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Skype was like this long before Microsoft. Fring supported video calls to Skype clients for several months, then Skype blocked it: http://blog.fring.com/en/?p=2322

Seriously, if Microsoft destroys Skype, what will we use? Someone below mentioned Fring.

Fring [ http://www.fring.com/ ] looks interesting, although it only works on mobile platforms right now.

Fring has had video calling support for Symbian/Android for over a year now.

Two reactions to your plan:

1. Yes, you can definitely do it, but no, you will probably not be happy with the quality. As of the last time I looked at Asterisk, a finer-grained real time clock was required for optimal performance. That could either be via the Digium hardware (which you wouldn't have on a VPS) or a RTC/ztdummy/?? module compiled into the kernel, which you most likely don't control.
2. Congratulations. You just reinvented fring.

I absolutely point-blank refuse to use Skype for exactly that reason.

So, what's a good VoIP client for Android? I have a legacy Gizmo SIP account I use with my Linux desktop.

I'm aware of IMSdroid, SIPdroid, Linphone and Fring, but I haven't seen anyone do a good comparative review.

Fring's press release only *claims* that Skype blocked Fring (probably through the legal system, but in that case they should have been more clear with that). We do not see any actual C&D to remove any functionality whatsoever. (If you do find one, let me know.)

Skype's position clearly states otherwise.

"In this case, however, there is no truth to Fring’s claims that Skype has blocked it. Fring made the decision to remove Skype functionality on its own."

It's one company's word against another, yes, but since Fring is the accuser, it is in their burden to prove what they are saying. Let's see the legal documents, not a flowery press release (one that suspiciously advertises their own service as an alternative). If Fring doesn't provide that, it just reinforces the possibility that they are lying, as Skype has already shown that there is a clear motive for them to drop Skype support.

Except that, if *you* understood what you read, "Skype cut them off entirely" is NOT a "fact" as you so claim -- it is an unproven accusation, one that Skype totally rejects.

And Skype's rejection has a much stronger basis -- it is provably true that they reduced the support to Skype; Fring admits it themselves in their own blog. What's Fring's basis for their accusation? Nothing but a few press releases with no technical facts proving that the block exists at all.

Frankly, it leads more credence to the likelihood that Fring INTENTIONALLY decided to remove one of their biggest features, pissed off their users (by accident), and NOW blaming it on Skype in an effort to save their faces. Rather unprofessionally, too -- who calls a company they are piggybacking on "cowards"?

Except that, if *you* understood what you read, "Skype cut them off entirely" is NOT a "fact" as you so claim -- it is an unproven accusation, one that Skype totally rejects.

And Skype's rejection has a much stronger basis -- it is provably true that they reduced the support to Skype; Fring admits it themselves in their own blog. What's Fring's basis for their accusation? Nothing but a few press releases with no technical facts proving that the block exists at all.

Frankly, it leads more credence to the likelihood that Fring INTENTIONALLY decided to remove one of their biggest features, pissed off their users (by accident), and NOW blaming it on Skype in an effort to save their faces. Rather unprofessionally, too -- who calls a company they are piggybacking on "cowards"?

EXACTLY! Use common sense!

This is Fring's blog post that Skype has posted in their response, which many apparently have not read:

http://www.fring.com/blog/?p=2303

And since people still don't bother clicking links:

As even more fringsters video call their friends on Android, Nokia and iPhones, we have seen some network ’stress’ (as the techies are telling me). So to free up capacity for more the fring-to-fring video calling, we are temporarily reducing support to 3rd –party Skype. Thanks for your patience.

Tell me NOW, is Skype sabotaging them and lying about it by merely linking to Fring's OWN blog announcements? :D

I'm going to side with Skype for no other reason than Fring is acting like a petulant and spoiled child.

As you say, Fring has been making use of Skype's APIs for some time (their blog post says 4 years), and as soon as something goes wrong, they turn around and say this? It's juvenile. The header image speaks volumes, and the document they link to that they claim is Skype "championing the cause of openness" in order to try and make them look hypocritical is a "Petition to Confirm A Consumer's Right to Use Internet Communications Software and Attach Devices to Wireless Networks", which isn't related.

Another vote for the Nokia (in my case E71). I wouldn't use the mobile Skype app as last time I checked they charged for pure VoIP calls. However you can use any SIP provider and there are numerous VoIP apps. Fring is worth checking out, does things like Skype, MSN Messenger, ICQ, Google Talk, SIP and Twitter all in one go. I used to use Gizmo5 until it was bought out by Google and they withdrew it from the public. Truphone is also not bad, but voice calls only.

