Review: G-Recorder backs up Skype convos to Gmail

Although you can search through your Skype chat history with the simple CTRL + F hotkey (same as the Windows search function), you may prefer to instead have your Skype chat history automatically archived in your email account instead.  After all, Skype doesn't by default provide an easy way for you to back up your chat and call history.

G-Recorder fills that niche by allowing Gmail account holders to back up their voice calls and chat messages in their email accounts where, of course, it is all fully searchable (which is perfect for anyone who spends a lot of time on the road and needs to access business calls and discussions). All audio calls are stored in your Gmail account as MP3 files, which makes it easy to play them back.

A Standard license costs $25, and a professional paid license is $40. Both are lifetime licenses. You can get a 14-day trial of either one to see if it's for you. This is one service I have absolutely no problem paying for.

Expatriate Scotsman now living in Wurzburg, Germany, freelance writer, frustrated future bestselling author, obsessed bibliophile. Other interests include trying to understand The Architect in the Matrix movies, decrypting codes and ciphers, and trying to persuade my landlord and my wife to let me have a Highland Cow for a pet.
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Microsoft Reportedly Bringing 3D Holograms to Skype

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Review: Free Video Call Recorder for Skype records unlimited video and audio for free

Skype has become so popular since its launch in 2003, it's accumulated over 700 million registered users. One of the biggest advantages on Skype, aside from the free calling, easy video conversations and services like SkypeOut and SkypeIn, is how easy it is to record conversations. But most Skype recorders aren't free, or they're limited in some way. Free Video Call Recorder for Skype might have an uninspired name, but it claims to be completely free and unlimited in any way.

To start recording, choose your recording mode and click the record button.

According to the vendor's website, Free Video Call Recorder v1.0.2.115 (or FVCR) is "the first free Skype video call recorder in the world for recording Skype calls without any limitations." That's quite a claim for DVDVideoSoft to make, but it does seem that most recorders either cost money, record only audio, or are limited in some other way. But is it really without any limitations?

FVCR is a simple, lightweight program that comes with three different settings: Record all sides (picture-in-picture), Record other side only, and Record audio only. Upon my very first try with the first setting, I already encountered a slight limitation: You cannot record video at all if the other side didn't turn video on. This means there's no way to record your own video with the audio conversation, but I guess that makes some sense—chances are you don't want a recording of your own video. You can, however, click the record button when video is off, and it will automatically start recording when it's turned on.

While recording, you can either pause or stop the recording at any time.

Using FVCR is extremely simple. Skype will automatically launch as soon as you start the recorder, and after choosing your setting, you can start your conversation and hit the record button. You cannot start recording before a conversation is live. If you want to stop recording for a while but keep the conversation on the same file, use the pause button. The stop button will save the file, and hitting record again will start a new one. Pausing a session is seamless, creating a barely perceptible jump in the file.

The audio recording quality very much depends on the equipment you use. I got some pretty dismal audio recordings when using my laptop's built-in microphone (although I received no complaints about poor audio during the call), but excellent ones when using my headset. The program creates mp4 files for video calls and mp3 files for audio calls, which it automatically saves in the directory of your choosing. Note that if you change the default directory, you might find that it has reset itself when you restart the program.

Video recording is also surprisingly good. The mp4 file includes the other side's video on most of the screen, with your own video in a smaller frame on the bottom right corner—much like it appears on Skype itself. The program comes with a hang-up feature, so when a conversation ends, it automatically stops recording. This could be great if you tend to be forgetful, but it's a bit annoying if you did not actually mean to disconnect. In addition, if the other side turns off video in the middle of a recording, the file shows a frozen frame for the entire time the video was off.

The program creates dated and timed video and audio recordings.

All in all, Free Video Call Recorder is an impressive utility that makes it very easy to record both video and audio Skype conversations. It truly has no serious limitations to speak of, and there are only two features I would like to see added: a way to choose between several recording qualities, and some kind of notification reminding me whether I'm recording or not. Not everyone would remember to turn recording back on after a simple disconnection occurs—and these happen quite often on Skype.

Note: The Download button on the Product Information page will download the software to your system. When installing the program, it will attempt to install the free DivX Plus software. This is enabled by default, and you need to uncheck the appropriate box if you don't want it. It will also install the DVDVideoSoft Free Studio Manager, which is a glorified catalog of the company's products. You cannot opt out of the Free Studio Manager.

