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Making Voice Calls to Phone Numbers
At the time of this writing, the latest version of Windows Messenger supports making phone calls to a regular telephone number. For example, you can use Windows Messenger to call your mother across the country, using the Internet instead of a long distance telephone service. Again, you won’t have the same quality that you find with a standard phone call, but it is certainly worth experimenting with. Another big advantage is that the party you’re calling doesn’t need a computer or computer expertise to configure Windows Messenger—you can reach anyone who has a telephone.
To use Windows Messenger for calling telephone numbers, make sure you have the latest version. Visit http://messenger.microsoft.com to download and install the latest version that supports the phone call feature.
Once you have the latest version installed, choose Actions, Make A Phone Call, or click Make A Phone Call in the bottom pane of Windows Messenger. Windows Messenger opens the Phone dialog box. Check your computer to see whether you are currently subscribed to a voice service provider. If not, you’ll see the phrase Sign Up For Voice Service Today and a Get Started Here button. Click the button to open the Select A Voice Service Provider window and compare the available calling plans. You must sign up with a voice provider to use the computer-to-telephone feature of Windows Messenger. Although there is no charge to initiate these calls from your computer beyond your standard ISP account cost, eventually your calls must be routed into the telephone system at the destination, and you must pay for this segment of the communications link. Voice service providers include Net2Phone (www.net2phone.com), IConnectHere (www.iconnecthere.com), and Callserve (www.callserve.com), among others. You can pay as you go or join a calling plan with a monthly rate. For example, current long distance rates within the United
States can be as low as 2 cents per minute, whereas international rates vary considerably depending on the originating and destination country. Callserve offers a flat international rate of about 15 cents per minute regardless of the country of origin. These plans will certainly change rapidly as the technology evolves. If you want to try a service without making a commitment, try buying a block of minutes to see if the service works for you. Typically, you’ll need to spend $10 to $25 to try out a service, and you might expect several hundred minutes of domestic calling for that price— proportionately less time for international calling.
Once you sign up with a provider, you can use the simple phone dialer interface provided in Windows Messenger, as shown in Figure 8-12, to dial the numbers that you want to call, just as you would a regular phone. Adjust the Speakers and Microphone sliders for best results. Telephone handsets or headphones with a boom microphone, both of which isolate the incoming sound from the outgoing sound, usually provide better results than using computer speakers.
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Figure 8-12. Once you sign up with a voice provider, you can place standard telephone calls using Windows Messenger.
newfeature!
Using Video
Like voice calls, Windows Messenger also supports a Web cam feature where you can use a Web camera to communicate over the Internet with Windows Messenger. The video feature works just like the audio feature. You first need to make sure your Web camera is positioned properly and that there is ample lighting. As with voice calls, any firewalls or routers in use must support UPnP; see “Connecting Through a Firewall,” page 222, for details.
The good news about video is that you’ll get decent results with it. Sure, you’ll still see some jerky movements and get some interference, but overall, the picture usually
looks good, even over slow connections. Also, you can send video to another Windows Messenger contact, even if the contact is not using a camera. In other words, your video transmission and reception on the contact’s end is not dependant on his or her use of
a camera.
The bad news is that video transfer is limited to Windows XP computers. Even if other operating systems such as Windows Me and Windows 2000 have the latest version of MSN Messenger installed, you cannot initiate a video session unless the contact is using Windows XP. When you try to do so, the contact receives a message to “upgrade to Windows XP” to use the feature. So, any contacts not using Windows XP need not apply. You can’t send or receive video from them.
Once your camera is set up and working, just open a Conversation window with the contact that you want to communicate with, and click the Start Camera option. Your contact must accept your invitation to receive camera transmission. Once the invitation is accepted, the contact begins seeing your video in the Conversation window, as shown in Figure 8-13 on the next page.
When you are sending video, you can click the Options button under the video window and choose Show My Video As Picture-in-Picture to see what your outgoing video
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Figure 8-13. The video session appears in the Conversation window.
looks like. You can also choose to slide the microphone to the minimum position so that you are not sending voice.
