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April 28, 2006

VoIP Date: How to Find (and Avoid) Love

The dating scene. Most of us have been there, and most of us are doing whatever we can to get out. Sure, trips to the bar and the occasional dinner are OK, and maybe having to tag along with him to check out his favorite local jam band that doesn’t believe in drum solos that are shorter than 17 minutes is alright, too. But is he really the one? And what do you do if you can’t even find someone to settle for? Well, VoIP is making things a little bit easier for you.

A while back, we touched on Match.com’s foray into the world of cell and VoIP phone dating as covered on ZDNet :

"…look for your cell carrier to push Match Mobile very aggressively. Web site copy, SMS promotions, bill-stuffers to targeted demographics, and most of all, tv ads. Lots of them…Why? Well, let's cut to the chase here, people. Everyone who wants a cell phone already has one, but not everyone who wants a significant other has one."

Match.com is not the only game in town, though. More VoIP providers are starting to market their ability to help you meet the person of your dreams. B2Day had this to say:

"the interesting thing about VoIP is not cheap phone calls. It is the new voice applications VoIP allows you to create."

There are systems that can be used for: "instant messaging, VoIP phone calls, and even video chat to its members." These services are being marketed directly to those looking for love (or online gaming opportunities, which is a little different than love but kind of in the same ballpark). The article goes on to suggest that, "The idea is that such PC phone features would make the dating services more appealing (and further justify their monthly subscription price)."

So what happens when VoIP leads you to someone and you find yourself staring across the table at a person you simply can’t stand to spend more than three minutes with? VoIP has got you covered there, too. According to an article in USA Today, your phone can get you out of even the worst date:

"Here's how it works: Before your date, go on the Internet and scribble a message to friends and family. Set the time for the message to be sent — by cellphone, e-mail or instant messaging. If the date is going well, cancel the message by logging on to the Internet from your cellphone. If you don't cancel, your friends will spring into action, such as by placing a call that could give you an excuse to say an emergency has come up."

Are you sabotaging yourself before you ever go out by setting up the "parachute" call? That is for others to decide. However, it’s always nice to know you can get out mid-meal or mid-drum solo if you have to.

Posted on April 28, 2006 at 02:45 PM in , , , , , , | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Daily VoIP Links for 2006-04-28

"The House GOP (with the help a few Democrats), along with industry giant and all-around brow-beaters AT&T and a few others, had the last (or first) laugh on the net neutrality debate."
Round 1
"The comment deadline for the petition Jeff Pulver and I filed to mitigate some of the effects of disasters like Hurricane Katrina have on real people is today." Tom points to where you can view all the petition comments, including those from BellSouth, Sprint, etc.

"When your mother leaves you a message, in the same tone that she leaves you a message to remember to buy sunscreen with UVA and UVB protection, that you might want to keep your eye on legislation challenging network neutrality."

Follow the money: "An Englewood community center founded by Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), a key player on telecommunications legislation, received a $1 million grant from the charitable arm of SBC/AT&T, one of the nation's largest phone companies."

"One thing I notice is that after a critical vote in the U.S. legislature, there are many news stories reporting the outcome but few of them give you the details of how particular legislators voted. so as a public service I point you to this tally of the actual votes..."

"Landline service is rigid and difficult to move, even on a temporary basis, especially when hundreds of extensions are concerned. So, after exploring its options, S&H chose to go with TelCove’s VoIP services."

"It doesn’t matter if ghosts are real or not, where there is speculation, there are products and potential to make money. It works really quite simply considering how complex of an issue ghost detection is. If there is a ghost in the area, the button lights up, easy as pie. This device is available for $18, which is a small price to pay to know where Grandma Gretta is haunting nowadays."

Serving more than 14,000 phone numbers and 4,000 handsets, "Boise State University has completed installation of what will be the largest college Voice over Internet Protocol system in the United States."

Posted on April 28, 2006 at 10:25 AM in , , , , , , , | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

April 27, 2006

Net Neutrality Loses Round I (of Voting)

The House GOP (with the help a few Democrats), along with industry giant and all-around brow-beaters AT&T and a few others, had the last (or first) laugh on the net neutrality debate. Internetnews.com was one of the many sources to cover the vote:

“House Commerce Committee Republicans defeated an effort by Democrats today to strengthen network neutrality provisions in the panel's telecom reform bill. With four Democrats breaking ranks and joining the Republicans, the panel voted 34-22 to turn back an amendment by Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.)”

The article goes on to quote Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton:

“‘If [the telcos] spend billions and billions of dollars to put a network into play and charge a fee to those who want to take advantage of these enhanced services, I think that's a good thing…’"

Others would disagree with Mr. Barton, but that is where things stand for now. However, there are some that believe in the long-run the debate over net neutrality will swing the other way. There has been a groundswell of support, and it seems as though it has not gone unnoticed. Dana Blankenhorn is one among many who thinks the message of the other side with some help from the November elections could swing things in neutrality advocates' favor:

“Advocates for network neutrality will lose this year. AT&T and Verizon will be allowed to try and favor certain companies (Yahoo) and their Web sites over everyone else. They will be allowed to turn their lines into Cable TV lines...But something interesting is going on. Folks are noticing.”