Yaara is a foodie, horse-lover, and biologist who enjoys being a geek as a full-time job.
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Digital Nuptials: 49 Percent of Brides Would Skype Their Wedding

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Review: Advansys RecollX for Skype keeps a searchable archive of Skype convos, IMs, and files

Expatriate Scotsman now living in Wurzburg, Germany, freelance writer, frustrated future bestselling author, obsessed bibliophile. Other interests include trying to understand The Architect in the Matrix movies, decrypting codes and ciphers, and trying to persuade my landlord and my wife to let me have a Highland Cow for a pet.
More by Mark O'Neill

Over the years, Skype has gained a greater acceptance by businesses, especially as the VOIP client has improved the features for video chat and group messaging. It is now common to see small call centers and virtual offices powered by Skype, as well as the editorial staffs of major websites. But one problem that people face when they use Skype for business is that it is not that easy to search through past IM conversations, SMS messages, and files sent and received to see who said or received what and when. That's where Advansys RecollX Professional for Skype ($80 for a single user, 30-day free trial) comes in to help.

In a nutshell, RecollX is an archiving app which connects directly into your installed Skype app (even Portable Skype) and makes copies of your conversations, SMS messages and files sent / received as they happen. These are then searchable for future reference, and any part can be exported to the Windows clipboard or exported to a CSV file.

When you install RecollX for the first time, it will ask for permission to access your Skype app. When you provide that access, it will begin downloading and archiving your past Skype chat conversations (assuming you have instructed Skype in the options section to keep it all). From then on, you can have the program start up with Windows and it will sit quietly in the system tray next to the clock, copying and archiving the details of every call, IM and file transfer in Skype.

To see your conversation history with a Skype contact, double-click their username in the left pane and the conversation appears on the right. Then search by keyword.

When you want to search for a particular part of a conversation, just double-click on the contact in the left hand pane. Then when the conversations load up in the middle window, enter your search term in the search box above. Any results will then load and you can double-click on one to see it in full in the right pane.

One unique feature of RecollX's search engine is that it is able to search by hashtag. Hashtags were made popular by Twitter, and now this has been carried over to RecollX. If you add a hashtag to a Skype IM message before sending it out, you can then put that hashtag into RecollX and it will bring back the conversation. So for example, entering #pcworld will bring back all PC World related conversations you may have had recently.

You are also not limited to one archive. If you run several Skype usernames, you can log into each one and tell RecollX to start archiving that username too. The archive will be updated when you are logged into Skype under that name.

So what are the cons of this app? It's really expensive.  After a free 30-day trial, prices start at $80 for a single user and the price then goes up, depending on the number of users. Compared to Pamela Professional, which does the same thing for half the price, the cost does give pause. You also have other rivals, such as G-Recorder, which copies your instant messages and records your phone calls as MP3s and sends them directly to your Gmail account—something RecollX doesn't do. However, RecollX may be more appropriate for businesses that require an audit trail of conversations, such as financial or banking companies.

Whether you choose to go with Advansys RecollX Professional for Skype or with one of their rivals, one thing is for certain. In business, you need to keep careful records of what you said to whom and what they said back.

Note: The "Download" button on the Product Information page will download the software to your system.

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Skype turns the Internet into your own personal telephone line

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Expatriate Scotsman now living in Wurzburg, Germany, freelance writer, frustrated future bestselling author, obsessed bibliophile. Other interests include trying to understand The Architect in the Matrix movies, decrypting codes and ciphers, and trying to persuade my landlord and my wife to let me have a Highland Cow for a pet.
More by Mark O'Neill

Skype is a free software app that for most people needs no introduction. It has been on the scene for nearly a decade and has transformed the telecommunications industry by offering a cheap way to make long distance phone calls.

Skype allows you to make telephone calls over the Internet. All you need is the app from the Skype website and a headset. If you want to make video calls, a webcam is also needed.

Installing Skype is a breeze so you shouldn't be put off using it by the thought of any complicated setup and steep learning curve. It really is just a case of installing the program, creating your user account and you're all set to go.

Calling other Skype users is free for as long as you want, wherever they are in the world, which is great if you have a child traveling the world or a spouse fighting with the armed forces.

View your contacts on the left of the Skype window and either call or instant-message them.

The only time you have to pay is when you are calling someone who doesn't use Skype, such as when you are calling a landline or a cell phone number. But even then, the rates are extremely cheap. With rates around roughly 1 cent a minute, it would be hard to get closer to free.

These low rates have driven many people to abandon their landlines in favor of using Skype. But you should be aware that call sound quality can vary at times, plus some countries do not allow calls to emergency services using Skype. So do your homework into these issues before ditching your landline.

As with any communication app of this kind, instant messaging comes as standard and is a pleasure to use. You can also send text messages (SMS) to cell phones (provided you have the necessary Skype credit) but sometimes these SMS messages are slightly delayed, so you should not rely on the service for any important time-sensitive messages.

With the new versions of Skype comes Facebook integration where you can view your Facebook News Feed in a separate window as well as being able to log into Facebook Chat. Another new feature is Skype Wi fi, which enables you to use your Skype credit to pay for wi fi hotspot access by downloading a smartphone app, logging into the provided hotspots, and paying for it with your Skype credit. You can also pin your most frequently used contacts to the top of your contact list for easy access.

