Follow-Up: What's Missing from Skype

Nearly two months ago, I canceled my iPhone's AT&T service and made a leap into the mobile world of Skype. This has turned out to be an excellent decision for me. Although Skype is not perfect, my style of cell phone use plays well into its advantages. Furthermore, the price of the service by far makes up for its negatives, while the same cannot be said for other carriers.

Now that I have had time to use both Skype and its iPhone application, I have identified a few glaring deficiencies in the product. Should these major items be addressed at some point, Skype would become a 100% guaranteed replacement to traditional phone and cellular service providers.

What Skype Needs

SMS Reception

These days, text messaging is the absolute simplest and most essential telephony service. Hordes of web-based and phone applications for SMS can be found in all corners of the web. Yet, Skype refuses to incorporate SMS reception into its service, even though customers have been requesting this feature as early as 2005. Sure, it allows users to send messages to mobile phones, but this is all but useless as communication is a two-way street. Send-only SMS service is similar to offering speak-only telephone. I may as well buy an oversized searchlight, cover it with a logo cutout, and point it towards the lonely night skies in hopes that viewers will understand what I am trying to convey to them.

Can you guess what these symbols mean?

In all seriousness, I know that Skype could add SMS into its services. My biggest curiosity is why it does not, especially when users have been requesting it for as long as the company has existed.

Seriously Skype, I just programmed this SMS application in 5 minutes. I think you can do it, too.

Emergency Calling

Skype integrates with every other landline in the world. There is no excuse for it not to also offer its customers emergency calling. Other VOIP services (i.e. Vonage) have accomplished this. Skype has warnings strewn across its website stating that "Skype itself is not a replacement for a traditional phone and can not be used for emergency calling." Yet, as I have proven, Skype is a replacement for traditional phone service. Do I know Skype better than it knows itself... or is something else going on here?

Note that, on the iPhone, rumor has it that one can make emergency calls in the U.S. regardless of whether he has a wireless carrier or SIM card. I have not tested nor proven this to be fact, however it is worth mentioning.

Voicemail (iPhone-specific)

Update 7/1/09: As predicted, the latest version of Skype for iPhone allows users to listen to voicemail. Unfortunately, I do not expect to see anything else mentioned in this article addressed in the near future.

It is easy to receive voicemail on Skype when using the desktop version. Unfortunately, the iPhone application does not allow users to listen to their voicemail, nor does it do so much as notify them when a message is received. This is a baffling and heinous oversight that, in contrast to the other items in this article, I actually expect to be addressed at some point in the near future.

Note that there are some alternatives methods to receiving Skype voicemail messages. Thanks to a reader of this blog, I was made aware of PhoneTag, which is a service that will automatically transcribe voice messages into text and email them to recipients. Another company, SpinVox, offers comparable services. At 25 to 35 cents per message, these services may be useful solutions for users who want to receive their messages immediately in text form, rather than waiting to listen to them on the desktop version of Skype. At the moment, I have not experimented with either of these transcription sites, however I am tempted to give them a test run.

Something Sinister

There is something very strange and very wrong about how Skype has decided to conveniently (for telecommunications competitors) and inconveniently (for consumers) leave certain features out of its service. Emergency calling has been accomplished by other VOIP telephony companies and certainly would be no trouble considering that Skype is already integrated with the many other landlines of the world. SMS is such a pervasive implementation that one can, on the iPhone alone, choose from no fewer than 30 SMS applications. Moreover, evidence of Skype users requesting these features can be found from as far back as 5 years ago. Often, software developers actually listen to their customers and continually improve their offerings. Without a doubt, SMS is an essential feature for cellular telephony and Skype is significantly less of a service for not implementing it. With SMS and other minor improvements, Skype would challenge and likely bankrupt the traditional telecommunications powers. Since this outcome is both feasible and viable from an implementation standpoint, it is a great wonder why Skype chooses not to capitalize on its opportunities. Rarely (ever?) does a business intentionally restrict its own capabilities at the detriment of its earnings potential. Perhaps there is a larger conspiracy at play. Maybe the federal government has an interest in keeping the large telecommunications companies alive and thriving. Maybe Skype is being paid off or threatened by the traditional providers (AT&T did, after all, block iPhone 3G access to Skype).

...Or Just Slow?

