Skype VOIP Billing system messed up gives me free calling credit

Skype VOIP, world's most popular PC to Phone VOIP Phone Service has serious issues with their VOIP billing software/module. Skype issues me free $69.95 credit :-) You must read this story. I first noticed this skype billing mishap a couple of days back but thought it could be a bug in their VOIP billing system and ignored it. However everyday I check, I still see my balance is $69.95. I know I should be happy about this free calling credit which came from nowhere. I tried making a call with skypeout, DUH here is the worst part, I see a message saying "Account Blocked". WOW, so basically Skype is saying, 1) We give you free calling credit becuase you seem like a nice guy :-) 2) We block your skype account so you can't use it lol. Please note that my skype ID is still working and I can still make PC to PC calls, all that is blocked is PC to Phone calls which is using http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-2245874-10576637 service. I did some more investigation to find out where this skypeout credit actually came into my account. I verified all my paypal transactions, none are sent to skype. my credit Card doesnt have any such transaction either. I then went to Skype online account management interface and verified the transaction. I indeed see a $50 USD in my account saying, "Credit allocation from Control Panel". No idea what this means. So has someone abused my account? Does skype has any trace on this billing activity? Why innocent skype users are being blocked? I believe skype needs to clarify this matter. Hope someone from Skype is reading this. Here are some screenshots of my Skype account for verification/Proof (losing my ID) This could potentially mean this could have happened to many Skype accounts. Are you one of them? Let us know

 

Free Calls from Philippines

Philippines is one of the costliest destinations for making VOIP calls and also remains as one of the most controlled telecom countries making it difficult for people to make calls to USA and Canada any cheaper than the market. That means if you want to make cheap or free calls to USA or canada using your mobile phone or landline phone in Philippines, the rates are way off. However, it seems that the government is trying to resolve that issue by starting its very own Toll Free Service in Manila in partnership with Pacific Network Inc., will be offered until February 2009. Although at this stage, there isn't much information available about the toll free service, however you may inquire with the local authorities. All we know is this toll free service (likely running on VOIP), is a toll free access number from where people can call and then dial out. Currently the service is limited to calling USA and Canada for FREE. There are no details on how long you can talk, but we believe it should be good enough for quick chit chat. We are not sure if you can have access to the toll free number from outside and then dialout. This should be a good offer. The toll-free booth is located at the ground floor of City Hall building and is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. This free calling service to usa and canada will be available till February 2009.

 

Nymgo VOIP offers Cheap International Calling Plans

With new VOIP Providers jumping on the cheap international calls market, the calling rates to many international destinations is dropping massively. Thanks to VOIP. We noted a new VOIP Provider on the scene called Nymgo, A UK based VOIP Service managed by Splendor Telecom UK Limited. Nymgo offers various country calling plans and pay as you go plans under its belt. Nymgo offers following Calling Plans: 1) America and Europe: For just $14.50 per month, you can talk for a total of up to 10,000 minutes per month. 2) Asia and Australia: For just $20 per month, you can talk for a total of up to 1750 minutes per month 3)Middle East: For just $20 per month, you can talk for a total of up to 300 minutes per month. (Isn't 300 minutes too less? ) One of the most striking plan is of course, Asia and Australia plan which covers almost the entire Asia Pacific and mainly India, Malaysia, Singapore,China,Thailand,Austrlia, NZ and Taiwan. That means if you subscribe to the Asia Pacific plan you will get upto 1750 minutes per month to these destinations. The cost of this package is $20 flat per month. You pay that money and enjoy calling to these destinations at almost 1.2 cents per minute (e.g. India), which is a good rate. Please note they do not allow calls to entire india only a few STD codes are allowed. Please check details here. Under Pay as you go package, the India calling rate is apporx 2.5-3 cents per minute. However, since the VOIP Provider is new, we probably do not have a lot of information about Nymgo in temrs of Quality of Service. Nymgo offers their services via Nymgo softphone. There doesn't seem to be any information related to SIP. However they would more likely to provide that if a subscriber asked for it? If anyone is currently using Nymgo, your feedback is appreciated. If anyone knows Nymgo SIP address, please drop under comments. SIP address is very important so that we can drop their softphone and instead use our softphone or use via SIP Phone or VOIP Adapter.

 

Heyotto offers free conference calls

Conference calling has really gone to bigger level during last 1-2 years with many more small companies trying out conferencing calling services to improve efficiency and communication. HeyOtto is web conferencing solution which promises to deliver much more than conference calls. Otto is a human-like robot that follow commandes from its users. For an example, if someone wants to tell Otto to mute their phone line, they would say something like "Mute my line." Or if you want to start the conference, you will have to say "Please start my conference. Otto has built-in voice recognition intelligence. Currently, HeyOtto conference call service is offering 200 toll-free minutes free for your conference calls. You will also lock in a rate of 9 cents a minute, for each minute after those 200 minutes. HeyOtto is extremely simple to use. Just give every conference call participant, access number : 1-888-Otto-123. Each participant will have a PIN based on which heyotto will automatically add them to your conference call bridge. The following features are included in HeyOtto conference calling service: -Roll Call feature -Mute/Unmute all or some lines -Lock confrerence option -Dial-out option -Volume adjust option -Conference password for added privacy -Transfer line Start testing HeyOtto conference call system with 200 minutes of free conference calls.

