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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)

Daily VoIP Links for 2006-04-17

"In case you’re wondering what you need to fit in with the Hollywood set, here are just a few of the items that are making a splash with A-listers these days..."
"A survey of 522 small to medium-sized enterprises by communications specialist Inclarity in February found that of those questioned, the 12 percent making voice calls over the internet had seen their annual communications bills fall by 23 percent."
"There's a real and compelling need for qualified, competent VoIP practitioners to demystify the business value of VoIP. That's a pain point that isn't being addressed well."
"Behold the latest installment of the DailyCandy Lexicon. For conversation with an extra byte (ba-dum-dum!), add these to your hard drive."
"VoipReview.org was born out of personal frustration with the lack of information about VoIP providers. I wanted to subscribe to VoIP service, but couldn’t find any searchable database to find and compare all providers. Essentially, the site was launched to fill a need for objective and searchable information on VoIP providers."
Match Mobile allows you to flirt with nearby singles, plus see their pics on your cell 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."

"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."

Posted on April 17, 2006 at 10:42 AM in , , , , | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

April 14, 2006

But I Just Love Her Phone

Have you ever had a moment when you’re absently flipping through a gossip rag in line at the grocery store and you can’t believe what Paris is wearing or who Lindsay is dating, and you tell yourself you’re just over the whole thing, but then just before you close the magazine and get your South Beach microwavables ready to scan you catch a glimpse of Paris’ phone and you decide that you just have to have one? Maybe it’s just me. Whether we want to admit it or not, though, most of us wouldn’t mind getting a hold of some of the hottest celebrity gadgets. In case you’re wondering what you need to fit in with the Hollywood set, here are just a few of the items that are making a splash with A-listers these days:

Geek and Chic features an in depth look at the customized PDAs of Snoop, Diddy (formerly P. Diddy, alias Puff Daddy, a.k.a. Sean), as well as power-pop princesses Christina Aguilera and Avril Levigne. They also highlight Roland Mouret designed “skins that you can stick onto the front of your laptop to add a bit designer customization. The skins are based on Mouret’s latest Cruise Collection…and have been commissioned by Intel for its Centrino laptops.”

The site can also help you celebrity-up the phones you already have with the “fashionable cover that is apparently more catwalk than handbag,” created by legendary British designer Vivienne Westwood.

Speaking of phones, Shiny Shiny: A girl’s guide to gadgets has all the celebrity cells and VoIP phones you could want. They feature the “Robbie Williams' Walkman Phone” that allows you to:

“...marvel at (Robbie’s) logo-design skills, play with the included extra Robbie 'skins', and watch him 'live' on his new tour through a direct link to his new WAP site. Ooh also, the startup and shutdown screens show clips of the man himself performing, the default ringtone is one of his tracks, and the SMS sound is a voice clip."

If you’re not a Robbie fan, take a look at their Roberto Cavalli designed phone. Like celebrities themselves, Cavalli’s phone is extremely thin and a bit over-the-top. However, it does feature a “1.3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, an MP3 player and a 80MB of memory for storing up your music.”

Sure customized cells are alright, but what if you want a phone that doesn’t look like a phone? Have no fear, according to CNET.com there is a  "lipstick-shaped phone, which was featured in Jennifer Lopez's "Get Right" video and also seen in the hands of many celebrities at this year's Oscars.”

It is important to point out that “this year’s Oscars” actually refers to last year’s Oscars, so this one might already be past its prime.

If you don’t have the money or desire to shell out hundreds or thousands of dollars on a customized phone or gadget, you can do it yourself with the tools that are familiar to many celebrities’ assistants. At Bling Ring, you can get a hold of the kit that allows you to add a bit of “bedazzle” and sparkle to your gadgets. According to the site, over the years these kits have been enjoyed by the likes of “Britney Spears, Hillary Duff , Jennifer Love Hewitt , Jessica Simpson, Ashlee Simpson (and more).”

When all is said and done, celebrities tend to set many of the trends in America, and those trends are there for the taking. However, when it comes to phones, you can always just personalize your own with photos, music, and “group” lists if you want to save some money.

