Slashdot Mirror
Verizon To Allow Skype Calling On Its Network
The Verizon press release begins: "At the 2010 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Verizon Wireless and Skype today announced a strategic relationship that will bring Skype to Verizon Wireless smartphones in March." What used to be one of the most protective carriers anywhere has been opening up in major ways since the introduction of the Motorola Droid. Phandroid summarizes: "Starting next month, Verizon Smartphone users with data plans will enjoy free and unlimited Skype-to-Skype calls to anyone on the planet. And you’ll enjoy amazingly cheap Skype International calls as well. All this from Verizon Wireless’ 3G network." Some are wondering how the DoJ and law enforcement will react to a major upsurge in fully encrypted traffic.
fully encrypted, hahaha. yeah right.
enefesdi bhootparamdi
if a thing is worth doing at all, it's worth doing right. -- H.S. Thompson
More and more people are purchasing data plans. And it sure seems like every major network is pushing to move as many users to an unlimited plan as possible. Where many people used to have service in the $30-$40 range, more and more people seem to be paying closer to $100 (pre-tax) for cell service.
Why complain about people using data when data plans are so profitable? And does it matter if they're not using minutes if they pay for an unlimited plan anyway?
http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
From gizmodo.com: However, it appears the service is pretty gimped as you can't call Skype out to regular lines domestically in order to save minutes. Even on AT&T (of all carriers), the fring iPhone app allows Skype-out calling (even though the Skype app still technically does not). When Verizon allows domestic Skype-out, we'll celebrate in full.
Is translated to "some are wondering"? Seriously, who is Christopher Soghoian and when did he become a bellweather?
1. If Verizon's network can really handle the load and if those "Verizon is so much better than At&T" ads are really true
2. What way the will find to milk the money they will loose from voice plans, perhaps we will see the appearance of a Skype add-on for mobile plans.
In the US at least CALEA requires carriers to allow lawful intercepts by law enforcement agencies of its phone networks. Skype has avoided running afoul of this since their Skype-Skype calls are really computer communications and not telephone communications. And Skype-out and Skype-in calls could be tapped at the POTS endpoint. But if Skype-Skype calls can be made on phones rather than computers now, then CALEA would probably apply, and Skype would have to modify their protocols to allow access to law enforcement. IANAL, so perhaps some lawyers could provide some insight here.
If I can be modded down for being a troll, can I be modded up for being an orc, or a balrog?
Some are wondering how the DoJ and law enforcement will react to a major upsurge in fully encrypted traffic.
Place a large order for Post-it notes?
encryption only works if the bad guys don't have the keys
This sounds like it's going to be essentially the same service that 3 mobile have been offering in the UK for a few years now. The Skype calls are handled through a gateway at the carrier. Between the carrier and the handset they function the same as a regular voice call (so they're nice and tappable).
"The dew has clearly fallen with a particularly sickening thud this morning"
Well done, sir. I had forgotten about that one...
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW???
How much total latency will this add? hundreds of milliseconds?
So Verizon is allowing me to do something that I could already do? I've had Skype on my Winmo smart-ish phone for awhile.
Don't take life so seriously. No one makes it out alive.
Some are wondering how the DoJ and law enforcement will react to a major upsurge in fully encrypted traffic.
Why would they care, they have a backdoor into skype.
1984 was not supposed to be an instruction manual.
I haven't tried it on my Android yet, but do they make attempts to block those calls?
is that you will need to use a Verizon-supplied (or authorised) client.
The client will either not use encryption or will have some sort of back door.
If Verizon is now Skype-friendly, then the next thing I want to see is for them to allow Skype calls from their FiOS set-top boxes. These boxes have USB ports and are already connected to the Internet. It would be a great way for Verizon to really stick it to those cable companies (whose anti-FiOS advertising has been getting downright nasty lately) -- imagine being able to just plug a $20 webcam into your set-top box and effortlessly videoconference with Skype users anywhere.
... a few weeks of development and you'd have a killer advantage.
C'mon Verizon, the infrastructure is already in place
Tired of FB/Google censorship? Visit UNCENSORED!
Specially since Skype are rather open about the fact they are ready to collaborate with governments if legally asked to.
Once again : the only *true* privacy/security is complete end-to-end (deniable) encryption where the encryption is under the control of the sender and the decryption under that of the receiver, and everything in between only transits in encrypted form.
