skype

Skype Bug Gives Your Location Away! Serious Threat To Users?

by Paul Joseph December 5, 2011 Featured

Skype has been one of the most used Internet service when getting in touch with loved ones and friends is concerned. They pioneered the use of Video Chat and VOIP services (Skype2Phone) among the general public. They are currently one of the most used and trusted Internet communications company in the world. There are many other incremental changes that have been added to service. Since its, acquisition by Microsoft in 2010 for US $8.5 billion , Skype is all set to be integrated into the next iteration of the Windows Operating System ( Windows 8 ). So, it was surprising when we got the news that Skype can actually pose a threat to its users by giving away their location to prying eyes. According to research conducted by scientists at the  Polytechnic Institute of New York University a Skype user’s Internet Protocol, or IP, address can still be vulnerable to theft even if the person does not accept an incoming call on the service. A simple IP address is enough for people to track you to a country right down to the street you are standing on. Besides your location, other risk factors are adept hackers can easily access your download history and your activities online. According to the Scientists at the Polytechnical Institute, any smart high school and college kid can do this easily. The Scientists were able to track a user through three different countries. Skype is not only used for personal communication but also for professional communication. This bug makes eavesdropping on such secret communication and the respective location easy. This may be a small bug but it has potential to wreak havoc in many aspects like Politics, business and even terrorism prevention. Skype has 171 million people who use the service . That is quite a number! Imagine the threat that so many people could face if this bug is exploited by nefarious elements in society! This bug was apparently brought to Skype’s notice a year ago and still nothing has been done about it. Adrian Asher, Chief Information security officer for Skype said that, “ We value the privacy of our users and are committed to making our products as secure as possible. Just as with typical Internet communications software, Skype users who are connected may be able to determine each other’s IP address. Through research and development, we will continue to make advances in this area and improvements to our software .” If not squashed soon, the bug will make people insecure about using Skype and may result in many users migrating to other secure services. Professor Ross from the Polytechnic Institute suggests that you should never keep your real name as your Skype user name. Seems like a sound piece of advice. Do you use Skype? Would you dump the service if this bug persists? Do let us know.

Tagged as: advertising, bug, hackers, international, microsoft, mobile, news, skype, videos, windows

0 comments Read the full article →

Skype Rolls Out Free App For iPad

by Paul Joseph August 4, 2011 Featured

The long wait is finally over. Skype has launched Skype for iPad in response to the growing demand of over 25 million iPad users for an app optimized specifically for the tablet. It has been a while since Skype introduced video calling for iPhone which was back in 2010. According to Skype, the app would give users the best experience in video calling viz. large screen with display of a PC and the portability of a mobile phone. The new intuitive UI would also allow for easier navigation. As per the official blog of Skype, some of the iPad-optimized features of the app are: Two way video calling: Users can make and receive free Skype-to-Skype calls over WiFi or 3G and also ffers video calls “that deliver up to VGA quality video (640×480) at 15 frames per second. Users can also connect with more users because it is compatible with other apps Skype for iPhone, Skype for Mac, Skype for Windows PC, Skype for Android, Skype on HDTVs. However, this feature requires iOS version 4.0 or later. IM: Users can go for instant messaging with personalized emoticons while still on video calls. Simple to view contacts: Users can easily find their contacts and conversations which are shown in grid view with large avatars. Easy Navigation:   Searching for recent history and conversation is a breeze. Users can do that just at the touch of a button. SMS: Users also have an option to send SMS to their contacts. iPad 2 users who have been using Skype iPhone app need to download the iPad app separately. The app is available for free download via iTunes. Recently there have been various reports of new apps making their way to the market. For instance, the UK based VoIP provider, Coms has launched a similar VoIP calling app for iPad . On the other hand Twitter is rolling out an iPad-optimized HTML5 tablet web app . Last month we reported the plans of  Tata Sky launching an app for Apple iDevices including iPad. And many more such apps are expected to hit the market. Earlier in May 2011,  Skype was acquired by Microsoft for $ 8.5 billion. With the new Skype app, I feel the Luxembourg based company will make greater strides in the VoIP market leveraging the iPad users too and continue to rule the same. What do you think? Related Posts WWW: WAT Weekly WrapUp 29th August – 5th September 2010 BSNL Rolls Out Voice And Video Over Internet Protocol (VVoIP) Services In India Amazon To Join The Tablet Wars? Award Winning App MyCityWay Comes To India Facebook And Skype Partnering To Bring Video Chat To Facebook Users?

