Comcast is preparing to launch their new service, Homepoint, which will provide a VoIP handset with integration to email, news, weather, and other services. Wait, doesn’t my mobile already do that? → Read More
Time for everyone to cash in on the new Star Trek movie. Brando is no exception with the “Star Trek USB Communicator internet phone,” a $43 VOIP device that resembles an original Star Trek communicator. → Read More
Help me out here. The iPhone version of Skype was released the other day; it’s Wi-Fi-only, but it’s a VoIP product, so I don’t understand from where the outrage is coming. Do people, e.g. the Consumers Union, expect AT&T to subsidize the phone to the tune of hundreds of dollars, and then allow you to use some other provider exclusively? A “dance with the one who brung you” sort of… → Read More
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has confirmed that it plans to shut down Go!Messanger, a VoIP application that was technically only available in Europe. (Hence, the SCEE confirmation.) There’s a silver lining, though: no jobs will be lost as a result of the shutdown. → Read More
You have a great idea for a product. You have a great designer. You have a manufacturer willing to pump something out for not much money. You’re on your way to gadget riches, right? Wrong.
Dan Costa wrote a cautionary tale for all those looking to produce a consumer electronics product. His focus is magicJack, a company that we wrote about in August 2007, a post that currently has 167 comments… → Read More
Row44. That’s the name of the company that plans to bring satellite-delivered Internet access to your laptop while you’re flying from finished New York to phony Los Angeles; everywhere in between, too. → Read More
ooma has officially unveiled their new hardware at CES for the rest of the world to see and they’ve dubbed it Telo. It’s a cordless handset to go along with their VoIP service. → Read More
A couple days ago we received a press release for a new service named CallingAmerica, which permits you to make free VoIP calls to U.S. phone numbers using only your web browser. Offered free of charge, users are required to look at advertisements for about 10 seconds before calls are connected (AdBlock Plus worked just fine to suppress the ads, by the way). → Read More
The executive branch of the European Union is investigating whether wireless carriers there are illegally blocking VoIP calls from being carried over their networks. You know you can’t use Skype-like applications over 3G using your iPhone? If the Commission gets its way, that practice would end, one would assume. It’s like this: the European Commission doesn’t like it when… → Read More
It’s hard out there for a VOIP solution. Skype rules the desktop and Vonage rules the den so where does an upstart like VoxOx belong? The product, founded by a group of voice networking ninjas who wanted to create a desktop-based VOIP and chat solution with full IM and social network integration. Think of it, then as a cross between Adium/Digsby and Skype with a little Grand Central thrown… → Read More
After 6 months of not-quite-official availability for those of us with jailbroken iPhones, Fring, a free mobile Voice-over-IP service (VoIP), has made its way to the App Store. With that, a day that some said would never come has arrived: Skype calls can now be made on the iPhone, no hacks required. Beyond the Skype functionality (which I imagine would be its most popular use), Fring also lets you… → Read More
Where in God’s name is Skype for the iPhone? The best Mr. Malik could get out of Skype CEO Josh Silverman was a “stayed tuned.” Great, thanks. Maybe while we’re waiting, while we’re staying tuned, one of them there indie developers creates an absolute hit of an iPhone VoIP app, leaving no reason for us to keep waiting for a Skype app. Then what, Skype? I do like how Skype is… → Read More
Good luck trying to use VoIP app Sipgate on your iPhone in Germany, since a court there just effectively banned it. T-Mobile, which is Germany’s exclusive iPhone provider, had argued in court that the application encourages users to jailbreak their iPhone. By jailbreaking the iPhone, users would be violating T-Mobile’s terms and conditions, apparently punishable under pain of death. → Read More
So you’ve found a way to make VoIP calls on American Airlines flights with Gogo by using some Flash-based service? Good for you, really, but anyone saying that they’ve hacked the system needs to reassess the meaning of the term. Stumbling upon an app that works is not hacking anything. It’s called being lucky. I honestly didn’t care enough to try out all the possible VoIP apps that are out… → Read More
While Nokia has typically included VoIP functions in many of its smart phones—much to the chagrin of carriers—it looks like the top handset maker may be changing its stance, and removing VoIP on some of its new N-series handsets. Gigaom reported that the N78 is not VoIP compatible and when they asked Nokia why, the company replied: “Nokia Nseries is committed VoIP services as part of its… → Read More
Times are tough for Vonage right now as they struggle to gain new customers. During the second quarter of this year, Vonage only signed up 2,080 new customers compared with 56,691 from the same quarter last year. Their struggles boil down to a lack of advertising cashflow, as well as what we can imagine a tremendous competition increase. There was a time when Vonage’s snarky commercials… → Read More