Only opensource phones with publicly available and auditable source-code and that use ZRTP do qualify (like currently Twinkle. Probably Ekiga too at some point in future).
Being closed source and thus not auditable, Skype doesn't qualify as *under control of sender/receiver*, unless the data it self is already encrypted at the time it is fed into Skype.
(NOTE:
Off the Record plugin + Skype4pidgin plugin does exactly that on Pidgin/Adium with text messages : if both ends of a conversation have OtR running, the message will be encrypted before it is transmitted to Skype API - even if there's a backdoor inside Skype the only thing it sees would be already encrypted text. OtR works with other networks, given the proper plugin. But currently can't work with sound/video, because Skype only accept raw media that have to be compressed)
"Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
and I'm from the future. I've been running Skype for Windows Mobile on my Verizon HTC Touch Pro 2 for several months, now... Call my cell phone, or call my Skype number and the HTC rings.
Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
"Some[who?] are wondering..." Would it have killed you to state?
Cory Doctorow talking about cloud computing makes as much sense as George W Bush talking about electrical engineering.
My 3G cell connection has nasty latency (200ish pings generally) and made for a poor skype experience when tethered to my computer. Delays in voice calls are pretty obnoxious when accustomed to cell and landline connections - I don't see this as a viable competitor to cell minute usage even if Verizon allowed skype over 3G to US landlines.
Has anyone else had any contrary experience?
With glee, probably. Since Skype won't talk about how its protocols and software work, it's entirely possible that they have methods of monitoring all calls made on the network. (In fact, one Austrian official admitted that they have no problem intercepting Skype communications.) Even if the full encryption spec is published for cryptographic review and is found to be sturdy, the clients are closed-source, meaning they could simply wait for a specific kind of packet and switch the call into an unencrypted or poorly-encrypted mode for easy wiretapping.
for passing that on. I remember the demonstration on the boarding passes he did, but didn't remember the name. I had no idea that he was so notable. Might have been nice for the slashdot poster to say "One security expert is concerned" combined with a link to something more helpful than the twitter page of user "csoghoian".
I'd imagine European intelligence agencies have vast access to Skype calls. eBay's ownership might have opened things more for the NSA, but the company remains based in Europe.
I'd expect the NSA has access when they need it, but maybe that requires European cooperation. If so, I'd say this stands as testament to the decline of American soft power, and the damage that monopolies and copyright law are doing the U.S.'s innovative spirit.
I'd imagine that Bush's people would be perfectly happy outsourcing Skype related sigint, just a minor issue while Bush was gutting the U.S. intelligence establishment for disagreeing with his Iraq war.
The Christian religion has been and still is the principal enemy of moral progress in the world. -- Bertrand Russell
Nokia's N900 has supposedly the best skype and sip integration of any phone on the market. It's also the most open sourced mass market phone available. How hard would it be to implement these measures on the N900?
The Christian religion has been and still is the principal enemy of moral progress in the world. -- Bertrand Russell
It is always great to share the innovative ideas with others on our demand.That is the main way for the people to know about the good types of techniques to equip it. It will really gives the crucial moments for others to know about it. It is a great passion for the people to select the great categories of the stories on the requirements of using it.
Call me when I can upload my own ringtones to a Verizon phone.
Their ringtone store would be nice if it actually had songs that I wanted.
Moreover, I'm not going to pay $1-$5 for songs I already own.
Their wireless service is great where I live but their media platform is very locked-in. Absolutely no freedom to make use of my own media. Until that changes, I'll be sticking with a cheapo $50 phone and a music player.
Random Thoughts From A Diseased Mind (Not For Dummies)
It sure would be nice if you could only buy a data plan. Unfortunately, any I have seen seem to also want you to pay a minimum of $40/month for voice before they will connect you.
iPad plan is $15/month for 256mb (not a lot but enough for most when you consider you'll mostly use WiFi), $30/month for "unlimited" (AKA cell companies idea of unlimited, probably around 5GB).
That's without any contract. That seems like a good starting point for a home Skype pad.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
We are Borg^H^H^H^H Skype. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.
Might just be that Verizon figured out that resistance to voip calls is futile, and they'd better be on the smiling bunch than the grumpy one. Thumbs up for the brave move, let's see how the mobile competition responds to this. AT&T, are you there ? If you are - tough luck ;-)
I'd tell you the chances of this story being a dupe, but you wouldn't like it.
