Navigating Contacts and Chats
Are you one of those people who has just too many contacts and a humongous contact list on Skype? Are you having trouble finding the chat you were just in, but closed the window and now want it back? Here’s a little-known feature that we find quite handy ourselves to quickly find who/what we need.
You normally use the **Address Bar** to call any Skype Name or SkypeOut number. Just type in the name or number, hit the big green Dial button and the call is placed.
Here’s the trick — the Address Bar also works as an ultralight search tool. If you start typing a name, Skype goes through your contact list and matches what you typed with the names that are in your contact list, and automatically displays a dropdown with the matches. The same is done for recent chat topics. A maximum of three choices are displayed, so if the search doesn’t seem to find what you are looking for, there may have been too many matches — just keep typing and refining your “search”.
Now you can just click on one of the matches, or press the Down Arrow key and Enter. If it was a Skype or SkypeOut contact, that contact is highlighted in your contact list. If it was a chat, the chat window is opened.
Yes. It’s a real way. But why don’t you want to make groups in new version. Is it so difficult? Many people need it… but…
Groups will happen. Really But until then (and even with groups), the address bar is convenient.
Jaanus, not that Skype’s got any available resource they need with eBay, you need to blow the doors wide open. Go for everything you can do. Don’t hold back. Go get ‘em! Know no limits!
OK interesting trick, i didn’t know. But for me the same: Groups are much better, this feature has been asked for since a log time, and i know you already tested it!
But my comment has another reason: i am happy to see there is still some life in Skype: why did your team still not update the change log after making available two new Windows Skype versions on September 10. Were they all fired by Ebay?
Here are some of the issues I have with the KMU-30A.
1. When I make a call out to PSTN the call cuts off randomly after 2 – 5 minutes.
2. While I am on a PSTN call when I have an incoming Skype call the unit will hang up with the PSTN call.
3. When a skype call is not answered and goes to voicemail or they hang up the unit will send a busy signal to the computer soundcard which can only be stopped by hanging up the handset.
4. They don’t appear to have any kind of technical support. I have left messages and emailed various company email addresses with absolutely no response.
I also have questions about getting driver updates for the unit or software program. Since Skype is continuously updating and adding features there needs to be a way to update this interface to make it usable. I have had this unit and it is almost unusable due to these issues. It was a good idea but the company don’t seem to care about it after it is sold. Unless they decide to start supporting the units they make I don’t recommend purchasing their items. I work with another individual that has the same unit and same issues, he doesn’t even use it anymore do to these unresolved problems, so I doubt it is a bad unit.
I agree, groups would be nice but I have currently two other ways working in a very very convenient way:
1) Skype toolbar for Outlook. Having hundreds of contacts with Skype name and landlines and mobile phone numbers, it’s really great to have this toolbar. It almost makes the Skype UI redundant.
2) Miranda (www.miranda-im.org): This is a free multi-protocol agent with a very nice Skype plugin. It does grouping and makes the Skype UI completely redundant. Works very well.
Jurgen
Blow the doors wide open… as in open up Skype with SIP/SIMPLE. If Skype really wants to be different, then do something nobody else (MSN, Yahoo, Goog, AoL) is doing. Be the first to the open up! Give users what they really want. Stop the hassles of multiple IM’s, and don’t start a multiple VIM war. Open up and close the door to competition. First one open… wins!
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Message from K-mate:
First of all, I want to say thank you for choosing K-mate™ KMU-30A.
We care about our products, and believe in what we sell. We also go extra miles to make our customers happy.
I am sorry for your unpleasant experience with your device. Actually, this is the first time we hear of this problem. It sounds very unusual. Our technician will work on it.
At the meantime, you can try to uninstall the software first, and then install it again. Before you use this device, please make sure to close all other USB applications. If it still doesn’t work properly, I suggest you to contact the dealer whom you purchased from. You should be able to get a replacement if it is under warranty. Please tell your friend to do the same thing.
I would like to know more detail of the problems you encountered, such as under what condition you used this adapter and so on. Please contact me at Liliane@k-mate.com. Any of your help to figure out this problem is much appreciated.
I purchased one of these boxes from computergeeks.com, and it is half the price of similar units. With that in mind, I have to agree with robert2sing when it comes to items 2 to 4 (haven’t had item 1 happen to me yet).
