Reply to: Gadgets used for contacting the family when contracting away

[BoredBloke]

I have a worldsim in an old handset. Basically I get charged a 39p one off cost for the first call it gets that day - all the other incomming calls are free to me. It's a sim registered in jersey so I don't think it gets included on the free minutes cost for those ringing you.

[FiveTimes]

You need two (free) accounts.

Cheers

Will try this at the weekend

[TheFaQQer]

Whilst we have wandered onto skype - If I wanted to make skype (netbook) to home PC calls - I assume I need 2 separate accounts ?

Or can I call myself ?

You need two (free) accounts.

[FiveTimes]

Whilst we have wandered onto skype - If I wanted to make skype (netbook) to home PC calls - I assume I need 2 separate accounts ?

Or can I call myself ?

[TheFaQQer]

ahh that'd be the problem with hastily reading the OP and wanting to be helpful but also quick in replying so i can get to bed.. my bad, cheers faqqer, still useful advice IMO for those working away. I've been surprised by the number of contractors who didn't know it.

If all you are after is the Skype calling, 3 are doing free skype to skype calls. I bought a SIM card from poundland and put it in my old 3 phone (£20 a few years back when it was new) so I can call my other old 3 phone for free.

[conned tractor]

Handy thread this. All set to start a gig darn sarf within the next week or so. I intend to use my Laptop (Samsung R520) with built in webcam and mic to Skype to home in the evening. Previous gigs away, I've relied on mobile phones but I guessed it was time to get a bit more up to date with my practices.

Hi Fred, we are both due to start contracts shortly, both are down south, if my memory sereves me correctly you are in process engineering and my contract will involve some process modelling/control. It's a long shot but I wonder if we are going to the same client as I know they are taking a few on to deal with a new phase of design for their products.

[conned tractor]

.... and just log in while you sit watch a movie and wait for the call.
HTH

Chef / aka Uncle Travelling Mac

What sort of movie chef?

And where do you get them from?

[Fred Bloggs]

Useful post, Chef. Ta.

[conned tractor]

Cheers chef. Although the post is not specifically what I'm after, I'm sure it may be of use to others who read this thread looking for alternative contact methods who were not aware of this method. In fact my younger brother only told me about what you mention today.

[chef]

because the OP wants video calling.

ahh that'd be the problem with hastily reading the OP and wanting to be helpful but also quick in replying so i can get to bed.. my bad, cheers faqqer, still useful advice IMO for those working away. I've been surprised by the number of contractors who didn't know it.

[TheFaQQer]

I'm surprised nobody has suggested a Skype Phone for those working abroad with broadband access but no international call plan.

because the OP wants video calling.

[chef]

I'm surprised nobody has suggested a Skype Phone for those working abroad with broadband access but no international call plan. Buy skype phone for home, Connect skype phone to router (obviously ensuring ruter is on), call skype phone via skype from laptop and hey presto, free call from anywhere on the planet. Obviously you'd have to get a decent skype phone that connects direct to router and doesnt require to be connected to a pc that's on but last time i looked they were circa £70/£80, plugs into the router the same as your phone plugs into the phone socket.

Another alternative, if you're with Vodafone look into "Vodafone Passport", it essentially allows you to use your free minutes to call european landlines and the cost comes at 75p per call and the call length in mins is taken off your free mins allowance. vodafone passport is free to all vodafone customers just call and ask to switch it on. check or ask the exact terms as i can't remember and it's late.

Another alternative is to have skype and buy a skype In number equal to a local rate number near your home.. i.e Manchester is 0161 so get a skype in number of 0161 .... ... and use that for your laptop skype account, then the other half at home uses your free evenings and weekends part of your BT package to call a local rate numebr (i.e your skype 0161 number) which calls your skype on your laptop. That way the other half doesnt have to get used to a new phone and "all this technology", they also get to call you rather than sit and wait for you to call them and you don't get a huge bill, simply say I'll be at the hotel for 9pm each night call me anytime after on my laptop's phone number 0161 ... .... and just log in while you sit watch a movie and wait for the call. Skype account free, skype in number something like £10/£12 last time i looked, that might be per annum.

Finally, spend a bit more money on a laptop webcam that comes with a microphone, that way you dont have to have some 80's microphone positioned near you, simply clip the laptop webcam to the top of the laptop, plu gin the usb and the microphone is good enough to pick up the audio. Assuming you dont have a inbuilt laptop webcam that is. had a linksys or logitech one in the past i think, was v impressed.

If you want more details send me a PM, again it's late and i can't be bothered to search right now, early start tomorrow.

HTH

Chef / aka Uncle Travelling Mac

[Fred Bloggs]

Handy thread this. All set to start a gig darn sarf within the next week or so. I intend to use my Laptop (Samsung R520) with built in webcam and mic to Skype to home in the evening. Previous gigs away, I've relied on mobile phones but I guessed it was time to get a bit more up to date with my practices.

[darmstadt]

A while ago I bough an ASUS F9S for while I'm away and didn't really want to carry the Thinkpad. It does all the multimedia stuff that I want, has a webcam and is still okay to run decent applications. It was running Vista but I've now installed Linux Mint 8 on it and it still does everything I want and some it does better.

[Clippy]

Would suggest looking into the new CULV based laptops that are now available such as the Dell Vostro V13.

Mmmm, that Dell V13 looks quite good. I've always been into smaller laptops and have had my eye on the Toshiba R600 since it was the R500 and never found my pockets to be deep enough but that does look like a good poor mans (me) alternative. May consider this option to change my laptop and leave her my old one. (Dell XPS M1330).

Just a note (of caution) - CULV based laptops sit between netbooks and 'fully fledged' laptops so, IMHO, I would not use it as a main laptop as there is a compromise in features to get them so thin - fewer external ports, no internal DVD drive etc.

If you do fancy a (Toshiba) one, why not check out Satellite T130?