February 2005 Archives

Check out this interesting release about this City Network's line of "cordless phones with VoIP capabilities". They offer multiple handsets but it doesn't appear they support multiple VoIP trunk lines - that is you can have 8 handsets, but only one person can use a VoIP trunk at a time.

I've said this a bazillion times before, but it bears repeating - what I'd like to see is a cordless VoIP system that allows you to define multiple SIP registrars (Line 1=Vonage, Line 2=Packet8, Line 3=CallVantage, Line 4=Vonage 2nd account) and then the device would perform least cost routing to choose the cheapest provider to initiate the call. Or if all are unlimited plans, this would at least allow multiple users to dial out simultaneously. In any case, check out the release & the interesting product photos:

City Network Announces New Product Designed to Integrate DECT and VOIP
Technologies and Promotion of New Wireless VOIP Product Series

TAIPEI, TAIWAN -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 02/18/2005 -- City
Network, Inc. (AMEX: CSN)
a company that designs, manufactures and markets a comprehensive line of
broadband and wireless Internet access solutions and consumer electronic
products announced today the development of its own newly designed Wireless VOIP
system (http://www.citynetwork.com.tw/web-e/p4-5.htm).

This new product line has integrated DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) and VOIP technologies to create a unique product offering which makes City Network one of a few select providers of this type of device world-wide. Extensive in its design, style and functionality, the Company believes this proprietary product provides City Network with a new face in the exciting new VOIP technology market and expands the company's diverse and far-reaching product lines in the dynamic convergent networking environment.

City Network engineers have developed a sophisticated combination of both DECT and VOIP technologies, which incorporates the bridging of advanced cordless telephone handsets with a sleek and powerful VOIP gateway and DECT base modules that connect and stream voice seamlessly and conveniently across the internet. The research and development of this new product series is designed to overcome the shortcomings of programs that exclusively use computers and Wi-Fi telephones and give the user the convenience and comfort of using a cordless handset.

"We see the new Wireless VOIP system with DECT handset and VOIP gateway device as the beginning of a new episode for our Company," exclaimed Chairman Andy Lai, "not only is it a culmination of a great amount of City Network's R&D efforts, but it also represents a proprietary product package in what we believe could become a burgeoning and lucrative new market."

City Network will have three models available for sale to the market: the basic WGP 1000 for home and SOHO use, the more advanced WGP 2200 with PBX functionality and the WGP4100 with expandability for corporate users. Furthermore, City Network has designed the products for multiple simultaneous users, with interactive voice functions and the ability to choose H.323 or SIP protocols designed to make upgrades easy and cost effective.

Here are some interesting images from their website along with the feature-set:

WGP-500TA 1FXS / 1PSTN / 5 cordless

‧	One WGP-500TA with one digital wireless handset; can support up to 5 handsets.

‧	WGP-500TA base with 1 PSTN line, 1 FXS line

‧	Handsets can register to more than one base, and formed worldwide wireless VPN.

‧	System can be expended depends on the requirement.

‧	International phone line can be transferred to intercom call. It is all free for international call

‧	Cost can be saved 40% ~ 85%

‧	Comes with advantage of high voice-quality, no delay, no echo and no noise.

‧	Transmitted distance can be up to 100M

WGP-4100A 1FXS-wireless / 3FXS / 1PSTN / 8 cordless

‧	GAP compliance, compatible with most DECT handsets.

‧	Support up to 8 handsets each with an unique separate ID number.

‧	Supports 5 active channels simultaneously advanced digital RF technology upgrades to high performance transmissive penetration.

‧	Transmitted distance: up to 50-200m indoor / up to 300m outdoor.

‧	Phone line auto searching.

‧	Wide range of applications suitable for residential and office.

‧	Comes with advantages of low power, low cost, high capacity, spectrum efficiency, security and high voice-quality.

‧	No furniture destroyed and no wiring engineering with system installation.

