Tom Keating : VoIP & Gadgets Blog
Tom Keating
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Mobile Phones

Mobile Phones, cell phones

Windows Vista USB Audio Driver Problem Fixed

May 17, 2007

Windows Vista Ultimate Edition is my latest desktop machine at work and some USB audio devices have given me nothing but problems. While most USB audio devices have installed just fine, since they use the standard Microsoft USB audio class, some devices, such as a Jabra Netcom 9350 wouldn't install correctly. Apparently Vista does mandatory DRM checking for USB Audio Devices. I've heard of many users complaining that their Bluetooth headsets no longer work once they upgraded to Vista due to this new DRM protection.

SPIRIT's Mobile Voice Engine on Microsoft Windows Mobile

May 16, 2007

Some interesting news from the Communications Developer show. SPIRIT's TeamSpirit Mobile Voice Engine (similar to Global IP Sound's solutions) is now shipping in Aliantiz soft-phone on Microsoft Windows Mobile devices.  Here's the news...

Santa Clara, CA - Communications Developer Conference - 16 May, 2007 - SPIRIT DSP (www.spiritDSP.com), the world's leading provider of embedded voice, video and audio software products, and Aliantiz, a French provider of application software, announced today that TeamSpirit Mobile Voice Engine has been integrated into Aliantiz' BeWip™ soft-phone. Developers of mobile soft-phones can benefit from SPIRIT's low-MHz high-quality mobile voice engine solution.

TeamSpirit Mobile is the world's most reliable and compact voice engine running on mobile devices today.



T-Mobile plans Wi-Fi calls using dual-mode phones

May 7, 2007

According to the WallStreet Journal, T-Mobile plans on offering cellphones that can roam on Wi-Fi hotspots, with the goal of improving indoor reception and help customers save on monthly cellular minutes. When a user comes in range of a WiFi hotspot, a connected call is automatically transferred onto the Wi-Fi network, with no noticeable change for the user. This of course requires a dual-mode handset. The service, known as Hotspot at Home, has been in trial in Seattle.

Skype cuts SMS prices

May 3, 2007

AT&T Finally Bundles VoIP & Wireless Cell Phone Service

May 1, 2007

According to USA Today, AT&T is promoting their CallVantage VoIP service by bundling their cellphone service along with AT&T CallVantage, a broadband VoIP landline replacement service. AT&T Wireless users can add CallVantage for $19.99 monthly, a $5 discount.   I've written about "pure VoIP players" vs. carriers & cable MSOs in the past, including my Death Knell for Vonage, Net2Phone, Packet8, Broadvoice, Lingo? article which I wrote about back in 2004. In that article I argued that Tier 1 carriers could offer advanced features that single-play service providers Vonage, Packet8, Lingo, etc.

Nokia N95 unboxing

April 30, 2007

Skype SMC WiFi phone and FON router bundle

April 13, 2007

Joanna Stern, a staff writer over at LAPTOP, forwarded me a story she wrote on a Skype (SMC) WiFi phone and FON router bundle being offered by Skype, which is similar to the SMC/Skype bundle I recalled seeing on Skype's blog a few months ago - but the added addition of FON support. If you're not familiar with the FON router, it allows you to securely share your wireless signal with others that are part of FON's very large WiFi community to enjoy free WiFi wherever you find another FON router. This opens up a huge opportunity for SMC Skype phone users since the phone doesn't have a web browser to authenticate onto "fee-based" WiFi networks. Stephen Pinches on the Skype blog discusses this in detail today. Joanna from LAPTOP makes this bundle even more enticing when she tells me, "Even better we are giving away10 free bundles to our readers." The 10 free bundles include a SMC WiFi phone, FON router, 500 SkypeOut minutes and a year's worth of free Skype voicemail for $159. 

Apple delays Leopard blames iPhone

April 13, 2007

Apple just released an intriguing statement involving the Apple iPhone and Leopard - their next operating system. In a statement, Apple said, "We can't wait until customers get their hands (and fingers) on it and experience what a revolutionary and magical product it is. However, iPhone contains the most sophisticated software ever shipped on a mobile device, and finishing it on time has not come without a price -- we had to borrow some key software engineering and QA resources from our Mac OS® X team, and as a result we will not be able to release Leopard at our Worldwide Developers Conference in early June as planned."

Wow. So Apple announced a major delay and places the blame squarely on the much-anticipated Apple iPhone as the reason why their next operating system is delayed. I have to wonder, is this just a PR move so Apple doesn't suffer the same criticisms that Microsoft faced when they delayed Vista.

iTunes streaming to mobile phone using Slingbox and Apple TV

April 10, 2007

Apple TV has become the ultimate hacker magnet allowing users to use the Apple TV in ways Apple hadn't intended. As discussed recently, Apple TV was hacked to allow Asterisk, the open-source IP-PBX to run on it. Check out the Apple TV Asterisk tut. Now it appears that just a few weeks after launch, CNet is talking about an intriguing new feature for that will allow you to stream music from iTunes on your home computer to your cell phone leveraging Apple TV and Slingbox.


                                           Apple TV


It's a bit of a kludge since the iTunes music has to sync from your PC to the Slingbox and then to your mobile phone.





Apple iPhone has launch date

March 30, 2007

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