Phillip.

You want free videoconferencing on your forward-camera phone? Use Fring - I'm using it on my EVO on travel, and I'm Skype videoconferencing our offices just with my phone.

http://www.fring.com/fring_is/what_is_fring/

It's too simple:

1. Create Fring account

2. Attach Fring to whatever xport you want. I don't have any special skype app installed, I just told Fring that I wanted to use Skype and AIM, logged in to each and I was good to go.

Won't support video or audio thru AIM, so I'm SOL for my iChat only friends - but Skype - works great.

Me, for one.

I've been using mobile videoconferencing since yesterday. I'm on travel with my EVO and Skype videoconferencing our various offices while on travel, without looking for a hotspot or pulling out my laptop.

http://www.fring.com/fring_is/what_is_fring/

They are already facing some serious time in court over the hoopla with VOI>P and it is only going to get more ugly before the Feds step in and regulate them.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/06/atandt-now-allowing-iphone-voip-calls-over-3g/

http://www.skype.com/download/skype/iphone/
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/185433/vonage_offers_unlimited_intl_calling_for_iphone_blackberry.html
http://www.truphone.com/applications/devices/iphone/
http://www.fring.com/default.php

Fring / Skype / etc. can pop up a dialog when you get a call or SMS as long as you enable Push notifications.
As of last July for Fring
and September for Skype.

They already have VOIP apps for the iPhone / iPod Touch:

TruPhone and Fring

iPod Touch doesn't have a microphone, so unless you get a bluetooth or peripheral one it doesn't make a great phone.

Google Voice by itself isn't a VoIP system, but Google Voice + Gizmo5 + Fring is. And it works now.

It has nothing to do with Java....

Any running application is going to draw power, if it is indeed running

I have Fring, a convergence application it is a pure Symbian application but I end up not using it because i drains the battery a lot

I made a skype-out call from the G1 over my wifi network today. Try that with an iPhone. Granted, it's a phone, so sure, what's the point. But it's good to know that even if I terminate my cell plan, the phone isn't a useless brick.

Yeah, I thought using VoIP on my iPhone was pretty cool back when I tried it last year.

Of course now there are several official apps that can do this, like fring (which supports SkypeOut, Gizmo, and other SIP providers, and (soon) iCall, which can switch to VoIP. If you're still on 1.1.x (like I am), you can use siphon with pretty much any SIP provider.

It's good to know that if I had a plan and then terminated it, the phone wouldn't be a useless brick.

On the useless but cool front - I made a skype-out call from the G1 over my wifi network today. Try that with an iPhone.

You can do that with an iPhone too. See fring for more details.

I made a skype-out call from the G1 over my wifi network today. Try that with an iPhone.

Actually, there's a great free iPhone app called Fring that supports VOIP over WiFi using Skype, MSN Messenger, ICQ, Google Talk, and several SIP services.

I happen to be using Skype, and various IM apps over the 3G network with my Nokia. The integrity of the mobile networks seems to hold up pretty well in spite of this.

Well if Apple SDK disallows magnificent apps like Fring...

I am completely against buying an iPhone to jailbreak it but if you are interested, here is Fring page
http://www.fring.com/download/iphone/

Note, they don't even provide jailbreaking details since it is officially illegal and unsupported.

I gave up trying to educate iPhone owners and potential iPhone buyers myself.

Just to mention: Skype is available on the Nokia N95 and other Symbian models using Fring.

Nokia gives out S60 SDK freely: http://forum.nokia.com/. Nokia S60 phones can be programmed with C++, Java or Python.

Nokia N95 supports standard SIP VoIP natively (with Gizmo http://www.gizmoproject.com/, for example). Using Skype/Google Talk/MSN is possible too with fring: http://www.fring.com/

See my other comment http://hardware.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=23500 1&cid=19176363 for more details.

Do you realise that the hardware in this phone is identical to the Nokia E61?

The major difference between these two models (apart from the frequencies and those things) is that the WLAN (802.11g) support is disabled on the E62. I'll let you speculate why that is.

I have an E61. I also have an unlimited 3G data plan with my provider. I can use Fring to make Skype voice calls over the data connection, either using 3G or WLAN.

Now, ask yourself the following: Why is this impossible to do in the US, when it's possible in most of the rest of the world?

http://www.fring.com/

Skype / Google talk client for symbian

free as in beer