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.