 

Rebtel offers cheap international calls to India

Holiday season is around the corner and more VOIP Providers are coming out with new offers. Rebtel, a leading VOIP Provider is offering extremely cheap calling rates to India. We share great relationship with Rebtel and have worked together before on a special offer for cheap calls to India. Today's offer will even beat that. Rebtel is slashing their international calling rates to over 23 countries by 50%. This also includes India, that means you can now call India at 2.8 cents per minute till 18th December 2008. I know a lot of people who love to use Rebtel, especially because of ease of use and Mobile VOIP technology. Please note This offer is only available for new signups. Many people have used Rebtel VOIP service before, but some of you probably not aware of how Rebtel works. I am giving a quick explanation of the service. 1)You give them the phone number of a friend in another country, and Rebtel gives you a local number for them. 2)Save this number on your mobile so you can call your friend whenever you want, for a fraction of your normal international rate. It becomes a local call for you. Video Demonstration of How Rebtel Works:

 

Unblock VOIP in Middle East

Millions of people in Middle East are fed up with new VOIP Providers being blocked. Every new VOIP service provider launched is blocked in these countries within 1 week. Today we most likely found a solution. All thanks to one of the comments on another post, which forced me to check this tiny little utility called HotSpotShield. This program adds another layer between you and your ISP which is often called as VPN. When you have hotspotshield on, you will be using USA IP address and your service provider in UAE would never be able to impose VOIP blocking feature. You should be able to use all your existing popular VOIP Providers such as Nonoh, VOIPRaider, VOIPcheap, VOIPax etc How to use this program to unlock VOIP in Middle East? 1) Download Hotspot Shield (Mirror) 2) Click "Run Hotspot Shield" 3) The auto search VPN server, and connects You can then try visiting some of your favorite VOIP Providers and check if they are now working properly. We do not gurantee that this method will work for you however it's worth a try. You can always discontinue using the program if its fails to work. Good Luck unblocking VOIP in Middle East! Its time to start enjoying VOIP calls once again and make some free international calls

 

DeFi offers Mobile VOIP Unlimited International Calls

Mobile VOIP space has seen tremendous momentum during 2008, However most of it was in the mobile voip application development. However it seems VOIP Providers are now looking at making mobile VOIP their next best selling point. DeFI a mobile VOIP Provider has announced ambitious plan to give unlimited international calls at $40-$50 per month. Please note that DEFI has fair usage policy in place and they only allow max 3000 minutes per month. There doesn't seem to be any restriction on where you can call, so you can call anywhere in the world. We believe premium numbers would be blocked and satellite calls will be blocked too :-) You need to have a Nokia N or E series phone in order to use Defi Mobile VOIP. There are no surcharges for any number you might call or the WiFi network to which you're connected. DeFi has signed contracts directly with operators of hotspot and cellular networks worldwide to allow it to offer this quantity of flat-rate calling. The DeFi service is bundled with all the PBX options and features like call waiting, call forwarding, voicemail etc. At $40 per month, you get a single PSTN (public switched telephone network) phone number with the DeFi Global Access service. The number can be assigned in any of 30 countries. For $50 per month (Global Access Plus), you can choose three inbound numbers. When any of these numbers are called and you're on a WiFi network, the DeFi software handles the incoming call. With simultaneous ring, DeFi can ring incoming calls on your cell phone's number even when you're not on a WiFi network. Defi has access numbers in over 30 countries and more than 50 global partnerships involving more than 75 countries for Wifi Access Points.

 

Cheapest Call to India at 1 cents per minute

The festive season is around the corner and we have once again working with leading VOIP Providers to give you the best deals. We have worked this deal with Pingo Phone Card. Pingo and VOIP Guide shares the same vision, reducing the calling rate to India to anything close to 1 cent. Is it possible? Yes, why not. We have worked around a great deal for all of you. Pingo is one of the world's biggest Phone company routing billions of call minutes per year. Backed by award winning Telecom infrastructure, they provide excellent call quality. Here are some details of this exclusive offer: Pingo and VOIP Guide will offer you DOUBLE CREDIT for all new signups. The signups must be from VOIP Guide blog. You need to use our exclusive coupon code, voipguide10. You need to sign up for min. $20 and will get $10 off. So credit card will be charged for $10 and once you log into your account as a customer you will see the $20 credit. On top of this, Pingo will also give you 50% off normal calling rates for 3 months. How can you call India at close to 1 cent per minute? Pingo's calling rates to India is 5.5 cents per minute. Pingo will offer you 50% off on rates for the next three months, so effective rate is 5.5/2 = 2.75 cents per minute. With our offer, you get double credit, so Now you get 2.75/2= 1.37 cents per minute. This is the lowest ever international calling rate to India. we believe 3 months is enough time for someone to use this credit. Remember to use Pingo Coupon Code: voipguide10 Please note this offer is available for limited time only. We have gone to lengths to negotiate this offer with Pingo and give you the best calling rate. Just For your information, Pingo calling cards are accessible in over 80 countries worldwide with over 300+ Access numbers. Pingo is by far one of the biggest calling card company in the world. We strongly suggest you signup today and make the most of it. Let us know if you have any suggestions.

 

GrandCentral VOIP on Mac with Vocito

Ever wanted to use GrandCentral VOIP Service via a Softphone? Your wish has come true. You can now use Grandcentral VOIP right from your desktop using a SoftPhone GUI. Vocito is a desktop UI for GrandCentral for the Mac(All variations of Mac like Macbook etc). It works on Tiger and Leopard, is both PowerPC and Intel native, and is fully open sourced. It allows you to use your existing GrandCentral account to make calls out to anybody in the USA and as Grancentral gives you free calls to USA, you can pretty much call anybody in USA for FREE. Using GrandCentral, Vocito will dial the remote phone and your local phone simultaneously and connect you together. It integrates into Address Book, Quicksilver, Automater, system services, supports "tel" URLs, and is fully AppleScriptable. All this integration makes it easy to have Vocito automatically dial your phone from just about any application that supports scripting, html, or Automator actions. For example, you can easily set up your iCal meeting appointment to automatically dial the conference call for you at the correct time. Vocito for GrandCentral VOIP is available for Download. Try it out if you already have GrandCentral VOIP account and have Mac.