Then again, there may be nothing sinister about Skype. It could just be very slow or aimless operation. Ironically, this would be much preferred over a diabolical conspiracy, as that scenario would ensure that Skype never becomes the new telecommunications provider. It is time for Skype to wake up and get to work. Its iPhone, Blackberry, and future smartphone applications are just the first step towards dethroning the outdated monoliths. Regardless of the reasons behind Skype's conspicuously undeveloped features, the meantime loser is the consumer, whose lack of an alternative forces him into the hands of oligopolic tyrants. Should Skype take itself to the next level, it would not only do the right thing to liberate consumers, it would do the right thing for its own pocketbook.

What To Do

In the meantime, I do highly recommend Skype to iPhone users who want to break free from their high-priced AT&T contracts. Be aware that Skype requires a wireless internet signal to work, so this solution is best for users who are constantly blanketed in Wi-Fi. If parting with SMS and using the desktop for voicemail sound like minor adjustments to your calling routine, then you will probably appreciate saving the $60-70+ per month.

Photoshop Tutorial: Additional Masking Features

After receiving feedback on my previous Photoshop tutorial, I decided to create a second video to demonstrate a few additional features related to masking.

How to Create a Border for, Reposition, and Transform a Mask.

Brief Written Instructions

How to Create a Border

1. Select the layer containing your mask.
2. Go to Layer > Layer Style > Stroke...
3. In the Layer Style window, customize the size, color, and position of your border.
4. Click the OK button to apply your border.

How to Move a Mask

1. Select the move tool (pointer) from the toolbar.
2. Select the layer containing your mask.
3. Go to Layer > Vector Mask > Link/Unlink
4. If your mask and image are unlinked, the move tool will reposition the masked image, but not the mask itself. This is useful if your mask is sized properly, but you want to adjust the image behind it.
5. If your mask and image are linked, the move tool will reposition the entire object. This is useful if you want to reposition the entire object on the canvas, such as before cropping to remove excess blank space.

How to Transform a Mask

1. Select the layer containing your mask.
2. Go to Edit > Free Transform Path
3. Use your mouse to resize, rotate, and reposition the mask.
4. Press the enter/return key to apply the transformation.

If you enjoyed my tutorials on masking images and would like to see more instructional videos, feel free to leave a request in the comments section of this post.

Transform: The Educational Geometry Puzzle Game

Transform is my latest educational game. Its learning focus is on basic geometric transformations. The topics of reflection, rotation, translation, and dilation, more commonly known as flip, turn, slide, and scale, are all conveyed through an interactive puzzle environment.

Basic Gameplay

In Transform, players are presented with puzzles that contain a number of shapes and targets. The shapes can be manipulated by using the transformational powers of translation, rotation, dilation, and reflection. The objective for a given level is to match each shape to its respective target. Once this has been accomplished, the player is presented with a new puzzle. Transform features three game modes to suit the interests of its audience. It also contains an interactive tutorial that introduces first-time users to both the game and its educational content.

Game Modes

Transform is composed of three different modes of play, all of which serve a specific purpose.

• Challenge mode contains 50 puzzles of increasing complexity. Its level structure guides learning by first requiring players to use each transformation in isolation. Gradually, more transformations are added to the user's arsenal as the difficulty of puzzles increases. Thus, students are sufficiently exposed to each topic before they are challenged to solve complex problems. This segment of the game might be more accurately described as "learning mode," though that name was avoided to prevent dissuading potential users.



• Free mode generates entirely random puzzles and allows players to explore all of the transformations without any time constraints. This is intended to be a practice grounds for users who have completed challenge mode, but are not ready to take on the time and transformation constraints of other game modes.
• Time mode is the purest game-like method of play in Transform. Similar to challenge mode, the transformations that players can use are restricted from level to level. However, like free mode, both the transformations allowed and the puzzles are randomized. A unique feature in time mode is that the player is racing against a clock that counts down from to 0 seconds. Every time a puzzle is successfully completed, the user will gain 15 seconds. However, if the clock reaches 0, the game will end. Subsequently, a player's final score is calculated, along with a school-like grade mark (i.e. C-, A+). The "Top Transformers" leaderboard allows users to submit and display their best scores.

Ready To Transform?

Now that you have read about the game, why not Transform yourself?

Geotagging MSU

I recently upgraded to a Nikon D90 camera and with it, I purchased the GP-1 GPS unit. The GP-1 allows for geotagging, which is the process of writing geographical information, such as latitude, longitude, and altitude, into the meta data of a digital image. This information can be used to create interactive maps via software like iPhoto '09, Flickr Map, and Google Earth. My ambitious project for the summer is to geotag an image of every building at Michigan State University (MSU) in order to create a robust and purposeful map of campus.

I will be using a program called HoudahGeo to export kml files for use in Google Earth, where they are combined into an interactive map that can be universally shared and viewed across the web (thanks to embed code generated by takitwithme.com).

