VoIP & Gadgets Blog

Watch out for Metallic Objects in IP Phones! You Could Get Hurt!

By Tom Keating on Monday, Feb 13

I've tested, used, and reviewed many Polycom phones over the years, but apparently I never noticed or received this warning letter with...

Full Story »

Tagged australia, handset, ip phone, lawsuit, litigation, litigious, polycom, telecommunications act

Apple Planned the iPad BEFORE the iPhone. Who knew?

By Tom Keating on Friday, Feb 10

Everyone assumes that Apple was working on the iPhone before the iPad. However, the recent lawsuit by Proview Electronics suing Apple over...

Full Story »

Tagged apple, china, cisco, ipad, iphone, proview, tablets, trademark

What Twitter Told Me This Week

By Peter on Friday, Feb 10

I get a lot of articles off twitter. Too many to write about all of them so I am just going to...

Full Story »

Tagged clec, fcc, google, mpls, rural, UC, usf, voip

Dell Voice Launches in Canada - Will it Fail As Badly As Dell Video Chat?

By Tom Keating on Thursday, Feb 9

Dell has partnered with Ontario-based Fongo to offer Dell Voice, a VoIP app exclusively available exclusively in Canada that offers a Canadian...

Full Story »

Tagged android, apple, dell video chat, dell voice, google, logitech, ontario, sightspeed, skype, voice

5 Tips for Speakers

By Peter on Wednesday, Feb 8

I'm not the best speaker. I'm still nervous and anxious before every talk, even when moderating. But I prepare for every talk...

Full Story »

Tagged itexpo, radizeski

Vonage Attacks Skype with 30% Price Cut and Free App-to-App Calling & Texts

By Tom Keating on Wednesday, Feb 8

Vonage today launched new versions of their mobile app for both iOS and Android phones that feature free app-to-app calling and international...

Full Story »

Tagged 3g, 4g, android, apple, free calling, ios, mobile app, mobile phone, skype, vonage, wi-fi, wireless

ITEXPO IP Communications Trade Show Continues Solid Growth

By Tom Keating on Wednesday, Feb 8

ITEXPO East 2012 in Miami was TMC's best show ever with over 200 booths and over 8,200 attendees. Conferee attendance for ITEXPO...

Full Story »

Tagged austin, florida, ingate, ip communications, itexpo, miami, rich tehrani, texas

FCC is Busy!

By Peter on Tuesday, Feb 7

.The FCC is really busy!The FCC is still working on Inter-Carrier Compensation. It ordered Rural Call Completion.It approved TWC's $3B bid for...

Full Story »

Tagged FCC, fcc, forbearance, inter-carrier compensation, spectrum, usf, white spaces

Mobile Video Conferencing and IT Expo

By Jim Machi on Tuesday, Feb 7

IT Expo East was held last week in Miami. One thing I like to do at shows is to figure out...

Full Story »

Tagged Dialogic, IT Expo, mobile video, video conferencing | No Responses

Why Apple's A5 Processor is Big (Siri) + Why Doesn't Siri Support Dictating Emails?

By Tom Keating on Monday, Feb 6

According to CNet, Apple's A5 processor includes noise-reduction circuitry licensed from a start-up called Audience. Audience's technology enhances speech and works well...

Full Story »

Tagged apple, audience, cnet, ios, iphone 4, iphone 4s, siri, wireless

Verizon Puts the Move on Video

By Peter on Monday, Feb 6

After Verizon's CFO sais that FiOS was a poor economic decision for the company, I would think video would not be on...

Full Story »

Tagged att, cable, cableco, cellular, dish, duopoly, satellite, spectrum, tv, vz, vzw

Forget Super Wi-Fi! Go with Super Wi-Fi! Wait. What?

By Tom Keating on Friday, Feb 3

Everyone is hyping the new Super Wi-Fi standard which uses lower-frequency white spaces between television channel frequencies. These lower frequencies enable the...

Full Story »

Tagged altai, altai technologies, china telecom, hong kong, itexpo, super wi-fi, wi-fi, wireless

Billionaire Gives Secrets to Startup Success

By Tom Keating on Friday, Feb 3

Sir Terry Matthews is a Welsh/Canadian high tech entrepreneur, and Wales's first billionaire. He has directly started 89 companies with an amazing...

Full Story »

Tagged itexpo, keynote, mitel, newbridge networks, startup, success, terry matthews

Making Hosted UC Simple

By Peter on Thursday, Feb 2

Simple Signal sketches out Hosted UC on a napkin at ITEXPO. I guess it is that simple. ...

Full Story »

Tagged hosted pbx, UC, voip

Previous Pause Next

Watch out for Metallic Objects in IP Phones! You Could Get Hurt!

