Amazon offers Click-To-Call Ordering
I was on Amazon.com looking for a Garmin GPS when I noticed I had the ability to click "Call me" to order stuff from Amazon. Interesting. Curious, I clicked the Call me button and saw this:
As seen above, it appears eStara is powering Amazon's Click-to-Call capabilities. Now I realize this isn't new "news" since the WSJ wrote about Amazon using eStara awhile back. However, in all of my Amazon shopping I've never come across the click-to-call feature. Today, was the first time.
What's interesting is that this click-to-call feature only appears on certain product listings. I browsed around and noticed books don't seem to allow for click-to-call. That makes sense since Amazon would lose margins on a low-cost item.
So then I searched for an expensive item, namely a Playstation3 and it didn't have a click-to-call button. Kinda shoots that theory down. Then I looked at a couple of cameras and no click-to-call buttons their either. If anything, customers want customer service help when buying a digital camera. My father-in-law wouldn't buy a camera online because he wanted to speak to someone about the features and get advice which camera was best for his needs. So if anything, a c2c button would be perfect for the digital camera category.
In any event, next, I looked at an Apple iPod nano and it has the click-to-call button. There seems to be little rhyme or reason where the button appears. Though I couldn't find the button on any item that cost less than $120. Amazon definitely seems to be rolling out the click-to-call button on more of their product pages.Now if only they'd add a SIP dial-in URI so the moment I hit the urge to buy from their website, I could use SIP, and as long as I hit that website with credit card in hand at precisely 186,000 miles per second, I can instantly connect via VoIP... then everything will be fine.
Tags: Amazon, Amazon.com, Back to the Future, Doc Brown, eStara, GPS
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Blackberry 9000 Is Coming Next Week!
May 9, 2008
Exciting news for all Blackberry fans -- seems like the highly touted 9000 is due to be announced May 12!
Take a look at The Boy Genius here (thanks for the photo!) for a bit more and here at Crackberry for a three-part review of the little beauty.
Tags: Blackberry 9000, Crackberry, The Boy Genius
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HP Goes Upline
May 8, 2008
Do we really need another online storage company?
Apparently, HP thinks so and has launched Upline, a data storage service that lets you put your data in a more secure, online headquarters location.
As we should have learned by now, automatic backup makes securing data simple, not just one time, but as often as you choose. And with any Internet connection you can easily access, share, manipulate and store your data from anywhere.
Three plans -– Home/Home Office, Family and Professional -– are available, all offering unlimited storage and features tailored to meet your needs, whether you are protecting data for yourself, your family or a small business.
The fourth (free) plan offers 1GB of storage, but to get unlimited storage, you must shell out a minimum of $59.
Tags: data storage service, HP, Upline
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AT&T To Give iPhone Wi-Fi Hotspot Access?
We can never get enough iPhone news or juicy rumors, so here we go again!
According to MacRumors, AT&T's iPhone website (under the Plans tab) has been updated to note that each iPhone plan now includes access to their "more than 17,000 Wi-Fi hotspots, including Starbucks all for use in the U.S."
Not officially announced, but then again ...
Read more about it here.
Tags: AT&T, iPhone, MacRumors, Starbucks, Wi-Fi
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New Dell Notebooks Coming?
The steady pace of computer technology marches on ...
According to a report on Engadget (here), Dell is set to launch a series of new Inspiron notebooks.
Having had an Inspiron 700m for what sees like ages now, feel good that Dell is coming off of its battery woes, but only time (and the gadget-buying public) will prove that right ...
And that may be soon, with the first one apparently coming right around Memorial Day.
Tags: Dell, Inspiron, Inspiron 700m, Memorial Day
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SkyFire Review
But now Rich is giddier than a kid that just got a PS3 for Christmas, or that blogger who just got an iPhone and can't stop blogging about it. Yesterday, Rich had this big smile on his face and he couldn't wait to show me a demo of his new toy. Read on!
Tags: browser, Rich Tehrani, SkyFire, videos, web surfing, Windows Mobile, Windows Mobile 6, YouTube
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Jangl & TalkPlus Spell VoIP Troubles Ahead?
The TalkPlus Java application was designed to allow you to view the presence of your Skype buddies, initiate a Skype call or even receive a Skype call. It even has SIP support with the ability to support other IM/VoIP clients such as Google Talk, AIM, MSN Messenger, etc.
It was cool technology, but perhaps a bit ahead of its time. One of the biggest features espoused by Jeff Black was "throwaway numbers". As I wrote previously, you can ditch a number if need be. Doctors or lawyers that are calling patients/clients can use their personal mobile phone and yet have their office CallerID number appear to the client/patient instead of their personal mobile number. In essence, this is a form of "CallerID spoofing", often a popular tactic used by hackers utilizing the Asterisk platform.
Does the fall of Jangl and if Om is correct, the fall of TalkPlus spell trouble for VoIP/Voice 2.0 applications? Maybe we're not ready for VoIP applications. Maybe we just want cheap minutes. Maybe "it's the cheap voice, stupid!" after all. Hmph... VoIP just got boring.
Tags: gigaom.com, Jangl, Jeff Black, Om Malik, TalkPlus, Voice 2.0, VoIP, VoIP 2.0
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Covad Vonage Deal Redux
I was emailing industry analyst Jon Arnold about some things and mentioned I quoted him in my post this morning about the Covad & Vonage partnership and the resulting product offering called/branded "Vonage Broadband" and soon to be carried by Covad.He wrote back with some interesting insights of his own regarding the deal and wonders if it's a good move or one of desperation. That thought had crossed my mind as well and I nearly blogged as such in my earlier post.
