Skype's Holiday Survival Guide



    The holidays are again upon us, and along with tidings of peace on
    Earth and goodwill toward men come those seemingly unavoidable holiday
    hassles. Skype, the global Internet communications company, is helping
    users cope this season with a holiday survival guide of Skype
    Certified(TM) products, available both online and in retail stores in
    time for the holidays.

    Skype's affordable gear, coupled with free calls among the users
    of Skype(TM) software, can help save precious cash to be put toward
    shedding post-holiday debt as quickly as those unwanted holiday
    pounds. Skype Certified products are now available on Skype's Web
    store at skype.com/store.

    -- WiFi Phones: Whether you're stranded in an airport, snowed in
    at school or dealing with spotty cell coverage while en route,
    Skype has a solution. With the new NETGEAR SPH101 and Belkin
    Wi-Fi Phone for Skype phones available online now, you've got
    an inexpensive and reliable means of communication from open
    access points anywhere in the world.

    -- Skype End-of-Year Bundle Pack: We all have that special
    someone on our list that is impossible to buy for. Instead of
    wracking your brain for a trinket that will be promptly
    re-gifted at next year's office party, give them a more
    meaningful gift of communication with a Skype bundle of
    products and services. This year's Skype End-of-Year Bundle
    conveniently includes a SMC WiFi phone, La Fonera WiFi router,
    500 SkypeOut(TM) minutes* and 12 months of Skype voicemail.
    It's such a good deal that you'll be tempted to buy one for
    yourself. Don't worry, you deserve it, but now there's no
    excuse for not calling Mom more often.

    -- Web Cameras: Whether your family tree is rooted in another
    country or you've got a loved one abroad in the military this
    season, Skype can bridge the miles and still make it possible
    to create holiday memories together. Logitech's QuickCam Chat
    for Skype is a great stocking stuffer for those who want to
    take advantage of Skype's free video calling. Creative's Live!
    Cam Voice, available now, blocks out side chatter with special
    adaptive array microphones, and the whole family can pile in
    front of the ultra wide-angle lens. Not only are they a useful
    way to watch friends and family open gifts from multiple
    locations, but you can also--at your own risk--suggest this
    one as the perfect means to celebrate at a safe distance with
    the in-laws.

    -- Hands-free Headsets: You want to give Junior a fitting gift,
    but you're worried you'll find it posted to eBay two weeks
    later with the net profits going towards his student union
    bar. Enter the Icemat Siberia Multi Headset, which is
    available now online and in stores; specifically designed for
    a multitude of uses including gaming, portable music players,
    HI-FI and IP communication, the unidirectional microphone can
    be attached to the headset, a monitor or even clothing and
    volume can easily be adjusted with the separate volume
    control. Looking for another stocking stuffer? Give him the
    Plantronics Audio 30 PC Headset, which is lightweight and
    portable, features full-range stereo sound, plus is great
    value for your money. And as an added bonus, the money saved
    on his phone bills can now go directly into your "retirement
    fund."

    -- Cordless Handset: Consider the following scene: You're propped
    up on the couch, immobile after a dangerous blend of spiked
    eggnog and three helpings of holiday turkey. Sound familiar?
    Fulfill your holiday duties with ease using the new Philips
    321 Cordless Handset, which is available now. Make both Skype
    and traditional landline calls from the comfort of your couch,
    or from any room in your house, for that matter. And no, laps
    back and forth to the fridge for leftovers do not count as
    exercise.

    -- Cordless Phones: Spare Dad another mind-numbing manual to
    thumb through, cursing "some assembly required." Instead, give
    him something user-friendly such as the RTX 3088 DUALphone,
    which he can use for both traditional landline calls and Skype
    calls. With the money he saves on phone bills, he can buy
    something for himself...or stock up on those AA batteries in
    honor of the second most-hated holiday phrase: "batteries not
    included."

    -- For Young Adults: For the kitten or puppy fans in your family,
    consider the available Skype gift alternatives that will keep
    the little tykes as occupied this season: the new Perfectel
    Hello Kitty Phone and Verballs animated speakerphones.
    Everyone's favorite feline has added Internet calling to her
    repertoire, and Verballs are talking furry critters that bring
    Skype to life by moving their mouths at exactly the same time
    as your friend talks to you. And fun fact: All of the Verball
    characters were created by the team of designers who also
    worked on the Oscar award-winning Wallace and Gromit films.

    Looking for more information on these or any other Skype Certified
    products? Skype Gear, a new blog at www.skype.com/gear dedicated
    exclusively to the world of Skype hardware, can give you the latest
    news, comments, reviews and behind-the-scenes information directly
    from Skype's gadget gurus.

    *The 500 SkypeOut minutes in the End-of-Year Bundle are based on
    calls to destinations that fall under the SkypeOut Global Rate,
    applicable to calls to fixed lines in more than 30 countries.

    About Skype

    Skype is the world's fastest-growing Internet communication
    offering, allowing unlimited free voice, video and instant messaging
    communication between users of Skype Software. With over 136 million
    registered users, Skype is available in 28 languages and is used in
    almost every country around the world. Skype generates revenue through
    its premium offerings such as making and receiving calls to and from
    landline and mobile phones, voicemail, call forwarding and
    personalization including ringtones and avatars. Skype also has
    relationships with a growing network of hardware and software
    providers.

    Skype is an eBay company (NASDAQ: EBAY). To learn more visit
    skype.com.

    Skype is not a telephony replacement service and cannot be used
    for emergency calling.