When you get ready to end the conversation, click Stop Camera or Stop Talking to end the connection. You can also close the Conversation window to end the connection.
newfeature!
Whiteboard and Application Sharing
Windows Messenger now supports features that enable you to hold online meetings and share applications. These features, Whiteboard and Application Sharing, have been added to Windows Messenger from the Microsoft NetMeeting program to give you additional flexibility when communicating over the Internet. For example, suppose you are using Windows Messenger to hold a meeting, and during that meeting, you want to draw an illustration for the attendees. Whiteboard provides you with a way to draw pictures and write text that appear in the Conversation window on the receiving computer.
In the same manner, you can also share programs running on your computer. This feature enables you to collaborate on a document or file with someone else, accessing the application on one computer from both computers. The following two sections explore Whiteboard and Application Sharing.
Using Whiteboard
Whiteboard looks and behaves a lot like Microsoft Paint in Windows XP. You can create text and graphics with Whiteboard that automatically appear on the corresponding Whiteboards on the contacts’ PCs. Whiteboard can be used for online meetings and
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training, and can be used in conjunction with voice and video. Like video, however, Whiteboard is only available in Windows Messenger running on Windows XP. MSN Messenger running on earlier versions of Windows cannot use Whiteboard.
You can start a Whiteboard session in a couple of different ways:
● Click Actions, Start Whiteboard. Select the contact(s) you want to hold a Whiteboard session with. Once the contacts accept your invitation, the Whiteboard session begins, and you see a Sharing Session dialog box, shown in Figure 8-14, which lets you know that you are connected.
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Figure 8-14. The Sharing Session dialog box lets you know the status of your connection.
● If you already have a session under way, such as a text session or a video and voice session, choose Actions, Start Whiteboard, or click Start Whiteboard in the right pane of the Conversation window. Your contacts must accept the invitation for a Whiteboard session to begin.
Once the session has started, you simply use Whiteboard to create any text or graphics you desire, as shown in Figure 8-15. Whatever you create appears on the contacts’ Whiteboards. Users can save the Whiteboard drawings and text and even print them
Figure 8-15. Whiteboard allows you to create text and graphics that appear automatically on your contacts’ Whiteboards.
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from their computers. Notice that you have a toolbar of buttons on the left side of the Whiteboard window. If you don’t see the toolbar, choose View, Tool Bar. Along the bottom of the Whiteboard window is a palette for choosing colors and a set of VCR-type controls for handling multiple pages of drawings. Table 8-2 defines these tools for you.
Table 8-2. Whiteboard Buttons and Their Actions
Button |
Name |
Action |
|
Selector |
The Selector tool allows you to select an item |
|
|
you have created and move it, resize it, redraw it, |
|
|
delete it, or manipulate it. Select the tool, and then |
|
|
click the object you want to select. |
|
|
|
|
Eraser |
The Eraser tool deletes whatever you select with it. |
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|
Select this tool, and then click the object you want |
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|
removed. If you accidentally erase something, click |
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|
Edit, Undelete to restore it. |
|
|
|
|
Text |
The Text tool allows you to create text on the |
|
|
Whiteboard. Select this tool, and then click once |
|
|
where you want to the text to go. A small text box |
|
|
appears. Use the keyboard to type the text. |
|
|
|
|
Highlighter |
The Highlighter tool allows you to highlight text |
|
|
or objects. You’ll need to select a color for the |
|
|
highlighter; yellow or pink works best. |
|
|
|
|
Pen |
The Pen tool allows you to add freehand text and |
|
|
graphics. Select a line width and a color, and then |
|
|
hold down the primary mouse button to draw |
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|
with the Pen. |
|
|
|
|
Line |
The Line tool allows you to create a straight line. |
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|
You can also select the line width by clicking the |
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|
line thickness in the lower left portion of the |
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|
Whiteboard window. |
|
|
|
|
Unfilled |
The Unfilled Rectangle tool allows you to create |
|
Rectangle |
a hollow rectangle on the Whiteboard. Select the |
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|
option, and then hold down your mouse button at |
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|
the rectangle starting point to draw it. |
|
|
|
|
Filled |
The Filled Rectangle tool allows you to create a |
|
Rectangle |
filled rectangle. You can select the color for the fill. |
