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All posts tagged "voip"


Sunday, June 24, 2007

Fring Releases Beta WM VOIP and IM Client

Posted by Rocco Augusto in "SOFTWARE" @ 09:42 PM

http://www.fring.com/

"fring, a free mobile VoIP software, allows you to talk & IM via your handset's internet connection to other mobile phones and PC-based services such as Skype, Google Talk, MSN Messenger, SIP and Twitter, at no extra cost."

User submitted image

I'm really starting to enjoy how web services left and right and starting to converge. New to the game of converging of services is fring, a free VoIP and IM service that allows you to text and speak over a variety of services which include, but are not limited to Skype, Google Talk, MSN Messenger and Twitter. The best part is, this program is absolutely free! :D

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  • Source: Pocket PC Thoughts


Thursday, June 1, 2006

Windows CE Targets VoIP Market With LG-Nortel Deal

Posted by Mike Temporale in "NEWS" @ 06:30 AM

http://www.networkingpipeline.com/news/188501312

"Microsoft is continuing its slow assault on the VoIP market by signing a new deal with LG-Nortel to work together on VoIP products based on the next generation of WinCE. LG-Nortel is a joint venture between Nortel and cell phone manufacturer LG Electronics. The deal between Microsoft and LG-Nortel is a memorandum of understanding (MOU) covering joint research and development, marketing, and licensing for WinCE 6."

Well this is some interesting news. So, Windows CE 6 will have VoIP support. Since Windows Mobile is built on-top of Windows CE, does that mean we might just see some VoIP action in the next major release of Windows Mobile? I'm sure it's no surprise that it would be possible, but I didn't really expect Microsoft to make it part of the foundation. Good news for the future of our platform. :D

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  • Source: Edgar


Monday, March 20, 2006

SIP-Enabled VoIP Phones from Windows Mobile?

Posted by Jerry Raia in "NEWS" @ 04:30 PM

http://www.coolsmartphone.com/news2252.html

"MobileMag are reporting that Microsoft are working on a SIP-enabled VoIP dialer for Windows Mobile 5. Apparently "a trusted source familiar with the inner workings" of Microsoft has been speaking to them about the move. If true, this would let you make calls via your WiFi after logging into a SIP provider. Hmmm .. spot the problem here?"

I have been waiting for this showdown for a while. If it is in fact true. Maybe we should hold on to our WiFi enabled phones or at least one of them? I can see Verizon, already in love with neutering devices, flipping out over this. At any rate this will be fun to watch. :)


Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Mobile VoIP Needs High Speed Uplink for Quality Calls

Posted by Mike Temporale in "NEWS" @ 12:30 PM

http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/03/13/76374_HNmobilevoip_1.html?source=NLC-TB2006-03-13

"Internet telephony over mobile phones is on the way but don't expect many commercial offerings until operators have made a key network technology enhancement, probably toward the end of 2007 or later in most parts of the world, according to a senior executive with Lucent Technologies Inc. The problem with providing VOIP (voice over Internet Protocol) service over mobile handsets today is the uplink, which is too slow to support quality voice calls, according to Lucent Chief Marketing Officer John Giere. To increase uplink speeds, operators of GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) networks, which dominate Europe and many parts of Asia and Latin America, will need to upgrade their networks with HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access) technology, he said. "HSUPA will give operators the bidirectional capability they need to run real VOIP," Giere said in an interview last week at the Cebit trade show in Hanover, Germany."

If you're interested in VoIP, this article helps to outline what's holding us back from getting good quality VoIP on your mobile handset. It looks like the carriers have a lot of work to do. Thankfully, some of us have WiFi and don't need to wait for the carriers to play catch up. ;)


Wednesday, February 1, 2006

Woize Launches Beta Smartphone VoIP Client

Posted by Mike Temporale in "SOFTWARE" @ 11:00 AM

http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=108178

"Woize releases a Beta version of SmartphoneWoize, a mobile Internet telephony application with similar functionality to the Woize PC client. SmartphoneWoize allows users to make free calls to other Woize, PocketWoize, or SmartphoneWoize users, as well as inexpensive calls billed per second to users outside of the Woize community. SmartphoneWoize works on mobile phones running Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphone and can be used wherever the phone is connected to a WiFi network."

