Jamie's Random Musings on Video IM
Having spent a good part of the last year struggling with a variety of video chat and IM programs, I have decided to write a few things down and see what other people have to say about them.
Saturday 29 December 2007, 3:05 PM
Traveling - Last Comments and Wrap-Up
I have completed the trip in Florida now. Here are a few more interesting "discoveries" and comments from the last couple of days, and a wrap-up of the whole thing.
I tried the Swisscom Unlimited Data Card (cellular data card) everywhere that I went, and a few times between places, and I never got anything better than an EDGE connection. Since Andy Abramson said that he has gotten HSDPA in the U.S., I assume this just means that HSDPA (and UMTS) is dependent on the region you are in and the provider you are using.
I got a relatively pleasant surprise the last time that I used the Unlimited Data Card, with an EDGE connection. I found that I was able to use Gizmo (audio only), although the delay was very noticeable, it worked well enough that I could carry on a conversation with my brothers over it.
I continued to be pleased with Gizmo Out calls. I put $10 credit on my account (and got $3 bonus because of a promotion), and I used it for basically all of the telephone calls that I needed to make - to both fixed-line and mobile numbers, in both the U.S. and Switzerland. The call quality was consistently good, and I had no connection problems. Not only is the price WAY lower than using my Swiss cell phone (and thus paying roaming fees and the like), it was also often much less expensive than paying the hotel local call fee of 50 cents or a dollar per call. After traveling for 10 days and using Gizmo Out numerous times, I still have $12.03 credit!
I continue to be disgusted with Skype. My brother tried to call me on my Swiss cell phone using SkypeOut, and we never got a decent connection. In several tries, we either got no audio at all from his side, or I could just barely hear him. But that didn't stop them from charging his account - it appeared that he was paying about 40 cents a minute to call me! We finally gave up and I tried Gizmo over an EDGE connection, expecting that it wouldn't work, and it did - so obviously there was no problem on his computer. Of course, we could have tried to contact Skype's so-called "Customer Support", but by the time they answered, in a minimum of FOUR DAYS, the trip would have been over and we would both be back home again.
I picked up an iGo universal charging unit at Radio Shack. The model I got will run from wall socket power (110v/220v) or auto/air power (12v), and it puts out power suitable for Laptops, cell phones, and lots of other portable devices. The "tips" on both the input and output cords can be changed, so the original U.S. wall plug that came with it can be changed for a Swiss, European or whatever wall plug, and it comes with an array of output tips that fit most common laptops and a variety of other portable devices. Additional tips for other devices are also available. I tested it with both of my laptops, in the hotel and in the car, and it worked just fine. This one adapter will replace at least three other adapters that I had to carry until now.
Last, but certainly not least, this new laptop is absolutely spectacular! Everything I have loaded worked, except Skype (and that was not a surprise). The built-in camera and microphone continue to impress me. The only "problem" so far has been that because the camera is built-in, so it is always there, you can't just look over and see right away if a camera is plugged in or not, and it doesn't give any indication when it is on, unlike the Logitech cameras with their activity led, it can lead to some amount of paranoia about whether the camera is on or not, especially when I am using audio-only chat with either Gizmo or SightSpeed.
Oh, and as I had already started to realize with the previous Lifebook, having the built-in flash memory slot for SD/MS cards is really nice when you are traveling and want to quickly dump the pictures from a camera to the laptop. Not only easier and faster than using a USB cable to connect the camera to the computer, it also saves a lot of camera battery power.
jw 29/12/2007
Thursday 27 December 2007, 1:15 PM
Laptop Review - Fujitsu Lifebook S6510
I have been using this new laptop for about a week now, and I am very pleased with it. There have been a couple of minor irritants, as is always the case with a new computer, but overall I don't think it could have been much better. While it looks and feels similar to my two previous Lifebook laptops (S2110 and S6120), the difference is enormous.
