Phones
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A quick clip just passed by on CNBC TV saying that Jim Balsillie, Chair
of RIM, makers of the addictive BlackBerry mobile communication devices
and cell phones (e.g., BlackBerry Pearl), has signed something or other about their intent to buy the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Now, I'm not knocking the team, but WTF? RIM is head-quartered in
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, about 1.5 hours SouthWest of Toronto,
surrounded by Mennonite country (similar to the Amish culture).
Balsillie denied a few weeks ago that he was the frontrunner to buy the team.
Why
on earth would Balsillie buy a team in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania? Amish
country, right? Is there some connection here? (And why a hockey team?)
Well, according to
the Penguins website, he's an amateur hockey player. Maybe there's also
the fact that Sidney Crosby, a young Canadian player, recently joined
the team.
One assumes that since the Toronto Maple Leafs were
not for sale, Balsillie might have tried to create a team in Hamilton,
Ontario, a city of several hundred thousand that my hockey-loving
Canadian friends tell me having been dying to have a team. I mean,
Balsillie supposedly spent about Cdn$100M of his own money to build a
quantum physics research center (Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics) in Waterloo a few years ago. Surely Hamilton would have welcomed his money.
When I said yesterday that Microsoft and Nokia's coming "email push" communication devices were no threat, and that RIM will survive
and innovate again, this wasn't what I was thinking about. But good
luck anyway. If the NHL board of governors approves, Balsillie takes
over ownership from Mario Lemieux's Lemieux Group LP. On the other
hand, RIM might find new clients this way.
Written by ewriter on October 5th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Business and Phones and PDAs.
I don't believe this for a minute, given how long BlackBerries have
lasted and how much their users love them, but.... IDC has release a
report saying that BlackBerries cannot last against push email
solutions from Microsoft and Nokia. [via Teleclick.ca]
Here's
why I don't believe it. The people who use BlackBerry, as far as I'm
aware, are employees. Their employers have all the equipment and
servers in place. While Microsoft and Nokia may succeed in signing on
new business, existing RIM clients are probably unlikely to want to do
a wholesale switchover. Unless there was some overwhelming benefit. And
not just cost, I'm thinking.
Another factor? RIM stock. I know
former RIM employees who became millionaires and retired. One of the
founders of RIM set up an incredible science facility in the Waterloo,
Canada area, where RIM is headquartered, with $95M of his own money, if
I remember correctly. Then the brightest physics minds of the world
were invited for fellowships.
It isn't just Canadians,
particularly employees, who bought stock. No doubt loads of Americans,
particularly executives, bought stock. With Microsoft stock sucking
bollocks for about five years now, execs aren't going to let RIM stock
decline just because Microsoft or Nokia comes out with a new competitve
product. I'm sure of this. When Microsoft had hot stock, I found this
same kind of attitude from executives I worked with. I despised
Microsoft's strategies back then, but they defended the big M, even
though I presented facts as to why they were not the better choice. No
luck at all.
So even if Microsoft and Nokia
come out with something better, they have a whole "Crackberry" culture
to deal with. And with RIM moving into cool phones like the Blackberry Pearl and plans to get into VoIP, they are expanding their potential customer base. They may not have as deep pockets as Microsoft
and Nokia, but they're deep enough to, say, make a few strategic
acquisitions. And they are a wildly innovative company with a large
"fan" base.
Written by ewriter on October 4th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Networks and Services and Phones.
Ginny Granger writes about
a network of free public VoIP phones called iKiosks in Aberdeen,
Scotland. The iKiosks offer free email, videomail, internet access, and
free VoIP phone calls. Calls are based on software similar to Skype. Robert Gordon University is one of the first iKiosk sites.
This is a marked contrast to SJSU (San Jose State University) in California (and other universities)
where they had planned to ban the use of Skype on campus but later
reversed their decision. Maybe something like iKiosk would be more to
the university's liking? Free public phohes is a radical idea. In
Australia and other places, public VoIP pay phones are being rolled out.
Written by ewriter on October 3rd, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Software and Networks and Phones.
Song Huang from SoonR responded in detail to my original post about Sooner, as well as a post about soft VoIP for mobile devices. SoonR is an application that lets you not only make Skype calls from your mobile
phone or PDA, but it also lets you view your desktop applications.
Apparently it can render all kinds of information on your phone
including Powerpoint slides, AutoCad and Illustrator drawings, and PDF
documents.
Except that I couldn't get it to work, other than
being able to view my desktop's folders. I couldn't get a simple text
file, nor could I use the Skype feature to phone a friend. Actually, I
could, but when SoonR called my cell, I was still on data mode and it
went to voicemail. So the friend I was trying to call heard my voice
mail instead of me.
According to Song's response to my problems
with SoonR on my Palm Treo 650, it appears that I missed a few details.
Treos are problematic, especially on EV-DO networks. (At least, I think
that's the issue. Palm devices using Microsoft Pocket PC don't have the
problem.) SoonR allows you to set a delay so that you can switch from
data over to phone mode. I missed that. But then, I missed that setting
for a few apps. Delays are how Mino Wireless and EQO Mobile
both get around the Treo data network problem. (Though at least Mino's
is automatic, and EQO might be as well.) So if you are having similar
problems with SoonR on Palm OS-based smartphones/ PDAs, try configuring
the delay setting.
Now I guess I have to add SoonR to the
growing list of VoIP/ voice apps that I have to try or re-try. But
assuming that it will work for me now, with all the features it has,
it's an incredibly cool application. At least in theory. While it'd be
very nice to have access to apps like Outlook, Powerpoint, Illustrator,
and PDF, it's like I said about Cognos announcement about running their
business intelligence software
on Blackberry devices. Basically, the app may be cool, but all of them
suffer from the fact that mobile devices typically have such small
viewing screens.
What I'd like to see - although I am a geek - is a HUD (heads-up
display) that I can connect to my PDA, and a simple interface -
possibly a wired glove (maybe even RFID) to actually interact with the
application as simply as possible. This is about the only way I'd care
about running complex apps or viewing complex data on the go. (That and
a better cellular data plan.) Even my relatively large Palm Treo 650 screen won't cut it for me.
Written by ewriter on October 2nd, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Skype and Software and Networks and Services and Solutions and Phones and PDAs.
So it's not just me. According to a CRN article, Skype on mobile phones and PDAs has some technical hurdles to cover before it'll function correctly. Skype CEO and co-founder Niklas Zennstrom specifically mentioned Symbian phones being more difficult than expected. PocketPC-based phones
and PDAs do have Skype, but a lot of other mobile communication devices
do not. Or when there is a Skype-related mobile solution, such as SoonR, there are still technical glitches, depending on your phone. So I can almost sympathize with Zennstrom.
In
fact, Skype isn't really the only VoIP service having this problem of
achieving ubiquity on mobile devices. I've had little luck getting
anything to work on Palm Treo 650, a very specific phone. Mino Wireless works, and Chris from EQO says that EQO Mobile
should work, too. (I'll try it this weekend.) But as for actual mobile
Skype, well Niklas Zennstrom says that have nothing to offer yet and no
timetable besides.