 

Fring Mobile VOIP testing Trial Ads

With Global recession mounting over every industry including VOIP, VOIP Providers and VOIP Application developers such as Fring are looking for more revenue making ideas than just giving away FREE VOIP or mobile voip calls. Fring is and will always be the leader in Mobile VOIP, atleast for a few coming years. However mobile VOIP offlate hasn't really took off for two primary reasons. Mobile Companies are still scared to try this out as an alternative business revenue model and shed off their GSM income and secondly, consumers are over the Mobile VOIP hype already. All they want to see now is a good way to save money during this difficult times. For Fring, this is a great opportunity to build a good revenue model and demonstrate their VC/Partners that Fring can be a long term profitable firm, if at all sold it would get a fair price. With millions of downloads of Fring Mobile VOIP, the trial ads might work well. However can they sustain this? With companies all over the world cutting down their ad budgets( Foolish move), its very unlikely that Fring would make loads of money. However better today than later, Fring could easily penetrate this market and keep on improving on their already solid Mobile VOIP platform. All they need now to go mainstream and hit a few deals with operators such as Verizon, Vodafone and T-Mobile and that could as well be the most successful VOIP business model world has even seen. Imagine operators pushing your product into the market is the dream of any VOIP Provider. Fring however faces stiff competition from Nimbuzz. Do check them out, they are worth your time. I still remember talking to fring VP over a quick coffee, that their biggest rival in the current market is nimbuzz. I feel nimbuzz should be proud of the fact. Nimbuzz recently announced Partner agreement with leading VOIP Providers around the world to support SIP Calls across the network. Good time ahead from Fring but as I always say, If you want to be successful during Recession, Stop thinking about Profits and start thinking about innovation. This innovation will eventually make you loads of money when the market is back in action.

 

iNum launches +883 VOIP Code numbers

Do you fancy having a very own VOIP Phone number Country Codes? Then your wish has been granted by iNum. Although, sounds extemely similar to the concept of ENUM, iNum provides much more than ENUM. Electronic Numbering (ENUM) is a protocol developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) to allow the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and the Internet to interoperate. iNum is an initiative of VoxBone and Voxeo. iNum takes the ENUM concept to next level by actually assigning a +883 Country Code Global Phone number to you. That means, it doesnt matter where in the world you are you would continue to receive calls to your +883 number and without any roaming charges. This is still very new so routing your calls via other telecom carriers will be a challange for iNum. One of the most important information lacking at the moment is how someone is able to use the iNum? Via VOIP (most common guess)? So still need VOIP Softphone or iNum SIP details on your SIP enabled phone and then someone can call you. However they could might as well call you using a SIP Softphone with an extension. Secondly, they can also call using ENUM provided by VoxAlot. This vital information is currently extremely confusing. I am sure 90% people would never even thought about how to port this to your phone? iNum has however partnered with leading VOIP Providers to route calls via their networks and allow cross-network calling. VOIP Providers like Rebtel, Gizmo5 are already leveraging on this opportunity to connect and get more people on their platform. I am sure more VOIP Providers will jump into this madness :-). You can check the current list of iNum Partners. They have also released the local phone numbers in order to reach a iNum. How do you test iNum? You can either register yourself at their website and wait for them to assign you an iNum. Remember currently iNum is in closed beta. Where do I see iNum Going? 1) Mobile operators will jump on this as iNum goes mainstream. Of course, although the word 'Free VOIP' sounds too good, it won't be free. iNum will be issues for FREE however calling the iNum will be charged by respective telecom operators. Might be cheaper than usual. 2) iNum will extend it's service to deliver Video Conferencing, File sharing etc in future. 3) iNum can be called using SIP, direct 883 dialing (need operator intervention once it hits PSTN). Either way, I am still wondering why iNum is better than SIP broker's ENUM . If ENUM is already doing this for years, iNum is potential a copycat? Can somoene enlighten me?

 

Nintendo DS hack for SIP VoIP service via WiFi

This January, I began a list of VoIP services for the Nintendo DS, which we know contains a WiFi connection and a microphone headset. At that time, none of the solutions included support for the popular open SIP protocol. Now, a French developer has released an early version of SvSIP, which lets you make phone calls using your homebrew-enabled DS and a SIP provider. He seems to be actively updating it, and we should see some new versions available soon on his website. To complete the list, another French developer has been working on DSiP, a rival alpha VoIP client for the DS. The author seems to no longer have time to work on it, but promises to release a working version. UPDATE 9/19/07: Watch the how-to video if you'd like to see SvSIP in action, courtesy of pjsip.org, the stack upon which SvSIP was ported from:

 

How VoIP can help your career

Wanna be a hero at your company? Propose a switch to Voice over IP! VoIP has the potential to save costs, simplify tasks, and increase productivity. Read on for more of the info you need to sell your boss on a VoIP system at VoIP News. Watch out though, because it could also get you fired. A corporate communication system is no game. If you buy into a flawed system, you would probably get singled out as the scapegoat. Don't let it happen. Be sure to fully research your proposal, starting with the guide and resources mentioned in the article. Oh, and when you get that raise, don't forget who gave you the initial push ... ;-)

 

Jajah or Nonoh? Review the race to the bottom.

