Computer Hardware

Gadget Bans On Airplanes Due to Possible Interference is a Lie!

December 28, 2011

Gadget bans on airplanes due to possible interference is complete bull according to New York Times reporter Nick Bilton. I always knew it was a crock due to my engineering background and some basic-level physics. If a tiny mobile phone or tablet can bring down an airplane, then by golly, we are screwed! The FAA claims gadget devices can cause interference with the airplanes equipment, which is designed to handle 100 volts per meter of electrical interference.

Well, the Kindle was tested and it only put out less than 30 microvolts (0.00003 volts) per meter when in use. This is about the same voltage put out by electric razors and voice recorders, which are allowed according to FAA regulations.

According to Nick's article, “The power coming off a Kindle is completely minuscule and can’t do anything to interfere with a plane,” said Jay Gandhi, chief executive of EMT Labs, after going over the results of the test.

Posted in Computer Hardware, Gadgets, Mobile Phones, TMCnet, Wireless

Dell Support Website is Down

December 20, 2011

Just tried to find some new drivers for my Windows 8 laptop I'm testing and the Dell support website simply says "The service is unavailable." Maybe their systems are overloaded from last minute Christmas shoppers, but this is still unacceptable!

Posted in Computer Hardware

Digium TE820 8-port T1/E1 Card Released

December 13, 2011

According to Digium, they just released their 8-port T1/E1 card designed for high density Asterisk deployments. The TE820 includes eight independently software-selectable digital telephony interfaces, supporting up to 192 channels (in T1/J1 mode) or 240 channels (in E1 mode).

In a Digium email announcement, Digium claims this is the highest single-card port density available for use with Asterisk - though Sangoma's A108 Octal 8-port T1/E1 card might have something to say about that.

Features/Specs of the TE820:
8 T1 / E1 Spans using 4 RJ45 connectors (each supporting 2 circuits). Break out dongles included. Up to to 192 (T1/J1) or 240 (E1) concurrent calls per card PCI Express form factor / half-length, full-height card Interfaces are software selectable (T1, E1, or J1 Mode) Optional 128ms hardware echo cancellation module The TE820 card supports industry standard telephony protocols, including multiple variants of Primary Rate ISDN.

Posted in Asterisk, Computer Hardware, SIP, VoIP

Jabra PRO 900 Series Unveiled

December 6, 2011

Today, Jabra launched the Jabra PRO 900 series, which includes two headset models - the Jabra PRO 920 (base unit wired to desk phone + headset is wireless) and the Jabra PRO 930 (base unit wired to PC [USB] + wireless headset). Jabra stated these are entry-level wireless headsets with a retail price of $199 is aimed at companies that cannot afford typically expensive wireless headsets, so they designed these headsets for this market.

I'm not sure $199 is exactly inexpensive, but I'd have to see how much competing products from Plantronics and others cost. In any event, they are targeting the Jabra PRO 930 for companies implementing Unified Communications and leveraging PC-based telephony, i.e. a SIP softphone, Cisco softphone, etc. The Jabra PRO 920 on the other hand works with any desktop phone that supports Electronic hook switch control (EHS/HHC) and then you simply wear the wireless headset, freeing you from your desk by eliminating the need to disconnect or remove the headset.

Both the Jabra PRO 920 and Jabra PRO 930 contain sound quality enhancements such as Jabra SafeTone™, which protects hearing by cutting off sudden loud noises and securing safe average sound levels. Each wireless headset also features a noise-canceling microphone that eliminates ambient background noise from an office environment when on an important call.

Posted in Cisco, Computer Hardware, Gadgets, Headsets, SIP, VoIP, Wireless

iMainGo XP Portable Stereo Speaker & Case for iPad

November 7, 2011

Portable Sound Labs has a new product called the iMainGo XP (model: 11BWB04), which is a portable stereo speaker for the iPad but also doubles as a protective case. It works on both the iPad 1 and iPad 2. It sports a rechargeable lithium ion battery, so it doesn't suck the power from the iPad and delivers at least six hours of playtime between charges. What's nice is that you can play audio and view your iPad without removing it form your protective iMainGo case.