Tagged as: app, apple ipad, itunes, mobile, news, skype, skype for ipad, video-calling, web

0 comments Read the full article →

Calling Is Now More Fun With Gmail’s New Multiple Calling

by Paul Joseph July 21, 2011 Featured

Gmail has been spreading its wings ever since its first day. Communicating through Gmail has always been easy and comfortable, and Gmail has always looked into improving or reforming the old to give the best to its users. Earlier, when Gmail introduced its calling service over 1,000,000 calls were made from Gmail within one day. This time also Gmail went a step ahead to reform the calling system . There was a time when you could make or receive just one call but Gmail has introduced its new multiple calling system . Now, you are free to make or receive multiple calls. Although there isn’t a feature similar to conference, but you can now put a call on hold and answer another. Once you need to revert back to the previous call, there is the ‘resume’ option for you. Reverting back to the previous call doesn’t require to end the other call. You have the full liberty to switch between calls. You have the full leisure to choose to make a new call , ignore an unwanted call or do some important work while your call is on hold and get back to it once you are done with your work. Gmail has added this feature to all the calling types like voice, video and to phone. There is just one restriction- you can make only two outgoing calls at a time to physical phones. Skype which was acquired by Microsoft is another competitor of Gmail which grants calling services, lately it was added as video calling feature on Facebook and on Android devices. With Google+ ,  ZIP and RAR Support , SMS , updating Facebook and Twitter. This is a good add-on brought out by Google. It will be interesting to see if Skype establishes similar service or brings out something more refined. Looking For A Social Media Agency?? – Contact WATConsult – India’s Leading Social Media Agency Related Posts Indian Youth Congress Moves To Google Apps Gmail People Widget: A Small Step Towards The Big Social Attempt Of Google Microsoft Unveils Windows Phone 7.1 Mango; Packs In 500 New Features Google Ramps Up Monetisation Strategy For Indian Market Customize Your Gmail Inbox With New Custom Background Images

Tagged as: communication, facebook, images, india, Indian, indian-market, media, phone, skype, sms, social, time, work, youth

0 comments Read the full article →

Google+ Android App Updated: Improved Huddle & Amp; Streams, No Hangout Video Chat Yet

by Paul Joseph July 15, 2011 Featured

The new kid on the block, Google+  has certainly created a lot of Buzz (ironically, a failed Google service). Touted as a cross between Facebook and Twitter , with elements of Skype thrown into the mix, it does seem promising. The fact that Google have been a bit stingy with the invites has made everyone want to get one The first few weeks have been really good for them, with people really enjoying  the service and it garnering close to 20 Million users. It being a Google service combined with a pretty nifty Android App has made it cause Waves (another failed Google service) worldwide. The Android App for Google+ has got an update and solved quite a few bugs. Here’s a list of whats been resolved and added: Performance improvements and bug fixes . Main Stream Customizable : So far you could not make the Main Stream (similar to Facebook’s newsfeed) show posts from individual Circles. With the update, this is now possible. The popular Swype keyboard was having some issues when used with the G+ App . This too has been resolved. Huddles (Group Chat)  have an improved User Interface and also allow you to add multiple people or even entire circles to a Huddle. Huddle Permissions : You can choose exactly who can start a Huddle with you. Earlier, if a random person invited you to a Huddle and you rejected, it would automatically block them. Now you can reject the Huddle invite without having to block them . Set a photo as wallpaper .  [Image Courtsey: Android Police ] You can update your Google+ App by heading to the Market and going to My Apps if you already have it installed, or else just search for Google+ and install it. Stuck without an Android device and want to use Google+ on your mobile? Don’t worry, an iOS App is on its way. For other users, you can point your web browser to  m.google.com/plus and use Google+ on the move. Looking For A Social Media Agency?? – Contact WATConsult – India’s Leading Social Media Agency Related Posts Android, Google TV and Google Wave Expected Announcements At Google I/O Google Testing Video Chat For Android phones Google Ramps Up Monetisation Strategy For Indian Market Opera Mini Boasts 100 Mn Monthly Users Microsoft Paying Nokia A Billion Dollars To Seal Smartphone Deal?