Hat Tip to Linux Devices for this i3 micro technology news...

i3 micro technology claims that its new Mood 130 is the first high-performance IP set-top box to provide video streaming for under $99. Housed in a very compact (6.69 x 4.21 x 1.10 inch) enclosure and running embedded Linux, the Mood 130 provides "triple play" services to users: Internet access, VoIP, IP television, and on-demand entertainment, along with MPEG-1 and -2 video, and MPEG-1 audio streaming.

The Mood 130 is a "carrier grade" set-top box (STB) that meets the quality and security requirements of "both incumbent operators and demanding residential subscribers," according to Jan Werne, CEO of i3.

It provides DVD-quality viewing for the user, he said, and "remote and encrypted anti-fraud provisioning of base services and centralized upgrade management" for the service provider. Based on an STMicroelectronics STi5528 chipset, along with embedded Linux, the Espial Escape browser, and Skelmir JVM, the STB's support for industry standards provides maximum flexibility for rapid custom development, said Werne.

The new STB handles PAL, NTSC, and SECAM TV formats, along with teletext, closed captioning, WSS, and CGMS. Among the Mood 130's options are an integrated SmartCard reader, a Macromedia flash player, a wireless keyboard, and a variety of cable kits for different geographical regions. It is equipped with a 10/100 Mbit/s Ethernet interface and, optionally, a USB 1.1 interface and RF output port.

The Washinton Post is reporting that the FCC is probing the blocking of Internet phone calls

According to the Washington Post, the federal government is looking into allegations that as many as 200 people who switched from traditional telephone service to placing calls via the Internet had their new voice service blocked by the local telephone company.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael K. Powell confirmed earlier this week that the FCC is examining informal complaints from Vonage.

Check out the full story...

FCC is probing the blocking of Internet phone calls

HEAT 8.3 now integrates with FrontRange ITSM and supports .NET. I was informed about this news last week, but I have been busily preparing for my speaking session at Internet Telephony Expo and trying to complete some reviews. In any event, considering FrontRange has several leading CRM solutions (GoldMine is another one besides HEAT), I thought this news was blog-worthy. So let me share what Frontrange shared with me. First, Frontrange told me that this is the first HEAT product based on the .NET platform. It enables ITSM solutions/modules to tacked right on.

FrontRange Solutions HEAT 8.3 is the latest version of their Service Management solution. Frontrange stated, "HEAT 8.3 allows customers to provide top quality stand-alone service management and to integrate easily with modules from the new IT Service Management product (ITSM). Both HEAT 8.3 and ITSM 5.01 from FrontRange are designed to improve the performance of IT and support organizations by providing functionality fully compatible with ITIL, a standard for service management best practices. HEAT 8.3 is available to current users and new customers immediately."

Further, their website states, "Since it is built on the Microsoft .NET platform, the solution offers advanced technology capabilities, and is designed to become the most integrated ITIL standards-based solution in the marketplace. The new FrontRange IT Service Management Solution allows all applications to work from a single database and easily exchange information - simplifying reporting across all levels of business."

I just received an interesting email from Bryan Elliot at NextAlarm.com. In the email, he states that NextAlarm is a small, innovative company offering alarm monitoring services for homes and small businesses. Bryan states, "In the same vein as ADT and Brink's, but we offer Internet features which are far ahead of the pack, and we also offer services at a substantial discount compared to the 'big boys'."

Bryan mentions the issue of DTMF digits not properly being transmitted when using VoIP which affects alarm systems. He states, "Of particular interest to home & small biz VoIP users (and by extension, subject matter for your blog), is the well-known problem of switching to VoIP service (such as Vonage) when you have an alarm system. Simply put - it doesn't work. Most alarm panels are unable to communicate signals to the customer's alarm monitoring company, when the customer has switched to VoIP. It has to do with the format used to communicate (very rapid DTMF pulses), and the loss of fidelity when going through VoIP companies."

In January, NextAlarm.com launched their own private VoIP network, using equipment which retains full DTMF fidelity. It is designed to run alongside a customer's VoIP telephone service -- e.g. they plug their telephones into Vonage modems, and they plug their alarm panel into our VoIP modem, and everyone's happy. I checked out their website and it appears that they are using Digium's Broadband Modem adaptor, as seen to the left.

