| Skype outage caused by bug in older Windows version Posted: 30 Dec 2010 02:49 AM PST Posted by Devina Divecha on Thu 30 Dec 2010 Skype comes clean on the recent outage Skype has been transparent and open about the cause of the 24-hour long outage last week with a blog post outlining the reasons by its CIO.
The Windows version of Skype had a bug which caused the 24 hours crash on 22 and 23 December.
According to Lars Rabbe, the Chief Information Officer of Skype, the problem began on Wednesday when servers for offline instant messaging overloaded and Skype users began receiving delayed responses.
Users using Skype version 5.0.0152 for Windows were affected as these delayed responses kept piling up and caused the servers to crash. Older versions of Skype for Windows, and the latest version 5.0.0.156 were not affected.
However, 50% of global Skype users were on the older Windows version and eventually the rest of the network was overloaded, in spite of a quick reaction by Skype over the initial crash.
Rabbe summed up, "Regrettably, as a result of the confluence of events – server overload, a bug in Skype for Windows clients (version 5.0.0.152), and the decline in available supernodes – Skype’s functionality became unavailable to many of our users for approximately 24 hours."
He finally said, "We know how much you rely on Skype, and we know that we fell short in both fulfilling your expectations and communicating with you during this incident."
Remember to keep checking for updates folks!
Source: Skype
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| Skype launches video calling app for iPhone Posted: 30 Dec 2010 02:43 AM PST Posted by Chris Smith on Thu 30 Dec 2010 Make calls over WiFi and 3G with new app Skype has launched a new app for iPhone and iPod touch, that allows users to make free video calls over Wi-Fi and 3G connections. The new app steals a significant march on Apple's own video conferencing service FaceTime which offers Apple to Apple calls over Wi-Fi. That service was launched six months ago with the iPhone 4 and incorporated into the new 4th Gen iPod touch. The new Skype app has two major advantages over Apple's own service. It can make on-the-go 3G calls, and users can call any other device with a Skype application, allowing iPhone to PC laptop video calling for the first time. FaceTime has struggled to gain traction thanks mainly to Apple's unwillingness to open it up to more platforms and work out deals with service providers that would allow calls to be made over mobile networks. The announcement represents a very strong end to 2010 for the world's forefront VoIP service, after a major outage last week saw millions struggle with their connections for over 24 hours. What now is the future for FaceTime? Link: Skype (via Guardian) This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 10 million British users overpay for mobile phones Posted: 30 Dec 2010 01:48 AM PST Posted by Devina Divecha on Thu 30 Dec 2010 A survey shows we might be paying all too much to stay connected According to the latest Which? survey, over 10 million British users overpay for their mobile phones.
It claims that British users are paying extra for extra texts, call-time and data over and above their monthly line rental with their network provider.
Which? claims that the findings were "not surprising" as over 6 million users had no idea of their monthly limit for call minutes, while 5 million were unsure of their text and data allowances that the contracts gave them.
Consumers seem to be shy of scouting around to find a suitable tariff for their needs, as the survey shows that over 18 million users had never switched mobile phone providers.
Tom McLennan, head of Which? Mobile, said, "You could be spending hundreds of pounds more than you need to on your mobile every year if you're not on the right tariff."
He also suggested that if users spend more than their line rental, they should find out from their bills where they're incurring extra charges and save money by moving to another plan with more minutes, text or data, depending on one's needs.
The opposite also held true. He said, "If you never go over your agreed line rental, it's because you're not using up your allowance so you may be able to save money by finding a cheaper tariff that reflects your usage."
The survey by Which? spanned a group of 1,271 adults, aged 16 years or more.
Are you satisfied with your current line rental? Tell us on T3's Twitter and Facebook pages and follow us for your daily dose of tech news.
Via: TechRadar
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| Channel Tunnel and Tube mobile coverage incoming Posted: 30 Dec 2010 01:00 AM PST Posted by Devina Divecha on Thu 30 Dec 2010 London is gearing up tech-wise for the 2012 Olympics Along with London Underground wi-fi being tested in time for the 2012 London Olympics, the Channel Tunnel is also expected to see mobile coverage by then.
Four British telecom operators - Vodafone, 02, 3 and Everything Everywhere - are said to be collaborating with France's Orange, SFR and Bouygues, in order to give the 31.4 mile long tunnel mobile coverage by 2012.
They are expected to share the £20 million cost of this project, the mobile technology for which will be provided by Alcatel-Lucent, a French telecom equipment provider.
The British team is responsible for the Dover to Calais tunnel and the French team for the Calais to Dover tunnel. Ofcom, UK's telecom regulator, will be issuing licences for French and British telecom operators to share airwaves in the Channel Tunnel.
With mobile coverage on the London Underground and soon on the Channel Tunnel, London seems to be pulling out all the stops for the 2012 Olympics. We can't wait to see the result.
What else would you like to see in place for the 2012 London Olympics? Tell us over at our Twitter and Facebook feeds and stay tuned in for latest tech updates.
Via: ITProPortal
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