November 2006 Archives

I just wrote about Arcosoft's VoIP call recording software this week and now just a few days later they launched another interesting product called VONaLink ScreenPop. ScreenPop works with any VoIP phone system based on the SIP standard, such as Vonage or Asterisk, to provide screen pops and even the ability to reject calls. Buh-bye telemarketers!

Typically Caller ID is read by a computer using an analog modem or a proprietary CallerID box. VONaLink uses open standards in the VoIP world to simply extract CallerID info by monitoring the network packets.

More important than the 'techno-speak' on how it works, using the Caller ID of the incoming call, ScreenPop searches for the caller in Microsoft Outlook contacts, or launches custom applications to search the web or company database. If the caller is found, the information is popped on the screen.

Unwanted callers can be added to the reject list. Integration with Vonage Click2Call allows outbound calls to be placed by clicking in the call log within ScreenPop. Sweet! Now if only I was still a Vonage customer.

VONaLink ScreenPop runs on Windows XP, 2003, and 2000. Priced at $29 USD

speaQ is a new softphone application designed to make VoIP calls using WiFi or EVDO on mobile devices. Created by QTech, Inc., they claim it was designed from the start for smartphones and PDAs, which have limited processing power. It currently runs on Windows Mobile 5.0 Devices and under Linux on the Sharp Zaurus.

If you have a SIP-based Broadvoice or other SIP-based VoIP phone service account, Alpha Trial speaQ provides a simple phone interface with full call logging, contact integration, and DTMF (touch tones), on any 300Mhz+ Windows Mobile devices, such as the Palm Treo 700w, HP Ipaq 2495, etc. or under Linux on the Sharp Zaurus 5600. There are no time limits on the alpha.

Features include:
- Standard Dialing
- Incoming, Outgoing, Missed call log
- Caller ID
- Last Dialed Number recall
- Mute
- Ring Tones
- STUN support for firewall communication
- Open Standard Telephone Client. (RTP, RFC 3550)
- Session Initiated Protocol (SIP, RFC 3261) signaling.
- Adaptive packet-buffering solution for latency and QoS management.
- G711 codec support.
- Integration with platform address book (Windows, Qtopia) for management of Caller and Called Information.

Friday is the day that Sony's much, much, mucho anticipated PlayStation 3 hits retailers' shelves.

(How many more hours is that? Is there a PS3 "countdown to launch" clock anywhere? Tokyo perhaps?)

But with all of the production problems (reported for months just about everywhere), you'd better be on line.

(And by this I mean physically outside the store waiting if you want the chance to plunk down plenty of C notes for this baby.

Especially after some pre-orders have been rescinded (as in "we really didn't mean for you to place an early order and think you'd get the product").

Good luck!

Today, Skype has released a new version of Skype for the Mac - Skype 2.5 Beta for Mac. The previous Mac release was October 23, 2006 which was version 2.0.0.6., so this is a 0.5 (half point) release upgrade. This catches up to the currently released Skype 2.5 for Windows, but is still a 1/2 point release behind Skype 3.0 beta for Windows. Why does Windows get all the fun?

The new Skype 2.5 beta version offers outbound SMS text messages and 10-way conference calling. The other big feature of note is that has more granular audio device controls. That is, users can now choose which audio device they want to use during incoming and outbound calling.  For instance, if you prefer to listen to calls you receive through headphones but make a call using a speakerphone, it’s now possible in this latest version. It's also useful if listening to music on your default device (speakers) but want Skype to use your headset for the audio when making/receiving calls. This feature has been available on the Windows version for some time now, so it's nice to see the Mac version becoming on par with the Windows version.

Not to be outdone by all of the Zune noise we've been hearing on the ground today, Apple is taking to the air!

Apple has announced that it's teaming up with some major airlines -- Air France, Continental, Delta, Emirates, KLM and United -- to deliver the first seamless integration between the iPod and in-flight entertainment systems!

(Now if I can just get that iPod past security ...)

These six airlines will offerr passengers "iPod seat connections" that power and charge iPods during flight and allow the video content on their iPods to be viewed on the their seat back displays.

All of this is free, and it's scheduled to launch next year.

Apple is reportedly working with Panasonic Avionics Corporation to bring even more in-flight iPod connectivity in the future.

All this harkens me back to the day when we all got excited about a new airline -- Jet Blue -- thatt offered low fares and personal TVs (seatback displays) for every passenger.  Now it seems it's just the personal TVs that's left ...

Will be interesting to see how we exercise this option on online travel searches ...

A while back I blogged about the i,mpending arrival of Microsoft's Zune (remember 11/14 @ $249?).

Well that day has arrived and the new MP3 player is in the stores.

And now we hear news about upcoming Zune models that will combine the MP3 player with a phone. (Gee, is that an original idea or did they take that from Apple, too?)

How many of you picked up your Zune today?

Russell Shaw today launched his new TMC blog entitled RSS: Regulations, Statutes and Standards, joining the family of TMC bloggers that cover VoIP, telecom, call center/CRM, and other communications technologies. RSS, a play off of the popular Really Simple Syndication (RSS) acronym will focus on regulations and happenings in government that affect the telecom & VoIP sectors. The URL for the website is http://blog.tmcnet.com/regulations/.

Russell is a prolific writer for several blogs and he recently joined Om Malik's blogging network just a little over a week ago to write for IPNetworked. We're happy to have him aboard the TMC family, now go check out his new digs.

If you recall, I interviewed Jeff Black at ITEXPO back in October and discovered that Talkplus had reverse engineered Skype and built their own Skype gateway so you can dial Skype usernames. Specifically, I wrote:

One final interesting thing we talked about at ITEXPO is that TalkPlus has built their own Skype gateway. In fact, when pressed further, Jeff mentioned they actually reverse engineered Skype's protocol. Although the Skype gateway isn't part of TalkPlus's launch today, Jeff explained that they have tested it in their labs and it's working very well. He explained that from the TalkPlus Java application you will also be able to view the presence of your Skype buddies and initiate a Skype call or even receive a Skype call or even initiate a chat session.