Too bad. I guess I'll be waiting with bated breath, and keep my outrageously expensive cellular wireless data network plan
going in anticipation. Wonder how many additional active users Skype'll
gain when they do go mobile? Maybe Skype needs to start acquiring a few
companies with some of that US$2.6B they got from eBay last year. In
the meantime, though, Skype-specific Wi-Fi and dual-mode phones do seem to work, so you might want to consider one of those for a bit of mobility.
Written by ewriter on September 29th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Skype and Software and Wireless and Networks and Phones.
EverywhereNet: Might As Well Be On Mars?
Ted Wallingford posted a fascinating article, EverywhereNet is on peoples' minds, in response to Andy Abramson's discussion of something called Open Net.
It's new territory for me, and I honestly don't think I can sum it up
for you just yet. But if you are interested in reading about ideas for
a better national and global IP infrastructure, I suggest you read them both.
Forget iPhone?
Cynthia Brumfield points to David Pogue's NY Times discussion of the rumoured Apple iPhone (not to be confused with the SIP-based iPhone from Teledex). Basically, forget about it.
Jajah Mobile Suite No Threat?
Russell Shaw weighs in with his nine reasons why Jajah Mobile Suite is no threat to cell or VoIP. Common thread: people with existing cellular or VoIP subscriptions are unlikely to switch.
SJSU OK's Skype
Phil Wolff reports at Skype Journal that, reversing an earlier decision to ban Skype
on campus, SJSU (San Jose State University) has okayed the popular soft
phone for now. The post also has a nice summary of the reasons why
Skype would be beneficial to the university. Bravo on both counts.
Written by ewriter on September 27th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Skype and Software and Networks and Phones.
Teleclick.ca writes
that RIM will be selling Japanese-language BlackBerry communication
devices by mid next year. Meanwhile, a BlackBerry with an
English-language keyboard will be launching this week in the Japanese
market - the first BlackBerry for that market. RIM's recovering nicely since settling their big NTP lawsuit and since then, coming out with this new phone and the BlackBerry Pearl, as well as getting serious about VoIP when they bought Ascendent. In fact, they've announced other phones recently, including the BlackBerry 7130g in India and the BlackBerry 8703e with GPS capability. RIM will be announcing
their Q2 2006 results tomorrow. As part of that, there'll be a
conference call and live webcast starting 5pm ET. Or you can listen to
the replay.
Written by ewriter on September 27th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Services and Phones and PDAs.
Thomson + Skype Offer Dual-Mode Skype Phone
Thomson and Skype
are aiming a new wireless handset at Skype-lovers who want to maintain
the ability to make both landline and Skype calls. The GE DECT
(Digital Enhanced Cordless Technology) 6.0 wireless handset (GE Model
28300EE2) has an MSRP of US$149. The set has 120 hours of standby time,
10 hours of talk time. The system is expandable up to six handsets,
which can be placed around your home. Read about the feature set at Skype blogs.
Brazil: Mobile Phone Lines Exceed Fixed Lines
The current number of mobile phone lines (12.3M) in Brazil are twice the number of fixed lines (6.5). [via Cellular-News]
Yahoo Messenger Plugins: Learn Languages
Someone's gotten smart and created an interesting way to learn a language, in this case Vietnamese. The Peacemoon plugin for Yahoo! Messenger supports four types of quizzes. While it's designed for Vietnamese, a note in the description welcomes other users.
Written by ewriter on September 21st, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Skype and Software and Phones.
Web sites have already been throwing around the term 4G
(fourth generation) as the successor to 3G mobile communications
technology. But a bunch of biggies in the industry had a jam session
recently to decide exactly what 4G should have. Silicon.com has a brief look at their ideas.
I'm thinking 4G will include GPS abilities for sure, as location-aware phones [Silicon.com] are expected to be a Euros 622 M business in Europe by 2010. In fact, GPS will be part of 3G phones as well, what with Nokia buying Gate5, a mapping company, and surveys showing that cell phone users want such features. But with Samsung already testing 4G tech, it'll be very exciting to see what else such phones will have - hopefully dual mode VoWiFi and cellular calling,
I suppose, however, that companies like T-Mobile will have to be convinced not to ban VoIP from its cellular wireless network.
Written by ewriter on September 18th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Wireless and Networks and Phones.
As Blackberry PDAs and phones gain more market penetration, we're
probably going to see more high-end software being ported over. One
such package is Cognos Inc's business intelligence software, which will
be offered for Blackberries [CRN] in early 2007. That's likely to include the new Blackberry Pearl mobile phone.
But
as the CRN article implies, getting the user screens right is going to
be a challenge when screen real estate is so minimal. I don't know
about you, but I think that complex software really has no place on
today's mobile devices.
On the other hand, if someone comes up
with affordable HUDs (Heads-Up Displays) - which have an effective real
estate of a large-screen TV, and that don't make you look like a Cyborg
- as well as some ingenius, simple method of data entry outside of a
keyboard (say a one handed keyboard or eye-tracking tech) and makes it
all affordable... Well, then now we're talking. Complex software can
have a place on mobile devices. Until then, though, only the simplest
of applications, including mobile VoIP, are really all that are likely to get used.
Written by ewriter on September 18th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Software and Phones.
Marilyn Monroe and dozens of starlets may have sung that "Diamonds are a girl's best friend",
but cell phones might love them too. Or at least, cell phone owners.
According to a combined academic and industrial research project, diamonds may help improve cell phone reception
[Cellular News]. In particular, a new material called UNCD
(UltraNanoCrystalline Diamond) could be used to make highly accurate
tuning forks, which would dramatically improve reception and
transmission of cellular signals.
The project is being conducted
by the US Dept of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, and funded by
DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Project Agency). You know that when
DARPA gets involved, initial applications will be of the military
variety first. Such research, however, is unlikely to apply to IP
telephony or even Wi-Fi communications. So such improved call quality wouldn't apply to mobile VoIP calls.
Written by ewriter on September 12th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Wireless and Phones.
Skype announced a couple of days
ago that SkypeOut calls would be free from France to landlines in
France. As with the SkypeOut offer in Canada and the US, this offer is
only good until Dec 31, 2006. (However, out calls to mobile numbers are
not free in France, but are in North America.) Skype also recently
announced free SkypeOut calls to toll-free landlines in Taiwan. Skype calls can be made on PC, Mac, Linux computers, Pocket PC phones/ PDAs, and several new Wi-Fi and DECT phones.
On
the other hand, if you don't live in France or North America - or even
if you do - Fleurop-Interflora Flowers, a Skype partner, is running a free phone promo. Buy flowers, refer five friends, and if one of them buys flowers, you'll get a free Perfectel USB Skype phone.
Written by ewriter on September 8th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Skype and Phones.
Om Malik thinks Palm's Treo line may be in trouble.
