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Skype

‘Skype’ is a useful and convenient way to speak or have a video conversation with friends and family. ‘Skype’ to ‘Skype’ calls are free. If you make calls to house phones using ‘Skype’, the cost is relatively low (‘pay as you go’ calls to USA or Australia at 1.6p/min) You may have bought your computer with ‘Skype’ software already loaded. If you not, it can be down loaded from the internet at http://www.skype.com/en/download-skype/skype-for-computer/ The software invites you to open an account. This does not require any payment. ‘Skype’ to ‘Skype’ calls can be made free of charge. You can transfer money to your Skype credit account later if you wish, in order to make calls to house or mobile phones. NB The next series of screen shots are taken whilst opening a ‘Skype’ account for my wife on her laptop. The screen view below is the first screen shown on the ‘Skype’ download website. You can create an account (or open an existing one, if you have one)

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Complete your personal details. This includes the name you wish to be identified by on ‘Skype’. It is advisable to give your name with a few numbers added at the end and to state the town where you live. When anyone searches for you, the search is world-wide and will include variations on your name including first and last names. Including your home town will help your friends find you and add you to their contacts list. Your password is a password specifically for ‘Skype’. This is one time that you will realise that your name is not unique! Sections marked with an asterisk are obligatory.

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On completion of the details, “your account is ready” to down load. Click on the green panel.

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Once the software is down loaded, you are invited to sign in. Use your ‘Skype’ name and ‘Skype’ password.

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NB the following screens are taken from my computer which already has contacts saved. When you have an account established, the following screen will display after you have started the ‘Skye’ software.

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The first screen on ‘signing in’ is shown below. This also shows your profile. There are a series of drop down menus. The

programme offers a wide range of options on privacy, selectivity on receiving calls, being notified about calls, re-directing calls,

video settings etc. It is probably advisable to use the programme with the standard settings initially, until you get used to it, and

explore the options later. Many of the settings will not normally require attention once set up, and several are automatically

adjusted. They are described individually below.

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The following three drop down menus show; ‘Skype’. Contacts Conversation

Gives access to your on line status, profile, account and password, via sub menus.

Enables you to Add contacts, Group calls etc.

Enables a range of options in conversations.

Call View Help Tools Enables options in voice and video calls

Enables options in viewing call records

Enables help/feedback on call quality

Offers a range of tools displayed below

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Skype – Online status Skype – Profile Options Skype- Profile Enables options for your online status. A relavent Icon will display on callers screens

Enables taking your profile picture and stating your profile details

Enables you you to take a profile photo of yourself or an image if your wish to dislay a photo.

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Skype Skype

Privacy; Provides a range of personal settings. The list shown on the left-hand panel opens further options, available as sub menus.

Account; Provides current credit status details. Click on Buy more credit for house phone calls.

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Skype – Buy Credit Skype – Change Password

This panel enables credit cards payment Enter the password details as required below

The sign out and close options,(shown on the main Skype pop up list) do exactly that.

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Contacts Contacts

Add Contact; Enables a search on the Skype directory for names or phone numbers via two sub menus.

Search Directory; Typing in the required name, will start search for your contact, and display several variations on the name. Clicking on the correct name will send a call.

To Find a new contact, type in the name as above. If the person exists in the directory, but is not in your contacts list, you send a request to add them as a contact and wait their relpy, next time they have ‘Skype’ operating. Import a contact, takes you on to a request for a facebook email address of the person you wish to import.

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Contact Contact

Create a group; Drag the names from the main contact list on left to the right-hand panel (3 contacts placed there at present)

Sort the list by alphabetic name

In the Call drop down menu, the titles that are greyed out, only become active when a call is about to be made. If you have highlighted a name from the directory the name then details will appears on the panel to the right of the screen. You can then click on Call and the software will initate a call to the selected name. Left Clicking on call Phones will display the key pad, if the name and phone numbers is not in your contact list. The correct Country must be selected (click on the flag iocn and select from list) before making a call. This selects the international dialing code. Your key pad enty is for the local country number only. The panel is referred to as cell phone however any house number can be entered.

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Making a Test call

In the list of contacts there is the Echo / Sound Test Service. If you left click on it, the panel on the right half of it will display the Echo Sound Test Service showing the status as being on line. (This means that it is active to receive a call). Left click on call and follow the instructions from the automated answering service.

The screen below is shown during the automated answering test service.

If you left clcik on a telephone contact from your contact list the name will appear on the right handside as in the skype test service. Click on Call to make the call.

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Left clicking on Audio Settings and then left clicking, one at a time on sounds, video settings and Privacy, give access to a range of Options associated with sound and whether calls can be made or accepted.

Call – Audio Settings Call - Quality Displays general Options panel with the Audio Settings sub menu displayed

Offers suggestions to improve quality of Calls

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Making a Call

To make a call to someone in your contact list, place your cursor over the name and double click, this will display the person’s detail on the right of the screen. I have chosen a name on my list for whom I have a phone number. To call them click on the green Call Phone icon.

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The scree below shows the call being made from me to the recipient. The icons displayed include microphone control, add people to this call (the + icon) and end call icon (red phone).

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This is a video call to an existing contact The panel displays the person’s name and their current status is ‘Online’. If you have a ‘Skype’ contact for them, click on the green Video Call icon.

I am unable to show the screens displayed while making a video call and while connected. There are icons for switching the video

camera on/off, showing a small image of what is displayed to the recipient, an on/off control for a microphone and a disconnect call

icon.

Alan Paul

February 2013