Tom Keating : VoIP & Gadgets Blog
Tom Keating
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Apple

VoIP on Apple iPhone a No Go unless over WiFi

March 11, 2008

At the Apple iPhone SDK event, Steve Jobs stated that if someone develops a VoIP program for the iPhone, Apple will allow it if it goes over WiFi and not the cellular network. Apple will in fact BLOCK VoIP applications from running over the cellular data network. What in the bloody hell kind of half-ass crippling of VoIP is that? Apparently, Steve Jobs aims to protect their cell network buddy AT&T from having VoIP calls be "minute stealers" from the regular cell network.

Garmin nuvifone

February 12, 2008


Garmin is the big bad boy in the GPS market, but they've now thrown their hat into the mobile phone ring with the Garmin nuvifone (not nuviphone). Garmin recently announced the quad-band nuvifone, a full-fledged GSM HSDPA smartphone built using Garmin's proprietary operating system. The nuvifone of course sports GPS navigation but it also adds web surfing, e-mail, and a built-in camera.

How Garmin was able to extend their "specialized" GPS operating system into something with full-fledged mobile phone and web surfing capabilities is an amazing feat. Though perhaps they started their operating system from scratch.


Touchmods VoIP App for the Apple iPhone Sparks Controversy

February 8, 2008

Touchmods created a storm of interest when they announced a hack that adds a microphone to the Apple iPod touch and a SIP-based VoIP application that runs on the Apple iPod touch. Well controversy is brewing on Touchmods.net. Yesterday they announced that French ADSL provider Free.fr, has coded an iPhone VoIP application locked to that ISP's service. The site explains:
However, since our first iPhone came as a donation from the French ADSL Provider Free (www.free.fr), the recent version of Siphon with iPhone support is temporarily locked to their service.

JoikuSpot Turns Nokia phone into WiFi hotspot

February 6, 2008

How would you like to turn your Nokia smartphone into a WiFi hotspot for free? Well, JoikuSpot offers a free application that you can load on your Nokia phone to do just that. When installed on the Nokia phone,  laptops, iPhones, and even the Apple iPod touch can have fast wireless internet via the Nokia's JoikuSpot wireless access point. It leverages the phone's own high-speed 3G internet connection.

iPhoneGnome VoIP app for Apple iPhone

February 1, 2008

Today, PhoneGnome launched iPhoneGnome, a new web 2.0 application for the iPhone that enables PhoneGnome calling from your iPhone. You can call other PhoneGnome numbers as well as anyone using SIP-based services, FWD, MSN, Yahoo, Google Talk, and any other numbers that you can call from your PhoneGnome account. Pretty sweet, eh?

Here are the features according the blog post:
  • Use your iPhone to make calls on your home-phone or office-phone service through your PhoneGnome account
  • Make International calls at cheap PhoneGnome rates - or even free!
  • Check your PhoneGnome voicemail directly on your iPhone
  • Have all your PhoneGnome Contacts conveniently and automatically on your iPhone
  • Place calls to VOIP and IM users without hacking your iPhone

On your iPhone you just browse to http://m.phonegnome.com/iphone on your mobile Safari browser and then dial the number you want to call.



Launch of VoIP on iPod touch now official

December 18, 2007

We all know iPod Touch Mods is hard at work to hack the iPod touch to enable SIP-based VoIP, right? Well, it'll be a Happy New Year with the official release on January 1st, 2008.



SIP-VoIP for the iPod touch is free, but they're accepting donations. Jailbreakers will enjoy the software, which I assume will be a relatively easy installation.



Toshiba SCiB Battery Breakthrough

December 12, 2007

Rich writes about a battery breakthrough from Toshiba called SCiB. Toshiba Corp.'s Super Charge ion Battery, or SCiB, can recharge to 90 percent of its full capacity in less than five minutes and has a life cycle of more than 10 years, Toshiba spokeswoman Hiroko Mochida said. Toshiba, said the new rechargeable lithium-ion battery will eventually be used in hybrid and electric cars.

Rich is practically giddy with this news since he is almost as much a gadget freak as I am. He's constantly carrying miscellaneous chargers, extra batteries, etc.

R2-D2 Home Theater System DLP projector

December 11, 2007


Who wouldn't love R2-D2 in their living room projecting not just Princess Leia, but any damn movie you please. Hammacher Schlemmer, who carries the Skype R2-D2 I oggled over, has done it again with The R2-D2� Home Theater System a home theater system modeled after the famous droid from the Star Wars films. (note: Nikko Home Electronics makes this)



R2-D2's head houses a DLP projection system with superb 1,500:1 contrast, that can project DVD movies, TV shows, images, and video games from his radar eye at 1024 x 768 resolution onto walls up to 16 1/2' away, equivalent to an 80" screen. Further, he can also rotate the viewing angle up to 65� to project images onto your ceiling.




JAJAH Apple iPhone and iPod Touch App Launches

December 6, 2007

Tomorrow, JAJAH will launch their new JAJAH iPhone app, which comes with the 'look and feel' of the iPhone's dial pad and address book and also works on the iPod Touch. JAJAH as you know allows users to make low-cost global calling. All you have to do is point your Apple iPhone or iPod Touch's mobile Safari browser to http://iphone.jajah.com and type in the number you want to call.

You can also select the name in your JAJAH contacts and click on the number you want to call. JAJAH will call your phone, you pick up, and you will be connected to the desired international number.

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