Bottom line is that this is a good box for the money, but it could be a whole lot better with web support, i.e. driver updates and software enhancements. Yappernut is a similar box, at twice the price, but it has excellent web support with customer forums and driver updates (updates are important considering how often Skype updates). So, bottom line is, if K-mate starts offering support, this will be a great value. Without support, it is a crap shot.
Just a follow up on my previous comment. I have now been working with K-mate on the issues I have had and received new drivers from them. I have also responded with results of these drivers although they appear more stable I am still having issues with the Voicemail feature within Skype. I have been assured that they are going to strive to better serve the end user of their VOIP products with a website and technical support available.
My KMU-30 was working great with skype accept for when I’m on a call and a 2nd call comes in I hear a click from the KMU-30 box and it disconnects my current call. It appears to do this when it transfers the 2nd call to voicemail. If I don’t have it automatically goto voicemail it will ring about 8 or 9 times then goto voicemail. At the point it transfers to voicemail is when it drops the call. I’m using the SkypeIn service but I’m not sure if that makes a difference. I’m running the beta of skype and the software version of KMU-30 is KUM-6(1.0.4) Any help would be appreciated. Thanks Todd
K-mate announcement:
We sincerely appreciate every distributor and end user who chooses K-mate products.
K-mate has learned of the needs for the support directly from the manufacture considering the frequence of Skype adding new features. Our new website, http://www.k-matevoip.com, where users can get all sorts of services and technical support, is under construction now. Sooner than later an enhanced after-sale service will be available from both ourself and our distributors.
The name of the current driver is KMU-30A issued on Jun. 2005. If you have problems with the old one, “KMU-6″, please comtact us at liliane@k-mate.com to update it.
VERY GOOD
I just ordered the KMU-30A and am looking forward to receiving it! If all goes well I will be cancelling my land-line.
The only reason I have a land-line is to prevent Dish Network from charging me $5 a month from not having it connected to a phone line.
I’ve got a total of 3 cell phone and god knows I didn’t want another number.
I’m psyched about getting the KMU-30A, specifically to use it with my good old cordless phone.
Just picked up one of these. Works great so far, although I don’t have a skype-in number or use the voicemail feature. So far just for Skype-Skype, Skype-Out, and PSTN, but everything seems to be working as it should – on a cordless also.
Just received my KMU-30A and have had no luck in getting it to work. I have it connected to my USB 2.O port. Installed the drivers. However when I look in the Audio Devices in Skype for Audio In and Out the drop down only shows the default Windows audio driver and a bunch of blank spaces below.
Do I HAVE to have a land-line connected to the KMU-30A for it to function?
So far I can’t make any calls using my phone or anything. Even dialing numbers on the phone don’t appear on Skype.
Any suggestions?
Thanks for chosing K-mate product.
From your description, it doesn’t seem that KMU-30A program is bounded with Skype. Please try the following settings on Skype window:
1. “Tools” – “Options” – “Privacy” – “Manage other programs’ access to Skype”.
2. Select “USBPHONEPSTN.exe” – “Change”.
3. Set “Allow it to access Skype”.
You don’t have to have a land-line, but you will lose the call forwarding benefit.
If it still doesn’t work, please contact me.
k-matevoipsupport,
It seems that the drivers on the CD are corrupted. I spent the better part of a half hour looking in the Internet for replacement drivers, but could not find any that worked.
Could you please provide a link for the latest KMU-30A drivers?
Thank you.
inhumanity,
Please go to http://www.k-mate.com/software.htm. to download or upgrade the software.
Product works only if I shut down the driver and restart it.
Dialing from phone works for US calls 1-XXX-XXX-XXXX calls.
It does not work for INTERNATIONAL calls . you have to us the comp to dial out. A work around to this is to SAVE the international number in your contact call list and assing a speed-dial.
Voice quality is very good.
qiusarac
Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
You sure can call SkypeOut number to any country by dialing “* + country code + area code + telephone bumber + #”.
To solve the first problem, please try uninstall the driver, and download the new one at http://www.k-mate.com/software.htm. If it still doesn’t work properly, please contact me or text message me on Skype.
RJ-11 is working but PSTN forwarding doesn’t work. I have Win2K SP4 and Skype 1.4.0.84 version. The call is connected and then I heard the operator ‘if you last to make your call, please hang up and try again. If you need help, hang up and dial your operator’
I have tried with 1xxxxxxxxxx, xxxxxxxxxx, and xxxxxxx. I am using the latest driver from the website.
Anyone have any luck with PSTN forwarding?