While I keep repeatedly writing how much I love my Treo 650, reading
what Om has written makes me realize that I have some of the same
issues, and then some. Apparently the company is aware of this and
already says their sales for this new fiscal quarter will be lower than expected.
Now
I got a good deal on my Treo, either $149 or $199 - I don't remember
exactly, because I think I got an extra $50 rebate from an already
unexpectedly low price. And for my purposes, it's quite sufficient. I
owned a Palm V from late 1999 and I loved it. But after dropping it way
too many times - even inside a Rhino aluminum case - it ceased to work
altogether. Back then, the damn thing cost me around $650 including
sales taxes, and they didn't have any connectivity whatsover.
However,
I love Palm's OS and interface, and the opportunities to develop
software for it (my own projects) seemed more worthwile, since Palm OS
PDAs rule the market. Or did. That's probably changing. And now with
RIM's slick new Blackberry Pearl mobile phone/ music player, leaked news of Palm's not-yet-shipping Treo 750 phone may not make a difference. Throw in the fact that a prototype Apple iPod Phone (iPhone?) has now been confirmed ready for manufacture, the hybrid phone/ MP3 player war is going to likely be furious. Ultimately, the player/ PDA/ cell phone I'll settle on has to have simple to use mobile VoIP.
Written by ewriter on September 8th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Phones.
CRN Daily News brings up a good point
regarding MP3 players. While most people, especially iPod owners,
wouldn't give up the gadget they have, there are still millions of
people that don't have a device and will probably eventually choose
something. These are the people that companies like Microsoft and Nokia
are going after. Given that the digital music player market is
dominated by iPod (75% in the US, 50% around the world), it's not going
to be easy going for Microsoft and Nokia.
And then don't forget the rumour about the supposed iPod phone and some big Appple press conference in California for Sep 12. Word is, the iPod phone is actually ready for production [via O'Reilly Emerging Telephony]. Though would you pay $600 for it?
Written by ewriter on September 7th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Wireless and Phones.
RIM's blackberry line gets a camera phone next week. The Blackberry
Pearl has a 1.3 megapixel camera, media player (audio and video), a
microSD card slot, trackball, and fairly largish looking screen. [see Computer Business News for some details, and BBHub for loads of pictures and details about file format capabilities.]
I did not see any indication of its ability to VoIP, but that doesn't mean it can't. Regardless, it's good to see that RIM
has gotten past the lawsuit that NTP had levied on them and moved on to
doing what they do best - making cool mobile communication devices. I'm
guessing this phone is new territory for them. By the way, there's a Google Talk client for Blackberry devices.
Written by ewriter on September 7th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Software and Google and Phones.
Seems that Vodaphone, a Palm vendor, mistakenly released details of the new Treo 750v. But if you're still contemplating the 700WX, here are some incentives:
free 1Gb card, rebate for Treo 650 trade-in, free overnight. Thanks,
but I just bought my Treo 650. It works fine, so why would I trade it
for only $125? (Then again, I picked mine up for $199 for a three-year
contract that I would have signed anyway.) But now that I know I can
actually use mobile VoIP on it (sort of), after a few failed attempts, I'm pretty happy with it. And I don't really ant to reinstall all that software.
Written by ewriter on September 7th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Software and Phones.
Russell Shaw provides an informative two reasons
why an iPod phone may not make a dent in the market. Question is, is
there a market for it? I'd originally had no intention to get myself an
iPod. However, my father recently opened up a bank account under
certain conditions and received an iPod Nano for it. He gifted it to
me, not having much use for it. While I don't generally listen to it
during the day, I actually go to bed listening to it. And I'm addicted
enough that I'm contemplating getting a widescreen video iPod, rumoured
to be out soon. (I'm a TV/ film junkie, to the point of actually
writing about it.) But an iPod phone?
Not sure I care. I have my
beautiful Palm Treo 650, which can also display video content. Except
that uploading content to it seems a chore compared with the ease with
which iTunes lets me transfer audio to my iPod. (I used iTunes
long before I got that iPod.) What's more, I can do mobile VoIP on my
Treo (albeit with great effort to finally find some functioning
solutions). Will an iPod phone be able to do that? Why would I change from the device that I already have (except for its bulk, I love my Treo).
Then
there's the question of which cellular providers will offer coverage
for the device. Apple has never been particularly fond of third parties
taking any of their profit margin. It's the reason why there's a huge
PC market and aftermarket and not so much of one for Macs. Apple has
been very innovative, but they've also made mistakes. And while Russell
doesn't go so far as to say that, I think that Apple would be making a
mistake trying for this market. A better offering would be Wi-Fi Skype VoIP iPod (VoIPod) with video-calling, which could potentially wipe up the market with competitors' bottoms.
Written by ewriter on September 6th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Skype and Wireless and Phones.
A quick browse through the website of a relatively large computer store
chain in the US and Canada shows that for back-to-school specials, they
are offering a free USB Skype phone (worth $99), with $1200 in
long-distance savings, when you buy a new desktop computer.
Oddly,
the phone doesn't come with Skype preloaded. But hey, if it works and
the phone offers some quality, how much trouble is it to download
Skype? In fact, the phone might just be a peripheral that runs Skype
software already installed on your computer.
Though the phone looks familiar, I can't tell from the website photo which brand it is. Though it's not mouse-shaped and it's not a wireless
Skype phone. But if other computer manufacturers and stores are wise,
consumers should start seeing more of these sorts of VoIP bundles.
Written by ewriter on September 5th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Skype and Phones.
Panasonic Skype Wi-Fi Phone Planned
Panasonic announced
today that they plan to develop a series of Wi-Fi Skype-certified
phones that can be used at home, office, or pretty much anywhere that
there's Wi-Fi access to the Internet. [via About Skype] Panasonic joins a rapidly growing list of vendors, such as Netgear, D-Link, and Philips, who are jumping on the Skype phone and adaptor bandwagon.
IRS Refund On Long Distance Phone Tax
The
IRS will be refunding American citizens amounts between US$30-60 on
2006 taxes. This is a reimbursement for a 3% federal tax on
long-distance service which has now been removed after US courts
refused an appeal. Total refunds will be around $10B. [via eWeek] It's hard to tell from the eWeek article, but I this might be different than the USF (Universal Service Fund), which telecoms and other firms were required to charge customers for, then pass on to the government.
Why You Need A Cordless VoIP Phone
Russell Shaw reports that according to a US Census Bureau study from May, American homes are getting larger. So VoIP providers need to offer cordless phones to make customers happy. Read his post at ZDNet for more details.
Skype 2.6 Beta For Windows
Skype
now has 2.6 Beta for Windows available, with a couple of new features:
Skypecast listings, contact's birthday reminders, and clickable mood
messages. [via Skype Blogs]
Written by ewriter on September 1st, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Skype and Phones and Regulation.