Tagged as: billion-dollars, facebook, google android, google-ramps, google-testing, google-wave, huddle, Indian, media, mobile, monthly-users, police, skype, social, web-browser

0 comments Read the full article →

Google + All Set To Take Breath Away As It Crosses 20 Million Users

by Paul Joseph July 14, 2011 Featured

The new Google+ happens to sweep the world of social media and takes over Facebook with 10 million user base . This is just the beginning as it aims to cross even 20 million this weekend . The statistics come from the independent analysis by Paul Allen – founder of Ancestry.com. The surprise element in this entire storyline is the swift and quick growth of Google Plus by almost 350% in 6 days as presented by Allen. This analysis was carried out adhering to the surname based model and this uses the U.S Census Bureau data. Here the surname popularity in U.S is taken into account and is compared with the Goggle Plus users. He also made divisions in U.S and non U.S users in this survey as Google Plus is global. Almost 100 to 100 samples to get the total percentage of Google Plus sign ups and then used the figures to get a ration of U.S. to non-U.S. users (one U.S. user for every 2.12 non-U.S. users) to generate his worldwide estimates. However the twist in the tale is even though Google Plus estimates an user base of 20 million, can it oust the 750 million Facebook users on any given day? Keeping this in mind, Google Plus is taking up a lot of engagement ideas so that users make it a habit like Facebook. Mark Striebeck says that the Google Engineering now plans to integrate Gmail into the service to serve as a large built-in user base for the emerging social network. Are you on Google+? What do you think is Google Plus just another social network or a Facebook killer? Tell Us Looking For A Social Media Agency?? – Contact WATConsult – India’s Leading Social Media Agency Related Posts People Give +1 to Google+ Skype Adds Video Calling Feature On Facebook; Google+ Are You Listening? Video Calling Service On Android Devices Thanks To Skype Google+ A Challenge To Facebook Networking The Battle of Buttons

Tagged as: census, gogole+ usebase, google plus, india, international, leading-social, news, skype, video, video-calling, web

0 comments Read the full article →

People Give +1 to Google+

by Paul Joseph July 12, 2011 Featured

When Google+ was launched few days back, almost everyone was asking just one question. Will Google be able to do this time around? Google has almost taken over the internet space in last few years. But, the only major thing that was missing from its catalog was social networking . But, if we go by the first reactions of Google+ users, it looks like Google has done this time around. Google has already flirted with the social networking space in the past; not just once or twice, but thrice. It’s previous attempts were Orkut , Wave and Buzz , which all failed to make an impact. What e-commerce was to Web 1.0 , social networking is to Web 2.0 . Facebook is reigning at the top in this space with more than 500 million active users . But, Google+ has made Facebook take serious note of it. It was evident when Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg took a hasty news conference on last Wednesday to announce its so-called awesome feature (which was not that awesome after all). Google+ is still an invite-only service. The real test will be when it becomes available to the masses. But, if we go by the initial response, it looks like Facebook has got a serious competitor and may give it a run for its money one or two years down the line. Google+ has got few really interesting features like Circles , Hangout and Sparks . Many people believe that Circles was the best thing to have happened to social networking. Afterall no one wants to share the same stuff with his/her friends, boss and family. Hangout allows Google+ users to make video calls among multiple contacts. Users can also have one-to-one conversations. Facebook has integrated its chat with Skype to counter this feature, but lacks the same functionality. One of the early users of Google+, Nikita Wable says, “ I got invites from two people. My first reaction after joining the service was, Wow! Time to bid adieu to Facebook. I was fascinated with Hangout and other features. But, I am not sure if Google+ will really work. Because when Facebook was launched, people were uncomfortable to shift from Orkut. Only time will tell if Google+ succeeds in attracting people just like Facebook did .” Google+ has attracted massive attention in short span of time since it was launched. One thing is true that Google has done something solid this time. But, only time will tell if it succeeds in dethroning Facebook or not. Looking For A Social Media Agency?? – Contact WATConsult – India’s Leading Social Media Agency Related Posts The Verdict – Facebook Overtakes Orkut In India Skype Adds Video Calling Feature On Facebook; Google+ Are You Listening? Video Calling Service On Android Devices Thanks To Skype Google+ A Challenge To Facebook Networking Google +1 Button For Websites Has Arrived

