Siemens Sells Skype Adapters For Wireless Phones

prostoalex writes "In a recent Slashdot story on Skype CEO interview some comments expressed displeasure with the fact that you have to be tied up to your computer to make those VOIP calls via Skype. Not anymore - this adapter from Siemens plugs into the USB port of the computer and allows Siemens Gigaset S645, Gigaset S440/445 or Gigaset C340/345 phone models to use the Skype connection instead of landline. News.com has the story."

This is a story?

There are several products that do exactly this with regular household handsets and with standard VOIP programs. Why is this news just because Skype is doing it? Oh yeah, Skype rhymes with hype. I see the connection.

Re:This is a story?

What on earth are you talking about? All calls in Skype are encrypted, ASFAIK there is no way of turning it off.

Currently it kicks major ass because of the echo-suppression and sound-quality.

The parent post is a troll

- No encryption support now, none planned.

Skype uses 256-bit AES encryption [skype.com], which, if implemented properly, should be secure enough for just about anyone.

- No compression on the audio, bandwidth hog.

The speech codec used by Skype outputs a compressed stream which cannot be compressed further; try zipping an MP3 and you will see what I mean.

- Skype rhymes with hype.

How is this relevant?

The other points can be debunked by those who actually use Skype.

Re:This is a story?

- Inflexible: only supports 8khz 8-bit audio.

This one is debatable - when I call my parents over Skype and they use their Pentium 3 machine, the calls are lower quality, probably around 8 kHz, but when they use their much faster laptop, the calls are a much nicer 44 kHz. Since Skype handles most configuration itself (validating their "it just works" attitude), I can only assume it's dropping the sample rate because the slower computer can encode fast enough.

IM through Cell phone...

in the highlights seccion:

Display of Internet alerts (e.g. weather, stock market), Instant Messaging (IMS) on handset

Very nice. It would be nice if I could IM someone through a cell phone without being stuck in front of a computer.

Cool

Having a phone is relatively expensive here (at least compared to how little I actually use it). This makes it easier to switch to voip. :-)

What's the problem?

So here's my dilemma. I look across the ocean and see that Eastern countries like Japan and Korea have VoIP integrated directly into the phone network. None of this "plug the doodad into the USB port and talk through the cheap Soundblaster microphone" crap. You actually just use the phone like your normal phone and it automatically uses VoIP for all calls.

The charges for long distance are apparently very low, though not eliminated, altogether. This is the only benefit I can see to strapping a headset on and sitting in front of your computer rather than walking around with a normal 2.4GHz cordless phone.

But what's the hold up? Why can't the Western countries get their technologies up to speed with Eastern countries? You can't tell me that it's a problem of "vast spaces" because this is a problem at the central switching network level, not something esoteric like bandwidth falloff.

You may think that the Asians are supreme copycats, but when it comes to technology, sometimes I wish that the West would copycat right back.

Re:What's the problem?

Ask and I shall answer, from Japan. (Or, post a comment, and I shall karma whore. Well, maybe not, posting AC.)

I look across the ocean and see that Eastern countries like Japan and Korea have VoIP integrated directly into the phone network.

A bit of an over simplification, but for the most part, true. Gramma can use it without second thoughts, and it doesn't require a computer.

The charges for long distance are apparently very low, though not eliminated, altogether. This is the only benefit I can see to strapping a headset on and sitting in front of your computer rather than walking around with a normal 2.4GHz cordless phone.

A bit wrong. VoIP calls from a standard phone ARE FREE, any where in Japan, as long as the recipient is also using VoIP from the same company. If they're not, such as using a different VoIP provider, or a traditional land line, then you are charged a small (much smaller than traditional land-line to land-line calls) surcharge for the call. However, different VoIP providers (who are actually over glorified ISPs) in Japan are slowly but certainly forming alliances with each other to honor each other's "free call" offers. Either way, the great thing is that I can use my VoIP phone to call anyone else with a VoIP phone for free, or if they have a standard land line, for next to free. I can also make very cheap phone calls to my Mom in Colorado, but don't tell her that. She'll start complaining that I don't call often enough.

But what's the hold up? Why can't the Western countries get their technologies up to speed with Eastern countries?

In Japan, this has actually been a rare case. Beauracracy in Japan is the same, if not worse, than it is in the U.S., with extreme corporate favoritism. I think what happened here is that NTT, the Japante telecom semi-monopoly learned from the past. Local phone calls are not free in Japan. They still aren't. So when the internet first came around, people wouldn't use it too much, in fear of the phone bill. The users, and the gov't saw this as a really bad thing though, because the internet was seen as a way to boost the suffering Japanese economy. Good idea. So they got NTT to create a method where you sign up for a single number (your ISP, or your best friend, whatever your purpose was) and from 10:00PM to 7:00AM or something like that, you could call all you want for free. A nudge became a push, and soon we had the same system, but this time 24/7 to that specific phone number. Then came ADSL, which made this entire idea obsolete.