|
|
|
|
Unfilled |
The Unfilled Ellipse tool creates a hollow ellipse. |
|
Ellipse |
Select the tool and hold down the primary mouse |
|
|
button to draw the ellipse. |
|
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Table 8-2. |
(continued) |
|
Button |
Name |
Action |
|
Filled |
The Filled Ellipse tool creates a filled ellipse. |
|
Ellipse |
|
|
|
|
|
Zoom |
The Zoom tool enlarges the drawing. If you click |
|
|
again, the drawing will return to normal size. |
|
|
|
|
Remote |
The Remote Pointer is a cool tool that allows a |
|
Pointer |
small hand to appear on the remote Whiteboards. |
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|
For example, if you are trying to explain part of |
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|
the drawing, you can click this option, and a |
|
|
pointer appears on everyone’s Whiteboard. Drag |
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|
the pointer to whatever you want others to |
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focus on. Others can see your pointer but can’t |
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|
move it. However, they can initiate their own |
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|
pointer and indicate material to you. |
|
|
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|
Lock |
Click this option to prevent other contacts from |
|
Contents |
making changes to the Whiteboard. Click it |
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again to unlock the Whiteboard so that others |
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|
can make changes. |
|
|
|
|
Synchronize |
When you use different Whiteboard pages, |
|
(Unsynchronize) |
everyone’s page changes when anyone changes |
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|
a page. However, if you want contacts to be |
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|
able to see different pages, click this button to |
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|
unsynchronize the Whiteboard. |
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|
|
|
Select Area |
This feature allows you to select and paste an |
|
|
area from any window into your drawing. Select |
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|
the option, and then hold down your mouse |
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|
button to select the area you want to include. |
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|
When you release the mouse button, the area |
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|
appears on your Whiteboard. This is a great |
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|
way to show portions of an application, picture, |
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|
document, and so on. |
|
|
|
|
Select Window |
This option selects an entire window so that you |
|
|
can display it on the Whiteboard. This is a great |
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|
way to show a program window or a dialog box |
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|
to contacts. |
|
|
|
|
First Page |
This button displays the first page of a multipage |
|
|
Whiteboard. |
|
|
|
|
|
(continued) |
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Table 8-2. |
(continued) |
|
Button |
Name |
Action |
|
Previous Page |
This button displays the previous Whiteboard |
|
|
page. |
|
|
|
|
Page |
Type the page you want to view and press |
|
|
Enter. |
|
|
|
|
Next Page |
This button displays the next Whiteboard page. |
|
|
|
|
Last Page |
This button displays the last page of a multipage |
|
|
Whiteboard. |
|
|
|
|
Insert |
Creates a new Whiteboard page after the current |
|
New Page |
page. If page 2 is showing, clicking this button |
|
|
creates a blank page 3. An existing page 3 |
|
|
becomes page 4, and so on. |
|
|
|
tip If Whiteboard doesn’t give you the creative options you need, you can create whatever you like in Paint or another application and paste it into Whiteboard!
Application Sharing
Application Sharing provides you with a great way to collaboratively work on a document or file, or even play a game (fast network games will not perform well, however). Like Whiteboard, Application Sharing is only available on Windows XP computers, not computers running MSN Messenger.
To begin an Application Sharing session, choose Actions, Start Application Sharing, and then select your contact(s). You can also just right-click the desired contact, and select Start Application Sharing. If you already have an instant messaging session in progress, choose Actions, Start Application Sharing, or click the Start Application Sharing link in the right pane of the Conversation window.
The Sharing – Programs dialog box shown in Figure 8-16 appears and allows you to select the programs that you want to share. Notice that you can click the Allow Control button to enable your contacts to control your program. If you don’t click this button (or click it a second time when it is labeled Prevent Control), only you can control the program while others watch.
note Any program that you want to share must be currently open to share it.
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Figure 8-16. Select the program you want to share and the level of control you want to give to contacts.