Let's compare apples with oranges here... You've read about Verizon (above)...
First, here's what we've heard about Skype in China:
We've heard that China "forbits" (vanilla) Skype (due to its encryption... Can anyone confirm?
(I once chatted via Skype to a Chinese civil servant, who seemed to have Skype running on
her Computer screen (I didn't ask her to show me all the menus, etc. to confirm, eg, that it
wasn't a dummy Skype image... could even have been a non-functioning look-alike, I guess).
Someone said a Chinese company has licensed Skype's source code, and creared a ver-
sion of Skype that includes a "handy" door for Chinese gov't communications monitors, &
that this Skype-compatible client must be used, instead of (vanilla) Skype. [ T or F? ]
- - -
Meanwhile, AU's '3' (now merged with Vodafone) have (a few years ago, already) intro'd the
earlier version of SkypePhone (GSM + Skype & a very prominent Skype key, where Nokia
places their Select key).
More recently, '3' has been offering unlimited Skype (voice + text messaging, but NOT video,
as was offered in the UK - with 2 versions of the SkypePhone, last time we checked... by
contrast, AU's Skype system is just voice or test), on you choice of compatible handset, for
about $8 OVER your monthly Plan or Cap (& usage) fees.
I've always wondered why kids at School or even Uni wouldn't buy up all the SkypePhones
they could find, eg, to connect kids in the same class, eg, for homework-help sessions,
a day or 2 before tests are given, eg, even if one of them were "grounded" at the time...
UK-only video Skype could be used to check-up on a baby (and/or baby-sitter...) from
anywhere they have 3 access... using "Auto-Answer" features & the built-in camera.
Today, some Radio Amateurs put their radios (Rx -or- Rx & Tx) on-line for others' use;
auto-Answering Skype clients send the audio (each way, if Tx is allowed by operator),
& a web application gives remote users control of the radio dial.
On a desktop, the audio quality is quite good (if Internet services at each end permit),
I haven't had much success with SkypePhone in non-CBD areas of some cities, eg,
due to coverage issues (in AU, mostly).
Another change (from the good ole introductory days), made by AU's 3,their recent
deal to work with the dreaded de facto Aussie monopoly - Telstra - to give 3 access
to Telstra's data network (not the Next G, AFAIK, which would likely require Next G
handsets and possibly Telstra's handset "software".
3's Skype deal (to its end-users) gets unduly costly, whenever they "fall-back" to
Telstra's data network (outside of 3's broadband network areas), to the tune of
~ $100 / GB used (counting both upward & downward data).
In addition to that, lots of modern CPUs have true hardware random number generators.
(In addition to what you mention, bigger notebook CPUs like VIA's can also use the noise of thermal sensors).
So, again, sorry no, randomness is not an issue.
"Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
- Encrypted text chat :
From what I've heard, the Maemo platform comes with Pidgin out-of-the box. Don't know about the plugins but they won't be difficult to get (specially as Skype4Pidgin is available pre-compiled for ARMs)
- Encrypted SIP :
Don't know if Maemo support ZRPT out of the box but wouldn't be surprised.
(There seem at least efforts trying to port ZPhone)
- Ecrypted Skype :
Like on the desktop, Skype on the Maemos is done with a proprietary binary. It can't be trusted it self, and it does the voice compression it self.
Thus, no way to inject already encrypted voice.
Though injecting encrypted messages should work with Pidgin.
"Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
OK, unlimited in Verizon English means only for the 1st 5GB of band width, then its 1 cent a megabyte there on, you do the math! an ex verizon employee
In general, I like the features of your application, but I really don't like seeing ugly people on my TV. Can you please make sure to have call display also send a visual mug shot of the caller to my TV before I answer? I'd really like to screen out the uglies. Thanks. And once again... love the app you made.
Sincerely, Your beta tester.
Honestly, if it's only law enforcement that can do it, why would you care? I don't want just anyone listening to my calls, but if it means that those wanting to do harm lose an easy and convenient way to have their communication intercepted then I'm fine with it.
Its the FCC that keeps it in business.
IF we had been given our first amendment right to put Radio Internet Routers on the roof Cellphone time would not be controlled by the people with there hands in our pockets.
Where do you go that there is not a roof top with in 5 miles. But if all the Radio bandwidth is sold to the "MAN" There is none left for "The People" remember the people?