First, here is the configuration:
- Intel Core 2 Duo T7500, 2.2 GHz
- 2 GB memory
- 1 GB Intel Turbo Memory (flash)
- 120 GB Serial ATA disk
- 14.1" display, Intel X3100 graphic controller
- Intel Wireless WiFi 4965AGN
- Integrated 1.3 MPixel webcam (Logitech)
- Integrated microphone and speakers
- Integrated 56k modem
- Integrated 10/100/1000 Ethernet
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- Windows Vista Business 32-bit
There's a lot more, of course, but those are the high points.
Although the system came preloaded with Windows Vista Business, the recovery media included both Vista and XP Pro disks, and there was a page included titled "Downgrade Rights for Microsoft Windows Vista Business" which states that the owner has the right to downgrade from Vista to XP Pro or XP Tablet PC. I think that is a rather sad
commentary on the state of Windows Vista in the market today. Although I did choose to go back to XP on my other Lifebook, so far I have not wanted or needed to do so on this one. The combination of much more processing power and newer Vista-compatible components and peripherals (such as the Realtek audio system instead of the SigmaTel audio), seem to make it much more pleasant and stable.
The Windows Experience Index is 3.4, which is quite good, especially for a laptop. Not only is this important for running the Vista Aero user interface, but some other software and peripherals, such as the latest Logitech Webcams, require WEI of at least 3.0.
I've read a couple of times that Fujitsu "squeezed" in a 14.1" display instead of the 13.3" in previous S-series models, but in comparing the size of this new laptop to my S2110 and S6120, the case is about an inch wider. The frame of the lid around the screen in this one is also about half the width that it was in the older models, so I guess they "squeezed" in the larger display by making the case slightly larger and the frame slightly smaller. In any case, the display is gorgeous, and the 1200x800 resolution, instead of the 1024x768 in the prevous models, is very nice.
The keyboard and touchpad are the same that I have become used to in my previous Lifebook S-series laptops, with perhaps a bit more textured surface than before. So far the touchpad has been one of the few problem areas for me - I can't figure out how to disable "tapping" on the touchpad, and I hate that, it drives me crazy by reading mouse taps when I don't want it to! I've just been on with Fujitsu Support Chat, and they confirmed that there is no way to disable tapping on this model. Grrr. I'm going to have to start carrying a laptop mouse with me. Sigh.
Wait! After a lot more digging around, downloading an updated driver from the Synaptics web page, and still not being able to disable tapping, I finally stumbled across the solution. In the touchpad properties, window, on the "Device Settings" tab, click the "Settings" button, then a new "Properties for Synaptics Touchpad" window comes up, then on the left side of that click "Tapping", and you finally get to "Disable Tapping". Whew! I wonder if they could have made that a little more obscure...
The fingerprint reader is a wonderful addition. I've never used one before, so I was a bit concerned that I would have trouble getting it set up and working, but it was really simple. The OmniPass software included with the Lifebook walked me through activating the fingerprint reader with my Windows account, and registering two fingers to control it. Now, whenever I boot, resume, or otherwise need to log in, I just swipe my finger on it, and I'm in. I have been working in the security business for many years, and I know that getting fingerprint scanning right, reliable and consistent is not easy. They seem to have done a good job of it - I'm getting about a 90% accurate read rate. I'm a little disappointed that you have to give up the mouse scroll buttons to get the fingerprint reader, but if I have to choose, I would now choose the fingerprint every time.
I have been through the usual cycle of looking for driver updates, first from Fujitsu and then from the suppliers of the individual components. The trick is that especially with laptops, the components and their drivers may have been modified by the computer manufacturer, so the "generic" drivers from the individual suppliers might not work properly, or might omit some features or capabilities that Fujitsu added. I was able to update the Intel WiFi, Realtek Audio and Synaptics Touchpad drivers, but the Logitech webcam and Intel 965 chipset drivers would not install.