ITWire has a story which quotes a testing company named Minacom. Minacom
is claiming that VoIP phone service "now sounds better and connects
faster" than PSTN phone service. This is based on data they collected
over twelve months, and only applies to VoIP services offered by cable
providers and telcos. The test uses a standard measure called an MOS (Mean Opinion Score). Minacom's test contradicts Brix Networks' recent report saying that quality is declining. However Brix measured opinion on soft VoIP and pc2pc only calls.
Having
tried only soft VoIP services, I can't comment on Minacom's findings,
except to say that I can see how phone2phone VoIP calls, using a
plug'n'play adapter and a broandband internet connection, would be
fairly high quality. As for soft VoIP, it's definitely not true. Not in
my experience, anyway. Basically, the more software of any type that
you have running on your computer, the lower your call quality is going
to be.
As laptops tend to have less RAM than desktops, they are the
worst for call quality. That's true even if one party in the
conversation has a powerful desktop, as I recently found out when
calling a friend on his laptop. My laptop with 512 Mb didn't fare much
better, unless I pretty much closed all programs. Which is why I
switched to making most of my calls on my desktop. High soft VoIP call quality requires optimum computing power.
My experience with my desktop (1 Gb RAM, dual processor) is that pc2pc calls are almost
as high quality as regular phone2phone. (As I've said, I haven't tried
a VoIP adapter or VoIP phones.) It's when there's a mix of pc and phone
in a VoIP call that quality seems to go down.
However, according to a couple of people that I've called on both Skype
and Hullo, Hullo calls were almost as if I were calling from a regular
phone.
So quality from soft VoIP services seems to be
increasing, but I think VoIP as a whole has a ways to go yet. Better
quality VoIP phones and faster connection speeds would make a
difference. We might even find faster microprocessors in VoIP phones,
or special VoIP-dedicated chips in the next generation of computers,
just like graphics cards were eventually dedicated to computer screen
management. A dedicated VoIP computer chip, either in computers or
phones, would go a long way towards improving call quality. (If there
are VoIP-dedicated chips, I'm not aware of them. Let me know.)
Written by ewriter on September 1st, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Software and Networks and Services and Phones.
With all the free VoIP software available, are IP phone handsets a
waste of money? Not necessarily, especially if you don't have computers
at work, or don't want one per employee. For a variety of reasons, you
may prefer IP handsets over soft phones. But some of the pricier
handsets are so overloaded with software-based features
that they often end up not being used efficiently, according to a
Gartner Group report studying enterprise use of VoIP. Sometimes simpler
is better, and not just for the bottom line.
On the other hand, there are several scenarios where an IP display phone is useful, including the way a Japanese department store
has set up hybrid VoIP/ RFID phones in their dressing rooms. What you
choose for a VoIP phone has to be based on your business needs, not
just desirable features.
Write down a list of all the uses you intend for the phone. Then, when
checking each feature of a fancy IP phone that you are considering,
asking yourself whether your business
would really benefit from it. Make a list and checkmark or cross off
each feature, while comparing with your list. Use a red pen.
What
are you left with? More crosses than checks? Maybe the phone isn't for
you, or you haven't yet recognized how a certain feature might fit into
your business. Are you planning on some advanced voice data applications
in the future? Repeat the feature comparison with the specs from a
number handset vendors, and get several people to do the same analysis.
Having an easy-to-fill-in form would go a long way to uniform
comparisons.
The most expensive, feature-laden IP phone is not
necessarily the best for your business, even if you can afford it. But
don't let a consultant decide that for you before you do your own
analysis.
Written by ewriter on August 28th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Business and Hardware and Phones.
So, you're walking by a billboard for a new TV show that looks
interesting. You want to write down the details, but don't have pen and
paper handy. Your head is too full of other things to remember unaided.
So what do you do? Pull out your Bluetooth-enabled cell phone or PDA,
point it at the billboard, and download a 30-second video clip that has
all the information you need. No fumbling for a pen. [via Telecommunications Industry News]
This
is a real scenario that the United States' CBS television network has
created in some New York City train stations. You can stand up to 36
feet away from these special billboards and download clips, provided
you have a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone or PDA. Telly junkies like me
will no doubt be happy with such uses of streaming video. I can't count
the number of shows I've missed over the years because I dislike
watching a new series from the middle, due to missing the first few
episodes. I'd rather wait 3-5 years, when it goes into re-run
syndication, to watch the series in sequence. [I admit to being a TV
junkie, but I do write about media, so it's kind of a necessity.]
This is different, of course, than IPTV (Internet Protocol TV), mobile TV, video VoIP, or VoIP interaction with TV characters.
What I'd really like to see, though, is if I could download TV show
information from these billboards, then transfer it from my mobile
phone to my IPTV setup to let me pre-program my software to record the
show to my hard drive. Now that would be a video junkie's dream come
true. How long do you think it'll be before someone comes up with this
sort of thing, if it's not already available?
Written by ewriter on August 28th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Networks and Services and Phones.
Tele2 is handing out free wireless phones
for customers who buy thirty euros of their Parlino Dial Out service.
The phones are supposedly worth about 69 euros (approx. US$87). [via The VoIP Weblog]
Given
that my laptop is actually overloaded with text/ VoIP IM clients, I'm
declaring a moratorium on downloading more for now, so I'm not going to
try Parlino's soft client just yet. However, Tele2 had a bright idea!
Maybe some of the frree soft VoIP companies such as Skype, etc., can
learn something from this.
For example, I previously complained that despite my love of Sightspeed,
the signup process just to try the client wanted all kinds of info
including whether I wanted to buy a phone. To Sightspeed: great
product, just take a cue from Tele2. Heck. I'd pay a similar amount of
money for dialout if I got a free Wi-Fi phone in the deal. [Just make
sure you use something like Paypal as an option.] Same goes for Skype,
Gizmo Project, etc.
Hardware
is one of the areas of VoIP where the money is. Give customers
something tangible to associate with your service, and you might find
them using your service more often. It's purely psychological, and just
my hypothesis, but if I had a "free" Wi-Fi VoIP phone, I'd probably
order more minutes after my initial minutes ran out, unless the call
quality sucked. Otherwise, my free gadget would just be sitting around,
and we wouldn't want that, would we?
If customers reloaded their
callout minutes just once, VoIP soft client makers could probably cover
the cost of the phone. If call quality is good and the device easy to
use, then you just might have repeat customers. Hardware/ software
combo deals like this could really push VoIP use.
Written by ewriter on August 23rd, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Software and Wireless and Services and Phones.
Peopleline Inc. opened their
first VoIP store in Vancouver, Canada recently, choosing a high
foot-traffc area of Main St. They feel that potential customers would
probably like to ask questions as well as actually handle products
(such as phones, adapters, etc.) before purchasing. They have plans to
open more stores. [via Trans World News]
There are a number of online stores, such as VoIP Supply,
but this is the first I've heard of a bricks and mortar store dedicated
to VoIP products. It differs by country, but people likely feel more
comfortable buying products of new technologies in person. Anyone
running boutique electronics stores should take notice of this. Besides
system integration, hardware (adapters, phones, etc.) is one of the areas in the VoIP market that is expected to turn a profit.