Blankenhorn Horn goes on to cite the recent petitions, ads, contests , and “save the Internet” sites that are springing up. He also goes onto say:

“Right now all these people, and the experts lined up on their side, and the giant companies allied with them, are not enough to carry the day...But there is an election coming in November. The deck is going to be scrambled, for reasons unrelated to this issue.”

For some November offers a ray of hope, for others it is cold comfort. News.com quotes leading Democrats:

“‘I'm concerned about e-mails being blocked from advocacy groups, of all sides," said Jan Schakowsky, an Illinois Democrat who supported the amendment. "I'm concerned about start-ups that may be shut down.’"

The article also covers Rep. Ed Markey (D) of Massachusetts response. He voiced the opinion of many of those who feel that both big business and the government have completely lost their way on the subject: 

“‘Did the Bells create the Internet? Did the cable companies create the Internet?..."The answer is no. The Internet was built on a different model, a public interest model, funded by American taxpayers.’"

It is clear that the first round is over and that net neutrality advocates have returned to their corner a little more bruised than the other guys. But the bout is far from finished and there is still plenty of time left to fight. There are a number of organizations such as moveon.org and companies such as Google and Yahoo that are mounting an effort to sway the Senate and to keep the debate alive.

Posted on April 27, 2006 at 08:15 PM in , , , , , , | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Daily VoIP Links for 2006-04-27

"Things are beginning to come to a head in the debate over net neutrality. This week will see the topic take center stage in multiple corridors of Congress. As votes are put to the floor, the way that we access information, communicate, and do business could be greatly affected."
"Congress is selling the internet. Don't let them."
"What's clear at this point is that the Republican majority and telco/cable lobbyists have the upper hand, and the well-heeled club of high-tech CEOs advocating more firm declarations in the law regarding Net neutrality need to regroup."

"House Commerce Committee Republicans defeated an effort by Democrats today to strengthen network neutrality provisions in the panel's telecom reform bill. With four Democrats breaking ranks and joining the Republicans, the panel voted 34-22 to turn back an amendment by Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) that would prohibit broadband providers from charging content and service providers different rates based on bandwidth consumption."

"I'm concerned about e-mails being blocked from advocacy groups, of all sides," said Jan Schakowsky, an Illinois Democrat who supported the amendment. "I'm concerned about start-ups that may be shut down."
"Web titans like Google and Yahoo! are battling some of the smartest lobbyists in the business. And they've just lost a big one on Capitol Hill"
"...an emergency voicemail system is probably a good idea, but should be designed from the ground-up for emergency use, and not simply be a repurposed standard voicemail product. The assumption should be that all business processes are suspended, no back office or personnel are functioning, and all you’ve got running is a bunch of servers on emergency power."

"'There is obviously tremendous interest in Voice over IP networking on North American campuses,' said Jeri Semer, executive director of ACUTA. 'Our survey suggests that our member institutions are being very methodical about how they are migrating to this advanced and beneficial technology.'"

Posted on April 27, 2006 at 11:50 AM in Daily VoIP Links, Daily VoIP Links, Daily VoIP Links, Daily VoIP Links, Daily VoIP Links, Daily VoIP Links, Daily VoIP Links, Daily VoIP Links| | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

April 26, 2006

The Future of Net Neutrality

Things are beginning to come to a head in the debate over net neutrality. This week will see the topic take center stage in multiple corridors of Congress. As votes are put to the floor, the way that we access information, communicate, and do business could be greatly affected.

On Internetnews.com, Roy Mark took an in depth view at the upcoming proceedings and where those on opposite sides of the aisle stand:
“As one committee prepares to vote on a telecom reform bill that Democrats contend lacks effective network neutrality protections, another panel opens hearings on the antitrust implications of just such a scenario.”
As with most things these days, the majority of democrats and republicans can’t quite see eye-to-eye on the issue. Mark breaks down the two opposing views as such:
“Verizon and AT&T have publicly stated they intend to charge content providers different fees based on bandwidth consumption to access consumers. Republicans see little problem with this tiered access approach and leave enforcement of network neutrality to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)…Democrats want the FCC's network neutrality principles, which have no force of law, turned into statutory law.”
Jeff Pulver also covered the frenzied DC activity and the internal duel that could arise between the Judiciary Committee and the Commerce Committee:
“It looks like a little jurisdictional turf war might be building between the Commerce Committee and the Judiciary Committee…it does look like the House Committees are…feeling out what their respective roles will be, as well as the respective roles of the FTC and FCC, in the communications future.”
The fate of the Internet as we know it will most likely be decided by a group of politicians and corporate behemoths who can say all they want to about the rights of consumers, but who are ultimately driven by money. However, there is still time to let the folks on the Hill know how we commoners feel about that situation. The Pulver Contest to Save the Net is still going, and you do have a couple of days left to sign the Post-Disaster Communications Petition that Pulver and Tom Evslin developed. If you still feel as though you don’t know enough about the questions at hand, you can check out the work of Ken Camp to get a thorough breakdown of regulatory issues.

