Truphone for Android phones

Truphone is everywhere. Just recently they had launched a client for iPod and iPhone, and now they are launching a client called Truphone Anywhere for Android phones, including the new G1. Using this client, customers can make low-cost international calls and send IMs on a variety of platforms. The client has been added to Android Market in the U.S and U.K, and will also be available in March in the new Adroid Market for Germany and Austria To coincide with T-Mobile's announcement earlier this week of the availability of the G1 mobile phone in March 2009, a German version of Truphone Anywhere for Android is available and will be the first native language multi-communications application in the Android Market in Germany and Austria when it launches at CeBIT 2009. Truphone Anywhere for Android delivers an all-in-one conversations hub that allows customers to take advantage of Truphone's low international call rates, in addition to the cost of a local call. In addition, Truphone customers can easily instant-message their friends across a variety of networks including MSN, Yahoo!, Google Talk™ and Twitter from within one Android application. Customers can also call friends anywhere in the world on Google Talk for the price of a local call, and similarly will soon will be able to instant-message and call their friends on Skype. Here are some advantages of using Truphone Anywhere client: • Truphone Anywhere works in 33 countries around the world, saving Android users from those countries money on international calls made from their home country. The easy-to-use service works alongside domestic service providers, but reduces international call costs to as little as £0.03/$0.06 [UK/RoW] per minute. • Unlike a 'calling card', Truphone Anywhere doesn't require a user to remember what to do. Whenever an international number is dialled Truphone Anywhere simply asks whether he/she wants to make a Truphone call. The user simply accepts, and Truphone connects the call. Truphone is now available on Android, the Apple iPhone, the Apple iPod touch, Blackberry and Nokia devices. I guess the list pretty much covers most of the popular devices.

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Gizmo5 Launches OpenSky, Free Service to Call Skype From Any VoIP Phone

Gizmo5, the company behind the formerly known as SIPphone, is launching a new gateway that allows people using any VoIP service to call Skype users and vice versa. This free Skype gateway is called OpenSky. It is typical of Michael Robertson, the man behind Gizmo, to come up with a disruptive solution that removes the barriers between VoIP services and Skype. In an email, Robertson explains: What we've done is create a SIP alias for every Skype user. So if you want to call a Skype user named echo123 you simply dial echo123@opensky.gizmo5.com from any SIP aware device (which is just about every piece of VOIP equipment). Users can even have any SIP call forwarded to their Skype address using my.gizmo5.com. All calls up to five minutes are free, while longer calls are going to cost you money. For $20 annual fee you can make a call that can last up to two hours. There are many ways to connect. For instance, you can use the Gizmo softphone and dial skypename@opensky.gizmo5.com, or you can go to the web site to initiate calls. Robertson writes: I think the most popular user segment could be businesses not consumers. Whether businesses spend millions on a Cisco Call Manager system or install the free Asterisk based Trixbox they all share one thing in common - they cannot call to the Skype network. Now with OpenSky they can call businesses because they can use our gateway. The way I see it, the service will be particularly useful when dialing long distance to countries where the call rates are pretty high. A typical example would be where you can make a local call from the U.S. to a Skype user in India for a price that is cheaper than dirt. Beyond such international call scenarios, I am not quite sold just yet on the extra steps needed to make a call to a Skype user. Given that Skype-to-phone calls are not really that expensive, I wonder if non-techie consumers are really going to bother signing up for this service. My past experiences with Gizmo have been mixed - it is always innovating in terms of features but the quality has been somewhat lacking. I gave up on the service once the $99 unlimited wireless plans were introduced in the U.S., as they obviated the need to look for cheap calling options. The new OpenSky service would be great to call my Skype-using friends overseas from my mobile phone. Using any plain ole mobile phone, you send an SMS to OpenSky with the Skype name and seconds later the system calls you back and connects you to that Skype user