More can be read about their VoIP "friendly" alarm system service here:
https://nextalarm.com/abn.jsp

Bryan also mentions that they also offer competitive services for people with POTS lines too but he claims, "we're just the first to market with a VoIP-specific solution as well".

Microsoft is recalling power cords on 14.1 million Xbox consoles worldwide, following reports of injuries due to defective electric components.

The company announced the recall today, saying it is aimed at protecting the consoles from electrical component failures that can pose a fire hazard. So far such failures have been reported in 30 consoles worldwide, causing minor injury or property damage, Microsoft said. Seven customers reported burn to their hands. In rest of the cases, the defect caused smoke damage or minor damage to a carpet or entertainment center.  "In almost all instances, any damage caused by these failures was contained within the console itself or limited to the tip of the power cord at the back of the console," Microsoft stated.


The recall covers Xbox consoles manufactured before Oct. 23, 2003 in all regions except continental Europe. In Europe, consoles made before Jan. 13, 2004, will need a replacement cord, the company said.

Orders for replacement cords can be placed at the Xbox web site. It will take up to four weeks for new cords to arrive. Until the new cord comes, customers should turn off consoles when not in use, Microsoft stated.

My Plextor 708a DVD burner died a few months ago - like the day after the 1-year warranty expired - Murphy's Law... It was a Christmas gift from my wife and if I recall it cost like $350 two years ago. I've been hesitant to replace it since I just assumed they were still pretty expensive, but a recent trip to CompUSA and I find some, shall we say "generic" Taiwanese "no name" brand DVD burners for like $75. I've experienced bad things when trying to buy cheap CD burners, like buffer overruns, buffer underuns, etc. that caused more coasters than you can shake a stick at! So I was hesitant to plop down $75 for some no-name brand. I've learned to trust the Plextor brand with their excellent buffer overrun/underrun protection. They've also been on the "bleeding edge" performance with typically the fastest CD burners and DVD burners. When you wanted the best DVD or CD burner you went with Plextor - plain and simple. But Sony, Samsung, and others have certainly caught up to Plextor.

In fact, I just came across a news release from a major electronics company, namely Samsung offering a super fast 16X DVD burner with 5X dual speed recording - all for just $75 bucks! Nice! Now Samsung is a brand name I can trust. Looks like I might finally replace my DVD burner after all...

Check out the release:

SAMSUNG INTRODUCES NEW 16X DVD REWRITABLE DRIVE WITH 5X DUAL SPEED RECORDING

San Jose, CA - February 17, 2005 - Samsung Electronics Ltd., the worldwide digital consumer electronics and information technology leader, builds on the tremendous success of its award-wining 16X DVD ReWritable disc drive technology with the introduction of the faster, more powerful Writemaster TS-H552U. Designed for the consumer market, the TS-H552U offers an amazing 5X dual layer speed recording -- one of the fastest in the industry today. The TS-H552U is currently shipping nationwide with an estimated street price of $75.

The 5X dual layer speed recording of the TS-H552U is twice as fast as Samsung's first 16X dual layer DVD RW drive. This dramatically improved speed helps to significantly cut down on timing issues, such as backup recording. For example, a file that would have taken 30 minutes to back up, now just takes 15 minutes, which is particularly helpful for users who conduct vast amounts of video or data backup. The 5X dual layer speed also allows users to input large amounts of data, such as video, photos or information from a database, onto a DVD at a much fast rate compared to Samsung's first drive. The TS-H552U also offers further advanced stability in dual layer operation than in prior drives.

Supporting all the popular DVD recordable/rewritable formats, the TS-H552U provides computer users with greater storage power and even more flexibility to enjoy favorite movies and music, and archive data without regard to format variations.

"With DVD storage now the standard media format, Samsung is capitalizing upon the success of its current line of drives and is looking for ways to offer consumers even greater drive speed, quality and features," comments Albert Kim, National Sales Manager, Storage Systems for Samsung SSI. "The new TS-H552U provides users with one of the fastest dual layer drives on the market today, allowing them to burn or convert video clips, create custom CD-R discs in just minutes and save vast amounts of data faster than ever. The TS-H552U further empowers computer users and multimedia enthusiasts by offering cutting-edge technologies at an ultra-affordable price point."

