Eeteet

Hi,

I couldn't find one, if there is one fine, just delete this.

I thought it might be neat to have a record of methods/companies/ technologies people use to communicate with their spouses overseas.

For example, my wife and I text for free using iphone app 'yak'. you can do normal texting but also take and send pics, send pics from saved folders, send video or voice recordings, and it's all over wifi or 3g and totally free. We've been using it for about 11 months now and comes in handy for quick info messages or a simple 'i love and miss you' during a busy time.

Skype is of course an obviouse one and even does video now on iphone app. Whilst it is free on wifi, you can also pay and get a really good rate (about 3p per min i think) if you want to call someone's mobile direct with them on skype.

Another service we have used, and probably the most, is Rebtel. You set up an account online (very easy) and just add up to 10 phone numbers you want to call. Basically what it does, is ring a local rate number in UK (which most people get unlimited free on mobiles these days) then links via satellite and then calls person in USA on a local number to them (so free to them too). It costs about .99 pence per minute and is very reliable and pretty clear. We've literally used about 1600 hours so far on it. They also now have an iPhone app.

Anyone else have any good recommendations ?

britishspouse

Hey there!

My hubby and I use skype too. Its awesome, we webcam whenever we can, and also both have skype on our phones so can take advantage of the free calling all the time

He was going to get vonage (USA) but we find that having skype alone is plenty, so for now thats all we are using

Eeteet

Skype is great as long as you have wifi or 3g connection at a good speed. We use the yak for free texting.

Rebtel is good as it is just a normal cellular phone call and doesn't require a data connection at both ends, just some sort of mobile signal. It is good when out and about, USA is OK , but over here 3g data connections are too unreliable in most places to handle a decent skype connection. So for instance if she or I are out and about, particularly when driving (using earphones of course) we use rebtel.

britishspouse

Yeah think we both have good mobile networks, so skype when we are out and about hasnt been a problem

Im home 80% of the time though, so thankfully good wifi is all we need Havent heard of rebtel before thoguh.

Wolfy

As my wife works nights with her job , odd shifts, but practical for us both we also use skype, but find occasionally it cuts off in the middle of the night or signal gets weak....Some days we have been online 10 hours straight and do the sitting on the couch, watching the dogs and cats attack each other, discuss what we have to do next, looking at houses and stuff like that.

But I thought you could print off the call logs in skype??? I have 4.02 vers anyone know how to print logs or is it just me.

We have been using skype since Oct as our lawyer uses it as well and was fab in 3 way convo, but before that it was just a web cam chat client where we can print off the logs it saves, just wondered if skype dumped a file log similar?

Eeteet

I dont think you can do a dump of it, but you could just go into 'history' and take a screenshot.

CAdreaming

Fiance has Vonage which is good but does sometimes cut off mid call -free calls tho
We skype and I have an orange mobile on an international tariff - 6p for a minute and we text

Eeteet

6p !! seriously , look into something like rebtel @ 1p per min


and there are free texting apps around too

CAdreaming

will do - thank you!

Eeteet

no problem. It soon adds up; I've spent about 900 pounds on rebtel, muliply that by six lol

CAdreaming

GoldCoastMag

We use magic jack, an ata voip service that gives us a USA number but rings anywhere in the world. US local calls are free so with fast internet and a laptop it has been all we needed, to make calls.

Cost: about 40 bucks to set up then 20 a year, approx

Yorkieabroad

We use OOSOOM* Its totally free, and you can leave it on as long as you like/dare - I find it very relaxing to leave it on for days at a time. The only problem is there is a big payback at the end of every extended use, and I'm wondering if its really worth the hassle.

For everything else we use Skype or work phones....



* - out of sight, out of mind....

HannahGreen

We use Windows Live Messenger. With a wireless headset, I can even move around and do some chores while chatting. Free and fairly reliable.. We've even logged over 6k games of double solitaire

CAdreaming

Hi Eeteet
Ive looked at Rebtel website - I must be reading it wrongly cos it says that calls to USA are 99p...? Any advice on this would be much appreciated! I'm off to US next month to live but want to set up my friends and family with the best way to contact me - thank you!