Upstart VoIP service nonoh thinks it can save you more money than its predecessor, jajah. Both are phone-to-phone services, which means you just initiate the call on their website, and the service calls both parties and connects them to each other at lower rates than the regular phone companies. This comes in handy mostly for international calls, especially for those countries in which there is a telecom monopoly with outrageous long distance fees. Bhagaban points out that the service was developed by Betamax, and that there are some amazing deals to certain countries. For example, you can make free calls to China, Taiwan, and Thailand. Even South Korea and Turkey made the list of free destinations. Vinay adds: Nonoh bluntly says we offer better rates than Jajah and well they seriously do. Who on earth gives free calls to countries like Brazil, Japan and Malaysia? I have some countries which can't even dream to be in the free VOIP country list. NoNoh has simply cracked the market with this FREE VOIP calling service Over at Computerwoche (German) they remind us that nonoh only allows 5 hours of talk time per week, and your credit expires after 120 days. This 120 day credit expiration limit seems to be a trademark of Betamax, so that you will continue to pay $10 every four months in order to keep making free calls. Full rates table at http://www.nonoh.net/en/rates.html Have you tried it? What did you think?

 

International free calls with Skype on Mother's Day

This Mother's Day, Skype will let you make that special phone call for free, even if she lives in China. That's right, but it's only if you make that free call from the U.S. or Canada. In fact, there's an entire list of restrictions: 4. Offer available to residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, 18 years of age and older. 5. To qualify for this offer, you must have downloaded the Skype software and you must have a valid and active Skype user name and account. You will not be eligible for this offer if your Skype account is not in good standing. 10. Skype reserves the right to suspend, shorten or extend, change or cancel part of all of the offer including these terms at any time at its own discretion at any time without notifying you of such changes. ... and so on. So as long as you're an adult resident of North America with an active Skype account and you don't mind that Skype can change its terms at any time, then you can use the VoIP service to call your mother, or anybody else for that matter, absolutely free this Sunday May 13th. Happy Mother's Day!

 

Raketu's sexy new look multi-messenger

The last time I reviewed the VoIP multi-messenger upstart, Raketu, I gave my honest opinion that it wasn't quite ready for primetime, but that it held a lot of potential. Well look out now -- Raketu has relaunched their website with a whole new look! Cartoonist John Kricfalusi of Ren & Stimpy fame has provided Raketu with the sexy flash animations that now drive its brand. The new website features George Liquor, Sody Pop, Bobby Bigloaf, and of course, Raketeena: Raketu seems to have addressed all my previous complaints about the website interface. The new menu system really improves accessibility and makes its much easier to reach what you're looking for. The program interface has undergone a few slight modifications too - now v1.021 - but still retains its tiny 3.4 MB installer package! A few bugs have been fixed since its initial release, although I still can't seem to send free SMS messages. That's probably just user error on my part though. Another thing I was having fun with is the built-in Caller ID spoofing (Tools > Options > rakIn/rakOut). This is now my main program for making SIP calls and free international calls. Now that Skype's free trial is over, (I never really liked the way it hogged system resources anyway) Raketu has taken its place on my PC. It's still free to dial out to 42 countries after a one-time purchase of $9.95 in credits. (I've used up all my credits except for a few cents, but I'm still making free calls. :-) Unlike some other services, the receiving party does not need to be registered with Raketu. There's a 1 hour limit per call, but then you can call right back. Of course, you wouldn't want to abuse their free service, would you? They're also promoting their multi-messenger which still lets you chat with your Yahoo, MSN, AIM, ICQ, Skype and Raketu contacts. Guess what? Raketu is expanding like crazy! They've added online presence and they're currently working on VoIP-in, voicemail, ipTV and Video on Demand! If you're looking for a career, now would seem to be the time to get onboard the Raketu rocketship. If you'd like to try it out, I'd appreciate if you use my affiliate link to sign up with Raketu. Thanks, and be sure to leave a comment and let me know how your experience turns out!

 

Second Talk brings Skype to Second Life

VoIP has moved beyond reality into the realm of the virtual world we know as Second Life. Skype Journal announces: Centric today announced Second Talk, an easy-to-use voice communication system for Second Life. Second Talk "headsets" automatically scan for other Second Talk users nearby, and offer instant voice chat for groups of up to 10 users through Skype, a popular Voice over IP communication platform. ... While this isn't the first attempt at voice communication within SecondLife, it is probably the first that works with Skype. I know quite a few people who use Skype and SecondLife at the same time (myself included now and then), but not quite like this. This sounds like it may just catch on among Second Lifers. You can pick up your portable virtual headsets here.

