• Registered: 2007-03-18
  • Posts: 5

Topic: skype?

is chumby sype or an other internet phone thingy compatible

  • Duane
  • Duane
  • Blue Octy
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  • From: San Diego, CA
  • Registered: 2006-08-24
  • Posts: 8,197

Re: skype?

The current chumby prototypes do not have built-in microphones, so you'd have to add a USB sound input device with drivers, or hack the hardware to add a physical microphone - the "chumbilical" cable includes a line for the microphone.

Duane's Website

  • Registered: 2007-03-18
  • Posts: 5

Re: skype?

what about the sofware will it work on chumby?

  • Duane
  • Duane
  • Blue Octy
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  • From: San Diego, CA
  • Registered: 2006-08-24
  • Posts: 8,197

Re: skype?

My understanding is that the Skype client is closed source, so I'm not sure how I'd go about trying to create a version for chumby.

Should the production units have a built-in microphone, all of the pieces necessary to implement a Skype or other VOIP client would be present.  All you'd need to do is convince the Skype folks to make a chumby version.

Duane's Website

  • Registered: 2007-02-11
  • Posts: 16

Re: skype?

Does the chumby have the power to do VOIP?
My HTC phone has very roughly the same spec's as the chumby and it can barely squeek out VOIP.

  • Duane
  • Duane
  • Blue Octy
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  • From: San Diego, CA
  • Registered: 2006-08-24
  • Posts: 8,197

Re: skype?

Yes, that's an issue - VOIP requires realtime compression of audio, and interoperation requires supporting certain standard codecs, some of which are covered by patents that require licensing.  Just having a microphone is not in itself sufficient to implement VOIP.

It's too early to tell whether or not VOIP is practically implementable on the chumby.

Duane's Website