Posted on April 26, 2006 at 06:08 PM in , , , , , , | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Daily VoIP Links for 2006-04-26+

"While saving money will always be a major consideration for consumers, it should not be the first or only one. VoIP services, when provided effectively and efficiently, can have the ability to change your life."
"Republicans and Democrats are sharply divided over the best course of action to ensure that broadband providers -- telephone and cable companies -- do notF2C discriminate against delivering content."
"I suspect that the Net Neutrality advocates will have a better audience within the Judiciary Committee than it has had in the Commerce Committee." One can hope! 
"This is still a marathon and we are still in the first few miles. A Bill may not even pass through the Senate this year, let alone reach conference. Which means we still have time to influence the debate, to win the hearts and minds of Congress and the public. I don't know all the tools we have to participate in the battle. We should probably hold another Internet Freedom Rally on the steps of the Capitol."
Great VoIP user forum filled with tips, tricks, debate and news.
Customers have been told it will work with standard phones, whether they're wired or not."

Posted on April 26, 2006 at 11:45 AM in , , , , , , , | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

April 25, 2006

Is Price VoIP’s Most Important Feature?

When the benefits of VoIP are talked about among most consumers and businesses, cost is usually the first thing to come up. People talk about switching to VoIP because they believe they can save money:
"Among adults in both Great Britain and the United States who do not use Internet telephony, but are interested in it, substantial numbers say free calls between users of the same provider (53% of British adults and 43% of U.S. adults) and cheap local/national telephone calls (44% of British adults and 49% of U.S. adults) would appeal to them if they were to consider making calls via an Internet connection." (from CRM Today)
Cost is definitely an important topic, as it’s a good idea to check out what you've got in your wallet before making even the smallest purchase. The question of cost was raised in two recent VoIP News articles. In “The Top 10 Questions to Ask Your VoIP Service Provider,” two of those questions focus heavily on the price of VoIP:
“What startup costs are there beyond setup and equipment fees? Besides advertised and quoted basic equipment, what else will I REALLY need? Do I need to buy phones? Will extra servers/cards/add-ons be needed beyond the base cost to actually meet my usage requirements?
"What day-to-day usage costs are NOT covered by my service plan? What are the rates for international calls for example?”
The post goes onto suggest that you should:
“Make sure there aren't add-on fees for important features – some providers charge more for conference calling, others for different forms of long-distance, still others for some of the advanced features…”
With all of all of this talk of cost among those in the industry and those interested in VoIP services, it begs the question: Is price the most important consideration?

The second VoIP News article, “Why VoIP?,” also touches on the issue:
“Price is where everything gets serious. Many first-time VoIP buyers are seduced by promises of big savings over their existing telephone system. But apart from basic residential service there are no longer huge savings as regular telephone companies have cut long distance rates to remain competitive.”
However, the article goes onto give one of the clearest takes on the subject to date, concluding with:
“…it isn't about saving money – it's about added value, features and services…. you CAN find a VoIP provider that will meet and exceed your needs and expectations…”
While saving money will always be a major consideration for consumers, it should not be the first or only one. VoIP services, when provided effectively and efficiently, can have the ability to change your life. We’ve covered some of the grander effects the technology can have on the Nation, but VoIP can also just make your day-to-day routine a little easier. The right VoIP service can:
“...give you Reminder Calls. Use it to remember important meetings, birthdays for your family, or even request Wake-Up Calls.
"As you have things to do, but you’re expecting an important call, (it) can track you down to make sure you get it…
"And for those particularly urgent calls, (the) Emergency Link feature will find you through your voicemail.”
These are just a few of the things VoIP has to offer that have absolutely nothing to do with cost. Take some time to learn more about them, and then check your wallet.

Posted on April 25, 2006 at 03:55 PM in | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Daily VoIP Links for 2006-04-25

"While VoIP outstretches other technologies in its ability to connect people quickly, effectively, and affordably, those within and without the industry are taking steps to spark further growth. This has already had a substantial impact on businesses, medical facilities, and communities throughout the country."
Telephony to the rescue!  Now you can use your phone to "elimi-date.VoIP You with my people
"Together, perhaps, we might just reinvent the way marketing and advocacy can be done in the Internet Age. And, in the process, we might just show the World what the Internet could be (given the right policy framework) and win over the hearts and minds of government and the people."
"If you have not yet filed your own comments yet on the petition, PLEASE do so. The FCC has made the electronic comment filing procedure VERY simple."  See Jeff's blog for complete details.
If Jeff Pulver is the George Washington of the VoIP revolution, then Ken Camp is our Thomas Jefferson.  Please read his latest article, "Telephony, Regulation and VoIP."
"Before you sign a contract you should make sure you know the answers to these 10 questions...."
"Why should you be considering moving to VoIP? What will it get you?"  Lots, according to this article.