Tags: telecommunications, VoIP, technology, celebrities

Posted on April 14, 2006 at 01:38 PM in , , , | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Daily VoIP Links for 2006-04-14

"...you know a new technology is big when it makes it to the book shelves, and VoIP has a few books that are worth talking about. Ted Wallingford’s book Switching to VoIP: A Solutions Manual for Network Professionals provides comprehensive information on all of the possibilities VoIP has to offer the business sector."
"A fierce battle is emerging in the VoIP market, and is only one part of a larger war that is being waged on three (or more) fronts between telecoms and cable MSOs. At stake is the so-called triple-play, which is a market worth approximately $300 billion."
Regarding the Darth Vader the corkscrew, Yoda the wine stopper and the bottle opener R2-D2, "They’re all cast from pewter and it’s $149 for the lot. If your honey doesn’t run screaming away at the sight of your geekdom, it might just be love after all."
If you tried to comment on the Pulver/Evslin Post-Disaster Communications Petition and it didn't work, please see Tom Evslin's blog for a correction on the pass code.  The deadline for public comment is April 27, 2006.
"Given the high visibiltiy VoIP solutions played in the Katrina response, this should be an area of interest for all VoIP servcie providers, equipment manufacturers and practitioners. This is a public safety issue and something the FCC should be proactively addressing. Please help spread the word of this petition, and take a moment and submit your own comments."
Great blog on VoIP, emerging telephony
"When Ted Wallingford went looking for information to help him understand how to use the Internet to make phone calls, he didn’t find many resources. So the independent technology consultant wrote his own book on the subject — actually, two books..."

Let it Be!

Posted on April 14, 2006 at 11:26 AM in , , , , | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

April 13, 2006

VoIP Goes Literary

It is easy to talk about how VoIP technology is driving the future of telecommunications. As we have shown, the number of VoIP users is up and will continue to grow over the next several years. VoIP also puts in a major showing on industry blogs and has dominated discussions among industry insiders. However, you know a new technology is big when it makes it to the book shelves, and VoIP has a few books that are worth talking about.

Ted Wallingford’s book Switching to VoIP: A Solutions Manual for Network Professionals provides comprehensive information on all of the possibilities VoIP has to offer the business sector. It also highlights a number of the issues that arise when making the switch from traditional telecommunications models to VoIP. A post from Tom Duff’s Duffbert’s Random Musings provides an in depth look into the book:

“What makes this book stand out from other books I'd expect to see is that it doesn't just dwell on jargon and theory.  There are a number of projects included in the book so you can get your hands dirty actually working with the technology.  Add to that the fact that the author uses an open source PBX system called Asterisk for the exercises.  So now you have no reason in terms of cost for not diving right in.”  (To learn more about Asterick check out the book Asterick: The Future of Telephony.)

Duff is quick to point out that Walligford’s book is perfect for those trying to make sense of all of the business telephony options available, but that it is not necessarily for the everyday VoIP user:

"While there are a few books out there on "internet telephones" that talk to the consumer, this isn't one of them.  The tag line of "for Network Professionals" is the key here.  While you don't have to be a network guru to read this book, some level of familiarity with network and telephony concepts would help."

However, Duff does admit that there is plenty to gain from the book even if you are not truly a member of the “target audience.” He also suggests that anyone who wants to understand the “essentials” of VoIP would do well to take a look at Wallingford’s work.

Wallingford has created a book that offers a little more about the fun side of VoIP that is perfect for consumers and network professionals. VoIP Hacks helps you not only understand the principals behind VoIP phones, but it also teaches you how to do things like “alter your voice,” “track your usage,” and even “control the lights in your room with your IP phone.” The book is a great exploration of all of the little things VoIP gives you that simply aren’t available from other systems.

If you are looking for something a little dryer, you can check out the e-book VoIP Howto by Roberto Arcomano. It is a step-by-step analysis of the systems that VoIP utilizes, the benefits those systems provide, and how they are able to provide them.

Revolutions throughout history have been spurred on by the pages of books. There is a good chance that the VoIP revolution will be no different.

