question is: how do they manage with interconnection cost to foreign operators?

tags technorati : voip 9telecom free skype call for free landlines

FREE WIFI FOR ALL?

Will WIFI be free one day for all? Will access be just the base for ISP (Internet Service Providers) to sell us more premium services (security, VOIP,….). Not sure but a certain trend is clearly appearing though

• Free public access. Out of airports and hotels, where wifi is ridiculously high (20 euros for a day) more and more public places are offering wifi for free : where i leave for example in Tel aviv more than 90 hotspots are free (most in cafes, bars and restaurants). I can see that also in many places where i travel worldwide and this become VERY popular. What consumer ask, consumer get.

• Google-like initiatives: is trying some experiment to offer free wifi internet access in Frisco, but also in London Airport. Rumours have also spread that they plan to offer wifi for free all over the world to place better their local ads. If this happen (is it likely?) more will do that. Google is not the only one to do that. Branded free hotspot start to florish everywhere. A good marketing initiative to attract traffic

• Community sharing access : the disruption is coming from a spanish company called FON. They offer a smart system where members of its service can share their wifi access with others and according to your level of sharing you will receive credit to get free wifi in the network of the community. THe principle of Kazaa but applied to internet access: the more you share the more you get

Now 1+2+3 = a potential network of free internet access everywhere (not mentionning your neighbours that forget to encrypt their wifi connection and leave it open to everyone).

Like Skype brought free voice, would free wifi be at reach?

[update 01/12/05: NEW ORLEANS WILL BE A FREE WIFI TOWN]

tags technorati : free wifi fon google space
tags del.icio.us : free wifi fon google space
tags icerocket : free wifi fon google space

KELKOO : THE START-UP BOOK

I just finished the book about Kelkoo success story, the price comparison engine made in Europe and bought by Yahoo for 475 million euros. I really recommand it. It is very inspiring and for those who lived the first bubble, it will remind you plenty of good things. Once this book finished (i read it in a few hours) you will be filled with positive energy…

Unfortunately this book in only available in French, so let s hope it gets translated soon.

I think this kind of initiative should happen more often: When a book on Skype ? or Shopping.com? or even better on Huge Failures : Boo.com, Europatweb, Bananalotto,…

Actually it could be a very interesting project to work on….

tags technorati : kelkoo livre book
tags del.icio.us : kelkoo livre book
tags icerocket : kelkoo livre book

WHERE THE "SKYPE" NAME COMES FROM

Stop the theories! There you go.