The TS-H552U offers double-layer data storage up to 8.5GB in one disc, which is two times more than single-layer DVD and 12 times more than a CD disc. Samsung's latest drive also features its Silent Pulse Width Modulation (SPWM) technology and an Automatic Ball Balancing System (ABS) to reduce noise when recording or reading at high speeds and ensure outstanding functionality.

Many high-end technologies are featured in the TS-H552U to ensure quick and reliable performance of the drive. These technologies include Speed Adjustment Technology (SAT), which automatically optimizes the speed according to the disc quality; Tilt Actuator Compensation (TAC), which gives the disc a tilt with the objective lens for the most reliable writing condition; and Double Optimum Power Control (OPC), which strengthens the writing performance by controlling the laser power in the inner and outer sides of the disc. The drive also includes a power save function and technology to prevent Buffer Under Run Error.

The TS-H552B is capable of recording DVD+R media at 16X, DVD-R at 16X, DVD+/-RW at 4X and double layer DVD+R. For more information about Samsung's Optical disc drives visit the Web site at http://www.samsung.com

Samsung
TS-H552U Specifications

Data Transfer Rate	Media Type	Write		Read
	DVD+R	16X (21.6MB/sec)		8X (10.8MB/sec)
	DVD+R Double Layer	5X (6.75MB/sec)		8X (10.8MB/sec)
	DVD+RW	4X (5.4MB/sec)		8X (10.8MB/sec)
	DVD-R	16X (21.6MB/sec)		8X (10.8MB/sec)
	DVD-RW	4X (5.4MB/sec)		8X (10.8MB/sec)
	DVD-ROM	-		16X (21.6MB/sec)
	CD-ROM	-		48X (7.2MB/sec)
	CD-R	40X (6.0MB/sec)		48X (7.2MB/sec)
	CD-RW	32X (4.8MB/sec)		32X (4.8MB/sec)
Burst Transfer Rate	PIO Mode 4 (16.6MB/sec)
	Ultra DMA Mode 2 (33.3MB/sec)
Average Seek Time	DVD-ROM: 130ms
	CD-ROM: 110ms
Supported Disc	DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD-ROM, DVD-Video
	CD-R, CD-RW, CD-ROM/XA, CD-ROM, CD-Audio, Video-CD,
	CD-I(FMV), Photo CD, CD-Extra, CD-TEXT
Buffer Memory	2 MB
Dimensions (WxHxD mm)	148.2 x 42 x 184
Weight (kg)	0.75

About Samsung Electronics

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2003 parent company sales of US$36.4 billion and net income of US$5.0 billion. Employing approximately 88,000 people in 89 offices in 46 countries, the company consists of six main business units: Corporate Technology Operations, Digital Appliance Business, Digital Media Business, LCD Business, Semiconductor Business and Telecommunication Network Business. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is the world's largest producer of color monitors, color TVs, memory chips, TFT-LCDs and VCRs. For more information, visit www.samsung.com.

I admit it, I'm a Smallville fan. I guess that's better than admitting to being a Jerry Springer fan, right? Actually, Smallville, which seems targetted at a teenage audience actually draws a considerable adult audience as well, so I shouldn't be ashamed to admit I'm a Smallville fan.

In any event, I was watching Smallville last night and saw the "Get Lex" Verizon Smallville Sweepstakes. Basically, the Verizon/Smallville sweepstakes rules are as follows:

Smallville's
secrets can soon be yours!

Watch Wednesday, February 23rd, 8/7c and tell us Lex's email password for your chance to win a walk-on role in the Smallville 2005 season premiere!
 
Verizon Wireless customers, you can break into Lex Luthor's email account!

On Wednesday, February 23, 8/7c watch the Smallville episode, "Sacred" to get Lex's password. Then send the password as a text message to the shortcode 438539 ("GET LEX") from your Verizon Wireless mobile phone.

You'll be logged in to receive Lex's emails directly to your Verizon Wireless phone. You will also be automatically entered for a chance to win a walk-on role in the Smallville 2005 season premiere!