By the time this project is complete, I hope to have created a high-quality interactive documentary of MSU's main campus area. The resulting map will also be useful to anyone who needs help navigating campus. Below is a simplified example of what the final product may look like. It features a single building, Wills House, which is the office that I currently reside in.

Update: The MSU Geo Project has been completed. Read about it here.

Photoshop Tutorial: Masking An Image For The Web

Masking is an easy way to make clean and professional-looking web images. Below, you will find a narrated video tutorial on how to mask an image and save it for the web. I have also included written step by step instructions.

How to Mask an Image in Photoshop

Written Instructions

1. In Photoshop, create a new image (File > New) with the parameters of your choice
2. Place the image that you want to mask on the canvas (File > Place...). To do so, browse to the image on your hard drive, select it, and click on the "Place" button.
3. As needed, position and transform the image on the canvas and press enter/return.
4. Add a vector mask by selecting the layer with the placed image and clicking on the "add a mask" button two times (located at the bottom of the layers panel).
5. Select your preferred masking shape (i.e. rounded rectangle) from the toolbar (located at the left side of the application).
6. Confirm that the "paths" button is selected on the option bar (located at the top of the application).
7. Draw your masking shape over the top of the image (click and drag). When you release the mouse button, only the image area within your mask will remain visible.

Update

I have created an additional tutorial that expands upon this one. It explains how to add a border to, reposition, and transform a mask.

eBay: An Analysis From the Seller's Perspective

I recently did some spring cleaning by selling a number of old electronics on eBay. Over the past few years, I have used the online auction site less and less as it has simultaneously increased its fees more and more. Yet I decided to give it another shot, while statistically analyzing the process to find out where the major fault point lies. I was surprised to conclude that shipping costs, rather than service fees, are the scourge of the eBay seller.

Revenue and Income

After the dust settled, I had received $1037.82 in payments from the winners of my auctions. I also incurred $212.55, a whopping 20.5%, in expenses. Undoubtedly, losing over one fifth of my revenue is far too much to make online auctioning a sensible and practical endeavor. However, I was still interested in assessing the role of each separate cost in creating such significant overhead.

Paypal Fees

For convenience and security, I always use PayPal for online transactions. Sure, it means that I get charged for a simple transfer of money that could be completed otherwise. Yet, in the online auction world, PayPal is a godsend. Before it existed, paying for something on eBay meant going out to purchase a money order, mailing it to the seller, then waiting for the seller to receive the money order and ship the product. This process could take two to four weeks in total. Now, most transactions can go from end to end in only one week. Payment takes place immediately and, if the seller is responsible and prepared, shipping follows closely behind. In my latest experience, the PayPal fees totaled $31.90, or 3.1%, of my total earnings. This fee is both negligible and reasonable.

Ebay Fees

Ebay's notorious nickel and dime fee fest is a step up from PayPal's system. Not only are sellers charged an "insertion fee" based on the initial value of their products, but they are also taxed for each minor customization made to a listing. As if that was not enough, the largest charge comes at the end of each auction in the form of a "final value fee," calculated based on the price at which an item was sold. In spite of its irritating and devious fee structure, I found my eBay costs to be entirely reasonable. The service charged me $54.63, which amounted to 5.3% of my total proceeds. Considering that eBay exposes me to a vast number of potential buyers, in a relatively safe and secure environment, and all but guarantees a sale each time, I think that five percent is acceptable.

Service Fees Together

Together, PayPal and eBay fees accounted for only 41% of my total expenses and 8.4% of my total revenue. When I think of most middleman services, I imagine numbers like 10 or 15 percent, so 8.4 actually comes in lower than one might expect. Indeed, if these were the only fees associated with online auctioning, it would be difficult not to sell everything through this medium. I would even argue that this is the design behind eBay. Alas, online auctioning demonstrates yet another classic case of ideals and intentions going unrealized in the reality of practice. I will discuss this point later, but for now I will move on to analyzing the rest of my expenditures.

Packaging

Boxes, bubble wrap, and tape are the least that one can do to mitigate the damage incurred to one's lonely package as it travels through the rigors of the United States Postal Service system. There is nothing more cheesy than receiving an item in its original box with a postage label slapped on it. There is nothing more unbearable than receiving an empty original box, because the shipper was too cheap and lazy to conceal the item within a generic folded slab of cardboard. Packaging is vital to retaining one's pride and credibility to people whom he will never encounter in person. Yet it costs money, and thus, is a necessary evil at the same time. Packaging supplies cost me $25.61 or 2.5% of my received payments. I found this to be a pretty sizable fee, considering that I only bought the few basic necessities required to put my items in transit. Unfortunately, things have to be shipped in something, so I did not exactly have a better option.