"Many rural phone companies — some backed by their state regulators — are blocking cable TV providers from competing with them by selling inexpensive Internet-based phone service. The battles have spawned a legal ruckus that could affect millions of customers in less-populated areas."

Posted on April 25, 2006 at 11:03 AM in , , , , , , , | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

April 24, 2006

VoIP Expansion

VoIP’s reach continues to stretch into environments that early proponents of the technology most likely never would have predicted. Perhaps the greatest demonstration of the versatility of VoIP and its ability to close the communication gap across the country was covered in a recent post on ZDNet. It deals with a piece of land that belongs to the Navajo Nation and has long been without easy access to any sort of telecommunications technology:
“In the 250,000-population Navajo Nation, a remote settlement known as White Rock Chapter House has never had any type of phone service up until now.”
The article goes on to explain that Navajo Nation information technology director Harold Skow (along with help from New Mexico State Senator Leonard Tsosie and others in the area) has successfully developed a plan to bring VoIP services to the community that includes:
“75-mile microwave connection capable of providing and supporting VoIP, Wi-Fi access points, and videoconferencing (as well as) VoIP phones for use at White Rock.”
All parties involved believe that the access to this technology and an increased ability to communicate will help Navajo children perform better on state tests and other academic evaluations.

Along with its effect on previously “disconnected” areas, VoIP is making it easier for longstanding businesses and organizations to function efficiently. Hospitals across the U.S. are some of the latest facilities to adopt VoIP, hoping it will lead to greater care and increased communication between doctors, patients, and staff. VoIP Now recently looked at the benefits VoIP can provide for the healthcare industry:
“An increasing number of hospitals in the United States are using VoIP systems to lower costs of communications.”
The article focuses mainly on QLIMG, a medical group that operates 22 hospitals throughout New York. With “Quality of Service” being of the utmost concern for hospitals, officials have latched on to VoIP services that provide them with “embedded standard unified messaging, auto-attendant, Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) system...(and) 1,500 IP phones.”

As VoIP continues to branch out, it continues to catch the eye of the nation’s investors. The VoIP Conversation reports:
“The ability to make calls over the Internet has been around for years but is just now really catching on. Its popularity is growing as more consumers trade dialup Internet service for broadband, almost the only essential for VoIP service. Investors are bullish over the VoIP market because they see the Internet as the gateway to all voice and data communications.”
The "Conversation" goes on to simply state:
“This interest in the technologies, coupled with sound business plans, signals investors' willingness to support VoIP and VideoIP solutions.”
While VoIP outstretches other technologies in its ability to connect people quickly, effectively, and affordably, those within and without the industry are taking steps to spark further growth. This has already had a substantial impact on businesses, medical facilities, and communities throughout the country. However, ultimately it will result in increased VoIP services and capabilities for the everyday consumer.

Posted on April 24, 2006 at 04:31 PM in , , , , , , | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Daily VoIP Links for 2006-04-24

"With such easy access to espionage-inspired technology, the question becomes: why spy on normal people when you could be spying on celebrities? Well, the good people at Gawker Stalker have made it possible for anyone with a VoIP or cell phone to turn into a world class paparazzo."
Tom Evlsin: "I never would have proposed a government rule if the local monopoly had taken these steps on their own in the last catastrophe or ported theVoIP You with my people out-of-service and unreachable numbers to one of the companies which volunteered to provide free voice mail for the duration of the disaster."
"If it is done right, a winning entry in Jeff Pulver's Viral Marketing Contest to Save the Internet could be so much more effectual. If crafted with the right petina, such a winning entry could actually change minds."
"The option to leave a message for anyone calling a non-working phone - for example, "I did survive the flood, am in Houston and will call you back, please leave a message" - or forward calls to another phone number - for example, a friend's house where an evacuee is temporarily staying - would kick in when a phone is unusable for 12 hours."
"The Aviator laptop stand is specifically designed to elevate your laptop and position its screen on a narrow, cramped airplane seat-back tray." And it costs only $20!

Posted on April 24, 2006 at 02:43 PM in , , , , , , , | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

April 21, 2006

Tracking, Stalking, and VoIPing

Perhaps it’s all the James Bond movies we watched when we were kids, or maybe it’s just that there’s a little bit of voyeur inside of us all, but a slew of the hottest gadgets, websites, and services are designed to let you know where you are, whose coming for you, and if there are any celebrities within a ten mile radius.

