Skype: Power User Resources
J.Y. Design thinks that Skype is great! It's a great mult-platform chat client. Having the option of calling other Skype users OR Landlines is fantastic. For a mobile professional, the inexpensive unlimited domestic calling makes it a great alternative to a cell phone if you have a laptop, a headset, and a wifi connection (see all rates). Below is a list of tips tricks and software applications and utilities that are great additions to the Skype 'workflow'. Note: most of the items below are for the Mac.
Software and Utilities
- Skype Extras - Skype's official catalog of software, services and add-ons.
- Skype Buttons allow you to embed a badge (button) on your own web or blog pages to show your status. Like the one at the top of this page ;)
- SoundSource is a tiny tool for OS X enabling you to switch your audio input and output sources with a single click. This is very handy if you like to use your external speaker to playback audio or sounds and only want to switch audio input/output to a headset when making calls. This works a lot quicker than opening your sound prefs. However, if you don't want to have to install this utility, another shortcut to get the audio prefs open quickly is to use option-(sound icon) on your keyboard.
- Call Recorder - record your Mac Skype phone calls. This is useful for those wishing to keeping a record of a conversation. Also touted for Podcasts etc.
- Moodvideo for Skype - YouTube share-alike with your Skype contactlist! Including one-click conversion to many formats.
- MoodBlast - A menubar app with a system-wide, user-configurable hotkey that allows simultaneous posting of a "mood" to iChat, Skype, Adium, Twitter, Jaiku, Tumblr and Facebook, or any combination of these services.
Other Sites
- SkypeTips.com
- O'Reilly Online Press: Skype™: The Definitive Guide by Harry Max, Taylor Ray
- Skype Journal Blog
- Skypeteer Blog
- Skype Watch
- Working Solo - Skype Add-ons List
- Alexa.com Skype Traffic Profile
- Compete.com "Snapshot" Rank of Skype.com