NTT probably saw the direction of VoIP, used a bit of hind-sight, and figured there wasn't a point in battling with it. Especially with other telecom players coming into town and slowly knawing away on the monopoly. So instead of a slow, agonizing death, NTT has decided to jump straight into the VoIP business. All phones will be VoIP in Japan, in a few years. And this includes NTT's own. They currently have a different area code just for VoIP, that starts with 050, which is used by various VoIP providers. This is really cool, because I can call a friend using VoIP, from my 3G cell phone, and vice versa, even if his computer is turned off.

You may think that the Asians are supreme copycats, but when it comes to technology, sometimes I wish that the West would copycat right back.

You have a point. The US still innovates, but not as much as they used to. Asia isn't innovating as much, but they are much more than they used to. Common brand beers in Tokyo actually taste better than anything in the U.S. such as Budweiser and Miller. (I know, there are great microbrews in the U.S., but there are in Japan too.) There is one thing, however, just one thing that I crave so bad for that I can't get over here: QUALITY TURKEY GRAVY!!!!!!!

Re:What's the problem?

I've had VoIP at home for more than a year here in Sweden. I have a small box sitting between my DSL-modem and my normal phone. Calls to other persons within my ISPs network are completly free. Calls to other VoIP-providers are extremly cheap. Calls to legacy phones are cheaper than with any legacy phonecompany.

really missed the point

I think they really missed the point. What the educated user wants is a box that you plug your phone into one end, and that you plug the other end into your Ethernet router. Not something that you have to plug into a USB port on a computer.

Heck, at almost no extra cost it could even include a small router(that could be disabled), so if the customer doesn't already have a router they just plug their computer into the box rather than the other way around. This just makes sense on so many levels, where as using a USB connection through a computer (and the required software that must go along with it) is really ugly.

Re:really missed the point

Already built. Grandstream makes the HT486 [grandstream.com]. Plug a phone in one port, one port goes to your cable modem, other port is NATed to your local lan.

What is Skype, anyway? (Credit Card Mystery)

My latest credit card bill showed two charges from Skype, though I've never heard of them before (or used their services, to my knowledge)... Two separate charges, each for $32.34, on the same day.

This may not technically be on topic, but I'm hoping someone might be able to shed light on what might have caused this, apart from credit card theft/fraud. Anyone? (Help!) Thanks!

Re:What is Skype, anyway? (Credit Card Mystery)

You had two mysterious charges on your credit card for $32.34 and you didn't think to type "skype" into Google? Instead you decided to wait until you ran across an article on slashdot to find out?

Re:What is Skype, anyway? (Credit Card Mystery)

This may not technically be on topic, but I'm hoping someone might be able to shed light on what might have caused this, apart from credit card theft/fraud. Anyone? (Help!) Thanks!

What does the name of the charge matter? It could have been from SkippyDoodle. If you didn't make the charge, then your card was compromised.

If you're asking for help on the topic, then I'm not surprised your card number was stolen. Cancel the card, get your money back, and get a pamphlet on credit cards before attempting to use another.

And yes, that email you got from CitiBank and Paypal to enter your information were fake.

Has anyone here ever played...

...Shadowrun, the pencil and paper role play game (ignoring the whole mysticism aspect), or read William Gibson's books?

VoIP communications proliferating around the western world, phones with 3D-accelerated chipsets, desktops with 3D environments, UI's that operate via trodes on the skin, WAN's LAN's and PAN's integrating hardware, software, and wetware...

The technology is getting very cool. Now if only we can keep the politics out.

I can see a day when your ISP will link to another ISP via Wi-Max (or an equivelant tech), and another ISP, and another... creating an independant Internet not reliant on a wired and "restrained by Big Brother" infrastructure.

Your phone calls will be over VoIP through either your PC, PDA, or mobile phone. Your email will be routed through independant nodes remaining detached from governmental or multinational corporate infrastructure.

The space program will progress to the degree where many more privately owned satellites will be launched into space and create a global network that overcomes the latency and dataflow problems of satellite sheerly through it's if not anything else.

People, technically minded ones, will drive for more "personally empowering" software - mainly communications software that increases the speed, scope, and deliverable nature of all manner of data.

We will encounter a "wall" where the government tries to grasp control of this exponentially growing network, and the wall will be broken through.

