I'm sure many of you have been using the handy VOIP program, Skype (add me: minsarei )
I just got this in my inbox:
Calls to friends and family on Skype have always been free. Now we've made calls within the US and Canada to all phones totally free till the end of the year.
Starting from today it doesn't matter if it's a Skype-to-Skype call or a call to landline or mobile phone - it's free as long as you're calling from within the US or Canada to US or Canadian phone number.
No joke -- my friend just called my house phone from his computer. But we're still not entirely sure if there's a catch here -- it seems straight forward, but almost too good to be true. We'll see if in a month he gets a bill for $300 But if it is true, check it out!
Man, problems already. Apparently Skype doesn't realize that 70.x.x.x and 71.x.x.x IP addresses (I'm 71.x.x.x) are in-country. I hope they fix that issue soon :/
I just had to download/install the program, enter my home number and it worked. No settings to configure or anything. Interestingly, the number on my home phone's caller ID was 1-000-012-3456. I've called a few others to test it out...no problems.
Skype is very similar to Yahoo Messenger's ver. 7.x's net phone feature. You can connect to other Skype users directly (PC to PC) and have better than telephone sound quality (equivalent to Google Talk, for example). You can also dial to the PSTN (regular telephones) both domestic and international from Skype or Yahoo Messenger, which is a prepaid service from both. Skype is offering this service free for calls to the US and Canada as a promotional trial.
Just download the program, fill in a few blanks on the install, and make a call.
It's still going to be free until the end of the year, which is a good 6 months, and then some. Of course, they're probably gonna get a lot of backlash once they start charging again...
14.1No emergency calls. You expressly acknowledge and agree that the VoIP service provided by Skype does not and is not intended to support or carry emergency calls to any type of hospitals, law enforcement agencies, medical care unit or any type of emergency services of any kind and that Skype is not liable in any manner for such calls. In the event that, with Your permission, another user uses Your Account or Skype Group member Account, You are responsible to inform that user that it is not possible to support or carry emergency calls with the Skype VoIP service.