Tagged as: facebook, feature, features, friends, india, leading-social, media, orkut, skype, social-networking, space, time, video, web

0 comments Read the full article →

Skype Adds Video Calling Feature On Facebook; Google+ Are You Listening?

by Paul Joseph July 7, 2011 Featured

Video calling service is existing for a long time in the digital space. In India, this service made a huge success with the introduction of smartphone and feature phone and 3G services. Skype recently announced its introduction of video calling service on the Android devices offering this service to 600 million users worldwide . It is now reported that Skype will be also offering this service on Facebook along with some improvement in chat browser. Facebook now introduces a sidebar where you can chat with your closest friends. The sidebar is same size as the window browser, which automatically appears when the browser is opened. The side bar helps you to search your friend and start a conversation. But this feature is not innovative or new insight because it looks same as before chat browser. Facebook now introduces multi-person chat interface where you can create groups of friends and chat with all of them all together. This feature sounds familiar with the recent launched Google+ feature called ‘Circles’ . One of the interesting feature of video chat is finally made available of Facebook thanks to Skype. This service is built right into the chat where you need to only click on the video calling button at the top of your chat window. With Microsoft acquiring Skype for $8.5 billion , surely this initiative is going to build relationship between Microsoft and Facebook against Google and its new social networking site Google+ which already has a video chat feature integrated. Looking For A Social Media Agency?? – Contact WATConsult – India’s Leading Social Media Agency Related Posts Video Calling Service On Android Devices Thanks To Skype Google+ A Challenge To Facebook Networking Microsoft Acquires Skype For $8.5 Billion; How Will This Affect The Tech World? Gmail Calling Takes Off With One Million Calls On Day 1 Google +1 Button For Websites Has Arrived

Tagged as: chat, facebook, features, india, international, microsoft, skype, video calling service

0 comments Read the full article →

WWW: WAT Weekly WrapUp 26th June – 3rd July, 2011

by Paul Joseph July 4, 2011 Featured

Last week we reported a scoop announcing BidAdda.com closes down on social networking site to sharpen its attention on e-commerce. We also reported Yahoo relaunching its Yahoo Clues and Nokia backing up its Symbian older devices giving it a makeover. There was also a launch of new service called ‘Endless Music’ by TATA Docomo and Skype offering video calling services on Android devices. All this and more in the last week’s wrapup. Post Via WATBlog.com Exclusive: Reliance Entertainment’s BigAdda.com Shuts Down Social Networking Site – To Focus On ECommerce Yahoo Clues – Re Launched Nokia To Give Symbian A Makeover, Support Older Devices Video Calling Service On Android Devices Thanks To Skype ‘Endless Music’ Service Presented By Tata DOCOMO Altruist Group Gain Interest In Gaming Company Vegam Solution Affle Adds eBuddy To Its Mobile Advertising Plans In India BharatMatrimony Profiles Become More Credible With Linkedin Integration Microsoft’s New Cloud Version Of Office Apps Now In India The Growth Of Mobile Web Among Indians Press Releases Via WATPr.com iXiGO.com Launches “Fly & Win” in Association with Delhi Duty Free CEOs Target Employee Performance to Achieve Bullish Growth in 2011: report by Hay Group India’s One97 invests in LeapSky Wireless of Singapore First ever Machinery & Industrial Supplies(MIS) Fair, India to be jointly hosted by Global Sources & tradeindia.com DIGIT – India’s New English Monthlies Growth Leader Bio-Chem Fluidics Educates Customers with New Applications Blog Elfab’s Opti-Gard™ First Rupture Disc Covered by Three-Year Warranty Tritech Launches 4000m Gemini Imaging Sonar ITShastra Awarded ISO9001:2008 Quality Management System Certification Ramco Systems Participates in CII’s BANKing TECH Summit 2011 Looking For A Social Media Agency?? – Contact WATConsult – India’s Leading Social Media Agency Related Posts WWW: WAT Weekly WrapUp 19th – 26th June, 2011 WWW: WAT Weekly WrapUp 22nd – 29th May 2011 WWW: WAT Weekly WrapUp 15th May – 22nd May 2011 WWW: WAT Weekly WrapUp 8th May – 15th May 2011 WWW: WAT Weekly WrapUp 14th February – 20th February

Tagged as: endless music, linkedin, mobile, music, nokia, singapore, skype, social, web, yahoo