February 13, 2012

I've tested, used, and reviewed many Polycom phones over the years, but apparently I never noticed or received this warning letter with these phones. Check out this ridiculousness:

WARNING ALL SOUNDPOINT IP PHONES
With respect to section 5.4.3.10 of the Australian Communications Authority as Telecommunications Technical Standard AS/ACIF S004 2004 under the s376 of the Telecommunications Act 1997:

You should be aware that, under certain operating conditions, the handset earpiece may retain small metallic objects. If this occurs, these objects should be removed before using the handset.

Really? Seriously? You have to warn users that the handset earpiece may contain small metallic objects (metal shavings?) and should be removed before using it?

a) The handset is made of smooth plastic, so any metallic shavings or objects should slide right off.
b) If loose metallic objects are internal to the handset, then won't they likely stay there?
c) Even if loose objects fall out through the ear piece's opening, who the heck grinds the handset into their ear that would cause an injury and merit a warning?
d) If you're idiotic enough to pick up something and stick it on your ear without noticing metal objects on the earpiece... well, perhaps you deserve sharp metal pricks to your ear - a little smack to the head too I might add.

Posted in Personal and Humor, Polycom, SIP, TMCnet, VoIP

Tagged: australia, handset, ip phone, lawsuit, litigation, litigious, polycom, telecommunications act : Related Tags: metallic objects, objects should, handset earpiece, removed using, objects, metallic

Windows on ARM - New Tablet Operating System With Some Limitations

February 10, 2012

Microsoft Windows President Steven Sinoksky OR is this Bruce Willis?

The next version of Windows will run full-sized desktop applications on low-power ARM-based tablets. However, the only desktop applications approved to appear on ARM devices will be those designed by Microsoft such as Internet Explorer 10, Office, and the Windows file explorer. Affectionately known as WOA (Windows On Arm), it includes desktop versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.

In an lengthy blog post, Microsoft's Steven Sinofsky, president of the Windows division explained how WOA will work. In a nutshell, you can think of WOA as a specialized version of Windows 8 designed for ARM processors.

Posted in Computer Software, Microsoft, Tablets, Technology and Science

Tagged: arm, bruce willis, intel, microsoft, processors, steve sinofsky, tablet, windows on arm, woa : Related Tags: bruce willis, version windows, sinofsky explained, longer battery, internet explorer, windows

Apple Planned the iPad BEFORE the iPhone. Who knew?

February 10, 2012

Everyone assumes that Apple was working on the iPhone before the iPad. However, the recent lawsuit by Proview Electronics suing Apple over the name 'iPad' says others wise. The iPhone was launched in 2007 and the iPad in 2010. However, in 2006 Apple purchased the iPad trademark from display manufacturer Proview Electronics (Taiwan) for $55,000 by way of a front company called IP Application Development.

Posted in Apple, Gadgets, Mobile Phones, PDAs & Handhelds, TMCnet, Tablets, Wireless

Tagged: apple, china, cisco, ipad, iphone, proview, tablets, trademark : Related Tags: apple cisco, internet telephony, proview electronics, peter bernstein, cordless internet, apple

Dell Voice Launches in Canada - Will it Fail As Badly As Dell Video Chat?

February 9, 2012

Dell has partnered with Ontario-based Fongo to offer Dell Voice, a VoIP app exclusively available exclusively in Canada that offers a Canadian phone number and free calls to most of Canada. Also, incoming calls and Dell Voice-to-Dell Voice calls are free of charge. This reminds me of how Dell partnered with Sightspeed, now a part of Logitech to offer a multi-party video conferencing service called Dell Video Chat. I reviewed the software and it works well, but with free alternatives like Skype, having the ability to do 9-way (3x3) Brady Bunch video is a very niche application.

Posted in Android, Apple, Skype, TMCnet, VoIP, Wireless

Tagged: android, apple, dell video chat, dell voice, google, logitech, ontario, sightspeed, skype, voice : Related Tags: video, voice, canada, calls, available

Vonage Attacks Skype with 30% Price Cut and Free App-to-App Calling & Texts

February 8, 2012

Vonage today launched new versions of their mobile app for both iOS and Android phones that feature free app-to-app calling and international calling rates that on average are 70 percent less than major mobile carriers and 30 percent less than Skype according to their release notes on iTunes. What's nice about their mobile app is it lets you talk and text worldwide for FREE with anyone else who has the app. It's also wideband HD audio for better audio quality.

Another nice feature is that you simply use your existing address book and there is no need to leave the app. It works on both Wi-Fi and 3G/4G.