These are strange days for tech. Big companies are embracing technology for the soul purpose of squeezing every dollar, pound, and euro out of it, while the public and the publically minded private enterprises are pushing for person-orientated tech.

We are looking at the beginning of a technological cold-war.

It's between you who would use the technology available to you to better your life, and those who would have you remain ignorant - eating happy sound-bites and tasting media tidbits.

Good for Siemens. I like it when companies put out useful tech. Hopefully they will produce more of this kind of technology in the future.

Close, but no cigar.

Props to Siemens for being the first to jump on this bandwagon, but why still use the 'plain old phone'?

Nowadays, World+Dog has a PC with built in WiFi and Bluetooth support. Or else you buy an USB adapter at the local supermarket. Instead of using a telephone to access skype, use a Bluetooth headset like this one: http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/speakers/headse ts/65ff/ [thinkgeek.com]

It shouldn't be too hard to program a speech-to-text interface to allow you to "call" one of your contacts by speaking the name. And if you don't want to be caught speechdialing, there must be other alternatives. You could run a small program on your cellphone to control skype while walking around the house.

The solution Siemens offered here is a nice way to cut costs on long distances calls, but not really groundbreaking. I'd like to see a company build an 'out-of-the-box' remote solution for Skype.

Linux drivers ?

In fact, this is more generally a DECT interface for computers, with the SDK, you can basically make software to run on your (siemens) portable phone and only be limited by your imagination.

If only there was linux drivers ...

Newbie Skype questions?

I've been reading about Skype recently but have not got around to installing it. I believe it was written by the same people who wrote Kazaa. That set off a few alarm bells for me. Anyone know of any security/spyware issues? What are your experiences of running it on Linux?

Re:Newbie Skype questions?

There aren't any spyware concerns. The business model for Skype is based on charging for Skype-to-POTS calls not on spyware like Kazaa. There are always security concerns when you run any network software, but I haven't heard of any exploits.

Don't hype Skype

There are open standards for Voice over IP, and Skype does not use them [stefangeens.com] - they try to "hijack" the VoIP-market with their own proprietary standard.

DECT anyone?

I know that some of those Siemens phones are actually standard DECT devices which in theory means they can interoperate. In other words, once a handset is registered to the base, it can be used no matter who it comes from.

Skype is Number One!

Among lemmings, anyway.

This [broadvoice.com] has been around for months. And is not bound to proprietary standards, having a computer running, or even being at home! I am so fookin tired of all the Skype hype! "As Seen on TV" used to be the phrase. Now it is more like "Ware doo eye klik?"... ooh, pretty colors!

Re:Skype is Number One!

Skype is about marketing, sure thier product might not be as good as existing ones, sure it might flaut standards and use a proprietry protocol, sure it doesn't do this and that... but the long and the short of it is that Skype is getting the mass market attention.

If you think you can do better, well, go for it I look forward to seeing "glomph-o-phone" take the world by storm.

But I think a better focus of your attention would be towards skype, extending it via thier API, and pressuring them into making thier core system better/more open because I don't see Skype going away any time soon. "Skype Me" is going to become the next "Google It" whether you like it or not.

SIP

So there is a phone compatiable with Skpye now? big deal. Just use SIP and one of the millions of phones out there compatiable with it.

Better than this Siemens...

There are some companies offering USB adapters for any handset and any computer: http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=36 71

The Siemens model works only with a few handset models made by Siemens only... Pretty close I'd say.

Compatible handsets?

The summary lists a bunch of Siemens handsets that this adapter is compatible with. Siemens' website doesn't mention any compatible phones. Does anyone know whether it would be compatible with my Gigaset 8800? It's part of an expandable phone system, so maybe not.

If not, where could I find a RJ-11-to-VoIP converter for my base station? The system has 2 lines, so I could convert one to VoIP and use the other as a normal land-line. Cool!

Missing the point?

Looking at the current comments, I think the point that a lot of people are missing is that Skype isn't just a another VoIP service provider but due to it's SkypeOut service, it also allows a lot of us people internationally to call landlines from our PCs at highly discounted rates with amazing sound quality (and the service just improves as more people use it since it's based on a P2P protocol). Using hardware like that available at www.phoneconnector.com I can now pick up my 2.4 Ghz wireless phone and make calls to other friends who happen to use Skype or calls to landlines internationally at amazing rates. The great thing is it even works with dialup so as a heavy international traveller, due to business, I can make amazingly cheap calls to whoever I want in the world (landline or otherwise) with just skype on my laptop wherever I may be (at an airport in transit, hotel, or even just sitting in the park near a wireless hotspot). Skype has reduced the phone bills of many people, myself included, to almost 25% of what they used to be.