When you're connected to Verizon Wireless you're always tapped in!

I have to say, this is a very interesting new way of building customer loyalty. Of course, I'm not that much of a Smallville fan to switch from my Sprint cellphone to Verizon just to play this sweepstakes, but I'm sure there are some teenager Smallville fanatics that might. Actually, this is just the first gauntlet thrown down by Verizon - if this sweepstakes is successful and Verizon does it again with other popular TV shows and the other cell phone companies don't follow, then it may give Verizon the "cool" and "hip" edge to help get the valuable teenage demographic.

Interesting analysis from the Cato Institute regarding government, DRM/copyright, and P2P (peer-to-peer networks).

Last night I received an email from an irate Skype customer pleading for me to come to their rescue. Apparently, the woman was double-charged on her checking account, contacted Skype's billing department via billing@skype.com, and hasn't heard "boo" yet from Skype. I couldn't ignore a damsel in distress, so I contacted one of my contacts at Skype, but she was on vacation. I will be speaking with Skype's CEO, Niklas Zennstrom in about a week during the P2P VoIP panel I am modering at Internet Telephony Expo, so I can ask him them what his thoughts are on not only her billing issue, but other complaints I have been hearing about as well.

In fact, ironically as I was planning to blog about Skype's customer service, CNet posted an article today titled: Skype callers: 'Customer service, please?' which also discusses Skype's poor customer service record - at least according to some Skype forums.

Below is the email I received last night from her complaining about Skype's customer service. Note how she has three separate trouble tickets and according to her, no word from Skype. Ouch! I removed her identity for privacy sake, but she appears to be a student or teacher, since her email address is in the .edu domain. I get the feeling that this will not be the last time we hear about Skype's customer service issues. With their exponential growth, these kinds of growing pains are to be expected.

From: <removed>
Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2005 6:36 PM
To: Tom Keating
Subject: Skype issues that I cannot get to a live person to address

Well, Tom - you are it.

I've been trying to get through to a live person at Skype since last week.

On February 8^th, Skype debited my checking account for $12.93 TWICE. Now I know that amount is a mere pittance to you and everyone at Skype. It was not authorized. This is the only activity on that account for months. You might think that my account has been compromised, but it hasn't. Why would someone steal my account information and only charge $25.86? It's a mistake and I want it corrected. I can spend $25 X 2 to dispute the charge, but I'll also have to close the account and open a new one. I don't want to do that when there's no evidence that my account is being tampered with - except by Skype.

That's only the beginning of my issues with this corporation. I can send and email regarding a billing and I get a message saying that if my inquiry requires a response, they'll get back to me in three days. Let me tell you….they don't. There is no way to reply to this message and there are no links or phone numbers on the Skype website to contact for assistance.

Having not received any replies to my three website inquiries, I've done some checking on the web. There is a large group of people who are very vocal about charges to their accounts by Skype and Skype's lack of response. Apparently they do not respond. When they do respond, it is to say that it is a legitimate charge and the individual's account information must have been stolen. There are also accusations that Skype is the one who is stealing the account numbers, not your subscribers. Again, the purpose of stealing my account numbers and racking up the huge charge of $25.86 was what?????

You can imagine my frustration. Having failed to find anyone at Skype who cares, I decided to try to find a Skype board member and your name came up, along with your bio and a way to contact you.

Here are my ticket/inquiry numbers from the three times I've tried to get assistance from the billing department:

Ticket ID: <removed>
Ticket Key: <removed>
Subject: Billing
Department: Billing

Ticket ID: <removed>
Ticket Key: <removed>
Subject: Billing
Department: Billing

Ticket ID: <removed>
Ticket Key: <removed>
Subject: Billing
Department: Billing

I would truly appreciate any help you can give me.

Sincerely,
<removed>

Logitech's new ViewPort AV 100 includes a VGA video camera, integrated microphone with acoustic echo cancellation (which I found out today uses Global IP Sound) and a Bluetooth wireless headset, connected via USB. Logitech's ViewPort AV 100 seems squarely targetted at the business enterprise, as a video conferencing solution, which is new to Logitech since they are best known for their webcams targetted at home users. The specs include: VGA CCD sensor with 3x digital zoom, 50-degree field of view, 30 frames per second and near-CD quality sound, even over low bandwidth connections.

