Tom Keating : VoIP & Gadgets Blog
Tom Keating
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| VoIP & Gadgets blog - Latest news in VoIP & gadgets, wireless, mobile phones, reviews, & opinions

VoIP

VoIP news, trends, and opinions, VoIP reviews. Covering Asterisk, Cisco, Grandstream, Polycom, Microsoft, Vonage, Packet8, etc.

Skype Updates Nokia App

December 8, 2010

Skype today has released an update to its Symbian client, which adds support for the new Symbian phones, including the Nokia N8, Nokia C6, Nokia C7 and Nokia E7. It includes support for SILK, Skype's wideband audio codec, for high audio quality, even when users are on a low-bandwidth connection.

In addition they claim the new version makes it easier for users to add contacts, navigate, add a profile photo, set one's mood message as well as recommend the application to friends who also use Symbian handsets.

Via Skype 'The Big Blog'

fring Update for iPhone

December 5, 2010

fring just released a new version today Check out the improvements below in the screenshot:










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Viber - Another VoIP Mobile App Launches on iPhone

December 2, 2010


Viber, a mobile VoIP app for the iPhone launched today. There are plenty of mobile VoIP apps for the iPhone, but each has its weakness, including Skype, which is a battery hog. Viber's claim to fame is that it doesn't use buddy lists or require registration. Instead, your phone number is your username.

G.722 Now Available on CounterPath's Bria iPhone Client

November 30, 2010

CounterPath has upgraded a number of features on its Bria iPhone Edition client.  (check out my previous demo of the Bria for iPhone client) Some of the top new features include:

- The much anticipated G.722 codec
- Added Noise Reduction
- Added High Resolution Images for iPhone4
- Substantially Improved Battery Life on UDP Accounts over WiFi 


Bria iPhone Edition offers enterprise and SMB users full access to their PBX features, with G.711, G.722 and an optional G.729 codec. A larger announcement from CounterPath is expected tomorrow. I'm out of the office recovering from nose surgery from a broken nose, but I'll try and cover the news when I can.

911 Joins the 21st Century - To Add SMS & Video

November 23, 2010

We all remember the controversy surrounding VoIP & 911. Should they be required to provide 911, shouldn't they? Should PC VoIP apps like Skype be exempt since these are mobile VoIP apps? Back in 2007, Congress passed legislation requiring Internet telephony service providers to provide e911 services.

Demand up, prices down for carrier VoIP and IMS equipment, led by China

November 22, 2010



Market research firm Infonetics Research released its third quarter (3Q10) Service Provider VoIP Equipment and Subscribers and IMS Equipment and Subscribers market share and forecast reports. Thought I'd share...

ANALYST NOTE

“The number-one story that will come out of 2010 for the IMS and carrier VoIP equipment markets is China, where conditions are driving volumes up and pushing prices down. There are large network transformation projects underway in China, so demand for equipment is very strong, but at the same time, vendors are willing to push the pricing limits to get into strategic accounts.




Severe iOS 4.2 VoIP Ringing Bug Fixed

November 22, 2010

If you upgraded your iPhone to iOS 4.2 and you run any VoIP application in the background, the ringer will continue to ring even after the call is answered. Apps such as CounterPath's Bria, Line2, and other VoIP apps are affected. Apple is aware of this issue and has designated its status as 'severe'. Fortunately iOS 4.2.1 has resolved this bug, which also fixed some Wi-Fi issues with the iPad.

H/T Todd Carothers

Use Skype to Video Call Any Video Endpoint: Polycom, Cisco, Tandberg, etc.

November 22, 2010

Christian Bongiovanni, co-CEO and CTO for Imagicle gave me a demo of SkyStone Video, which enables video conferencing everywhere to any video endpoint. Using SkyStone Video you can call any video endpoint using Skype, including Cisco/Tandberg, Lifesize, Polycom, Radvision, Sony, and others, enabling you to call video phones, video conferencing systems, and telepresence solutions. Guess this means the VoIP Videphone War is over!

To do the demo I simply went to their website and clicked this button (Note: you can do this too):

If you hover your mouse over the button above you'll see it's a Skype link.

Microsoft Lync Meets Video Kinect on Xbox 360

November 22, 2010


During my New York City demo with Microsoft's Lync team a few weeks ago I discussed with one of the Microsoft employees the Kinect for the Xbox 360 and how it would be a perfect fit for Microsoft Lync. He hinted it would indeed be coming. The Kinect is basically a two-camera system, comprised of one 640x480 color camera and another 640x480 IR depth-finding camera using for mapping objects in 3D. Kinect already offers video chat with Microsoft's Windows Live Messenger system, but that is more of a consumer-based app. Certainly adding Microsoft Lync support to Kinect makes a lot of sense.

KONNECT Office Phone System Review

November 19, 2010


Aksys Networks KONNECT Office Phone System is a fascinating P2P VoIP IP-PBX targeting the SME/SMB space. When I first head of a peer-to-peer phone system I immediately flashed back to Nimcat Networks, which was one of the first to offer a P2P phone system, way back in 2004. Nimcat Networks was acquired in 2005 by Avaya and then killed off about 6 months ago in favor of Avaya's IP Office SME solution. Thus, ended the great enterprise P2P VoIP experiment leaving just Skype as the sole P2P VoIP solution.
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