Written by ewriter on August 22nd, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Hardware and Phones.
Ted Wallingford says that others who will make money on VoIP are integrators/ consultants. [Note: Ted Wallingford's VoIP Weblog is moving over to Download Squad. You should also check out his (brief) thoughts about Adam Fisk's dislike of Skype's closed system. (Warning: Adam's article is of a fairly technical nature.)]
Or the money might be in VoIP-based phone booths. [via Andy Abramson's VoIP Watch] Of course, as Andy points out, with so many Municipal Wi-Fi projects going on, could something like payVoIP work?
According to a Synergy Research Group report, IP phones enjoyed a 50+ percent growth over the past year, and nearly 25% growth just from Q1 to Q1 2006. [via eWeek] This supports the idea that the money in VoIP is in the aftermarket. That's my stand and I'm sticking with it.
Written by ewriter on August 17th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Software and Services and Hardware and Phones.
Looking for work in the VoIP field? 2it Consulting is looking for a
Pre-sales Engineer with Cisco VoIP/ IPT (IP Telephony) experience for
one of their clients in the Sydney, Australia area. [via IT Wire]
Jajah has added Australia and New Zealand to its list of free-call countries that can have free phone-to-phone calls using Jajah's VoIP bridge. [via m-net]
The
Philippines government has an interest in VoIP and wants to build
intranets for its use. Several government agencies are said to be
buying switches for installation. Once the VoIP intranets are built,
the next step will be to hook into commercial telephony networks in the
Philippines, but not until they offer VoIP services as well. [via Inq7] This is an interesting approach, and one I assume the VoIP-over-municipal-WiFi project in Taiwan is considering as well.
Apparently, Skype will have an official version available for MS-Windows Smartphone 2003-based mobile
smartphones/ PDAs. (Note: there is already a Skype client for Windows
Pocket PC-based devices.) The bonus for owners of dual-mode phones is
that they'll have a choice of Skype over either Wi-Fi or 3G - a sort of
DIY converged service. [via Red Herring] It'll be interesting to see how fast they'll come out with a Mobile Linux version, once Mobile Linux for PDAs actually exists.
First there were Skype-certified Wi-Fi phones, now Alpha Networks is offering Google Talk-enabled Wi-Fi phones. Google's GMail will also be supported. [via Asterisk VoIP News]
Written by ewriter on August 8th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Skype and Software and Wireless and Networks and Services and Phones.
There are many reasons to record VoIP calls,
especially in a business setting. But even for home use, it can come in
handy. (Just have the courtesy to notify the person you're talking to
that you are recording the call. In fact, in some countries, recording
a regular telephone call without the other person's consent is illegal.
Unless you're the government.)
On a previous post about recording VoIP calls, one reader, Richard, asked how he can record his calls using 3rd party audio recording software:
I
have been reading your site about how to record VOIP calls. I have Nero
Wave Editor and have tried recording. However, the speaker is a fair
way from the microphone and I cannot hear the other person when I play
back the recording. Would I have to place the speaker close to the
microphone or is there another way where the recording can be done
perhaps internally through the sound card. If so, would Nero Wave
Editor enable me to do this or would I need something else?
Richard, you don't say whether you are using a softVoIP client, such as Skype, Google Talk, Gizmo Project,
etc., or if you are using hard VoIP through some PBX device. Let's
discuss both scenarios. Regardless of your setup, you want to combine
the audio of both people at the same volume.
Recording From Soft VoIP Clients
If
you're using something like Skype, there are 3rd-party plugins and
overlays. I'm using HotRecorder. With most other softVoIP clients, such
as SightSpeed and Yahoo! Messenger,
etc., audio recording is built-in. You just have to activate it. So I'm
assuming that if you are using a soft client, you do not have built-in
recording. In this case, you'll need to employ an external mixer.
First,
I don't recommend placing the speaker near your mic. If you do, you're
likely to get screeching feedback. Instead, you'll have to send the
audio output of your computer to an audio mixer. (I use inexpensive,
good-quality Behringer mixers, but they're popular and sometimes hard to find.)
You
don't need multiple channels or anything fancy. You're simply going to
reroute the audio of your conversation by sending it out of your
computer, to the mixer, and back into your computer's audio input, and
thus into your recording software - in this case, Nero Wave Editor. I
haven't used Nero, but I'm assuming that you will have to manually
trigger it, when you start a conversation.
Recording From Pure-Play VoIP Phones
If
you're using a regular handset and have VoIP via a service like Vonage,
or are using a VoIP PBX, etc., this is a bit more difficult to answer.
As I said in previous post on recording,
there are special solutions. Otherwise, it depends on the specific
phone you are using, but you might be able to output the audio of the
conversation from the handset straight to your computer's audio input.
As before, you'd have to trigger your recording software manually. Unless your phone has a MIDI
(Musical Instrument Device Interface) port, in which case you'd have to
have a sound card on your computer with a MIDI port as well. This is a
very unlikely situation. I haven't heard of telephone handsets with
MIDI ports because they serve no existing need of musicians and
composers. But in case they exist and you find one, the MIDI signal
from the phone would trigger your recording software - provided it has
MIDI sync capabilities.
But generally speaking, whether using
soft or hard VoIP, you basically want to route the conversation's audio
directly to your recording software, and this may require a multiplexer or a simple channel mixer as an intermediary device. If you're recording calls for podcasts and want to mix in other sounds, you're better off doing after-call sound editing.
In
either case (soft or hard VoIP), you'll have to do a bit of planning to
determine the most efficient way to record your calls.
Aside:
For general audio recording needs, I use a variety of software. But for
the price, you can't beat the free, robust, open source, high-quality Audacity
audio recording software. It's supposedly written by industry insiders
for garage/ basement/ bedroom musician, but can be used for any audio
recording - up to 16 channels simultaneously, if your computer's RAM
can handle it. It accepts Steinberg Cubase's VST
plugins. (Cubase is a high-end music composing/ sequencing software
package.) There's also a built-in programming language, Nyquist, in
Audacity, with which you can write your own audio effects. Audacity
runs on Windows, Mac OS X, and GNU/ Linux.
Written by ewriter on August 4th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Software and Solutions and Phones.
MediaRing in Singapore will be offering "prefix-3" VoIP phone numbers.
These numbers can receive calls from both PSTN and mobile phones as
well. [via ChannelNews Asia]
Verizon had just reported a loss of US$500 million between Q1 and Q2 of 2006. A story in today's New York Times
confirms this. Verizon is the USA's No. 2 local phone carrier, just
behind AT&T. Qwest, the fourth largest carrier, also reported
losses due to VoIP/ Internet telephony compared to a year ago. Both
companies stated that increased sales of broadband and wireless
services dampened the losses slightly. [Aside: As I was about to post
this roundup, CNBC TV showed a video segment about New York's
over-taxed electric grid, and how Verizon is helping out with hydrogen
cells.]