The first applications I loaded were SightSpeed and the Gizmo project (I also tried to load Skype, but it failed miserably, as is often the case). The integrated speakers, microphone and webcam work very well with those programs - so well that I might have to reconsider my policy of advising using a headset/microphone rather than laptop built-in devices. The headset is still superior, of course, but the difference is not so great with this laptop, so if you are traveling and want to keep the bulk and weight that you are dragging along down, you could probably get by with the built-ins on this laptop.
So I am now running on the new S6510, with mostly current drivers, and the minimum applications and utilities that I need. I will be using this as my primary computer now, and I'll get the rest of my software loaded over the next few days. I'll write more about the laptop, the operating system, and loading and using the software soon.
jw 27/12/2007
Wednesday 26 December 2007, 8:30 PM
VoIP Dial-Out to POTS (PSTN) - SightSpeed, Gizmo and Skype
As I have been traveling, it has become obvious that paying the roaming fees charged by my Swiss cellular provider to make calls was a silly, and expensive, waste of money. The obvious solution was to put some money on a dial-out service of one of my audio IM accounts. This gave me a first opportunity to test these services, as well.
The Gizmo Project actually gives you 10 cents dial-out credit when you open an account with them, so that you can try out the service. What a good idea that turned out to be! Although I am always a bit cautious about such "free offers", I could find no tricks or strings attached, so I tried it first. It was as easy as could be, just enter the number you want to dial (including country code, of course) click the green phone button, and off you go. Of course, if you are calling a contact who has registered their phone number, it is even easier. I called Switzerland from Florida, and talked for several minutes, then called my brother's U.S. cell phone and talked again for several minutes before the 10 cents ran out and the call was cut off. Good audio quality in both cases.
I have a personal preference for SightSpeed at the moment, so I wanted to test their dial-out capability as well. No "freebies" there that I could find, so I needed to put some credit onto my account. That turned out to be a problem, because I couldn't figure out how to get it to take my credit card with a Swiss billing address. It seemed to be insisting on a U.S. billing Zip code for the credit card. I was probably doing something silly wrong, but as I am on vacation at the moment, and would prefer to be spending the time with my partner rather than sitting in front of the computer, I abandoned this until after I get back home. I intend to sign up for a "Plus" account so that I can test multi-party video anyway, so I'll figure out how to get them to take my credit card then.
I also considered trying to use SkypeOut. I have seen something about a "first call is on us" offer on their web page, but I couldn't find anything about this in my account. Perhaps I have been a member too long and the offer is no longer valid for me. After wandering in their web pages for a long time, looking for that, reading about Skype Credit, Skype Pro, and other related calling plans, I ended up more confused than when I had started. I finally gave up in disgust, as usual with Skype. Sometimes I don't know why I even keep trying them.
One other note about calling on Gizmo. They have an offer called "All Calls Free" (they abbreviate it as ACF). I read about this last week before leaving home, but honestly I couldn't figure out all of the details about it. It seems that if you meet some set of requirements, you can make all of your calls to other Gizmo users for free - not only PC-to-PC calls, but also calls to their land line and cell phones in most cases. The conditions seemed rather elaborate and confusing to me, and I thought that they included having Gizmo installed on a mobile device or smart cell phone, so I didn't think much more about it. But after adding the dial-out credit to my account, I noticed that ACF was active on my account, so I have obviously met the conditions somehow. I'll look into this more.
jw 26/12/2007
Saturday 22 December 2007, 2:07 AM
New Laptop - Fujitsu Lifebook S6150 - First Impression
I am typing this blog entry on a brand new laptop, a Fujitsu Lifebook S6150, which I picked up yesterday. This will be "first impressions", and I will write a more complete review over the weekend.
First Impression - WOW! I haven't been this impressed with a new laptop in quite some time. I've been a loyal Lifebook customer for quite some time now - at least my last five laptops have been Lifebooks. They have all been solid, well designed, well built and well supported. Even against that good record, though, this one really seems to stand out.