Posted in SIP, Skype, VoIP, Vonage, Wireless

Tagged: 3g, 4g, android, apple, free calling, ios, mobile app, mobile phone, skype, vonage, wi-fi, wireless : Related Tags: calling rates, mobile, calling, vonage, number, another

ITEXPO IP Communications Trade Show Continues Solid Growth

February 8, 2012

ITEXPO East 2012 in Miami was TMC's best show ever with over 200 booths and over 8,200 attendees. Conferee attendance for ITEXPO East increased more than 50% from 2011, resulting in dozens of standing room only sessions at ITEXPO and collocated conferences such as HTML5 Summit, M2M Evolution, Business Video Expo, Super WiFi Summit, and 4GWE. As an example, here's a photo I took at the jam-packed Ingate SIP trunking conference session:

Even with the additional third day of exhibit hall hours, foot traffic was pretty good - on a Friday no less. I heard from several exhibitors saying it was their best ITEXPO ever.

TMC's next show, ITEXPO West 2012, is scheduled to take place on October 1-4, 2012, in Austin, Texas, (the 'new' Telecom Corridor) which will be the second time in Austin after moving from Los Angeles.

Posted in ITEXPO, SIP, TMCnet, Unified Communications, VoIP, Wireless

Tagged: austin, florida, ingate, ip communications, itexpo, miami, rich tehrani, texas : Related Tags: itexpo, austin

Verizon and BT Announce Cross-Network Video Calling & Telepresence

February 8, 2012

Verizon and BT announced a deal enabling each of their respective customers initiate high-quality video conferences and telepresence sessions. I spoke with representatives from BT and Verizon to learn more about their collaboration.

Marc Hambley, Sr. Product Manager at BT explained, "We are connecting our respective telepresence exchanges together - that will allow BT clients to have meetings with Verizon clients, either hosted on BT service or Verizon service. It goes both ways equally.

Posted in Polycom, TMCnet, Unified Communications, Video Conferencing

Tagged: at&t, b2b, bt, business, cisco, interconnect, interoperability, polycom, telepresence, verizon : Related Tags: video communications, product manager, cisco telepresence, interconnect agreements, telepresence, verizon

Why Apple's A5 Processor is Big (Siri) + Why Doesn't Siri Support Dictating Emails?

February 6, 2012

According to CNet, Apple's A5 processor includes noise-reduction circuitry licensed from a start-up called Audience. Audience's technology enhances speech and works well even when you hold the phone are arm's length ('far-field speech'). This explains the mysteriously larger A5 processor on the iPhone 4S and why the previous gen iPhone 4 didn't get the Siri via a simple iOS software upgrade.

The iPhone 4S has just a few advantages over the iPhone 4, including a an amazing 8-megapixel camera that captures HD video, a faster dual-core processor and of course Siri. However, if you don't care about the HD video or better quality photographs, you might be inclined to buy a new or even used iPhone 4 for less money or keep the iPhone 4 you already have.

Posted in Apple, Mobile Phones, Wireless

Tagged: apple, audience, cnet, ios, iphone 4, iphone 4s, siri, wireless : Related Tags: iphone, apple, dictate, processor, audience

Forget Super Wi-Fi! Go with Super Wi-Fi! Wait. What?

February 3, 2012

Everyone is hyping the new Super Wi-Fi standard which uses lower-frequency white spaces between television channel frequencies. These lower frequencies enable the signal to travel further (miles) and penetrate walls better than the higher frequencies previously used (hundreds of feet). Well, forget about Super Wi-Fi!

I met with Thomas Ngeow from Altai Technologies at ITEXPO, a Hong Kong-based company and he explained they coined Super Wi-Fi for one of their products long before the Super Wi-Fi standard was coined. You're probably wondering who cares who coined it first and you'd be right.

Posted in ITEXPO, TMCnet, Wireless

Tagged: altai, altai technologies, china telecom, hong kong, itexpo, super wi-fi, wi-fi, wireless : Related Tags: thomas ngeow, forget super, thomas explained, smart antenna, super, altai

Billionaire Gives Secrets to Startup Success

February 3, 2012

Sir Terry Matthews is a Welsh/Canadian high tech entrepreneur, and Wales's first billionaire. He has directly started 89 companies with an amazing 83 out of 89 success rate. It's an even more astounding fact when you consider that according to TMC's Peter Bernstein, 90% of startups fail. Terry has sold many of these companies for millions and even hundreds of millions of dollars.

Posted in ITEXPO, TMCnet

Tagged: itexpo, keynote, mitel, newbridge networks, startup, success, terry matthews : Related Tags: secrets startup, startup success, terry matthews, terry, success, startup

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 ... 479 Next