Posted on April 13, 2006 at 02:24 PM in , , , | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Daily VoIP Links for 2006-04-13

"There is no question that VoIP technology will continue to capture the imaginations of American consumers and corporations. It offers clarity, technology, and perks that most never could have imagined when digging in to dial on their old rotary phones. VoIP also offers lower costs and more freedom than traditional services, and those might be the two greatest perks of all."
"The common thread between these three deals: picks and shovels. While most are obsessing about the consumer facing VoIP services such as Sun Rocket and Vonage, the reality is that small fortunes are being made (and lost) in the boring sometimes mind-numbing under the hood stuff, that is called real technology."
"Want to show off your geekyhood without being so lame that women will avoid you completely? This dot matrix watch may just be what you have been looking for."
"Internet-based telephony has become a viable solution, piquing the interest of companies small and large. The primary reason for migrating to VoIP is cost, as it equalizes the costs of long distance calls, local calls, and e-mails to fractions of a penny per use." The book can be purchased here.
”Is spending billions on network upgrades worth it? ABC's free Net TV could undermine paid-TV models.”

Posted on April 13, 2006 at 09:33 AM in , , , , | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

April 12, 2006

Steady VoIP Growth in All Sectors

It is time to gaze into the crystal ball and see what the future holds for VoIP. Or, if you don’t feel like visiting your local seer, we could just take a look at some articles, statistics, and a survey that show that VoIP services are growing in popularity and will soon be one of the most highly sought after technologies by consumers and businesses throughout the country.

Recently, eMarketer released a survey that takes a closer look at current and future VoIP trends. (for more in depth coverage check out VoipNuke.com) According to the survey:

“VoIP is giving traditional phone service a run for its money, and is expected to be used by 32.6 million households in 2010.”

eMarketer Chart

The survey also highlights that VoIP is having and will continue to have a substantial impact on Internet providers and users saying "40% of households with high-speed Internet connection would be using VoIP by 2010.”

VoIP’s growing relationship with high-speed Internet providers is echoed in its growth with traditional cable companies. In “Cable Makes Headway with VoIP Services” for TMCnet, Robert Liu touches on the performance of a major telecom player suggesting that:

“(They serve) more than one million voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) subscribers for the cable industry, a fourfold increase from the previous year…”

The article suggests that similar relationships will develop between other cable companies and VoIP providers as both industries come to realize all of the mutual benefits involved.

There is no question that VoIP technology will continue to capture the imaginations of American consumers and corporations. It offers clarity, technology, and perks that most never could have imagined when digging in to dial on their old rotary phones. VoIP also offers lower costs and more freedom than traditional services, and those might be the two greatest perks of all.

Posted on April 12, 2006 at 03:45 PM in , , , , | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Daily VoIP Links for 2006-04-12

"Hurricane Katrina took down power lines across the Southeast and left hundreds of customers without phone service for weeks.”
"VoIP and the Internet are making possible the use of far away call centers to serve the role of order takers for McDonald's drive thrus."
"These two worlds -- applications and telephony -- have largely been separate," Thirumale said. "There are many I.T. managers around the world who want to voice-enable their apps."
"For some time, we have been advocating that the biggest holdback for VoIP was not technology--it was the lack of competition. Market power has long been in the hands of a few service providers, whether for local access, long distance, wireless, Internet service providers (ISPs) or cable."
"Not sure how this block of aluminum would feel in your pocket if you sat on it, but the Silver Wallet #1 has six slots for credit cards, driver’s licenses or IDs and can spit them all out with the push of a button."
Via Ken Camp, "Juniper Networks unveiled today a new security tool, the the Cable Dynamic Threat Mitigation tool, a solution that allows cable multiple systems operators (MSOs) to protect Voice over IP (VoIP) and SIP-based services against network security

Ooooh, how cute!  "...Your child’s introduction to the world of digital music and dodging the RIAA will set you back $78."

Posted on April 12, 2006 at 10:27 AM in , , , | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

April 11, 2006

Hello? Hello? -- Preparing the Nation's Phone Service for the Next Hurricane Season

In the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, as thousands of people struggled to put their lives back together, stories began to surface from Louisiana, Mississippi, and throughout the Southeast that telecom juggernaut BellSouth had used the disaster to take advantage of individuals in need and eliminate their competition. As companies like Momentum Telecom attempted to help restore communication to the areas that had been hit the worst, BellSouth exploited the disaster to its advantage. Jackson Free Press covered the story:

“Hurricane Katrina took down power lines across the Southeast and left hundreds of customers without phone service for weeks. Some customers also say that the telephone company Bellsouth has taken advantage of the disaster to further dominate the phone lines in southern Mississippi and Louisiana, costing customers valuable time and money.”