The promise of VoIP has a tendency to sometimes fall short when it comes to simplicity. After all, a VoIP solution is supposed to replace the standard landline telephone — one of the simplest communication devices of all time. Ever seen an old person work a landline? They rock those things, no sweat. IPEVO’s ST4RT (pronounced “Start”) attempts to blend the simplicity of an old school… → Read More
Vonage has launched a new package called Vonage Pro, which enables users to place VoIP calls anywhere they have a broadband connection. Jamie Haenggo, Vonage’s chief marketing officer had this to say about the service: “Vonage Pro is the VoIP offering that prosumers have been asking for to help them stay connected while on the go.” Strong words from a strong man (or lady, possibly). The… → Read More
Jajah, a popular VoIP service provider, has teamed with eMobile to release a new mobile telephony service on a handheld device that operates purely over a cellular data network. While the service is only available in Japan (don’t cancel those voice plans yet), it may well serve as an preview of things to come. The service is available to users of the Sharp EM·ONE Ultra Mobile Device, which… → Read More
Starting July 2nd, existing T-Mobile customers will be able to add unlimited VOIP home phone service for $10 extra per month, plus a one-time outlay of $50 for a T-Mobile-branded Linksys wireless router with built-in VOIP functionality. The router has two SIM card slots inside and, as such, can handle two separate phone numbers. You’ll get an additional number on top of your current cell phone… → Read More
A company I’m calling iCraw just announced a VoIP system for the iPhone that allows you to hop onto a VoIP network mid-call whenever you hit an open hotspot. It should be available on the Apple iPhone App store next week. Since I really enjoy T-Mobile’s Hotspot@Home UMA offerings, this sounds like a great way to save some money and get even better call quality on a non-T-Mobile phone. → Read More
Well look at that. We’ve seen flexible keyboards and we’ve seen keyboards with VOIP phones attached to them, but here’s a flexible keyboard with a VOIP phone. Now that, my friends, is convergence. This product, like the USB air purifier from earlier today, is also from Brando, who says in broken English… USB Internet Phone Flexible Keyboard, which is strong, silent and… → Read More
Despite the nasty rumors going around about eBay selling Skype, the VoIP provider is poised to introduce an unlimited international calling plan that will cost $9.95/month. The 34 countries included are Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, China, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and most of Europe. This new plan will, of course, include calls to domestic land-line phones and cell… → Read More
Boy, if only these guys had "user-created" somewhere in their mission statement. It’s already a Web 2.0 smorgasbord. If I understand it correctly, the idea is that you and your friends all sign up and register your phones with the site. Then, when you want to call someone in jolly old England or jolly old Moscow, Jaxtr acts as a middle man, calling you both from local numbers where… → Read More
We’ve reported on Fring before at CG so there’s not much need to go into details about what they do, but if you’re new to the game then check here for details. Today, Fring launched an iPhone app that runs on jailbroken devices and seems to work pretty well based on the video provided by Fring. Free VoIP calls and IM on your iPhone. Sounds good to me. Grab it here. via TC → Read More
This commercial for Cablevision’s “Triple Play” (cable TV, broadband and VoIP) offends me. It offends me not because it belittles my proud (?) heritage, but because it doesn’t go far enough in making Hispanics look like shiftless, VoIP-loving, beach-going, party-throwing, tiny-car-driving maniacs. (Have you been to Queens lately? Not too far off the mark.) I mean, I often… → Read More
The CEO of Buzz Broadband just shuttered his WiMAX network and, in a conference in Bangkok, called the technology worthless. He complains that out of line-of-sight with the antenna WiMAX degrades horribly, resulting in network failures. He is now using a number of standards including TD-CDMA to get about 10Mbps and will not be using WiMAX. Gulp! And we just bought a huge transmitter for the whole… → Read More
That’s the new God of War PSP we told you about yesterday. Sony is set to launch their proprietary VoIP service dubbed Go! Messenger this Friday via the European PSP store. Again with the Europe-only-love, Sony? The service, for those unfamiliar, allows any and all PSP owners to send and receive voice and video messages (granted you have a PSP camera attachment) over a Wi-Fi connection. → Read More
[photopress:uma.jpg,full,center]T-Mo is doing something interesting. Not only do they want to be your cell carrier, they want to provide your home landline service, too. Of course, with its new all-you-can-talk plans this is redundant, but for $10 including long distance, why not have a landline? People will call you “old school”, in a good way. The new system uses your current phone… → Read More
There you have it, the first VoIP call made on the Touch. Software should be out tomorrow so keep your eyes peeled for our very own hands on video. → Read More
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