 

Nintendo DS hacks for free WiFi VoIP calls

Since the Nintendo DS has a built-in microphone and a wireless Internet connection, what's to stop it from being used as a WiFi phone, or the DSphone, if you will? I've scoured the 'net and found some projects currently underway that claim to do just that, albeit with limitations. VoiceChatClient is a homebrew application that lets you freely call anyone who also has VoiceChatClient installed on their DS. This hack even adds extra value by transmitting what you write on the touch screen to the other person! VCC requires hacked firmware or some type of passthrough device. (source) DSpeak has been developed by Nintendo themselves, but aside from a demo at E3 in 2005, nothing more has been heard about this program. DSpeak will reportedly allow in-game and out-of-game chat. And when you speak, an on-screen Mario or Wario avatar lip syncs along! (source) HelloDS was released some time ago as a proof-of-concept hack, along with a promise of a future version of this homebrew software. Unfortunately, the update has not been forthcoming. The initial version is still available and requires the firmware hack or passthrough. (source) Metroid Prime: Hunters is currently the most easily accessible option for chatting with your DS buddies. All it requires is the Metroid Prime: Hunters game and a WiFi connection. You might want the NDS VoIP headset too. For this VoIP solution, you just meet the person you want to speak with in the same pre-game lobby and talk. It also works post-game, but not during. (source) Conclusion: Though this handheld gaming device is certainly capable of competing with other mobile WiFi phones, the current state of Nintendo DS VoIP affairs isn't very exciting. None of the above solutions include support for SIP or for dialing out. However, the demand seems to be out there, so the DS might get to see a true VoIP app yet. UPDATE 9/14/07: SvSIP, a VoIP client using the open SIP protocol, is released for the DS. Have you made calls on the Nintendo DS? I'd love to get your feedback in the comments section. Don't forget to subscribe to the feed to receive updates on this subject.

 

T-Mobile's WiFi VoIP service still being tested

 

T-Mobile is ironing out the kinks in its HotSpot@Home service, which lets users with WiFi-enabled cellphones make calls on open WiFi networks, if available, and switches them over to the more expensive cellular network if they leave the range of the WiFi signal. Today's New York Times continues its earlier intro to VoIP over WiFi phones with a new article that discusses reactions from early testers of the HotSpot@Home service from T-Mobile. To sum up the article, it says that it's a promising technology that isn't yet up to snuff: Call quality was excellent on all Wi-Fi networks tested, including full-duplexing — better described as the Robert Altman effect — in which both parties are speaking at the same time but can hear each other clearly. Roaming, however, was far from acceptable. The cellular-to-Wi-Fi handoffs worked most of the time without interruption to a call in progress. But most Wi-Fi-to-cell transitions caused a dropped call as the hot spot signal ebbed with distance. The subjects in the article eventually canceled the service after the test period due to dropped calls, high battery usage and inconsistent WiFi connections. They haven't given up completely though, and would reconsider if the mixed cellular & VoIP service quality improves.

 

Does the iPhone measure up as the portable holy grail?

Today, Steve Jobs announced the iPhone at MacWorld 2007. It was met with many cheers and jeers, probably even some leers. Still, there's no doubt it will raise the bar for future portable devices to come, now that manufacturers will have to refocus their efforts on coming up with the "iPhone-killer". Some time back, I wrote a wish-list of features that I would like in the ideal ultimate gadget. The technical specs on Apple's website, while not quite matching up, come closer than a lot of devices I've seen. Here's the blow-by-blow comparison: Handheld Holy Grail Apple iPhone 4" screen with at least 1024x640 pixels Standardized video output for hooking up to a bigger screen Minimum of 3 megapixel camera 3.5" widescreen with 320x480 pixels at 160 dpi. However, the screenshots show webpages at full size rather than puny mobile phone versions. Video output not mentioned, though Steve did have one on his "special" iPhone at MacWorld. 2 megapixel camera Should be able to handle graphics as well as a Nintendo DS Buttons should be in strategic places, like the Sony PSP Gaming on the iPhone hasn't been mentioned as of yet, but it looks more than capable of great graphics. However, without buttons it may be less than ideal as a gaming device. Office-like applications E-book readers E-mail client Web browser I understand the iPhone will not have 3rd party application support, even though it will run OS X, so it may not be capable of running an office suite. That said, webpages on its built in Safari browser looks amazing on a 3.5" screen. For e-mail, Apple has partnered with Yahoo for free push-IMAP e-mail -- look out BlackBerry! VoIP programs Instant messaging Cellular phone capability (if that's still needed by then) Cingular will be the exclusive GSM carrier in the United States, but without 3rd party apps, VoIP and IM programs may be excluded. Speech recognition and Text-to-Speech GPS maps, driving directions, and business search Fold-up or slide-in mini QWERTY keyboard Battery life lasting at least 24 hours when idle, 10 hours when using voice and low graphics activity, and 5 hours when gaming and watching videos At least 16GB flash memory USB and Firewire output USB input (maybe for one of those laptop lights, or just downloading files from a memory stick) Wireless (bluetooth or otherwise) interface for keyboard, headset, and other functions No word on speech recognition, though OS X is certainly capable of it Apple has partnered with Google Maps and features click-to-call for businesses but doesn't mention GPS Soft keyboard only, with intuitive error reduction and correction Up to 5 hours battery Talk/Video/Browsing, and up to 16 hours for audio playback with no mention of standby battery life Initial choice of 4GB or 8GB flash memory Probable USB 2.0 output No USB input Bluetooth, WiFi In that article, I had prefaced the list with this statement: The operating system doesn't matter much, as long as it's open for some hacking around and creating new programs. And so I was excited to hear Steve say that the iPhone would run OS X, which is built on Unix, only to be let down later when I read this Engadget article that said it would be locked to outside programming. The real reason this is such an explosive announcement isn't just the new product itself, but the innovative user interface. The patented multi-touch screen makes navigation look almost effortless. It's just a scroll here, a tap there, or a "pinch" to zoom in on your photos, maps and websites. The iPhone also has a proximity sensor that turns off the screen when you hold the cellphone up against your face or put it in your pocket, plus an accelerometer that automatically knows when to show the display in portrait and landscape mode. Another first is the use of "visual voicemail", which shows you a list of voice mails with the callerID, and lets you choose the order in which to listen to them. The Apple iPhone is expected to ship in June, pending FCC approval and a Cisco lawsuit for trademark infringement, with a price tag of $499 for the 4GB version and $599 for the 8GB version, when you sign a 2 year contract with Cingular of course.