Gizmodo reports that high-tech surveillance is finally affordable for all us common folk:
“This kind of stuff has been around for years, but until now it’s been prohibitively expensive. Now, for a mere $199 and a monthly fee, you can feed your paranoia with a webcam that sends images and SMSes to your cell phone AND blasts out an audible alarm.”
According to the post, low costs and ‘round-the-clock spying capabilities can only lead to one thing:
“...surveillance gear is soon going to be hanging from every rain gutter on every house everywhere.”
If you’re more concerned with having people know exactly where you are than knowing what everyone around you is doing, you can partake in a new service that allows you to be tracked at all times from virtually any computer. As one intrepid adventurer recounted on O’Reilly:
“Using a $100 kit…I’ve turned a prepaid cell phone into a GPS tracking device. Every few minutes, the phone transmits my location within 100 meters to mologogo.com, which posts it to a Google map that (my girlfriend) can access from any computer.”
With such easy access to espionage-inspired technology, the question becomes: why spy on normal people when you could be spying on celebrities? Well, the good people at Gawker Stalker have made it possible for anyone with a VoIP or cell phone to turn into a world class paparazzo. Snap a shot of an unsuspecting celeb and you can have it posted next to quotes such as:
“SJP leaving The Women's National Republican Club at around 3pm today. We paused, wondering who on earth the paparazzi could be stalking outside the WNRC, when she appeared looking very conservative with pin straight hair and a modest dress.”
I guess the quaint days of lugging around that bulky Polaroid camera that could be heard two blocks over every time you took a photo have passed. But at least now if you have the right service, you can take the shot, call all of your friends to tell them about it, and get out of there before somebody's alarm tips everyone off to your whereabouts.

Posted on April 21, 2006 at 02:39 PM in , , , , , | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Daily VoIP Links for 2006-04-21

"Oh AT&T, will your quest for world domination never end?...It is easy to focus on only the perks and the present, but decisions that are affecting the future of VoIP, the Internet, and the price of information are being made. If you have an opinion on the matter, you owe it to yourself to voice it before the other side stops listening altogether."
"If you have not yet filed your own comments yet on the petition, PLEASE do so. The FCC has made the electronic comment filing procedure VERY simple. All you reallyVoIP You with my people need to do to weigh in is go to: http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/upload_v2.cgi, enter RM-11327 in the first line where it requests the "Proceeding" (this is the Petitions "RM" number), fill in the other minimal contact info requirements, and submit a brief statement in support."
"Mobile-phone maker Motorola has received a patent for a system that uses electric shocks to let somebody know when they're phone is ringing, rather than the usual ringtone or vibration."
"For the growing VoIP services companies, this is important because it does point to a quiet trend. Analog voice is becoming more digital all the time. Increasing tools and customer adoption of VoIP technologies have led to increased business for VoIP equipment, solutions and services providers. While cost is still a large driver behind VoIP migration, service convergence is gaining momentum."
"While the vast majority of individuals and companies still rely on conventional phones, an estimated 30 percent of international phone traffic now travels over the Internet using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) according to an A.T. Kearny study last year."
"The FCC has proposed fining rural wireless operator Dobson Communications $750,000 for missing deadlines to implement emergency 911 systems -- you know, the same deadlines the FCC pushed back repeatedly and the ones they let some carriers ignore."

Posted on April 21, 2006 at 09:59 AM in , , , , , , , | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

April 20, 2006

The Battle for Neutrality Rages On

Oh AT&T, will your quest for world domination never end?

Apparently not anytime soon. Salon.com posted in depth coverage of the global telecom juggernaut’s latest attempt to go one-up on the little guys and other slightly smaller global juggernauts:
“AT&T is back, it's big, and according to consumer advocates and some of the nation's largest technology companies, AT&T wants to take over the Internet.
The critics...point out that AT&T, along with Verizon and Comcast, its main rivals in the telecom business, will dominate the U.S. market for residential high-speed Internet service for the foreseeable future.”
The article goes on to specify what AT&T plans, or at least allegedly plans to do:
“Specifically, AT&T has hinted that it plans to charge Web companies a kind of toll to send data at the highest speeds down DSL lines into its subscribers' homes. The plan would make AT&T a gatekeeper of media in your home. Under the proposal, the tens of millions of people who get their Internet service from AT&T might only be able to access heavy-bandwidth applications -- such as audio, video, and Internet phone service -- from the companies that have paid AT&T a fee.”
The Salon article has, not surprisingly, caused quite a fervor among bloggers and industry insiders alike. A recent post on Boing Boing vents:
“AT&T's justifications for this are transparent crapola…saying that only giant companies like AT&T itself care about this, since "the little guy [in the garage] is not streaming movies" -- despite the existence of companies and nonprofits like YouTube and the Participatory Culture Foundation.”
The author also laments:
“I think it's pretty clear that this is nothing more than raw greed from AT&T, but I'm not sure what to do about it. The leading proposals are to get the FCC to regulate AT&T to ensure neutrality.”
For a clearer picture of what net neutrality means to both consumers and providers, let’s take a look at what guest blogger Daniel Berninger had to say on Jeff Pulver’s blog:
“Companies selling Internet access argue for property rights as the basis for unwinding long standing net neutrality. However, the companies deriving revenues from Internet access do not own the Internet any more than a company making money from a port owns the ocean…Net neutrality prevents discrimination by limiting billing for transport to generic measures of performance and capacity rather than the nature of the user or usage. Neutrality allows for Internet enabled alternatives to monopolist voice and video providers...”
Jeff Pulver returned to his blog with a rallying cry:
“We might not have the lobbying muscle, money, resources, or connections of the entrenched players in the communications debate, but we surely have the individual and collective will and creativity to transform the debate.”
Jeff has started a contest that he hopes will help spark this ‘transformation.’ It is a forum for those who believe the Internet is worth fighting for, and it is also a creative outlet for anyone who fancies him/herself a filmmaker.