Jon mentioned he would like to blog about this deal, but he's pretty busy. Nevertheless, he provided me via email some of his initial thoughts that I thought were worth sharing:
Really concerned about their rising churn - not good. Interesting move with Covad. Their new owners probably see that the biz market is a touch slog, and even though the rez market is even tougher, their network can help make Vonage's offering stronger, at least in terms quality and maybe some bundling scenarios. Both companies are struggling, so you can read this either as a good move or a desperation move. VoIP companies are failing left and right these days, so am sure it's a bit of both.
Tags: Covad, VoIP, Vonage, Vonage Broadband
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South Korea Blocks VoIP - here we go again...
The Vonage forum thread was started by a U.S. Air Force serviceman claiming that all of a sudden his Vonage service stopped working. Apparently, some ISPs have been blocking for a few months with others now joining the blocking VoIP parade.
The kicker is that it's the incumbent telcos and Korean-based VoIP service providers that have lobbied to block foreign-based VoIP service providers. As I wrote previously, the South Korean government, with the backing of major South Korean ISPs have pushed for the ban because of the unlimited flat-rate calling plans offered by American competitors. Gee, that's just great - you can't compete on price, so you simply block your foreign competitors. Where's the WTO (World Trade Organization) when you need em'?
I said it before and I'll say it again - perhaps you (South Korea) have forgotten about the blood, sweat, and tears shed by Americans in the Korean war?
Maybe this picture will refresh your memory...
"Bitter cold, Bitter fight" a weary U.S. Marine in Korea 1950
Tags: block, military, South Korea, VoIP, Vonage
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Covad to offer Vonage Broadband
Vonage and Covad Communications today announced a strategic relationship which will enable Vonage to provide its customers with a broadband solution using Covad’s nationwide DSL network. The new service, called Vonage Broadband, is expected to be offered to new and existing customers by the end of the year.This is interesting, since Covad's strength has always been in offering business VoIP services not residential. Though, I should point out that in 2004, Covad said they were jumping in to the residential VoIP business. Pal Jon Arnold was even quoted as saying in a CNET article that it was no surprise and "Everybody's trying to jump on the bandwagon," Arnold said. "Every ISP is looking to get into voice and (to) do it before their customers are lost to others." Well, I have a surprise for you. How many people knew Covad offered residential VoIP starting back in 2004? Anyone? [crickets chirping]
So it should come as no surprise that it makes sense for Covad to partner with Vonage. By joining forces with Vonage, Covad and Vonage will offer DSL services with maximum download speeds of 3.0 or 6.0 megabits per second to both residential and small business customers, along with bundled voice over IP services.
According to the news, Jeffrey Citron was quoted as follows:
“Consistent with our strategy of focusing on the customer, Vonage Broadband enables us to respond to the demand we hear from customers who prefer the Vonage brand,” said Jeffrey Citron, Chairman, Chief Strategist, and Interim CEO. “In addition, it provides us with a competitive offering that continues to give customers the freedom of choice.”
In related news, Vonage today reported a first-quarter net loss of $9 million, or 6 cents a share. Vonage reported a narrower first-quarter loss after cutting marketing spending, (less Vonage woo hoo commercials?) but customer growth slowed as a result. Vonage said it added 30,000 net subscriber lines in the quarter. The previous quarter was 56,000 and Vonage added a whopping 166,000 in the year-ago quarter. It's monthly customer churn, or cancellations, rose to 3.3 percent from 3.0 percent in the previous quarter. Revenue rose 15% to $224.6 million, which isn't too shabby.
Tags: Covad, Jeffrey Citron, stock, VoIP, Vonage, Vonage Broadband
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Real iPhone Competition?
May 7, 2008
High Tech Computer
, a little-known but fast-growing Taiwanese gadget maker, has unveiled a its Touch Diamond, a touch-screen smart phone that is the latest product in its surprisingly (so far) successful effort to compete against Apple's iPhone.Unveiled in London with plans for European sales next month, this follows the Touch, which has sold well since its launch last June, a few weeks before the iPhone launch.
Plans are for the phone to be available in the U.S. in the second half of this year.
Read more about it in the Wall Street Journal here.
Tags: Apple, High Tech Computer, iPhone, Touch, Touch Diamond
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Zune To Come with Copyright 'Cop'?
Now we know some (at least) of the reason that NBC pulled its TV shows, etc., out of iTunes and threw its lot in with Zune -- pricing and copyright protection.
In a nutshell, NBC doesn't want to price every one of its show at $1.99 -- which Appleapparently insists they do -- and they want to make sure all material played on these neat little gadgets is protected by copyright -- something Apple is apparently not concerned with, but Microsoft is.
Find out all of the details (at least those fit to print) in the New York Times here.
Tags: Apple, iTunes, Microsoft, NBC, Zune
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iPort Keeps It Simple
The iPort FS is a free-standing docking system that enables an Apple iPod to become integrated into a whole-home audio system, and it can be used as a source in a variety of local audio systems.
The small iPort Dock can be placed on a desk, table or other convenient location, allowing quick and easy insertion of an iPod, with connections to both the audio/video system and the user’s computer.
By pressing a single button on the iPort, you can change the iPod from the streaming mode to the music transfer mode, enabling content to be easily transferred from the computer to the iPod.
Simple is good!
www.iportmusic.com
Tags: Apple, iPod, iPort FS
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