0 comments Read the full article →

Video Calling Service On Android Devices Thanks To Skype

by Paul Joseph July 1, 2011 Featured

In 2010, Skype made itself available for Android devices. Wide range of apps were announced loaded with features that welcomed users to make free calls from Skype-to-  Skype. It is now reported that due to the rapid growth in the usage of feature phone among consumers Skype now presents video calling service on some of the Android handsets (Android 2.3 Gingerbread) by releasing its version 2.0. Some time back, rumors were making buzz that Skpye and Facebook were partnering together to bring out video calling service. According to the report, this service were suppose to made available to 600 million users worldwide . An application called Fring , which offers 3G service and Wi-Fi services gathered millions of users very rapidly. Keeping track of the competition Skype has taken this decision to offer video calling services. Some time back , Google was in the midst of testing it’s video calling service on Android handsets with honeycomb it’s inbuilt video chat with Google talk. This service provided by Skype also offers PC- to- mobile calls as well the app renovate the UI which leverages the competition.  Some of the compatible devices include HTC Desire S , Sony Ericsson Xperia pro , Google Nexus S . To download this Skype 2.0 click here or check this video Looking For A Social Media Agency?? – Contact WATConsult – India’s Leading Social Media Agency Related Posts Gmail Calling Takes Off With One Million Calls On Day 1 Google+ A Challenge To Facebook Networking Google +1 Button For Websites Has Arrived Microsoft Acquires Skype For $8.5 Billion; How Will This Affect The Tech World? Facebook And Skype Partnering To Bring Video Chat To Facebook Users?

Tagged as: affect, bring-video, facebook-users, international, leading-social, media, million-calls, mobile, pc- to- mobile calls, skype, social, technology, video

0 comments Read the full article →

Banning Digital Communication Services Not A Solution Says Telecoms Security Panel

by Paul Joseph June 16, 2011 Featured

The past year has witnessed an unending tussle between RIM and the Indian government over its encrypted Messenger Platform and enterprise services . Even Nokia was pulled into the battle and it is said that the Indian government had asked services like Skype and Gmail to give them access to their encryption keys as well. The government had setup up a panel to examine the security threats associated with 15 digital communication services like Gmail , Skype , RIM’s BES and BBM platforms , Nokia’s mail which cannot be tracked by the Indian government. This panel has recommended that the government cannot ban these services just because they can’t sniff the messages going through them. Instead the panel says that the government should persuade operators and other companies that offer such services to set up their servers in India and share encryption keys with law enforcing agencies to assist them with investigations. The panel goes on to suggest the government to make the upcoming Central Monitoring System (CMS) capable of snooping on any message going through these services. It advises the government to strengthen the intelligence department’s capabilities of independently monitoring and intercepting messages by taking the assistance of companies like TCS , Infosys , Wipro and Tech Mahindra . The panel echoed the sentiments of many Indians about how such bans would hamper e-commerce , e-governance , e-medicine , e-health , passport services, etc. It would also have an adverse impact on the IT and BPO industry. In countries like the US, financial transactions take place only when the encryption level is above 128 bits. The higher the level of encryption, the more secure is the transaction. India on the other hand has set a limit of 40 bit encryption , beyond which every it is illegal to perform transactions. The panel has recommended the government to raise the 40 bit encryption level to 256 bits . Snooping through people’s conversations has been an issue in countries like the US as well, but their government hasn’t really tried to ban any such service. Of course this is because most of these services are based in the US and are required to comply with laws set by the US government. For instance dropbox , to comply with laws had recently modified their terms and conditions to indicate that they may allow security agencies to view the files of a user if required. With increasing importance of the cloud the government will surely have to make some hard decisions on the operation of such services in India. What’s your take on the encryption keys for business and services? Tell Us Looking For A Social Media Agency?? – Contact WATConsult – India’s Leading Social Media Agency Related Posts After BlackBerry, Others Could Come Under Security Scanner Nokia Installs Server In India,Will Blackberry Face More Pressure? Blackberry Gets Reprieve, Google And Skype In Danger Zone. RIM Get Another Deadline From Indian Government – For Security? Blackberry Playbook To Arrive In India This Month

Tagged as: bbm, blackberry, companies, government, intelligence, month, news, nokia, research in motion, skype

0 comments Read the full article →