Now here's a company who understands unlimited Internet usage
from a cell phone. The UK's T-Mobile is offering rates of less than a
penny per kilobyte, with a maximum charge of 1 GBP (Great British
Pound) per day. It's all free after that, for the rest of a day.
They're also not limiting what sites you visit, but proof of age is
required for access to adult sites. Unfortunately, this service is only
available for two phones: the Motorola v3 RAZR and the Nokia 6131, with
other handsets promised soon. [via The Register]
Infonetics Research, in their VoIP Services
report, says that VoIP service revenue has doubled between 2004 and
2005 in North America, Europe and the Asia Pacific. In these regions,
from 2005-2009, It's expected that US$120 billion will be spent on VoIP
services. [via Infonetics]
VoIP Inc. has just launched their VoiceOne Lab Development website as a showcase for their new VoIP technology and projects. [via New Telephony] Interestingly, the project page
has something called the gTalk Mobile Client. Should be interesting to
see who has the rights to that name, as some people use GTalk to refer
to Google Talk's IM client.
Written by ewriter on August 2nd, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Software and Wireless and Networks and Services and Phones.
Nate Anderson has a great overview of how unlimited "unlimited" 1xEV-DO (=EVDO = Evolution-Data Optimized) wireless data plans on cellular phones really are. He mentions Verizon, but what he says holds true with a lot of providers.
EVDO
is the wireless data network that some CDMA-based cell phones use, in a
number of countries in Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Canada and the US.
(The Wikipedia link above has a fairly comprehensive list of carriers,
phones and laptop data cards which use EVDO.)
If you have a
smartphone or PDA that uses CDMA, the wireless data plan available is
likely to be EVDO-based. If you've purchased, or are thinking of
purchasing, an "unlimited" monthly data/ wireless plan, check your
provider's fine print. More than likely, there's a bit of text that
says you cannot use the service for VoIP, streaming music or video, and several other purposes.
When
I called my service provider recently to upgrade to the "unlimited"
plan, he told me that not only was that plan grandfathered, it had only
ever been available on the laptop data card, not my Palm Treo 650. I
insisted that the sales rep had said otherwise, but the rep wouldn't
budge. So I ended up witha plan offering only 250 Mb/mth bandwidth, for
something like $100/m. Ouch.
Consider that one day, when I had trouble with my regular Internet connection, I used my Palm Treo 650's EVDO connection, via a Bluetooth USB adapter (different from a Bluetooth headset)
as a modem, from my laptop. In a regular half-day's web browsing for
researching my daily articles, I used nearly 90 Megabytes. In a half
day. No streaming music or video. Just one test of VoIP, because I was
writing about a service.
Note: CDMA phones cannot use the phone
and the wireless connection simultaneously, which usually means not
being able to use most VoIP software directly on the device.
Obviously
cell phone data plans are not for power web surfers like myself, but it
sure would be nice to have options for a bigger bandwidth plan at a
better.
Written by ewriter on July 28th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Software and Wireless and Networks and Services and Phones.
Not satisfied with the Skype WiFi VoIP phones already announced by four
companies (SMC, Belkin, Netgear, Edge-Core), Skype is working with
other manufacturers to produce dual-mode phones for later this year.
Current
parnters for these GSM/ WiFi dual-mode phones include Nokia and
Motorola. Surprisingly, I didn't see this announced on Skype's website.
One of the issues still to be worked out is whether the dual-mode
phones will be released SIM-free, or whether they'll be able to work
out deals with cellular providers. I hope it's the latter, as this sort
of Skype experience would be more seamless than some of the current
efforts to run Skype on smart phones, including PDAs such as Palm.
While
GSM isn't going to be to everyone's liking, this is the kind of step
forward that is likely to catapult Skype to the top of the VoIP market share, regardless of service category, and help them earn their keep. (Remember that eBay purchased Skype for US$2.6 billion.) Hopefully they'll be following up with similar announcements for other types of cellular networks.
Sources: [via Silicon.com]
Written by ewriter on July 26th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Skype and Wireless and Phones.
This is a roundup of recent VoIP-related news from various sources.
Skype
has just released V1.5 for the Mac OS X platform. New features include
a new interface and ability to import addresses. Video support requires
a plugin, and call recording is still non-native. [via Pocket Lint, Tech Crunch] Unfortunately, great VoIP recording tools like HotRecorder only run on Windows, at present.
Not
sure if they'll be as hot as other cute monster novelties, but Verballs
double as a USB-enabled hands-free Skype phones. [via Engadget] Apparently they wave their arms and move their lips. Scary.
The previously announced WiFi Skype phone from SMC is now available for US$199. It'll work over any WiFi connection that does not require browser authentication. [via Market News] SMC is one of four companies that recently announced WiFi Skype phones. Others companies include Belkin, Netgear, and Edge-Core.
A report by Telephia says that pure-play VoIP subscriptions are up but network call quality still needs improvement.
Newsday reports that there are over 1100 providers in the US that offer Internet-based phone services, but other than that, Internet phone service could be the future. Which is what I said the other day - all the more reason for softVoIP network compatibility.
Written by ewriter on July 26th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Networks and Services and Hardware and Phones.
With European Union giving Microsoft a slap upside the head, they've got more to worry about than their share price. Their shares have been fairly level over the past five years,
and some people think it's because they have stopped become innovators,
with few forays into the newest technologies on and off the web. For
example, when you think VoIP, do you think Microsoft?
Back last fall, when they acquired Teleo,
it was expected that Microsoft was making a big leap into the VoIP
market. What have they done with VoIP since? If past history is any
evidence, they'll buy a company with wide presence - often with a free
product - and embed their offerings into enterprise applications.
That's their thing, their forte. But the web hasn't been about
enterprise. If they want to dominate the Internet, Microsoft should
take advice from the Red Hot Chili Peppers and give it away, give it
away, give it away, now.
I shouldn't be too harsh, though. They did release Windows Live Messenger, with the expectation of upstaging Skype. But early in February, we asked is Microsoft serious about VoIP? Then late that month, they announced a free VoIP app allowing Office users to make free calls on Wi-Fi phones - preferably with the Windows Live Messenger-compatible VoIP cordless phone they teamed up with Philips to launch in January. In March, we were sure Microsoft's serious about VoIP.
So
they're obviously trying. Personally, I'm glad they didn't buy Skype
(did they even make an offer?) or Sightspeed, else the products might
have been buried deep in other offerings. I think they need to consider
offering products purely on their own merits, which don't need other MS
apps installed to run on.
Written by ewriter on July 13th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Software and Services and Business and Phones.
You may find it hard to believe, but I actually know quite a few
people, mostly over 50 or 60, who neither have a computer nor want one.
In fact, some of these people have never had an answering machine and
have no intention of ever getting one. Think they have a cell phone?
Some don't. What are the chances, then, that these people are going to
rush out and buy VoIP handsets? Nil, of course. For them, VoIP has to
be transparent.