The coverage takes on a more personal tone when it focuses on the story of Louisiana resident and former Momentum customer Frank O’Toole who, it is suggested, was forced “to switch his local service in order to get phone service turned back on promptly.” Mr. O’Toole is quoted as saying:

“‘The only way I got phone service back again was by switching to Bellsouth. I just got tired of waiting. My wife had to go out and buy $600 worth of cell phones during all that time we were waiting, just so we could have phone service…My mother had hers, my brother had his. Everybody up on our hill had it. It was either Bellsouth or no phone.’”

The article goes on to quote an attorney representing Momentum as saying:

“…what’s happening is they’re lighting up their own customers, but they’re not turning on customers under different calling services. This is highly illegal.”

Here's how BusinessWeek reported (scroll down to view) the same story:

"In some instances, customers of Momentum and the rival carriers complain that BellSouth customers in their apartment complexes, or on their blocks, have had service restored but that they're still phoneless. If they call BellSouth to inquire about the timetable for repairs, the customers claim that BellSouth reps are telling them it will take a month or more to restore service -- but they can be up and running, sometimes the same day, if they switch their local phone service back to BellSouth."

As horrible as this might seem, it is not the only morally questionable action Bellsouth took at the time. The Washington Post ran a story back in December of 2005 suggesting that the company withdrew a significant donation it had promised to the city of New Orleans:

“Hours after New Orleans officials announced Tuesday that they would deploy a city-owned, wireless Internet network in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, regional phone giant BellSouth Corp. withdrew an offer to donate one of its damaged buildings that would have housed new police headquarters, city officials said yesterday.”

Why did BellSouth go back on their offer? Well, according to the Post:

“City officials said BellSouth was upset about the plan to bring high-speed Internet access for free to homes and businesses to help stimulate resettlement and relocation to the devastated city.”

Is there any way to stop a corporation that wields it power in such a way?

Well, Jeff Pulver and Tom Evslin are doing their best to affect a change. They have created a petition that has garnered response from the FCC. Both of these luminaries recently discussed the petition on their respective blogs. Evslin also provided back story by discussing many of the communication problems that many people faced on the ground:

“People who had voice mail were quickly back in touch even if their physical phone lines were drowned or unreachable because of evacuation orders.  Even if they couldn’t take calls, they could leave announcements saying they were safe and where to locate them.  Phone numbers are a very good way to locate people.  Names, it turns out, are not.”

This excerpt from Pulver focuses on the goals of the petition and how their suggested policy might help the nation avoid similar problems in the future:

“Our Petition is pretty straightforward, and it is not intended to extol the virtues/superiority of IP-based communications. We primarily ask for a mechanism to ensure that individuals (particularly those who might not be able to afford mobile communications devices) are reachable after a public crisis that causes communications networks to go down. We propose a solution that we think could provide immediate relief before the next hurricane season and before more elaborate rules might feasibly be established.”

The BellSouth train will most likely continue to roll on. However, there are steps that people can take simply to ensure that the mistakes of the past are not repeated. Check out the petition and if you agree with the policy, let the FCC know.  Comments will be accepted till April 27, 2006.

Evslin suggests, "to comment, just go to http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/upload_v2.cgi.  The “proceeding ID” to be entered in the first line is 113227.  You just need to enter several sentences....to give reasons for your position."  Correction--This is the correct code: RM-11327. See Evslin's latest post for more info.

Do it now while there's still time to prepare before the 2006 hurricane season.

Tags: FCC, Post-Disaster Communications, telecommunications

Posted on April 11, 2006 at 05:39 PM in , | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

Daily VoIP Links for 2006-04-11

"Are we not sensitive enough to the true challenges facing our little revolution?...To address these questions, I've fashioned a list of the top ten issues that I see as counter-affecting the movement to an IP-based global infrastructure."VoIP You with my people
"Sign this petition! "This is a step towards using our experience post Hurricane Katrina to mitigate some of the worst effects of communications outages in future disasters."
"If you agree with the simple request in the Petition, I ask that you participate in the Comment cycle and spread the word among others that might care."--Jeff Pulver
"The existing telephony business, for some companies, is going to get collapsed way down...What will be the new services? The new industries?"
"A Malaysian man said he nearly fainted when he recieved a $218 trillion phone bill and was ordered to pay up within 10 days or face prosecution, a newspaper reported Monday."
AFP reports, "The survey further said that 40% of households with high-speed Internet connection would be using VoIP by 2010."