It is easy to focus on only the perks and the present, but decisions that are affecting the future of VoIP, the Internet, and the price of information are being made. If you have an opinion on the matter, you owe it to yourself to voice it before the other side stops listening altogether.

Posted on April 20, 2006 at 04:21 PM in , | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Daily VoIP Links for 2006-04-20

"America seems to be a bit obsessed with surveys and polls. It's quite natural. If all of those years of math class taught us anything, it’s that you can try to boil almost any problem down to the numbers. Those numbers turn up in politics, sports, and pop music TV show contests. They can also give us insight into the current and future state of VoIP and telecommunications as a whole."
"Internet-based calling is set to soar in 2006. As carriers aim to reduce the cost ofVoiP You with my people sending phone calls and subscribers aim for lower phone bills, the number of people subscribing to Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, services will almost double this year, to 47.3 million, according to consultancy Infonetics."
Cool/creepy! For $6 a month you can turn your cell phone into a GPS tracking device that places little push pins on a map and tracks your every movement.
"I am officially putting my money where my mouth is. I am initiating a Viral Video "Save the Net" Marketing Contest....Send us short, creative ideas -- videos, flash ads, other Internet-based gimmicks -- that you think might effectively communicate to government that they must write rules to enable us the Internet innovators to transform the Internet and communications experience."
Or, this could be a trick by The Others. "Fans looking to solve the puzzle will find audio, video, and text clues in locations around the world, along with an online community in which to connect and collaborate with others. Just like any other good mystery, clues can and will happen anywhere at anytime across multiple platforms."
"An increasing number of hospitals in the United States are using VoIP systems to lower costs of communications."
"English-speaking minority groups, such as Asian-Americans and Hispanics, are the leading adopters of broadband and IP communications technologies such as VoIP."
"Residents of the settlement 160 miles northwest of Albuquerque, New Mexico have been so isolated they had to drive six miles on dirt roads to use the nearest pay phone."

Posted on April 20, 2006 at 02:32 PM in , , , , , , , | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

April 19, 2006

VoIP: Surveys, Surveys, Surveys

America seems to be a bit obsessed with surveys and polls. It's quite natural. If all of those years of math class taught us anything, it’s that you can try to boil almost any problem down to the numbers. Those numbers turn up in politics, sports, and pop music TV show contests. They can also give us insight into the current and future state of VoIP and telecommunications as a whole. In fact, there have been several recent surveys that give us a good idea of who is using what phone, how often they’re using it, and what they're using it for.

First, let’s look at the AOL mobile survey that focuses on all the things people can use their VoIP (and cell) phones for:
"Thirty-five percent of those surveyed say they send SMS text messages to friends, family and business colleagues, including 65 percent of those ages 18-29 and 37 percent of those ages 30-49…"
"Twenty-one percent of mobile users say they would like to have all instant messages (IMs) forwarded from their PC desktop to their cell phones. Meanwhile, 38 percent say they would like to have desktop IMs from select contacts that they choose automatically forwarded to their mobile device, including 50 percent of those ages 18-29.
"Eight percent of cell phone users currently access their email from their cell phones. At the same time, 24 percent of those who do not check their email from their phones say they would like to be able to do so.
"When asked about using their cell phone to search for movie listings, weather, stock quotes and more, seven percent say they do this already. One-quarter (24 percent) say they would like to be able to do this on their phone…"
The survey also highlights the number of people who use their phones to take photos, watch video, shoot video, and much, much more.

The second major survey that warrants attention is one from Harris Interactive (featured on webpronews.com) that focuses on the use of VoIP technology in the U.S. and the U.K.:
"British (28% vs. 57% of men) and American (34% vs. 62% of men) women are far less likely than men to have heard about VoIP. Among the general population, 41% of British adults and 36% of American adults have not heard of it. (The men vs. woman VoIP use gap and the findings of the survey are further explored on VoIP Now, and TMCnet, and Networking Pipeline.)
"Among those that were aware of the service but were not users, around half in both countries expressed at least some interest in the service…"
The final survey we suggest taking a look at was covered in full by Techdirt. It concerns rude people on their phones, many of who we are sure are on the road as we speak:
“A new survey has found that nearly 90 percent of people encounter annoying cell phone users, but just 8 percent say their own cell phone use is sometimes rude.”
As VoIP continues to catch on with people on either side of the pond and, yes, with both men and women, there will be new surveys to cover all of the new uses people have discovered. Until then, it is clear that breaking down the numbers at least demonstrates two things: interest in VoIP is up, and there are rude people on cell phones pretty much everywhere you go.