Converged Wi-Fi/ cellular handsets might be the next big thing, VoIP hardware-wise, but good old PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) phones might not be dead just yet. Making VoIP simple for consumers
will go a long way towards wider acceptance of VoIP, especially from
customers reluctant to make unnecessary hardware purchases.
While VoWiFi (VoIP over Wi-Fi) may be relatively simple to set up for those comfortable with technology, and VoIP over Municipal Wi-Fi very easy to use, esecially if you have something like DLink's new VoWiFi phone, there'll be some resistance.
What could be easier, then, than VoIP that incorporates PSTN-to-PSTN connections via VoIP gateway
in the network. From the customer point of view, it's transparent and
requires no new hardware or handsets. Here's a diagram showing how such connections work, and also support PSTN-to-VoIP, VoIP-to-PSTN, and VoIP-to-VoIP.
Written by ewriter on July 11th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Networks and Hardware and Phones.
VoIP ubiquity in software and hardware [1, 2, 3]
is just around the corner, and it's likely to come in (now) familiar
packages. Some of these VoIP voice applications are already here, some
just arrived, and countless others are on their way. Imagine being able
to initiate a VoIP call via Microsoft Outlook,
just by clicking on a contact's name in your address book. Your
familiar email client becomes a VoIP client. Or maybe you want to send a Paypal payment via Skype, or track and buy something from an eBay auction via Skype.
Of
course, you can already do all of those activities, and many people
have. I don't have sales figures for Skype-based Paypal payments, but
it's pretty obvious that electronic payments in general are increasing.
That's true whether via the Internet, through RFID-enabled smartcards
or smartphones, or with biometric devices that incorporate RFID.
In fact, it's said that India will have the largest market for
contactless electronic payments via cell phones, with possibly up to
100 million users.
While I have a bit more faith in the security
of hybrid biometric-RFID contactless payment systems, I'm not so sure
I'd want my cell phone, or Skype or Outlook software, to be able to
make a payment without my explicit authorization. So it made me wonder
if there could be some way to authorize e-payments via VoIP, in terms
of a digital audio voice signature.
The theory's long been put forth that each human voice is unique (notwithstanding comedian and impersonator Rich Little).
While that theory has had a bit of difficulty in courts of law in the
past, newer research suggests that it's true. It wouldn't be all that
difficult, then, to take a voice scan for authorizations as an
alternative to fingerprints.
It's my feeling that such an
alternate will be more welcome than biometric scans. The reason for
this may be purely psychological. Human beings have been familiar with
voice recordings for decades. So recording their own voice does not
make them uncomfortable. Biometrics, on the other hand, is a new
science and the general populace does not have first-hand familiarity
with it, unless they work in secure-access offices, military bases, or
laboratories.
Of course, biometrics could be combined with VoIP
technology for secure authorizations. However, my feeling is that such
a combination would be unnecessary and more costly when digital audio
voice signatures could be used reliably instead, and would probably
have wider acceptance.
Sources: Owl Investigations - Aural Spectrographic, TC-Helicon - Voice Modelling Parameters.
Written by ewriter on July 10th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Skype and Software and Security and Solutions and Hardware and Phones.
The road to VoIP application ubiquity has already started.
First,
Vonage came out with their USB memory stick VoIP phone, aka V-Phone.
Then Vocera came out with their Call Badge. While the V-Phone has its
place, it's the latter that really excites me. (Although I suspect that
maybe the Badge came before the V-Phone.)
The Vocera Call Badge
is a wearable mobile VoIP phone. It can hang around your neck with a
piece of cord, like a necklace, or be attached to clothing with its
clip. With the Call Badge, you can communicate over WiFi with anyone
else carrying one of these, within range of a supporting WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network).
The
best part? Besides a button or two, it's a hands-free device,
controlled by voice commands. You can ask for a certain person or
station, and your communication will be routed to the appropriate badge.
Currently,
the device has a native speaker, so your conversation can be overheard.
However, since the Call Badge was designed for enterprise use
(hospitals, labs, offices, stores, etc.), that's not surprising. But I
don't see why they couldn't be made compatible with Bluetooth for
future versions, where some privacy is a necessity.
Either way, I see incredible VoIP applications here, if a
supporting
WLAN can handle the VoIP traffic. Consider EMS workers, such as
firefighters. Equipped with Bluetooth headsets in their helmets, and
these Call Badges attached to their jacket. (Of course, that either
means high-capacity Municipal Wi-Fi networks, or porting around a
WiFi-enabled computer server system on fire engines, ambulances, etc.)
I
was unable to find any information about whether Vocera is
publicly-traded, but I suspect not. However, if they go public, I'm
considering buying shares. They have been successfully installing their
VoIP communications system in numerous locations, including several
hospitals, and their overall concept is pretty sound. Check out their
sample videos for a clear explanation of how the system works. It's too
bad that the existing system does not work with Skype.
Sources: Wi-Fi Planet, Vocera, Vonage V-Phone.
Written by richmanpoorman on July 5th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Phones.
Netgear unveiled world's first Skype WiFi Phone, SPH101 in UK at a products-showcase for over a dozen of Skype's hardware partners. It looks like an ordinary phone but possesses certain unique features to enable the users to make and receive Skype calls from any wireless router or access point. To access the Skype service of Netgear, the users do not require a PC.
Netgear's SPH101 contains phone books built in for Skype contacts. Users can find all the facilities in Skype WiFi phones what they had when using Skype with a computer. Most probably, the company will sell it in the market in August at £110 per set.
Via: [VoIP Central]
Written by gautam.chabbra on June 30th, 2006 with no comments.
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Ascalade Communications introduced a new VoIP phone 'Companion SimpleVoIP' with ClearAudio technology. It is now on a sale for the new and existing strategic partners and customers especially the company's branded telephony and PC accessory customers. However, the company will commercially release it next month.
The company says it is the first product, which features Ascalade's ClearAudio technology. ClearAudio technology integrating wideband audio provides an unambiguous digital sound experience.
Edmund Ho, CEO at Ascalade Communications said,
The Companion Simple targets the entry level segment of Skype users and is part of our ongoing strategy to provide our strategic partners and customers with innovative products for the growing VoIP market.
Ascalade designs the device in such a way that it provides 'One Touch' access to their Skype contact list.
Via: [TMCNet]
Written by gautam.chabbra on June 23rd, 2006 with no comments.
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Polycom, Inc has launched SoundPoint IP 430 phone for its SIP based VoIP desktop phones portfolio. It's a two-line phone having a full-duplex speakerphone and graphical LCD.
The company designed the SoundPoint IP 430 to cater the communication needs of the general business users especially for the cubicle workers who conduct a low-to-medium volume of calls.
Michael Seto, Polycom voice communications division voice market & business development VP on the new launch said,
It delivers a robust feature set encompassing traditional telephony features such as call, park, pick-up, hold and transfer, as well as more advanced capabilities such as shared call / bridged line appearance, multiple call appearances and presence.