The best part is certainly the 14" display, with 1200x800 resolution. It has a lot more than that going for it, though - Intel Core 2 Duo CPU (mine is 2.2 GHz), 2 Gb memory, and mine also has 1 Gb Intel Turbo Memory, and came preloaded with Windows Vista Business. It will be interesting to see how Vista on this one compares to my struggles with Vista on the S2110.
One thing that I noticed, and appreciated, is that all of the connections have been moved from the back to the sides of the laptop. It is SO much easier to connect things when you just have to look at the side of the computer, rather than leaning over the screen and practically standing on your head to see what you are doing. There are plenty of connections, too - three USB ports, rather than the usual two, an IEEE1394 (FireWire), SD/MS media slot, PCMCIA, ethernet, modem and 802.11b/g/n wireless.
So far setup and software installation has been smooth and easy. I have installed and tested Gizmo, which went without a hitch and the audio quality was just fine using the built-in microphone and speakers. I have also installed SightSpeed, and it worked perfectly the first try as well, using the built-in microphone, speakers and webcam! I got the usual first-time warning from SightSpeed about the webcam not being one they had tested, and as usual it worked perfectly. I also tried to install Skype, and it was a dismal failure. First it had trouble with the Realtek audio, and after I had spent far too much time fighting with that, it also had a problem with the built-in webcam - I got a black box where the local video preview should have been. I really don't understand why Skype still has this much trouble when the others install without a hitch, but since I don't have FOUR DAYS to wait for a reply, I'm not going to bother trying to report it to Skypw Support. I'll give it another try tomorrow, when I have more time and my patience has been restored.
I've also started installing the usual utilities and applications, but I have quite a way to go with that yet. I'll write a more complete review once I have most of those installed, and I've had more time to test and really get a feel for it.
Thursday 20 December 2007, 2:35 AM
Audio and Video IM on the Road
I've been traveling in Florida for a couple of days now (my home is in Switzerland), and I have been experimenting with audio and video IM in various places and circumstances while traveling. The results are almost all good.
First, internet access seems to be basically universal at least in mid-scale hotels and upward. The majority of those have wireless (WiFi) access, often free. The best equipped so far was the Hilton that we stayed in the first night, which had both wireless and wired access, both free, with an Rj-45 jack and power outlets on the wall beside the desk, just above the level of the desk top. This is such a nice change from the days when I used to have to go around the room looking behind the furniture and under the bed for a free power socket, not to mention the times that I actually had to disassemble the phone plug on the wall! The quality of the internet connection seems to be consistently good, too. I've had a Gizmo audio chat with my brother in Atlanta from each place that we have stopped so far, and it has worked very well. This evening I also had a SightSpeed video chat with my brother in Colorado Springs, and the first thing he said was that the video quality was excellent. I was also going to try to make a Skype call for comaprison, but I couldn't even get the blasted thing (Skype) to start properly, it would immediately crash every time I started it, so I just gave up on that.
Second, when I have been traveling during the day between hotels, I have had good success getting a cellular data connection with my Swsisscom Unlimited Data card. Of course, this being America I can only get GPRS connections, no one over here supports UMTS or HSDPA, but it is still nice to be able to connect when I'm on the road. The quality has been good for email, web surfing and text chat, but as I have already found with cellular connections in Switzerland, the quality of service is not good enough for even an audio call.
Last, I got another response from the SIPphone (Gizmo) support people. This time it was to the User Forum message I had written, regarding having to ensure "uPnP" was set in Linksys routers. I had submitted the audio device selection problem to their customer support, because it was obviously a bug in their software, but this router problem I had just posted to their User Forums, since it wasn't directly a problem with their software. Anyway, I got a response from them, saying that they would make this a "sticky" post in the Forums to increase the likelihood that other users experiencing the same problem would see it. Once again, that is really good support and service.
jw 19/12/2007
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