Calling land lines and cell phones from Skype normally requires users to purchase Skype Credits and pay a per-minute rate that varies according to the destination. However, Skype has now launched a version of its SkypeOut service that offers unlimited calls for a yearly fee of $29.95. The service is restricted to users in the U.S. and Canada, but it allows calls to be made to both traditional land lines and cell phones in those two countries. To promote the new service, Skype will charge half the price ($14.95) for a one-year subscription from today until the end of January. Without the subscription, SkypeOut calls to and from the U.S. and Canada cost 2.1 cents a minute.
In related news, Skype has also released a new version of its flagship software. Skype 3.0 brings “Extras,” which allow users to play online board games or show off what songs they’re currently listening to, as well as “Public Chats,” which are voice chatrooms open to all Skype users. Skype 3.0 is available here.
where the hell is skype-in for Canada? eh?
Sweet! And with my new T-Mobile Dash with WiFi and the recently released Skype for Smartphones… I can make calls via skype rather than my cell provider anywhere there is WiFi.
I was going to do this too, until I broke down all the minutes and fees. It gets expensive with T-mobile.
Sadly skype on these phones sucks? §[<http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,2042686,00.asp<]§ and might be against your terms of service with cell... Wait for wimax, that will be the true use of skype/IP over the airg{<.<}g
Wow, cheap phone calls, expensive phone. No way I will let my son on the computer to talk to friends for hours on end and tie up MY machine. hehe. Of course I have about 5-6 years to wait until I have to worry about that.
I already am using Skype because it free until the end of the year.
That sounds like a sweet deal for 14 bucks!
Agreed, nice deal! I have been using it as a phone book manager and it has great call quality with my gaming headphone set. It’s fun to be fraggin’ and talking to my IRA manager 😀
yeah I found the quality much better than say using msn messenger.
Seconded, I use it when I’m at uni, I don’t have a phone there so.