To enable the forwarding function, please do the following:
Right click the KMU-30A Icon on your PC task bar on the bottom of the right corner, choose “INPUT TRANSRER－PSTN NUMBER”, enter the number you wish to forward to, and click “OK”. Then right click The icon again and choose “√” for “CALL TRANSRER－PSTN”.
When you enter the telephone number, please just enter the numbers as you normally do.
I just got a telbox, and after some snafu’s setting it up it’s working but I still can’t get it to recognize the telephone’s keypad. I have to dial with the computer keyboard or the mouse. I do have Skype set to accept the telbox and I do have “usb audio device” selected for sound in, out and ring. I have downloaded and installed new drivers.
I don’t have a pstn line and am not concerned with call forwarding.
I’m running win2K w/plenty of power and memory.
Any Ideas?
John
Any linux support for this product?
I’m having some other problems with the telbox/skype…
It seems whenever I call someone, there’s some kind of communications problem. Either they have a serious echo on their end or my voice keeps cutting in and out, etc.
I have cable broadband and these problems are occuring when I’m calling either cell phones or land lines. I haven’t tried to call anyone skype to skype yet.
Is any tech help monitoring this board?
Thanks,
John
My KMU-30A works for talking and recieving but i cannot seem to dial. I do n ot have my land line hooked up as i am using this solely for Skype. Any help on solving the dialing issues would be greatly appreciated!
Also the download link for th eupdates drivers is not working. I have the Jun 05 drivers installed.
Thanks
I apologize for the delay of response your comments.
As you are probably already aware, Skype recently changed some accounts’ password without notice. I had two Skype accounts for providing support, but none of them works now. I couldn’t log in because I don’t have the new password. The worst thing is that Skype does not have my email address on file either. They can not even email me the temporary one they assigned to me. I don’t know if it is possible and how long it will take to make my account alive. So here I would like to remind everybody to double check the email address you registered with Skype, make sure it is valid and up to date.
Since it has been too long to wait, I just registered a new account. Now let’s go back to your questions
1. Dialing Skype calls on your phone
In order to dial Skype calls on your telephone, you need to set up “speed dial” numbers for your contacts on Skype window.
Right click the contact, select “Assign Speed-dial”, and then enter any number from 01 – 99 as that contact’s speed-dial number.
When you dial on your phone which has no connection with PSTN, enter the speed-dial number and “#” to call Skype contact, and dial country code + area code + telephone number + “#” for SkypeOut number.
2. Sound quality
Have you compared the sound quality with and without using 30A at the same time?
To ensure the better performance of 30A, please do not run other USB application when you run 30A.
3. For any further assistance and downloads, please visit our website at http://www.k-matevoip.com.
K-mate support team
Thanks for the response. I’m going out of town for 10 days or so and will experiment more when I get back.
In the meantime, does the 30A work with other voip services such as Yahoo?
Thanks,
John
Yes, 30A is also compatible with MSN, Yahoo Messager, Mediaring, Net2phone and other softphones.
K-mate
Do you have any plans to allow the device to actually dial numbers for skype out? It can currently dial only speed dial assigned numbers. It shouldn’t be that hard to add that feature to your software. Also what about caller ID? I have a similar device to the one that you make which has all these features and it was the same price as well.
Hi medianon
Thanks for your comment!
Our KMU-30A does allow you to dial SkypeOut numbers. Please check the previous comments to learn how to dial.
K-mate
Hi. Do you have a Linux driver? I’d love to set this up on a server.
I am trying unsuccesfully to recover my skype out and skype in contacts to use them in my new laptop. Would you be able to instruct me? Thanks. Claudia
I am trying unsuccesfully to recover my skype out and skype in contacts to use them in my new laptop. Would you be able to instruct me? Thanks. Claudia
any clues as to why my seimens/BT Dect phone will not work with a usb voip adapter K-Mate KMU-30A
I suspect drivers for USB box but the website http://www.k-mate.com/voip/download.asp doesn’t work…
A ‘normal’ wired phone works OK, (Skype only, the land line doesn’t connect), but the Seimens DECT wont connect to Skype or to the land line.
hi
i just bought a usb telbox adaptor but i dont have a phone line and my house phone is working at all and i have everything installed on my pc can someboby help me ,jusr want to know if it can work without a land line
thanks
Skype does not recognize the telephonenumbers of my contacts when they call my skype telephone number. I hve them registered with their private telephone number and when they call me, Skype does not recognize it