Other features of the Logitech ViewPort AV-100 include:

• Automatic face-tracking — Viewers see you, not your office,
  even if you move around the room
  
• Integrated Bluetooth® headset — Move around your desk and
  keep your hands free for writing or explaining:
  Audio range: 300Hz — 3.4 kHz
  Talk time: Up to 7 hours
  
• Conference mode — Place the headset in the cradle and sound
  is automatically routed through your PC speakers
  
• Acoustic Echo Cancellation — For crystal-clear sound when
  using your PC speakers to listen to a call
  
• Automatic video privacy shutter — Covers the camera lens
  when you need time to work
  
• Adjustable height and tilt — Adjust the camera for optimum
  viewing position
  
• ViewPort SDK — Create custom video calling applications
  with these standard call features, as well as many others, by using the Logitech
  ViewPort SDK (available as a separate
  download)
  

As I mentioned, this product uses Global IP Sound (GIPS). Global IP Sound announced today that Logitech, the world's leading manufacturer of webcams, has integrated GIPS Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC) technology into the Logitech ViewPort AV 100, a high-quality audio and video device that serves as the foundation for a desktop video communications solution.

“Clearly, Logitech is a brand that business and home users recognize-and we are proud to be working with such an exceptional industry leader,” said Gary P. Hermansen, President and CEO of GIPS. “GIPS patented best-in-class Acoustic Echo Cancellation technology will make sure that Logitech's products continue to meet and exceed the sound quality that users have come to expect from them.”

GIPS AEC eliminates echo caused by acoustic feedback that can occur between any combination of microphones and speakers. This highly efficient, full-duplex speech processing software package cancels acoustic feedback without audible echo or clipping, providing an enhanced audio experience for the user.

“Logitech is committed to bringing to market state-of-the-art products, ranging from those aimed at consumers to those that meet the needs of enterprise-level and mobile computing professionals,” said Gina Clark, director of product marketing for Logitech's Video Business Unit. “The acoustic echo cancellation technology provided by GIPS for the ViewPort AV 100 is a critical component of that strategy.”

GIPS AEC delivers the highest possible voice quality with an adaptive filter, non-linear processor (NLP), comfort noise generator and control system. The module can handle both narrowband and wideband speech. GIPS AEC can be readily implemented on either digital signal processors (DSPs) or general purpose processors and conforms to International Telecommunications Union (ITU)-T G.167 requirements.

Global IP Sound offers a broad range of echo cancellation software, which includes GIPS Acoustic Echo Cancellation for softphone applications; GIPS AEC for IP Phones; GIPS NEC for IADs; and GIPS NEC for media gateways.

According to ExtremeTech, content protection company Macrovision plans to announce on Tuesday that it has developed a way to eliminate the vast majority of DVD copying - that is using DVD "ripping" software. I'll be honest, I've "ripped" DVDs to my Windows Media Center Edition (MCE) 2005 PC's hard drive. 

The reason I "rip" to my hard disk is two-fold.  For one, it lets me play a movie using the MCE remote control without getting up from the sofa and inserting a DVD into the player.  Secondly, I've learned from experience, that not everyone treats DVDs/CDs with the same care that I do.  I've lent CDs and DVDs in the past to friends/family and they've come back with scratches that cause the music to skip/stutter or the DVD movie to jump to an entirely random location of the movie.
 
Should I be forced to go out and purchase the same movie I already have in my movie collection and that I've paid for? Doesn't the Fair Use Act allow me to make reasonable backups of my CDs and DVDs?  Apparently, not...  Or at least the Fair Use Act is at odds with the Digital Millenium Copyright Act.  The DMCA was used to help bring down 321 Studios which offered DVD ripping/DVD backup software program.

Read the full story about the new DVD copy protection mechanism here:
New Tech Prevents DVD Copying, Kills "Rippers"

Looks like Actiontec's long-awaited Skype Internet Phone Wizard">Skype-enabled Internet Phone Wizard is available. I literally just received this email:

The email says "Actiontec Electronics introduces the Internet Phone Wizard", but I believe this product was announced last month. Maybe they mean it's now officially launched and available for purchase. Anyway, I have an eval unit on order and I'll review it here as soon as I can.