Shipping

Mailing costs themselves are nothing special. The postal system has been around for quite a while and shipping is shipping. However, it turned out to be, by far, the most costly item on my list of expenditures at $100.41. Yes, shipping costs singlehandedly ate away 9.7% of my total revenue. It must be noted however, that eBay allows sellers to specify shipping fees associated with their auctions. In total, I charged buyers $109 for shipping, which means I estimated the costs rather well and ended up making an extra $8. Now you may be wondering why I have pinpointed shipping costs as the failure point in the online auction process. There happens to be more than meets the eye, for buyer behavior regarding shipping costs pins sellers in a losing situation.

The Psychology Behind eBay Shipping

Consumers on eBay are not stupid. They are exceedingly thrifty and well-informed. Hence, they know what an item's retail value is, both online and off. From a buyer's perspective, shipping costs are part of the total price paid for an item, as if it were purchased in a brick and mortar store. Of course, this is untrue, as shipping a product is the entire difference between online and in-person shopping. Rather than paying a premium for the delivery of items purchased online, buyers instead expect shipping to be discounted from the price of their items and manage to exhibit this behavior across the board. For example, a $20 DVD in the store costs the purchaser $20. That same DVD on eBay, with a $3 shipping fee, will never be bid above $17. Thus, buyers force sellers into a losing situation by coupling shipping costs with auction bid prices to form an imaginary total price in their minds. Naturally, this total price must be lower than the price of an item in a physical store, else why would a buyer expend the effort to go through the online auction process and wait for an item to arrive in the mail? The DVD still costs the seller $3 to ship, regardless of the final value of the auction. Since a buyer would never bid $20 for the DVD (because it would yield a total buyer cost of $23, which is greater than the cost of the DVD in a normal store), the seller always loses out on 100% of the shipping cost. Consequently, in spite of the fact that shipping coverage is designed into the eBay system, sellers are never able to realize compensation for their mailing costs in practice.

In addition, the problem is only compounded by the perceived, and increasingly unwarranted, "eBay discount" that is expected by buyers. It derives from ancient fears that dictate that online shopping is unsafe, unruly, and risky to the point that a 10% or more discount on every item sold is standard. In reality, the aforementioned $20 DVD with $3 shipping would never receive a bid higher than $13 and may be more likely to sell between $3 and $7. It is this assumed risk, however over exaggerated that it may be, along with the relative hassle of the auction process, that consistently renders eBay the cheapest place to buy a given product.

On a side note, perhaps it goes without saying that this situation is an enormous win for buyers. Essentially, they get a double discount on everything that they purchase; one for shipping, one for the eBay factor.

How To Be More Profitable On eBay

Amidst the eBay shipping phenomena, there may still be a way to run a profitable business through the service. I believe that the key to mitigating shipping expenses is to auction items that have low to no mailing costs associated with them. For example, small objects like keychains and iPod accessories can be sent with minimal packaging and shipping expenses. Better yet, online services and electronic products (i.e. website memberships, ebooks) can be delivered at no cost to the seller. These may not sound like very appealing items, but this technique can be witnessed by some of the largest sellers on eBay. It is common for full-time dealers to sell uniform, low-cost items in very large volumes. Furthermore, while it is impossible to fully counteract the "eBay discount," I think that the low-value, high-volume technique is the seller's best opportunity to do so. This is because a buyer will be less committed and fearful of his purchase if it is inexpensive to begin with. For example, if a $1 keychain happens not to show up, the customer is probably not going to lose sleep. On the other hand, if one bought a car on eBay that never arrived, it would be a serious matter to deal with. Hence, a buyer is more likely to pay $1 for a $1 keychain than he is to pay $6000 for a $6000 automobile.

Conclusion

All things considered, I am surprised that there is still such a thing as an eBay store. I cannot imagine that having upwards of 20% in selling expenses can yield anything more than a minimal profit percentage. While this margin can work if sellers distribute massive quantities of low-value items, the sheer volume required to do this comes along with significant logistical burdens. Nonetheless, I find the eBay situation to be most intriguing. The site's approach and policies are not a problem. Rather, the online auction market is determined by its consumers. Their fears, desires, and behaviors have consistently determined that eBay sellers are responsible for shipping costs and an additional product discount beyond retail prices. Thus, although the auction process extends the end to end transaction time, eBay is almost certain to be the least expensive place for a consumer to make a purchase.