Posted on April 19, 2006 at 03:27 PM in VoIP, VoIP, VoIP, VoIP, VoIP| | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Daily VoIP Links for 2006-04-19

"The reach of VoIP continues to expand, and it seems that the business world is catching up with consumers and first-responders. VoIP offers many of the same benefits to businesses (especially small businesses) that it does to individuals. Saving money is, of course, the biggest draw for many, but VoIP can also make communication within and without a corporation easier, faster, and clearer."
Harris Interactive survey reveals specialist service providers having more successVoIP You with my people than the ‘big players’ in generating awareness about VoIP offerings."
Jeff Pulver's advice to legislators is to "adhere to two core principles: (1) do not impose regulation unless absolutely necessary; and (2) ensure that no entity can leverage its market power to stifle choice and innovation."
Powerful  call to arms: "The survival of net neutrality depends on the undemonstrated ability of citizens to get engaged in communication policy developments....The relative expense of broadband continues to throttle growth of the info tech industry, but info tech appears divided between defending the Internet and reluctance to challenge powerful anti-Internet forces."
HarrisInteractive poll says women less likely to use VoIP. VoIP Now says, "Does this also mean that more men tend to use VoIP than women? Marketers should take up steps to educate the homemaker in they want VoIP in more homes in the future."
"A new market forecast by Ireland's Research and Markets predicts nearly 40 percent of broadband-enabled households in the United States—a total of some 32.6 million U.S. homes—will subscribe to VoIP service by 2010."
Hang up and drive.  Or else. "Addressing what safety experts say can be a deadly distraction, states are scrambling to impose restrictions on cellphone use by drivers. Twenty-six states and the District of Columbia have written legislation on the issue, mostly since 2003. This year, other legislatures are tackling the subject, and two states have passed laws on it."

Posted on April 19, 2006 at 10:06 AM in , , , , , , | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

April 18, 2006

The Business of VoIP

The reach of VoIP continues to expand, and it seems that the business world is catching up with consumers and first-responders. VoIP offers many of the same benefits to businesses (especially small businesses) that it does to individuals. Saving money is, of course, the biggest draw for many, but VoIP can also make communication within and without a corporation easier, faster, and clearer.

“Small Businesses Move to VoIP” points out a number of changes that VoIP can bring to the small office environment:
“Less cabling, no hardware maintenance and the ability to easily manage the communications needs of fluctuating staff numbers were enough incentive for small business partner Andrew Wall to consider a hosted Voice over Internet Protocol service…The cost savings achieved by no longer subscribing to landlines were a bonus he realized after the AAPT service began.”
The article goes on to point out how large those savings actually were:
“‘We were fitting out the whole office. It was attractive to have all phones, broadband internet and voice mail on the same service, not have to buy any equipment and do all the cabling in one,’ Mr. Wall says. ‘We ended up saving $35,000 to $40,000 on cables alone (because) they were not separate data and voice cables.’"
The Business Journal provided in depth coverage of VoIP technology’s ability to “change the very nature of how business is done.”
"For businesses, the new landscape offers features that in the past were available only to companies that could afford a traditional PBX/Key system. These features include things like 'find me/follow me,' voicemail-to-e-mail, call handling and filtering, conference calling without special services, record-and-send, and out-of-market numbers at no added cost."
According to many industry insiders, VoIP, when coupled with other technological advances, will allow small businesses to compete in ways that were never possible in the past:
"'We're going to see a lot of feature-rich applications that small businesses are not used to having,' says Mr. Lagerway. 'For example, presence, dashboards, communications integrated with applications like Salesforce.com. All those features are going to be organized into the environment. If they're deployed properly, they bring a whole new level of efficiency to SMBs.'"
At the end of the day, VoIP is not just for small businesses, though. Sci-Tech Today summed up the power of VoIP by saying:
"Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony, once a tool used primarily by uber techies, has matured into a viable and less-expensive alternative to the PBX systems used by businesses of all sizes. With VoIP, companies have the opportunity to discard the prepackaged offerings of traditional telecommunications and instead opt for a phone system that is customizable and highly adaptable."
There is no question that VoIP has begun to influence every area of telecommunications. As the benefits it has to offer are recognized by more consumers and businesses, VoIP will continue to supplant technologies that simply can’t offer the savings, flexibility, and opportunities that VoIP offers.

For more cool tools, check out my people.