 

Reader reviews Vonage and Voip.com

Reader Kevin Deitrick wrote me to share his recent experience with Voip.com and how it contrasts to his previous VoIP service provider, Vonage: I have used vonage for just over a yr and with 100% satisfaction I set up a virtual number and it was working in 48hrs the customer service was great I had a problem with the router well with one side of the phone hook up and there tech support walked me through troubleshooting it and switched it over in under 20 mins. I regret having to leave the company when I moved into an area that they did not cover. Unlimited usage real was unlimited my family lives in Michigan and my children call back there a lot I use aprox 3500 mins a month and with no complaints from vonage. I switched to voip.com in june of this year and have had nothing but problems with there billing service and support. They billed me my normal monthly bill for 2 months then the next 2 months they billed me 50-40 plus my monthly bill and my bill is different every month. It took them over a month to setup my virtual numbers then because of my usage they threaten to switch my unlimited monthly usage to a small business and of course a month later they did. There prices are great but there only suggestions this is what I have been billed since June. There customer support is ok there respond times can be days sometimes sooner but not on average. I have lost many phone conversations while using there service even though my internet connection was still working good. When I inquired about the extra 90.00 a month charge they told me it was for the cost of setup and the router but now that I am going to cancel they still are requiring that I return the router or they will charge me for it again. I hope that you can warn you viewers of this policy of there's before they make the mistake of following your advise as I did and tried this company and expecting the same service I got from vonage. Kevin also included a list of his first seven monthly bills with Voip.com that ranged anywhere from $21.45 to $55.03 and he says he received no explanation as to why there was such a difference each month. In addition, there were four extra charges of $40, $50, $40 and $50 that all happened within the span of one month, which he contests as explained in his review. I welcome any official response from a Voip.com representative, either by e-mail or through the comments section, that clarifies this dispute and/or gives the other side of the story. A smart VoIP provider knows that in order to thrive in this business, it has to please its customers, knowing that word of mouth works both ways. I'm sure this case can be settled in an amicable fashion for both parties and I hope that I will have a more pleasant follow-up to post soon. Disclaimer: The opinion expressed in the above quote is a 3rd party review and not necessarily the view of The VoIP Service Blog, which is an affiliate of Voip.com. Have you had an experience with a VoIP service that you'd like to share? Leave a comment or e-mail me at voip_telephony [at] yahoo [dot] com and I'll publish your review or directly link to the review on your website.

 

Two new VoIP services compared, contrasted

I've mentioned both GrandCentral and TalkPlus on this blog the past. Both services give you an extra phone number and they both do some neat tricks with your voicemail, giving you more control over who gets to talk to you. Even their names are both compound words with a capital letter in the middle. So what separates the two? Good question, and The VoIP Girl has your answer: GrandCentral: You need it if people have a hard time tracking you down. You find yourself playing telephone tag. You WANT to be found but heck, you're always bouncing between work, home, and on the road. It's also free. TalkPlus: You need it if your mobile phone is your primary means of communication but the separation of work and play is important to you. You want people to know that you're calling from the office (the caller ID says this is a work-related call) even though you're calling from home or the beach in Maui. You are also concerned about personal privacy and want to make sure that your personal number is only available to the people you want to have it.

 

Free SkypeOut in US and Canada to end soon

Although Skype is ending its promotion of free SkypeOut calls to landlines in the US and Canada on December 31, 2006, they are offering a new promotion for 50% off the cost of unlimited calls between the US and Canada for one year. The typical price is $30 per year, but if you subscribe before January 31, 2007, you can get on the unlimited calls plan for only $14.95/yr and you'll get the following coupons: $30 off Polycom Communicator speakerphone $30 rebate on Netgear WiFi Phone for Skype $10 off Motorola Wireless Internet Calling Kit $10 off Motorola Talk and Tunes HT820 Bundle It's interesting, albeit expected, that this promotion follows its free calling promo. Let's see if Skype is able to turn its users into paid subscribers and eventually make a profit for parent company, eBay.

 

New Skype phone cancels crosstalk

Although many new phones now support WiFi, Ipevo has sacrificed wireless capability for improved audio quality on their Free-1 IP Phone for Skype. Buzz Me Baby has the full review: Virtual phone lines may be the order of the day but a few developers are beginning to feel the pinch of competition. Guess that's the reason Skype has tied up with a few manufacturers to float Skype compatible handsets in the market. Ipevo Free-1 USB phone is one such attempt. The fancy-looking VoIP phone plugs into your Windows or Macintosh computer with its 8-foot USB cable and integrates into your Skype software for making Skype-Out and Skype-to-Skype calls. The speaker and microphone have been optimized to work in full-duplex, reducing the crosstalk that occurs when both parties are speaking at the same time so you are less affected by echo and static. At $30, it's not a bad deal if you're an avid Skype user, but it would be even better if it worked with multiple VoIP services.