Woize allows free calls between Woize clients and a small fee is charged when you call none woize clients. Sound familiar? ;) Anyway, you can download a free Smartphone client (or Pocket PC client - if that meets your needs) from the Woize website. The woize client requires .Net CF 2 be installed on your device first. Has anyone here downloaded this? We've heard reports on how Skype is hacked onto a Smartphone. I would be interested to see how well this preforms.


Friday, January 20, 2006

Cicero's Smartphone VoIP Client Reviewed

Posted by Mike Temporale in "ARTICLE" @ 03:00 PM

http://www.arcchart.com/blueprint/show.asp?id=383&qtabs=99999

"Having played around with a lot of VoIP systems and software over the years, I expected a fair bit of tweaking would be required to install the Cicero client and get it connected to our company�s SIP-based IP PBX. However, it would not be an exaggeration to say that I installed the application on the phone, configured it for the PBX and was making calls in less than 10 minutes."

User submitted image

Matt Lewis takes a look at the Cicero VoIP client for Windows Mobile Smartphone. While there are not many WiFi enabled Smartphones out there, it's nice to know that there is a solid client ready and waiting for WiFi to come to your phone. :mrgreen:


Monday, January 2, 2006

Mobile VoIP Is Coming - Skype on i-mate SP5m

Posted by Kris Kumar in "ARTICLE" @ 02:30 PM

http://headworx.blogspot.com/2006/01/mobile-voip-is-coming.html

"Two weeks ago I posted some tests of Skype running on a UMTS Teleputer (i-mate JasJar). While the JasJar is definitely one of the smallest all-in-one computer equipped with 3G voice/data/video connectivity, it is a little too big and fragile to carry as a mobile phone replacement. Some of you will argue with that, but I just cannot imagine skiing or dancing with the JasJar in my pocket. And as I'm sure all the future voice communications will be carried in VoIP (Voice-over-IP) fashion (that means voice is converted to internet packets on the phone and is transmitted to the other party as ordinary data packets - like email or instant messenger conversations), I kept on searching for ways to do VoIP calls straight from my cell phone. ... So if Skype works on the JasJar, it should - at least - give some signs of life on the SP5m. Unfortunately the Skype downloads do not have a version for a phone, and the "Pocket PC" version does not install on the phone, claiming it is incompatible with the device. So I decided to experiment a bit and copied Skype.EXE from my JasJar to the phone. Then fired it up and - it worked! Well... almost worked."

User submitted image

Our reader, Headworx, is reporting in his blog, how he managed to get Skype to work on the i-mate SP5m. I totally agree with Headworx's thoughts on the potential of VoIP communication on Wi-Fi enabled Smartphones and am looking forward to owning an i-mate SP5 and using it for VoIP. But now I am a little disappointed by the test results of Headworx's experiment. So check out his findings and please post your comments in this thread.


Saturday, December 17, 2005

VoIP and the Future of Windows Mobile

Posted by Mike Temporale in "ARTICLE" @ 11:00 AM

http://www.clintonfitch.com/editorials/122005/voip/default.asp

"Without going too much into a sales mode here, VoIP is faster, cheaper and far more flexible than traditional telephony. There have been countless examples, especially around hurricane Katrina here in the US, that also prove that VoIP is the best solution for disaster recovery scenarios. As Voice over IP has continued to grow, many of the companies who produce VoIP solutions have also developed wireless solutions to support the technology. A case in point is Cisco Systems, the leader in the VoIP marketplace. Cisco has in the past 4 years developed a series of phone that support VoIP while running wirelessly. These phones run on 802.11x, allowing an enterprise who has a Cisco telephony solution in place as well as wireless access points to distribute phones that can "roam" while in their wireless coverage area. A good example of use is in the Call Center arena where supervisors may be walking the floor and not necessarily be at a desk. By having the WiFi/VoIP solution, they can still take calls and virtually be at their desk."