When the session initiates, the contact sees an Administrator’s Programs window, shown in Figure 8-17. All changes and movements you make in the program using the open file are seen on the contact’s computer.
Figure 8-17. Your contact sees the program you’re sharing in a window like this.
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Understanding Application Control and Saving Changes
If you give a contact the ability to control the application, you allow that contact to make changes to the file that is currently open. For example, let’s say that you have a PowerPoint presentation you are working on. If you give a contact control, the contact can make changes to the presentation, and you’ll see the changes as they are being made on your screen. When a contact wants to request changes, the contact
chooses Control, Request Control in the program window. If you approve the contact’s request, the contact can make changes to the file. You cannot make changes while the contact is making changes, and vice versa, so the process allows only one person to be in control at any given time. When the contact is finished, the contact clicks Control, Release Control. At this point, you can begin editing the file again.
So, where is the file the contact changed located? The program resides on your computer as well as the file. Your contact is viewing it remotely and issuing changes from a remote computer. Your contact can save the file while he or she has control, but only on your computer. If you want the contact to have a copy of the file when Application Sharing is done, simply use Windows Messenger and choose Actions, Send A File Or Photo to send a copy to the contact.
As you are working with Application Sharing, keep in mind that you can also maintain instant messaging windows as well as voice and video transmissions at the same time, which gives you a true collaborative experience!
Requesting Remote Assistance
Remote Assistance is a feature that allows a user to request help from another user over the Internet. Using Remote Assistance, a user can even allow another user to remotely control his or her computer and make configuration changes.
Remote Assistance uses Windows Messenger or Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI)-compliant e-mail applications (such as Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express) to send Remote Assistance invitations. You can learn more about using the Remote Assistance feature in Chapter 16, “Remote Desktop and Remote Assistance.”
Mobile Devices
Windows Messenger versions 4.6 and later have the capability to send instant messages to mobile devices. With the popularity of instant messaging, you can find a contact who is on the move with a mobile device instead of waiting until he or she is in front of a computer. To use mobile device instant messages with Windows Messenger, you
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need to download some add-ins and configure Windows Messenger to work with the mobile device you use, such as a cell phone or personal digital assistant (PDA). You can then send messages to other contacts who are mobile, and Windows Messenger can send instant messages to you when you are mobile. In Windows Messenger 4.6 or later, choose Tools, Add-In Web Site to download the mobile connectivity tools that you need. Follow the instructions that appear to set up this service. You’ll need to open the Options dialog box from the Tools menu, select the Phone tab, and click the Mobile Settings button to set up the account. Then, enable the Allow People On My Contact List To Send Messages To My Mobile Device option. If others choose this option to enable you to contact them on their mobile devices, you’ll be able to right-click their name in the contacts list and choose Send A Message To A Mobile Device.
Online Security and Privacy
As with all online services and features, privacy and security are always important, and Windows Messenger puts you in control of communications. You can choose whether to accept or decline any communication invitation. When using Windows Messenger, it is a good idea to observe these safety rules:
●Always, always use antivirus software and scan any files that you receive via Windows Messenger.
●Keep in mind that contacts can see your e-mail address. This usually isn’t a big deal because you choose who you will communicate with, but if you are concerned about exposing your primary e-mail address, consider opening a Hotmail or Passport account just for Windows Messenger purposes. This keeps your Windows Messenger e-mail address separate from your primary e-mail address.
●Never give out your phone numbers unless you are absolutely certain with whom you are communicating.
●Windows Messenger sessions are not encrypted, so never give out credit card numbers or other personal identification information when using Windows Messenger. Use Outlook Express and send an encrypted e-mail for this purpose (see Chapter 7, “Using Outlook Express Advanced Features,” to learn more).
Windows Messenger also gives you a few additional security options that can be found by choosing Tools, Options. Select the Privacy tab. Figure 8-18 on the next page shows how you can control which users can see whether you are online and are able to communicate with you by placing them on your My Allow List. Or you can block them by putting them on your My Block List. If you want to know which of your contacts has you in their contact lists, click the View button to find out.
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