Via: [jogjaponsel]
Written by gautam.chabbra on June 19th, 2006 with no comments.
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BCM has come up with a multi format VoIP Wi-Fi phone which is based on the Windows CE Kernel. It is called the WLAN800I and is compatible with MSN Messenger, Skype, SIP services and MSN Talk.
This phone can function without a PC and it requires an 802.11b/g wireless access point in order to connect to the internet. The phone has a standby time of sixty hours and talk tie of three hours. Its screen measures 2.2 inches and has a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels along with a display of 65,000 colors.
Via voip-weblog
Written by gautam.chabbra on June 13th, 2006 with no comments.
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Samsung Business Communication Systems has come up with a new line of VoIP and digital handsets for SMBs. Called the OfficeServ ITP-5100 series, it uses standard IP protocols and is compatible with all of Samsung’s converged and IP enabled OfficeServ systems.
As per the company reports the phone is suitable for home, remote and satellite offices. Companies could easily expand the systems by adding more sets to the LAN. All the devices have a five fixed function keys, LCD soft keys, duplex speakerphone, digital volume controls and a selection of ring tones and PoE.
Via phoneplusmag
Written by gautam.chabbra on June 7th, 2006 with no comments.
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Lasers USB VoIP phone for Skype seems to be run of the mill product but what is interesting about it is the large monochrome which displays caller ID information and selectable ring tones.
The phone cannot be considered to be the most impressive device in the market and its red color would certainly not match the PC’s and laptops available in the market until and unless one prefers gaudy colors. Its set up is simple and one is required to install the included SkypeMate software and the Skyoe client itself.
via pcworld
Written by gautam.chabbra on May 26th, 2006 with no comments.
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Toshiba America will sell two of its VoIP phones, the Hitachi IP5000 and the SpectraLink Link 6020 and a wireless PDA. Toshiba's phones will be available from May 18. The Hitachi IP5000 operates on the company's 802.11b Wi-Fi network and the SpectraLink phone in private wireless network, which is operating in the 900MHz band. The company has not yet fixed the prices of the phones.
Greg Portis, Toshiba America Product Manger commented, "It's the next evolution in communications". He also said that the wireless phones would work with Toshiba's Stratus CIX. Stratus CIX is a PBX designed for small and midsize business.
Via extremetech
Written by gautam.chabbra on May 19th, 2006 with no comments.
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Linksys has come up with the first two telephone handsets designed for VoIP over Wi-Fi for American customers and it would enable users to make low cost VoIP calls through 802.11g wireless networks. When connected to the internet via a Wi-Fi hotspot, the users would be able to select the appropriate phone and VoIP service provider for their specific needs.
The top end model is priced at $369.99 and has a user interface which allows users to easily configure the handset I order to access available wireless G networks. The in built web browser can be used for accessing web based email, view sites or receive internet based video. The company plans to launch more phone products in the second half of 2006.
Via itwire
Written by gautam.chabbra on May 18th, 2006 with no comments.
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SMC Networks has launched the Skype Wi-Fi phone dubbed SMCWSKP100 which is a PC independent VoIP device phone which uses Skype software for making high quality calls. This phone offers compatibility with most standard 802.11 b/g access points and provides constant connectivity without the network connections getting slowed down. The phone is meant for business executives who are always on tours and would like to experience Skype all the time.
The phone provides an enhanced power saving design with a longer standby and talk time hours. The phone offers the same level of security as that of a wired LAN. The phone is available for $199.
Via voip-weblog
Written by gautam.chabbra on May 8th, 2006 with no comments.
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iPhone2, Inc. is a player in the crowded VoIP provider industry in the United States. iPhone2, Inc. is pushing its 'enhanced service' called the iPhone2 service. The iPhone2 service a video-enabled softphone.
Also called ImagePhone, iPhone2 claims that this is the next generation of softphone. ImagePhone allows customers to place unlimited point-to-point voice and video calls. Users of ImagePhone can of course, make or receive voice calls from anywhere in the world. ImagePhone has a host of advanced features - user-friendly interface, competitive PSTN termination rates and customer-friendly service plans.
Via Financial News USA
Written by gautam.chabbra on May 3rd, 2006 with no comments.
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SOYO Group Inc. has introduced the SOYO U201 IP phone. It is a USB phone meant for Skype users.
Using the keypad and LCD screen on the SOYO U201 IP phone, users can handle Skype software and make calls without having to check the computer monitor.
The SOYO U201 IP phone comes with a headset jack, mute button, and hands-free speaker. This VoIP phone model also provides personalized ring tone, caller ID, Skypeout balance display, call history and more.
The SOYO U201IP costs $49.99
Via MobileWhack
Written by gautam.chabbra on April 27th, 2006 with no comments.
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Starting June 30, Netgear will sell its new Skype-enabled WiFI phone through online retailer Amazon.
You can pre-order the SPH101 Skype WiFi Phone at the Amazon website. Many buyers would find the $250 price tag a bit on the high side. However, if it gives any consolation, the new phone originally had a price tag of $300.
Features-wise, it has all the usual must-haves – including contact list manager. You can also forward calls to your mobile, landline, or some other Skype account.
Via Engadget
Written by gautam.chabbra on April 22nd, 2006 with no comments.
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Yesterday, we reported about the advent of VoIP calls across Wi-Fi networks. We had reported about, UMA, short for Unlicensed Mobile Access.
Manufactures of mobile devices have started making UMA-enabled devices. Samsung and Motorola already make UMA-enabled phones. Other players will soon introduce their offerings. VoIP on Cellphones will be a quicker reality than previously imagined. I am positive that UMA will give a serious challenge to mobile services everywhere. With this, the customers can chose to use the service that has maximum signal-strength.
Via Mobile Mag
Written by gautam.chabbra on April 12th, 2006 with no comments.
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The HP iPaq h2210 was released in 2003 but it is still a very effective and affordable VoIP phone. The iPaq is wi-fi-enabled and most important of all; it has a big battery that can juice up power hungry wi-fi applications.
You have wifi and power. Next, you need all the VoIP paraphernalia –voice-enabled IM solution such as gTalk, Skype, and generic SIP application such as SJPhone-Plus beta which can 'VoIP-enable' a variety of handheld applications such as Gizmo and Stanaphone.
Via CS News
Written by gautam.chabbra on April 4th, 2006 with no comments.
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Mobile operators the world over fleece their customers for making roaming calls and for making international calls. However, all this could soon change. Using popular services such as Skype, users can make international calls and talk for unlimited lengths of time, for a flat monthly fee of around $20 or less.
This has started in Europe where Italian operator 3 Italia, has introduced a VOIP service in February this year. For around 5 cents per hour – a flat monthly fee of around $18 - subscribers can call fixed-line phones in Japan, South Korea, Australia and most of Western Europe, and both fixed and mobile numbers in the United States, China, Canada, Singapore and Hong Kong.
A fire takes little to spread.
Via IHT
Written by gautam.chabbra on April 4th, 2006 with no comments.
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