Posted in Accessories, Apple, Computer Hardware, Gadgets, Home Entertainment, Skype, Tablets, VoIP

Kindle Fire Silk Browser Proxying Stokes Privacy Concerns

September 29, 2011

The new Amazon Kindle Fire will use Amazon's very own completely new Web browser called Silk that leverages Amazon's EC2 architecture to proxy and cache web content for faster performance. You might think of it as something similar to Opera Mini, a former favorite mobile browser of mine, which does something similar. What I liked about Opera Mini on my old Windows Mobile phone was that it compressed images and made pages load faster on slower connections. But as 3G speeds became more prevalent, the need for Opera Mini diminished.

Posted in Android, Computer Hardware, Gadgets, Google, Home Entertainment, PDAs & Handhelds, TMCnet, Tablets, Technology and Science, Unified Communications, Video Hardware & Software

New! Plantronics MDA200

September 20, 2011

Plantronics is launching a new line of devices designed to help companies migrate from traditional desk phone-only usage to a unified communications (UC) infrastructure, including a new a multi-device adapter, the MDA200, as well as corded and wireless USB adapters.

The goal of these Plantronics "UC Enabler" products is to leverage your existing investment in traditional voice communications, such as desk phones, headsets and audio communication devices. The MDA200 is a multi device switcher that instantly turns any corded or wireless USB headset into a multipoint headset. The MDA200 lets you answer, end, hold and switch between calls from any connected device with a press of a button. It supports Bluetooth and DECT wireless headsets.

MDA200 Wired USB headset configuration to deskphone & USB to PC

The goal of the MDA200 is so that you can use your existing corporate desktop phones, headsets, and even softphone applications, while also enabling the employee to use their existing personal or corporate-issued) Bluetooth headset paired to their mobile device. This enables corporations to deploy softphones from leading UC vendors including Avaya, Cisco, IBM, and Microsoft and leverage existing audio devices. The UC Enabler Category also includes a range of USB adapters, for both corded and wireless headsets, that are designed to turn nearly any Plantronics headset into a USB device.

Posted in Computer Hardware, Gadgets, Headsets, Mobile Phones, News, TMCnet, Unified Communications, VoIP, Wireless

The Demise of the HP TouchPad Plus "The Value of VoIP"

August 19, 2011

I wrote this morning about HP's surrender to Apple in the PC, laptop, and tablet space. Ironically, I just happened to glance at a CDW catalog sitting on my desk and saw this:

Click for larger view

A now defunct HP TouchPad 16GB model is prominently displayed on the back cover of the CDW catalog. The front and back cover are "prime" positions that in the publishing world command a higher premium in advertising rates. This is also sometimes true of catalogs.

Posted in Computer Hardware, Gadgets, PDAs & Handhelds, TMCnet

The Apple Downgrade Kills HP

August 19, 2011

We all know about the S&P downgrade caused by the rating agency's view of U.S.'s debt and debt ceiling. S&P saw the writing on the wall that U.S. is on the road to insolvency and default on the debt. Well, apparently the Apple iPad tablet has had a similar downgrade affect on HP's PC, laptop, and tablet business.

Posted in Android, Apple, Computer Hardware, Gadgets, Google, News, TMCnet

magicJack Plus Review

June 30, 2011

The magicJack Plus is due out very soon, perhaps as early as next month, but I was able to get an early sneak peek at it for a review. The big new feature in the MagicJack Plus is that it sports an on-board ARM CPU, which means you can make calls without the need for the MagicJack Plus to be connected to a PC. It looks almost identical to the original magicJack USB stick, but it now has an Ethernet jack for connecting to any broadband connection, enabling PC-less VoIP calling. magicJack Plus is not the first USB stick to offer PC-less VoIP calling though - that honor belongs to competitor netTALK DUO, which I reviewed back in March. magicJack may not be first, but they're backed up by VocalTec, who has been in VoIP since the beginning, so there is a comfort level that if you choose magicJack Plus, you won't have to worry about them going out of business.

Posted in Android, Computer Hardware, Gadgets, News, Reviews, SIP, TMCnet, VoIP

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