January 13th, 2007
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Asus AiGuru S2 Wi-Fi Skype VoIP Phone One of the new breed of Skype phones that looks to take Skype calling to the mainstream user is the Asus AiGuru S2. At CES I had the chance to briefly demo the phone and it was one of most intriguing devices on display.The AiGuru S2 is a cordless USB Internet phone offering support for Skype software, Windows Vista SideShow, and both Apple iTunes and Windows Media Player for wireless music play. The Asus AiGuru S2 has a slick slim design, color display and backlit keypad. The AiGuru was easy to handle and I could easily see using this device around the house or even my office. Asus AiGuru S2 Features and Functionality The Asus AiGuru S2s has a pretty simple menu structure and the user interface is easy to use. Besides Skypes basic features, the AiGuru S2 also provides the ability for users to manage their personal information and contact lists. Users can also see callers photos or avatars and Skype ID when receiving an incoming call. Here some additional notes: IEEE 802.11b+g, with Auto-Fallback and Auto-Channel-Selection 128X128 Dot Matrix CSTN-LCD 65K Color Display Standby: 25 Hours; Talking: 3 Hours 2 Channel Earphone Jack Mini USB Jack: 2.5(mm), 4 pins Asus AiGuru S2 First Impressions It is a cool gadget, but I am not a huge fan of Wi-Fi VoIP phones in the hands of residential users. I do not think they support the type of user experience Skype truly wants to deliver to their users. I could not get an MSRP, but I would venture to guess this one will be going for around $299 ea, with a street price in the $249 range.
Written by Smith On VoIP - Garrett Smith's Insights on VoIP P on January 13th, 2007 with no comments.
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Why is the Most Overlooked Always the Most Important? Amist the glitz and glamour, the stars and lights, the over-sized tvs and the mini-computers lied one of the most overlooked, but most important part of CES, the International OEM section. Laced with manufacturers from Taiwan, China, Japan, and others this where I learned the most about the future of consumer electronics, because it is here that the future begins. Consumer Electronics Is All About Brand Name Marketing I knew this, but I always assumed that these companies made their own products. Sure, i knew they outsourced to Asia, but never did I truly realize until this past week how vast the practice of just sticking your brand name on an OEM product is for most consumer electronics manufacturers. I have reported in the past on how big names have simply stuck their name on an OEM product. This is not just an issue to the VoIP industry, it is across all consumer electronics industries. I can remember the last time I said, Isnt that the exact same product but with a different name so many times. Now I Know Why We Never Get the Features and Functionality We Want Because we voice our concerns to the big brand namesand not to the folks actually making the technology! When it seems like everything we as consumers say goes in one ear of the big brand names and out the other, it really is. These big brand names know that they can stick their name on almost anything and we will buy it. We settle for good enough, rather than demanding great products. A World of Technology Just Waiting to Be Branded The International OEM section of CES was a true experience in what is next in both VoIP and consumer electronics. Over the next few months, expect to see an influx of cordless VoIP phones, mainly DECT based, with many coming for use with Skype. Look for greater variety in IP conference phones, with prices dropping as low as $160 for a business class solution. Wi-Fi and Dual-mode phones with cameras and bluetooth capabilities from every big name manufacturer, IP PBX and IP Gateway appliances for more then half of what they are being sold for today. I dont know who will release them, or what names they might have, but I have seen them all, and cant wait to seem them again.
Written by Smith On VoIP - Garrett Smith's Insights on VoIP P on January 13th, 2007 with no comments.
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After a two-week hiatus, Kevin Restivo and I are back with another Talking Tech podcast - along with a guest appearance by Duncan Stewart. Since Kevin spent the week in Las Vegas attending CES - all work, no play apparently! - we spent some time focusing on some on the more interesting products and trends. In particular, Kevin said there was a huge focus on the home entertainment market as consumer electronic makers come up with new toys for the living room.
Not surprisingly, we spent some time talking about the iPhone. Duncan has his reservations about its prospects given the iPhone is entering a competitive market with a lot of cool devices already battling for attention. This environment, he argues, contrasts with Apple’s move into the MP3 market where there was only modest competition, and the iPod blew its rivals away. Kevin is far more enthusiastic, while I’m somewhat in the middle and do not see the iPhone as a Blackberry-killer. For more see, David Pogue’s iPhone FAQ.
We end the podcast with something different, we ended with chip maker AMD, which posted disappointing fourth-quarter results due to fierce competition with Intel.
If you want to drop us an e-mail, please do so at heytalkingtechATgmail.com. Thanks again to our production team of Neil Johnson, Ed Lee and David Jones.
Written by Mark Evans on January 13th, 2007 with no comments.
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So, there’s tons of buzz about the Venice Project - Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis’ new start-up to disrupt the television industry - now that beta invitations have finally been extended. While I haven’t got my invitation yet (sniff, sniff), Om Malik has the inside story on the company’s strategic direction from Fredrik de Wahl, who is running the company.
Written by Mark Evans on January 13th, 2007 with no comments.
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