In the meantime, here's an overview from their website:

Put the telephone back in Internet telephony! The Actiontec Internet Phone Wizard combines the best of both worlds – the ease and convenience of your regular phone and the zero cost of Internet calls. Until now, you had to sit in front of your computer and wear uncomfortable headsets to make Internet calls. Or you had to choose between completely separate user experiences between using a regular phone or Internet phone. The Internet Phone Wizard with Skype makes all of these problems a thing of the past. Simply connect your computer to the Internet, pick up your phone,and begin dialing as you’ve always done - without any worry of a huge phone bill. The Internet Phone Wizard with Skype makes it easy and fun to call any Skype user in the world for free, and everyone else at low SkypeOut rates.

Key Benefits

Use Your Regular Phone to Make and Receive Internet Calls 
Making Internet phone calls is free and easy, but it is just too cumbersome to wear strange headsets and sit in front of your computer to talk. This is just the problem the Actiontec Internet Phone Wizard solves. Instead of being restricted to unwieldy headsets or small microphones in front of the computer, now you can make Internet calls from anywhere with a cordless or regular phone. You’ll still be using the Skype service and an Internet connection for these calls, the only difference is that everything will be channeled through the phone instead of the computer speakers. Additionally, these Internet calls come with superior sound quality and convenience. They sound as good as regular calls with the Internet Phone Wizard’s echo-cancellation technology and excellent voice quality.

It's rare that I share a TMC press release. Actually, come to think of it, I don't think I ever have. Well, this press release is certainly worthy of a blog entry. Digium's Mark Spencer is going to keynote at Internet Telephony Conference & Expo. Probably best known as the founder of the popular open-source Asterisk IP-PBX platform, Mark will no doubt share some interesting insights on "open source telephony". If you are attending the show, do not MISS his keynote! Consider yourself forewarned...

Here's the news release:

Digium’s Mark Spencer to Keynote INTERNET TELEPHONY Conference & EXPO
Founder of Asterisk, The Open Source PBX, To Headline Leading VoIP Conference Next Week in Miami
Norwalk, CT, [February 14, 2005] —Mark Spencer, president of Digium and founder of Asterisk, the open source PBX, has accepted an invitation to deliver a keynote address at INTERNET TELEPHONY® Conference & EXPO Miami 2005 (www.itexpo.com).

The conference takes place next week, February 22-25, 2005, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Miami, Florida. Mr. Spencer will speak Thursday, February 24, 2005 at 10:15 am. His address is open to all registered attendees.

“We are so excited to have Mark Spencer speaking at INTERNET TELEPHONY Conference & EXPO. He is perhaps the foremost expert on open source telephony and its greatest visionary. Linux telephony is an area of VoIP that is growing very quickly and we expect record crowds of enterprise, reseller and service provider decision makers from around the globe to come hear Mr. Spencer speak,” said TMC President and Conference Chairman, Rich Tehrani.

"Open Source Software is making tremendous head way in the telecommunications market,” said Spencer.

"I Hope to inform the audience about how Open Source can be used to not only meet their traditional TDM needs but also allow new innovative products and services."

INTERNET TELEPHONY Conference & EXPO is the world’s largest VoIP marketplace, and the theme of this year’s event is, “Witness the Evolution of IP Telephony: VoIP 2.0”. The conference and exposition will feature the most comprehensive education available for both the individual and enterprise interested in selecting and deploying VoIP solutions.

In addition to Mr. Spencer’s keynote address, the show features four days of conferences, a week full of great networking opportunities, and an Exhibit Hall featuring all of the latest IP telephony solutions. Keynote speakers from AT&T, Lucent Technologies, Nortel, NEC, Bay Packets and Time Warner Telecom are also scheduled to appear at the conference.

Registration for the show is now open. Anyone interested may register by visiting http://www.tmcnet.com/voip/conference/. Booth space is completely sold out.