with New Software
My husband Brian has been talking non-stop about a new software program he found on the Internet. He finally showed it to me and I have to admit it's pretty cool. But even more than that, it can save those of us in Israel with family and friends still back in the "old country" some big money.
The program is called Skype and it's from the same people who made Kazaa, the world's most popular free file-sharing system. Kazaa is what's called a peer-to-peer system - it means that if you have something on your hard drive (in a special folder marked for "sharing"), other people can see that file and download it directly from your computer. And vice-versa of course. There's no central database of files. That's why it's called peer-to-peer.
Now before you get all upset with us, Brian has put togther an extensive list of guidelines for "ethical downloading." Feel free to contact him to learn more: [email protected].
The Kazaa guys have now moved on to what they feel will be even bigger: free peer-to-peer telephony. In other words, telephone calls over the Internet that go directly from one computer to another.
Big deal, you say? Sure, there have been Internet telephony solutions for years - from the voice chat in MSN Messnger to higher-end solutions like Vonage and Net2Phone. But those systems have always suffered from either bering low quality or having a price tag attached. Skype is 100% free and incredible quality.
For example, Brian and I talked to Brian's brother in San Francisco the other night for an hour. The sound quality was better than a regular long distance call and it didn't cost us a penny. Brian's been telling everyone he knows about it and we've already built a nice little network of friends and family.
Let me add right here and now that we are not Skype resellers (there's nothing to sell) and we're not gettting any profit from this recommendation. It's just that this service has already saved us tens of shekels in long distance charges, and since that's the purpose of this newsletter, I felt it was high time to let you all know.
There are some requirements: both sides of the conversation need to have the Skype software. You can't use a regular phone (yet - though the Skype people say it's coming) and you need to have a sound card, speakers and a microphone (a headset is more convenient and offers the best sound - you can buy one for under NIS 50). IT works best if you have a broadband connection (ADSL or cable) but if you've been to one of my classes you know that, if you spend a lot of time online, the price of broadband usually comes out to cheaper than dialup anyway.
One other limitation: you need to have Windows 2000 or Windows XP. Sorry, no Win 98 or Macs.
If you get this great new software, let me konw and we can "Skype" each other - for free. Visit to the website at www.skype.com.
NEWS FROM THE PRESS - FEBRUARY 2004
It's not easy being a new immigrant. From new social grace to learn, to understanding the Israeli job market, it's a never ending challenge. Now a new study by Yeud Human Resources reports that 93% of Anglo olim feel discriminated against in the workplace, whether by salary, hours or attitude.
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