 

Simplify with GrandCentral VoIP Service

It's well known that VoIP lets new companies offer neat features that just aren't available with your phone company. GrandCentral, for example, wants to give you a free phone number that you can use to organize your phone identities. It started as a voicemail service, but has grown to include some nifty options. Basically, you can add any number of "real" phone numbers and when someone calls your GrandCentral number, all those phones will ring. Let's say you're at work and your phones ring. Rather than picking up your mobile phone and possibly incurring charges for incoming minutes (or draining the battery), you can just pick up the landline. Then if you actually do have to leave your cubicle, GrandCentral lets you seamlessly transfer the call to your cellphone. The calling party never has to know which phone you're talking on! For those worried about their privacy, you get much more control over your call screening, even if you don't have CallerID. Any time you answer a GrandCentral call: First, we'll tell you who's on the line ('Call from Ted Baker'). Then, we'll present you with: 1) accept it, 2) send it to voicemail, 3) ListenInTM on the voicemail, or 4) accept and record the call You can also press 4 at any time during the call to start recording. With ListenInTM, you'll get to hear the person record the voicemail and decide if you want to take the call immediately. Through the web-based control panel, you can organize your contacts into groups and setup automatic behaviors and filters for each incoming phone number. You even get an e-mail address (yournumber@grandcentral.com) that forwards to your real e-mail, if you're so inclined. This Screencast from Molly at Screeniac is a great "in-action" overview. Om Malik also writes to say that GrandCentral now has unlimited incoming calls, even on the basic free accounts. Lastly, the downside is that GrandCentral is still in beta testing and doesn't have phone numbers in all area codes yet. They are also currently unavailable outside the United States.

 

What has eBay done to Skype?

First came the news that Skype's senior executives were fleeing the company as fast as they could. What did they anticipate? Now thanks to Phil Wolff and Om Malik, we have some details on the latest drama, a new round of Skype firings: About 40 of the 516 people working at Skype worldwide are affected, 26 of those shifting roles or locations and 14 who are leaving or who have yet to find another job at Skype or another eBay company. What's the rationale behind this decision? It must be part of eBay's strategy to make Skype profitable. The "out with the old, in with the new" purge continues with Skype doubling its staff as the pre-eBay executives go.

 

NY Times says challenges await WiFi phones

Dropped calls, unreliable call quality, weak signals, battery draining, legal issues. To sum it up, the New York Times' Matt Richtel says that WiFi phones just aren't ready yet for primetime. I find myself agreeing with him. Though I strongly support attempts to converge voice, data, video and other signals onto the same network, WiFi needs more development before it will be acceptable for the masses and not just early enthusiasts. A good metropolitan mesh WiFi network will have to solve all the problems mentioned in Richtel's article before mobile VoIP can have its day. He brings up some good points too. Buildings or basements with low wireless coverage will benefit from VoIP over an internal WLAN, and what's more is that network administrators can control and track phone usage. The controversy starts with the use of open access points to make your calls. I agree with the line of thinking that says, "if you don't want people using your open bandwidth, then just secure it." Still, there are valid points to be made for both sides of the argument. But with WiFi phones, it will definitely be less suspicious to be talking into a small device that resembles a cellphone than to be using a laptop to check your e-mails.

 

Verizon expands 3G services with BroadbandAccess

Verizon's press release department must have been working overtime this past weekend in order to pump out all this news: Tyler, Texas: Tyler Residents Can Now Enjoy High-Speed Wireless Internet, E-mail, Mobile Music and Gaming Longview, Texas: Customers Can Now Get High-Speed Wireless Internet and E-mail Services, Download Video Clips and Songs to Handsets Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and Surrounding Area: Customers Can Now Get High-Speed Wireless Internet and E-mail Services, and Download Video Clips and Songs to Handsets Iraq: Verizon Business to Offer Free Calling During Holiday Season to U.S. Troops in Iraq The first three articles all refer to Verizon's expansion of its EV-DO network to new markets, all seemingly launched on the same day. BroadbandAccess is the name of their high-speed wireless network, which boasts speeds of 400-700 kbps. Each press release mentions music, videos, games, Internet, and e-mail, but what is conspicuously absent is any mention of VoIP. After 3 Group partnered with Skype for 3G VoIP services, I had hoped that North American carriers would wise up and offer similar options. That doesn't seem to be the case just yet. Verizon continues to tie its subscribers to its own voice network, and although its voice quality may beat that offered by VoIP providers, it can't match the savings on international calls, which I will posit is what the mobile business user wants. It's about options. Let the users decide. Verizon is also connecting families with their loved ones in Iraq for free over the holidays: Verizon Business will provide the calls from Nov. 22 through 28 and from Dec. 22 through Jan. 2. This is the fourth consecutive year that the company is offering free holiday calls for military personnel in Iraq. ... As a leading communications provider to the federal government, Verizon Business has deployed to Iraq a state-of-the-art mobile communications facility outfitted with phones to allow military personnel to make calls. Verizon Business throughout the year makes technology, resources and employee support available to military personnel and their families around the world. I hope Verizon's PR team can take a break today after all of yesterday's launches.

 