For everyone posting "better" alternatives...

(To Skype itself, not the accessory.)

It must meet these, Skype's current basic functions:

1. Be able to use a computer microphone/headset.
2. Be able to use Mac or Linux also.
3. Be able to call for free another user (not out to traditional phone).
4. Be able to call a traditional phone (for a fee: 1.7 cents/min in US and most of Europe, I think).

I'm very tempted to give up my cell phone over this. We have no landline phone here, either. My wife has a cell phone, just in case.

(Side note: why doesn't /. allow the cent sign (AKA option-4)?

Asterisk Support?

Would be all you need in conjunction with this IMO real cool device!

DECT Phones like Siemens Gigaset are really common here in Germany.

Yet another alternative

Olymia DU@Lphone [dualphone.net], actually manufactured by RTX [www.rtx.dk]
Allows to do both Skype and land-line calls, implements DECT standard.
Base station intrefaces via USB to PC and RJ-11 to PSTN. Better than Siemens product in the way, that it does not require a separate DECT base station to do PSTN calls.
As well as Siemens Gigaset M34 USB , does not have drivers for anything but Windows. I don't think the drivers will be available, because unlike Siemens RTX does not have a signed partnership with Skype.
Said to be available in December, pre-order ~100euros.

Now I wonder if it would be possibe to reverse engineer the thing and make it work with Skype in linux. Hmm, where do we start...

Does anyone know how the software for the Siemens works in Wondows? Does it involve any userspace soft dialer like all those PC/USB-to-RJ11, or the is a direct interface SkypeSiemens USB driver? I would hope for the later....

Advantage???

I can't see much of an advantage to the Skype-to-Landline service as opposed to a cell phone...except for cheap international calls...

In the US, most cell phones come with unlimited nights and weekends. $45/month on a national plan with Cingular/AT&T (one of many that offer the same kind of plans) will get you about 300 minutes of daytime minutes per month. And some companies are already offering free incoming calls...

Most people are either working or in school during the day, so the limited daytime minutes are never going to be a big problem...

So, while I can see the IP-to-IP thing, I simply don't understand the advantage of IP-to-Phone for the average person...businesses maybe, but not home phones...

...in europe only

The news.com story goes on to point out that these cool things are only being sold in Europe (ESP US$129) right now. Bummer. Cordless would have been great. Skype's http://www.skype.voipvoice.com/shop/default.html [voipvoice.com] USB phone isn't the same.

The obvious question that no one's asked yet

Skype (with this setup) is largely (let's face it) for calling POTS users. But is there a way to make a call from one of these Gigaset handsets to a Skype user, so you don't have to pay anything, or does it only have a number-pad, so you're locked into paying the 2.x Eurocents per minute?

USB to DECT would be better

DECT (digital enhanced cordless telephony) is the ETSI (european) standard for cordless phones (roughly, it describes two 64K channels (I think?), and an authentication "pairing" mechanism -- in fact, Bluetooth adopted some of the architectural features of DECT).

The great thing about DECT/GAP systems is that they are interoperable: so you buy a base station, and can pair additional handsets: even if the handsets are from another manufacturer -- it really works. In the UK, a single handset DECT handset/station will set you back less than £30-50. You'll find that about 70%+ of cordless phones are DECT.

What I've been waiting for is a USB DECT dongle which acts as a DECT Fixed Part (i.e. the base system), and allows Portable Parts (i.e. handsets) to pair with it. Not only would you be able to buy off the shelf mass produced handsets which are inexpensive, but many of these handsets are stylish and fully featured. DECT chipsets are cheap and quite integrated: the physical landscape wouldn't be very large either.

This would be a very cheap and effective way to get existing and new consumers onto VOIP because it solves a large part of the problem: the existing VOIP phones are either expensive (i.e. WIFI or IP based) or ugly and cheap (i.e. USB based , etc).

Further more, because DECT architecture allows for multiple channels to be active at once (e.g. in a house, you can conference between two handsets and the channels are proxied via. the base system, kind of like HostAP mode on 802.11), a clever USB DECT could even proxy calls back to landline based upon routing profile. You could set up your VOIP router to send all local calls back out your physical land line, and it'd be transparent to you. Of course, the downside is you'd need an always on PC, but that's okay for those of us that have 24/7 low power DSL gateways (i.e. VIA or soekris).

Cellphone minutes?

Why would this affect your cellphone bill? This device is for DECT [wikipedia.org] phones, not for cell phones.
A DECT phone is just an ordinary phone, but without that annoying cord that keeps getting twisted and never seems to be long enough.