Posted on April 18, 2006 at 03:30 PM in , , , | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Daily VoIP Links for 2006-04-18

"As VoIP continues to emerge as a major force in the world of telecommunications, it is important to look at the dual nature of the technology. VoIP is the rare innovation that has the ability to bring benefits and a bit of fun to consumers while it helps alter the way this country deals with serious issues of communication."
Grand Central offering free voice mailboxes to the homeless in San Francisco. "TheyVoIP You with my people are certainly garnering some positive attention by offering this free, life-long service that can help homeless people to get reconnected into society."
"By the millions, consumers are dumping their landlines and making and receiving phone calls using the same broadband Internet connection that brings the Web and e-mail to their homes."
Geek gifts for the year 2025: "If you’re cursed with bifocals or fear they’re in your future, you’ll be glad to know optical scientists at the University of Arizona have been working on liquid-crystal eyeglass lenses that can switch focus on command."
"West typifies the kind of customer who is most likely to embrace VoIP, say technology experts. He's a young, tech-savvy entrepreneur who wants the latest technology, not necessarily because it saves him money -- although VoIP is less expensive overall than conventional phone service -- but because it makes his life less complicated."
Harris Interactive Poll: "Among those adults who do not use Internet telephony, 56% in Britain and 49% in the United States say they are at least somewhat interested in it. Despite this interest, it's worth noting that only small percentages (11% in Britain and 9% in the United States) say they are 'very' interested in the possibility of making telephone calls via an Internet connection, and 265 of those who do not currently use VoIP but are interested in it (in both Great Britain and the United States) say they will be likely to consider or buy VoIP in the next 12 months or sooner."
Won't touch this, not even with 700-ft pole: "Men are more aware of VoIP than women by about a two-to-one margin. And, one would assume, from those numbers, they're much more likely to use VoIP as well...Of course, my theory is that once women find out they can talk more for less using VoIP I'm sure they'll catch up to the men."
I feel the need for speed: "Intel's latest roadmap points to an interesting new hardware solution for VoIP. The 600SM, code-name Slick Mountain, will be a hardware-based PCI 2.2 add-in card that will support wideband audio codecs for improved voice quality."
"I think it's pretty clear that this is nothing more than raw greed from AT&T, but I'm not sure what to do about it. The leading proposals are to get the FCC to regulate AT&T to ensure neutrality. I can see the logic in that: AT&T gets all kinds of legal breaks and access to public resources, so why shouldn't the public's government muscle it into giving the public the best deal possible?"
More on Harris Interactive Poll: "British (28% vs. 57% of men) and American (34% vs. 62% of men) women are far less likely than men to have heard about VoIP. Among the general population, 41% of British adults and 36% of American adults have not heard of it."
Uh, this isn't true: "Can I call anybody with VoIP? Most systems will require that both parties have a broadband connection. There are computer to computer set ups, and there a land-line setups." You can too make VoIP to landline calls!
"We ended up saving $35,000 to $40,000 on cables alone (because) they were not separate data and voice cables."

Posted on April 18, 2006 at 09:15 AM in , , , , | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

April 17, 2006

A Tale of Two VoIPs

As VoIP continues to emerge as a major force in the world of telecommunications, it is important to look at the dual nature of the technology. VoIP is the rare innovation that has the ability to bring benefits and a bit of fun to consumers while it helps alter the way this country deals with serious issues of communication.

We’ve already pointed out how VoIP users can trick out their phones and call them into fast action should they come face-to-face with a legendary rockstar, but that is just the tip of the iceberg, and things are getting easier for users by the day. Sunday’s Playfuls.com post points out that:
“Internet telephone calls are no longer just for computer freaks. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) can now be used without even turning on the computer. Several manufacturers, including online service providers, offered new gadgets and services at CeBIT last month.”
Playfuls also wants it to be crystal clear to those who are not quite in the know that, “No special telephone is needed to use VoIP, just a broadband internet connection like DSL...a router with internet and telephone connections.”

While ease-of-use and reduced rates are important to consumers, the ability to do some serious flirting might be of greater interest. According to ZDNet, Match.com will soon make it possible for you to find that elusive soul mate with nothing more than a VoIP phone and your natural charm:
"Match Mobile allows you to flirt with nearby singles, plus see their pics on your (phone). Why will this be huge? 'Everyone who wants a cell phone already has one, but not everyone who wants a significant other has one.'"
The other side of VoIP has more to do with helping those in need than helping people get a date. Jeff Pulver’s blog and Tom Evslin’s Fractals of Change focused on the very serious role that VoIP and other telecommunications technology can play in times of crisis, and O’Reilly Emerging Telephony recently reported that, “Craig Walker’s latest venture is helping out some of the most disadvantaged in our society as his new company Grand Central has started offering free voice mailboxes to the homeless in San Francisco.”

Craig Walker gave his own account of the experience on his personal blog, saying:
“Wow. What a great experience it was to work the Project Homeless Connect event today in San Francisco…I spent the day creating accounts for 238 homeless clients at the event…and it was a great feeling to see the reaction of the users to finding out that they now have a real San Francisco (415) phone number that was theirs and will be theirs forever. Even though they may not have much else, they now have a communications identity they own and can use on job applications, with medical clinics, for friends, family...etc…”
VoIP gives us the power to connect on both a small and grand scale. Whether you are trying to change the world or simply meet the love of your life, VoIP has the capacity to play a major role in the process.

Posted on April 17, 2006 at 02:45 PM in , , , , | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)