Mobile Phones

Mobile Phones, cell phones

NMS & WITCOM-developed ringback service helps SK Telecom customers save up to 50 percent

March 31, 2008

I may not be a huge fan of ringback tones or ringback videos, but I do like ringtones. However, today, a partnership between telecommunications services platform provider NMS Communications and Korean mobile services developer WITCOM Co. Ltd., SK Telecom, has launched a new ringback tone service, called T-Ring, which allows its subscribers to know when they are making in-network calls.

SK Telecom's new service automatically sends a special ringback tone that lets the caller know that the call is in-network, meaning that the charges will be lower than an out-of-network call.

This way, for the truly "cheap", they can let the call go to voicemail or answer the call and only stay on for a short while, since they know it's a more expensive call. Personally, I think you already have a bucket of minutes that are "free" as part of your plan, so it doesn't matter if it's in-network or out-of-network. If you're going over your bucket of minutes it's time to change your plan anyway.

Nevertheless, after the jump is the news release which explains it all.

Posted in Mobile Phones, TMCnet, Wireless

OctroTalk Launches

March 31, 2008

OctroTalk mobile instant messaging client features connectivity to Google Talk/Jabber with MSN, AIM, ICQ and Yahoo, IM capabilities, VoIP, P2P file transfer, folder sharing, quick picture messaging, and more.

OctroTalk works over both low-bandwidth and high-bandwidth connections, including GPRS/EDGE/CDMA/WiFi/Bluetooth data connections. OctroTalk supports a low bandwidth codec with low CPU usage requirements so it runs quite well on smart phone devices. It currently runs on Windows Mobile smartphones, Windows Mobile Pocket PC, and Symbian S60 3rd Edition. OctroTalk features an easy to use user interface that supports one handed operation and 5-way navigation.

Posted in Gadgets, Mobile Phones, PDAs & Handhelds, TMCnet, VoIP, Wireless

Scheduled Blackberry RIM Outage

March 28, 2008

Word on the street is that there will be a 4-5 hour outage of all RIM servers tonight. The outage is expected to start at 11pm PST for upgrades to the BIS servers. While I commend RIM for upgrading their servers, Friday night ain't exactly the best time to be bringing down the servers. There are probably more email and text messages sent on Friday night than any other night.

Posted in Gadgets, Mobile Phones, Wireless

Wireless Backhaul Importance Grows

March 25, 2008

With increasing wireless mobile phone users along with more sophisticated wireless devices such as the Blackberry and iPhone chewing up bandwidth, the need for wireless backhaul technologies is increasing. I am reminded of my 2005 TMC Labs review of NMS AccessGate, a wireless backhaul platform. that aggregates T1/E1 communications onto a common backhaul between the cell site and the MSO. It also performes statistical multiplexing which suppresses idle frames and idle channels for 2G services, making the most of backhaul bandwidth.

Posted in Mobile Phones, Reviews, TMCnet, Triple Play, VoIP, Wireless

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.

Posted in Apple, Gadgets, Mobile Phones, Wireless

Where's My Cell Phone?

March 4, 2008

It's happened to be best of us - we misplaced our cell phone and after frantically looking for it we turn to our spouse/significant other and humbly ask, "Have you seen my cell phone?" or accusingly "What have you done with my cell phone? I had it right here!".

Now if your cell phone is on you can simply call it from your landline and hope you can track down the ringing (assuming you didn't leave it on vibrate). But what if you are like a number of people who have gone 100% wireless with no landline service?

Posted in Mobile Phones, Wireless

Talkonaut 4.0 native Symbian S60 edition released

February 28, 2008

The GTalk2VoIP dev team just released their VoIP+chat application for Symbian S60 phones that runs as a native (.sis file) application. I should stress that several Nokia smart phones come with a SIP stack, however they are limited to WiFi use only and won't work over your cellular network. You can thank the carriers for that one. Talkonaut on the other hand is not bound to WiFi only, allowing you to make calls over GPRS, EDGE, 3G or WiFi. Talkonaut has essentially developed their own VoIP SIP stack that allows Talkonaut users to make voice calls over most data connections your mobile phone might have, such as GPRS, EDGE, 3G and WiFi. The application also sports the ability to make free VoIP calls to Google Talk users, to SIP phones, to MSN, Yahoo, AIM and ICQ voice capable IM clients.

Posted in Mobile Phones, Unified Communications, VoIP, Wireless

Nuvio sues Garmin over nuvifone

February 27, 2008

Nuvio announced a trademark infringement lawsuit against Garmin today. The dispute is against Garmin's uber cool GPS mobile phone called the Nuvifone just recently announced and due out later this year. Nuvi claims they filed this lawsuit January 31st of 2008. Ok, I'll grant Nuvio that Nuvi is "close" in spelling.

Posted in GPS, Gadgets, Mobile Phones, TMCnet, Wireless

SimplyWiFi SIP Phone

February 22, 2008

SimplyWiFi is a new SIP-based WiFi phone based on Linux that not only lets you make free or low-cost calls, it also lets you IM/chat using the SIMPLE standard. SimplyWiFi is a small lightweight phone with a superb talk time of 10 hours and 250 hours stand-by time. The WiFi SIP phone features a 65,000 color 2.0" TFT-LCD with 176x220 resolution.

Wisecom Technologies' SimplyWiFi phone features the ability to make encrypted calls, manage your contacts and send instant messages. The WiFi features include all the usual suspects, including DHCP, authentication and encryption.

Posted in Gadgets, Mobile Phones, TMCnet, VoIP, Wireless

Verizon Nationwide Unlimited Anytime Minute Plans

February 19, 2008

Verizon Wireless has announced new Nationwide Unlimited Anytime Minute Plans that give customers all their calls – anytime to anyone in the U.S., including landline phones – that begin at a flat rate of $99.99 monthly access. Verizon Wireless Chief Marketing Officer Mike Lanman comments that these new plans "are moving the industry forward."

Hold on a minute there Nellie... $99 for unlimited mobile wireless calls is moving the industry forward? Talk to me when it's $24.99/month like Vonage is.

Posted in Mobile Phones, Wireless

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