Today, Skype Journal posted a cool demo video of this in action. Go check it out. Now if only I could find some time to try out the closed beta. Actually, as of today, Talkplus is inviting West Coast mobile subscribers using Cingular, T-Mobile and Sprint to participate in the TalkPlus Sneak Peek, a public beta program for the company's first mobile service offering, the TalkPlus Number.

The dream of home automation has been around for a long time -- push button (er, make that "wireless" today) simplicity to take care of your every whim at home.

And it's a dream that's still slowly evolving toward a bright future, as the Z-Wave Alliance made its way to the recent DigitalLife show in New York to show us how much closer we're getting.

The "host" company at DigitalLife, Zensys, is the developer of Z-Wave, an interoperable wireless mesh networking technology that is trying to become the de facto standard in wireless home control.

Z-Wave brings many benefits to everyday life, including real-time home monitoring and energy conservation by controlling a wide array of home devices such as lighting, appliances, HVAC, entertainment, healthcare, access and security systems.

(It's not quite up to the complete DYI model, and you can take one step at a time.)

Demonstrating a true alliance, Z-Wave was joined by ControlThink, Crayon Interface, iControl Networks, Intermatic, Lagotek, Wayne-Dalton and Xanboo.

www.zwavealliance.org

At least that's what Google thinks, according to published reports.

And why not, with the old ad-supported business model pointing the way?

Of course, this means all kinds of other stuff on your phone that you have to deal with (or avoid).

On the other hand, Google could buy a wireless service provider -- or two -- and go into business for itself. 

But which one to buy?

So much cash, so little time ...

 

Remember my VoIP call recording round-up of various VoIP call recording solutions? Well, it's time to update that post with a new solution I found from Arcosoft Inc. Arcosoft today announced the release of VONaLink TeamRecord, which works with any VoIP phone system based on the open SIP standard, such as Asterisk or Vonage, to centrally record all phone calls. What is interesting about this solution is that it unobtrusively "sniffs" for voice packets on your data network by leveraging the port mirroring capability of a network switch. By implementing port mirroring, TeamRecord can see all of your network traffic, and then using intelligence packet capturing technology it can find the RTP (audio) stream without the need for any recording software at each workstation. Sure, you could do port mirroring even without Acrosoft and then use Ethereal or some other packet sniffer to decode the RTP streams, but it's more of a kludge. Besides, most network packet sniffers weren't designed with VoIP in mind, so their features are limited.

VONaLink has some interesting features. For instance, in addition to recording the RTP audio streams as a stereo WAV or MP3, you can add an inaudible watermark for later verification that the file has not been changed. In addition, users can listen to recordings of their own calls from any web browser.

VONaLink TeamRecord runs on Windows XP Pro, 2003, and 2000. Price starts at $500 USD for 5 phone licenses. Each additional phone license is $100 USD. You can download an evaluation copy from www.vonalink.com

From the "Now, I've heard everything" pile, we have a report that HP (aka Hewlett-Packard) and Pentax are planning to release digital cameras with "slimming" feature that will make objects (guess what?) slimmer.

Yes, you have heard correctly.

Due to the miracle of editing capabilities, subjects will now appear slimmer -- so instead of dieting or other ways to keep food out of your mouth as well as increasing your aerobic output to "slim down," we can now just push a button, do a quick edit and look slimmer.

(But will we feel slimmer?)

And can you imagine the comments: "Can you please take that picture again? I'd like to look slimmer."

(And thanks to www.carnivalmirror.com for the goofy image.)

Robopet, the most advanced interactive pet ever, is now available in a four-inch wind-up Mini Robopet version.

The perfect companion no matter where you go, the Mini Robopet has articulated legs, posable body and cool walking action.

Simply wind him up and let him go. No batteries required.

(How about that!  You can even set up the Mini to "battle" other wind-up gadgets, like the famous walking -- and clacking -- set of teeth!)

MSRP: $14.95

The full-featured, remote-controlled big brother -- aka Robopet as noted above -- will set up back $89.95.

www.wowwee.com

... on the windshield.

  

Yes, that's right, Krusell's Windshield Holder is designed to conveniently mount mobile phones, GPS and PDAs to car windshields (or windows, if you prefer).

It's all in their Multidapt technology, a series of clip or swivel "solutions" for mobile phones, etc.

(And don't forget to keep it hands free when you're behind the wheel.)

www.krusell.se

And now for something completely different!

Mimoco is a designer toy studio meets consumer electronics company based in Boston. Their mission: "To bring style and soul to personal tech devices and to inject interactivity into the burgeoning designer toy movement."

The fruits of their vision are the delicious and fresh mimobot designer toy USB flash drives that were launched late last year. 

At DigitalLife 2006, talented NYC character creator and illustrator, Dino Alberto, was tapped by Albie Hecht, former President of Nickelodeon and Spike TV, to conceive a character to celebrate the launch of Hecht’s new CGI and HD production company, Worldwide Biggies Broadband Studios.

Meanwhile, I've been hanging out with "Fresno," from the Circus Punks X mimobot limited edition of 500.

Very cool -- art meets USB Drive.

Raging with fists of fury and boots a stompin', he was last seen slung over broken bumper cars ...

Mimobots are available in 256MB, 512MB, 1GB and 2GB capacities and produced in limited editions of 250 to 500 units. The hi-speed USB 2.0 drives are compatible with both Windows and Mac.

I told you it was something completely different ...

www.mimoco.com