There is no question that VoIP is hot and holds great promise for mobility. Clinton Fitch takes a look at QoS, Windows Mobile, and VoIP in his latest article. Unfortunately, I think VoIP on our Smartphones is still a good couple years off. We still need faster processors, and better wireless high speed connections, and of course, a Windows Mobile client. ;) What do you think?


Friday, November 18, 2005

Cicero Brings VoIP to Windows Mobile 5.0 Devices

Posted by Jerry Raia in "NEWS" @ 11:00 PM

http://www.mobilemag.com/content/100/340/C5268/

"For those who are eagerly awaiting for VoIP to come out for their cellphones, the wait is now over. On Thursday, Cicero Networks Ltd. announced the launch of a smartphone version of its CiceroPhone which offers converged VoIP features. Going a step further, Cicero also announced a new Call Continuity server, a major new enhancement to the Cicero Controller that paves the way for seamless roaming between both Wi-Fi/GSM and Wi-Fi/CDMA networks."

User submitted image

The first question that pops into my head about this is: How much are carriers going to charge for using VoIP? I see no way they will let us have that option without hooking a meter up to it. Either that or carriers like Verizon will cripple it (like they did Bluetooth) so VoIP will not work.


Tuesday, July 13, 2004

Worlds First Clam-Shell VOIP Mobile Phone

Posted by Mike Temporale in "HARDWARE" @ 05:30 AM

http://www.rikei.co.jp/en/new/release_detail.php?id=315

The Rikei Corporation has announced the worlds first clam-shell design WiFi based mobile phone. The features the list are 3 hours of talk time and over 60 hours of standby, at a weight of 98g. The phone will support the 802.11b WiFi standard, unlike some of the other WiFi phones we talked about in the past which seemed to focus on 802.11a.

User submitted image

"The product incorporates features that are comparable with fixed IP terminals, while support of the 802.1x and IEEE802.11i are being considered, along with communication encrypting using SRTP and Ipsec. Further, methods and systems for roaming within an office environment will be considered with wireless LAN application manufacturers. A telephone directory, Internet browser, mailer or other application software can also be loaded, if customers demand them."

I like the fact that they are looking at supporting more than just the one WiFi standard.

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  • Source: Engadget


Monday, June 28, 2004

Improved Security And VOIP Support In Windows CE 5.0

Posted by Mike Temporale in "NEWS" @ 07:00 AM

http://www.vnunet.com/news/1156237

"Microsoft will today release to manufacturing Windows CE 5.0, the latest version of its platform for mobile and embedded devices. The new release offers better security and closer integration with enterprise infrastructure, Microsoft said, and improves driver support for many common hardware components. Windows CE 5.0, earlier codenamed Macallan, will appear in new devices such as thin clients, handheld terminals and network appliances in the next few months. It will offer improved support for voice over IP (VoIP), enabling it to be used in new devices that integrate data and telephony functions. Future versions of Microsoft's Windows Mobile for PDAs and smartphones will also be based on the new code."

That sounds good to me, especially the improved VOIP and Security. Too bad we won't see any new Smartphones based on CE 5.0 until sometime next year. :(


Wednesday, March 31, 2004

VoIP Coming To A Windows CE 5 Based Device Near You

Posted by Mike Temporale in "THOUGHT" @ 01:30 PM

http://news.com.com/2100-7352_3-5182217.html?tag=nefd_top

There is an interesting article over at C|Net's News.com about the companies that have licensed Microsoft's upcoming Windows CE version 5. According to Microsoft this version "contains much improved technology for making phone calls on the Net with voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)". Currently there are 22 different manufacturers like LG and NEC, that have licensed Windows CE 5. One licensees is not a manufacturer, but a broadband service provider, Vonage. "Vonage plans to create a "soft phone" that can be added to any devices that use the new Windows CE operating system. Soft phones are computer programs that turn any device equipped with a speaker and a microphone into an Internet phone." So, my stereo could end up being a phone? Or my car? Video Cam-corder? TV (with a microphone)? 8O Cool. For starters, I want my mobile phone to use VoIP when there is a good solid WiFi signal, and regular GSM otherwise. Then, I want my laptop, stereo, alarm clock, and watch. :wink: :lol:

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  • Source: kris_kumar


Wednesday, March 17, 2004

Skype and Siemens to Bring VoIP to Handsets

Posted by Mike Temporale in "NEWS" @ 08:00 AM

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=2492

"This is the world�s first consumer Internet telephony and messaging solution for cordless phone products. Developed in partnership with Skype Technologies, the peer-to-peer telephony company, this product merges data and voice communications technology in a simple and intuitive platform, expanding the frontier for consumer choice and flexibility in communications."

Now before everyone gets to excited, this is going to be released on the Gigaset product line which is a home based handset, not a mobile handset. Regardless, this is the start of some major changes for the industry. It won't be long until Skype (or any other VoIP company) integrates this into a mobile handset along with a WiFi connection. Allowing me to select my connection type based on my location. Ah, the future is so bright, I gotta wear shades. 8)


Sunday, February 15, 2004

FCC Ruling Frees "Pure" VoIP From Regulations

Posted by David McNamee in "NEWS" @ 06:53 PM

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1078&dept_id=529468&newsid=10964698&PAG=461&rfi=9

Last week, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruled that Internet telephony provider pulver.com is not subject to the myriad regulations to which traditional telephone companies must adhere. pulver.com provides the Free World Dialup service that allows users to have voice conversations over the Internet. These voice over IP (VoIP) calls are not placed using regular phone equipment and subscribers are given a unique ID number rather than a 10-digit telephone number.

The FCC also agreed to provide regulatory guidance on a wider range of VoIP issues. Most importantly, it will decide what stance to take with service providers that mix VoIP and traditional switched-circuit phone networks. Currently, many long distance calls use VoIP at some point along their route. AT&T is asking the FCC to rule its use of VoIP in routing long distance calls as Internet telephony. This would allow AT&T to avoid access charges paid to local providers.

There is potentially a lot of money at stake in the FCC's rulings. The major telephone carriers want to Internet protocols because they are cheaper and more efficient than the regular telephone system. The move would be a large cost savings that, hopefully, would find its way to customers. States and municipalities, though, could face serious revenue shortfalls as more and more telecommunications tax money is lost to the Internet.

What does all this mean for cell phones? The immediate answer is, "not much." Depending on how the regulatory mess is worked out, we might have a new way to connect and place phone calls. I've worked with clients whose entire internal phone systems are VoIP. It would be great to expose them over WiFi. If that happened, it would certainly eliminate my problem of not getting a GSM signal in my house. Phones could be built so that they switched between networks. Around town, I could be connected to a cell tower. When I walk in the front door, an 802.11 radio in the phone would connect to the broadband Internet connection in my house. Oh, the possibilities!


Wednesday, November 12, 2003

Finally - VOIP that Really Works!

Posted by Jason Dunn in "OFF-TOPIC" @ 09:48 AM

http://www.skype.com

Completely off-topic, but I wanted to share with you all a very exciting program that a friend told me about last week. It's called Skype, and it was created by the makers of KaZaA - but it's not for file sharing, it's for voice chatting. There are three things that make Skype extremely impressive to me:

The voice quality is amazing - it's better than phone quality, and upon my first use the quality of my friends voice was so high is sounded like he was in the room with me. It was actually kind of eerie. :worried:

The software uses port 80, so it slips through firewalls without hassle, which means end users behind firewalls don't need to reconfigure ports. In fact, there's no configuration at all - it even dynamically selects the best voice codec for you depending on your bandwidth.

Most impressive of all, it works flawlessly from behind a NAT (network address translation) layer, meaning that those of us behind routers and gateways can actually use it.

They also have plans for having Skype dial regular land-line phones, and I've emailed them to ask about a Smartphone version - wouldn't that be cool? The beta is free, but they'll eventually charge for the software and possibly a subscription-based service. Assuming they don't screw up a really great idea by charging too much for it per month, Skype could become the "next big thing". Check it out!


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