VoIP News Roundup for Nov. 19, 2006

1. PhoneGnome Goes VoIP 2.0 Tons of upgrades since the last version. Now it has free membership and is free-to-call within the PhoneGnome member community. The hardware now becomes optional, and is being offered cheaper. There's no software required either, as all calls are initiated to your phone from your personal PG webpage, pretty much like how Jajah bridges two phones with VoIP. This could be something worth checking out. If PhoneGnome doesn't require a minimum amount of use to remain an active member, Jajah will lose its raison d'être unless it continues to innovate. 2. Google Maps gets Click-to-call The much hyped click-to-call feature is here, and Google's footing the bill: Here's how it works: Search for a business, like a hardware store, on Google Maps, and click the 'call' link next to its phone number. Then, enter your phone number and click 'Connect For free.' Google calls your phone number and automatically connects you to the hardware store. Looks pretty neat, at least for all those non-Skype users. They can already get click-to-call installed with Skype 3.0. 3. X-Series Symbian Phones will use iSkoot I mentioned the 3 Group and Skype announcement of the X-Series mobile broadband initiative, but the required Symbian phones aren't running Skype after all. Instead, Om Malik says they will run iSkoot, a 3rd pary application that is compatible with Skype: You see what happened was that iSkoot, a Cambridge, MA.-based company cut a deal with 3g wireless service provider, 3, part of the Hutchison empire. As part of that deal, 3 would install iSkoot in some of its handsets including two Symbian based phones, the Nokia N73 and Sony Ericsson W950. iSkoot is not an official Skype product, and despite a tepid endorsement by Skype, and its capabilities, cannot be qualified as Skype for Symbian. But since Skype is endorsing this with their logo, most users will never know the difference. 4. Canada deregulates VoIP services Mark Evans has the Canadian perspective on this move that reverses a decision made by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC): So what does this decision mean? For one, incumbent carriers will be able to offer VoIP service at any price they want without having to seek approval regulatory approval. As a result, you can expect Bell Canada to become much more aggressive on pricing while ILECs such as Telus, Manitoba Tel and SaskTel will get into the VoIP market after sitting on the sideline until the regulatory uncertainty was resolved. With lower prices though, the barrier to entry gets higher and startups with new ideas might not get off the ground. Pros and cons for both sides, but a decision has been made and we'll soon start seeing the effects.

 

Gotalk unleashes "world's smallest VoIP phone"

Gotalk deserves minimal praise for this piece of news. It's nice that they're trying to think of innovative products, but $50 for a 128MB flash drive doesn't exactly get me excited, even if it does launch a softphone application when you stick it in a PC. I don't think it'll be on my Christmas list this year.

 

VoIP Service Blog on Blue Box Podcast

Thanks to both Dan and Jonathan over at The VoIP Security Podcast for the warm welcome. This is the first time The VoIP Service Blog has been mentioned in their podcast, with a reference to my article on the FTC and SPIT. It was actually pointed out that the article's humorous title, "New FTC rule to put an end to SPIT" was misleading, and I do agree that regulations alone are insufficient to "put an end to" anything. Getting into the article, I wrote that the FTC was "introducing a new ruling that will make it illegal to make unsolicited prerecorded telemarketing calls" which was also inaccurate, seeing as there would still be certain cases where it would be okay to use automatic prerecordings: the Commission proposes a new TSR amendment that would make explicit that the TSR prevents sellers and telemarketers from delivering a prerecorded message when a person answers a telemarketing call, except in the very limited circumstances permitted in the call abandonment safe harbor, and when a consumer has consented, in writing, to receive such calls. Again, thanks to Dan and Jonathan for pointing out these details. They also discussed the inclusion of VoIP for the first time in the SANS Top-20 Internet Security Attack Targets, plus an old VoIP security report that's suddenly making news, and other VoIP security news updates.

 

Skype's new mobile VoIP service with 3G

Skype and 3 Group have announced the launch of X-Series, a collaborative effort to provide mobile broadband at flat rates, a key requirement for mobile VoIP and other services. 3 Group will reveal new pricing plans for data usage on their mobile networks. It seems that X-Series will only work with the Nokia N73 and Sony Ericsson W950i, and if you buy the phone directly from 3 Group you'll get Skype, Slingbox, MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, Orb and web browsing software preinstalled. 3 Group's 3G network is available across Europe, plus Australia and Hong Kong. The idea of reasonably priced unlimited mobile broadband is certain to be well received, and hopefully North American carriers will follow suit by improving their data networks and promoting VoIP services and other applications.

 

TalkPlus lets you call Skype users from mobile phones

TalkPlus isn't a VoIP service per se, but it does let you do some pretty cool things. Phil Wolff and Jeff Black show how in mere seconds, you can assign a virtual phone number to one of your Skype contacts and call them from your mobile phone. Yeah, it's not the most practical thing VoIP lets you do right now, but it's a neat party trick... well, at a LAN party anyway. Categories: TalkPlus, Skype, VoIP Service, Phil Wolff, Jeff Black, VoIP, LAN Party

 

VoIP News Roundup for Nov. 12, 2006

After a short hiatus, I'm just catching up on the news around the VoIP blogosphere. Here are some articles I found particularly interesting: 1. Skype 3.0 beta goes "Live" The new version will have click-to-call, where any text phone number in your website browser will allow you to click it to make a SkypeOut call, and plug-in support which lists popular third party plug-ins as a new tab within Skype. The new Live tab also lists Skypecasts. All these new additions were previously available only on the Skype website, but are now integrated into the program interface itself. 2. Fierce 15 - Top VoIP Companies of 2006 Top VoIP services as compiled by FierceVoIP, in alphabetical order: Airvana Brix Networks Convergin Digium Empirix Firsthand Technologies GrandCentral Ingate Systems Iotum Jajah NexTone Nominum Psytechnics SIPPhone Sunrocket 3. Linux "Hacker-Phone" in the works The idea is to distribute a barebones device capable of making calls and text messages, but with expandable memory and an open API to encourage the development of a myriad of applications. Then, new users will be able to customize their phones any way they wish. Hackers who create new applications could be eligible for discounts. Oh, and did I mention the stylish design? 4. Linksys CIT310 Yahoo Messenger Phone reviewed Linksys has followed up their CIT200 Skype phone with a new phone for Yahoo Messenger users. Great if you're tied to only one VoIP service, but what if you need more than one? I guess you could just wait for that Linux phone instead.