For heavy users of the service, there is Skype Premium, or alternatively a subscription package where you can buy calling minutes to one pre-chosen country every month for a set price. Skype Premium on the other hand gives you group video chat and group screen sharing–-all for a price, of course.

But Premium allows you to buy a one-day temporary access so you can "try before you buy," which is nice if you are hesitating to commit to any long-term financial arrangements.

This is one software app that everyone should have on their computer. It may have its small downsides, but it more than makes up for them in other areas.

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Ham Up Your Video Conversations With Messenger Plus! for Skype

Bored by Skype's plain-Jane interface? Wish you could jazz up your chats and calls just a bit? Then Messenger Plus! for Skype could be just the thing: This free application lets you add animations and effects to your Skype conversations.

Feel like your Skype conversation is missing that certain something? Jazz it up with animation, like these balloons.Messenger Plus for Skype is the second in Yuna Software's Messenger Plus line of products; the first one works with Windows Live Messenger. The Skype version, which is a completely separate application, installs as a thin toolbar that runs along the left side of your Skype window. It features small, square icons that let you access its feature. Most useful among them is the ability to record audio and video calls, which is something that many products, such as easyvoiprecorder charge for. Having it included for free is a nice touch, as is the fact that Messenger Plus alerts both parties that the call is being recorded.

Less useful, though perhaps more fun, are the animations and audio effects that Messenger Plus lets you add to conversations. The 36 animations, which include flying balloons, lively characters, and floating kisses, can be sent during Skype chats and video calls, but do require that both parties have Messenger Plus installed. If not, the recipient will be prompted to download and install the application. Unfortunately, my recipient couldn't view the animations overlaid on her screen, as I saw them on my end, even when she had Messenger Plus installed. Instead, she had to view them in a browser window, a step that the company says should be eliminated when both parties are running the latest version of the application.

Additional features include the ability to send animated sounds (such as applause, kisses, and a voice shouting "Boring!") are fun, though of limited practical use. The same can be said of the audio and video distortions, which let you apply effects like "reverb" to your voice and "emboss" or "mirror" to your video during a call. They're fun, and work as advertised, but they can grow old quickly.

I typically use Skype for business communications, so I appreciate the ability to record calls. And I like that I can use Messenger Plus to share videos and set distinct user ringtones. But, while the rest of its features can be fun, they offer little practical appeal.

-- Liane Cassavoy

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Skype Beta for Windows Phone Hands-on: Worth the Wait?

The wait is over for Skype/Windows Phone users. Previously, Windows Phone was one of the few devices on the market without a dedicated Skype app, which was more than a little ironic since Microsoft recently acquired Skype in a $8.5 billion deal. But that’s been rectified now that Skype has rolled out its beta app for Windows Phones 7.5 and higher.  The final version is expected to be released sometime in April. Read on to find out what happened when we got our hands on this video chat app using the HTC Radar 4G Windows Phone from T-Mobile.

After a number of unsuccessful attempts, we were able to download and install Skype onto our HTC Radar 4G. We signed in and Skype quickly aggregated our existing Skype contacts along with our regular phone contacts. Clicking on the Contact tab gave us the option to view contacts that were currently online or in our phone book by going to that letter.

The overall interface has a clean, fresh look mixing traditional Skype with Windows Metro interface. Instead of scrolling through our long list of contacts, Skype uses alphabetical sorting. Similar to the Windows Phone app menu, clicking on a letter tile cues up an alphabet tile view. From there we selected the letter our contact’s name began with and were quickly taken that point in our contact list.

Our favorite feature is the Account page, where our profile photo was prominently displayed along the top, along with the rest of our pertinent contact info.

Menu navigation consists of a quick sweep to the left or right. Depending on the page, a few additional menu options can be found along the bottom navigation bar.

For example, pressing the small keypad button on the Contacts page brings up a large black keypad for quick dialing. Clicking on the three white dots in the bottom nav bar enabled us to access the Settings menu where could turn of Auto Sign In or send feedback to the Skype Team.

Making calls is pretty straightforward. After clicking on our chosen contact, we pressed the video icon in the bottom nav bar to start a video call. There’s an icon to have a non-video call and as an icon to add other people to the chat are easily accessible as well. We also had the option block or remove contacts when we pressed the three dots.

Although the image was slightly grainy, we could easily make out our caller’s bright blue plaid shirt. We didn’t notice a lag, however the image became extremely grainy when our subject began to move. Our caller reported seeing about a second of lag with hints of fuzziness. Audio on both ends of the chat were loud and clear. We noticed that video calls were only available in landscape as all attempts to switch to portrait mode were unsuccessful.

During the chat, we could view our caller’s profile, switch between the front and rear-facing cameras and mute the sound. We were also able to view our chat history and send instant messages.

Overall, Skype’s Windows Phone beta app is one of the better video chat apps we’ve used. The interface is snappy and intuitive with good audio and visual quality. It’s a solid start for a beta launch and could potentially close the gap between Windows Phone and its competitors.

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