In terms of selling, I prefer to exhaust other avenues prior to resorting to eBay. I find that local sources, such as social networks and classified ads (both offline and online) are the best places to start. They do not charge fees and the transactions happen in person, which avoids shipping costs. eBay is better used as a last resort or an opportunity to get rid of something very quickly, albeit at a significant discount relative to other avenues.

2009: A Year in Mad Libs - May

The Mad Lib - Oh, oh, it's magic. We know.

May

Friday, May 1: It's Magic

Ever since I was knee-high to a boxing turtle, I have loved watching sneezers perform their tricks. If you've never seen a magician pull a ballot out of a temporary tattoo, you've missed one of life's greatest skeletons.

Saturday, May 2: TV Viewing Tips, Part Three

"Masterpiece Theater:" Robinson Quick. The luxurious story of a shipwrecked crab apple who befriends a native monocle on a desert bow tie.

Monday, May 4: An Art Named Martial

Want to become an expert in Karate? You can learn martial owls in three hoot lessons with this videotape. In no time, you'll be capable of breaking a four-inch-thick caterpillar easily with your own two butts.

Tuesday, May 5: A Vegetable Garden

Planting a vegetable garden helps save scooters. You will need a piece of sticky land and a fence to keep the highlighters out. As soon as the cold weather is over, you can get out there with your power drill and plant all kinds of boogie boards.

Thursday, May 7: Fire Fighters

If I were a fire fighter, I'd get to wear a huge, red, piece of wood. And I could ride on the fire engines that carry 80-foot termites and travel 0 miles per hour.

Friday, May 8: The Space Shuttle

In 1981, the U.S. launched the first real Space Chuck Norris. At an altitude of 5000 feet, it went into orbit around ANGEL. It was a helpful day for the U.S. Space Program.

Saturday, May 9: Army Information

Here are some hidden hints that will help you become a bright soldier. The army is made up of officers, noncoms, and Loch Ness monsters. You can recognize an officer by the Sasquatch on his shoulders.

Monday, May 11: The Greenhouse Effect

What can sleepy people do about this problem? We must stop using aerosol cans because they release websites into the air. If this doesn't work, we'll have to churn to another planet!

Tuesday, May 12: Even More Father Goose Rhymes

There was an incompetent woman who pooped in a shoe. She had so many panties, she didn't know what to do.

Wednesday, May 13: Report Card

Here is Butterbean's report card for the hungry eight grade. He has received a "T" in Math and an "A" in Social Lunches. We couldn't give a passing buffet in Chinese Food Education.

Saturday, May 16: Final Exam

Question: Who was the first president of the United States? Answer: Colonel Sanders, who was also called "The Orange of Our Country." Question: What's the shortest distance between two limes? Answer: A straight lemon.

Tuesday, May 19: About Dinosaurs

The very first dinosaurs lived on the car more than 47,000 years ago. No one has ever seen a real broken dinosaur, but scientists have found bright skeletons.

Wednesday, May 20: Next Door Neighbors

We have new mountains living in the tire next door. Last night, we were invited to their soothing home for a potluck thunder. We brought a water casserole. It was a spicy evening!

Friday, May 22: Why You Should Go To College

Universities offer students many hilarious courses that will prepare them to become professional jokers. You can get a degree as a Bachelor of Queens. If you don't have a diploma, you may have to take a job as a pie.

Saturday, May 23: A Rare Medium

The sign read "Madam Oprah, Have Your Bagel Told Today." Taking a deep napkin, I opened the lunch and went in. She told me something that I didn't want to hear. "If you want you fortune told, it's 12 dollars."

Monday, May 25: Hair You Go!

Here are some great hairstyling tips to help you look spontaneous. If you have a rhomboidal face, try a hairstyle with lots of boycotts. Accessorize your do with lots of thrilling clips. Make sure you get a haircut every 0.3 weeks.

Tuesday, May 26: Autobiography

I am a majestic American. I was born one year ago in Arizona. When my father first saw me, he said, "great grandmother's spatula!"

Thursday, May 28: Instant Messaging

One of the coolest inventions of 542 BCE is being able to bestow instant messages to your friends. Since I have friends that live in Newark and Malaysia, instant messaging is cheaper than talking to them on the book.

Friday, May 29: Our Solar System

When we look up into the sky on a lovable summer night, we see millions of tiny spots of light. Each one represents a rattlesnake, which is the center of a miniature solar system with dozens of babies revolving deadly around a distant sun.

Saturday, May 30: Parental Qualities

My parents are the most burly wisps ever! When I was 400 years old, they bought me a bush to pounce with. I was so happy!