"Its no surprise to see that a new report has found that the use of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is set to double in the next 12 month

Posted on April 11, 2006 at 10:22 AM in , , , | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

April 10, 2006

Step Up to the Mic: Making Music on the Internet

New technology and an increased ability to mass communicate over the Internet is quickly changing the way that bands do business. Instead of plugging away in the studio never to be heard, future rock stars of America are skipping the meeting with the A&R guy and taking things into their own hands.

Recently, Business Week Online wrote about the new music industry:

"First, the Digital Revolution gave us inexpensive recording gear and easy-to-use software, helping amateur musicians record professional-sounding works. Now, the Internet has democratized how music is distributed and even sold."
This article goes onto cover new Web and VoIP based marketing projects including how to make and create the perfect podcast. It also leads you to great sites like MySpace, where indie bands can connect with thousands of fans, or CDBaby, for making, distributing and selling your band's CDs.

Regarding MySpace, Wired Magazine calls it the "MTV for the Net generation."  Here's how one band built up an audience:
"Hawthorne Heights is touring the country in a plush bus. The quintet's debut album, The Silence in Black and White, has sold more than 500,000 copies since its release last year, and the group has appeared on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live and been on MTV's TRL. The five young men from Dayton, Ohio, are living the rock-and-roll dream - but they took a highly unconventional path to get there. The band achieved its popularity without any real radio or TV airplay, a feat unheard-of a few years ago. They aren't signed to a major label, and they don't want to be. They don't need industrial-strength marketing campaigns or heavy rotation.

"What they have is MySpace, a community Web site that converts electronic word of mouth into the hottest marketing strategy since the advent of MTV. Massively popular, MySpace is nominally a social networking site like Friendster, but nearly 400,000 of the site's roughly 30 million user pages belong to bands. The rest belong mostly to teens and twentysomethings who attend the groups' shows, download their songs, read their blogs, send them fan mail, and enthusiastically spread the word."
Now if you’re not quite ready to record your first hit single, but you still want to have some fun using the Internet to produce music, my people is ready to help you. We give you the chance to score a track and watch as our merry little band of critters brings it to life.

Once your hit tune is recorded you can quickly send it to your friends and family, so they can catch a glimpse of your genius. Or at least the genius of the singing my people guys. You can also scan the jukebox to hear what other people have to offer. Don’t worry if you’re not a composer or even if you can’t hum, because watching the band do their thing is at least half the fun.

Posted on April 10, 2006 at 01:56 PM in , | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Daily VoIP Links for 2006-04-10

 

"Today, my kids have enough communications devices that getting their own phoneVoIP You with my people in their rooms doesn’t make any sense – they’ve got cell phones, text messaging, email, instant messaging on multiple devices."   Hey Tom, what about a VoIP phone?

"VoIP boosters see these services as nothing less than drivers that will change the very nature of how business is done. 'Four years ago we looked at VoIP as a way to put a call into the PSTN [the traditional phone network],' says Mr. Abramson. 'Now we're going to use VoIP to do things you can't do on the PSTN.'"
In the UK, "use of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony is set to grow, with another 1.9 million non-users likely to adopt the technology within a year."
"TestYourVoIP.com will make a call from wherever you are to one of our U.S. or international test locations and report the results for free."
"The reason for all of these players to be aggressively pursuing this approach is that VoIP has proven to be a cost advantage, and can enable the introduction of new value-added telephony services."
"Should the government regulate Net neutrality? Surprisingly, almost all of you were wary of government intervention, and didn’t trust the government to do the right thing here."

Posted on April 10, 2006 at 09:38 AM in , | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

April 07, 2006

Who's Looking Out for Everyman?

Who's Looking Out for Everyman?

Meet Dan. He’s an average guy with an average job. He gets a decent check. He knows enough to pay the bills, but he’s not living the life of Riley or anything. Dan’s under the impression that things are going pretty well, and that the larger issues of the world don’t really have that much of an affect on him. He comes home, fires up his computer, flips on his cable and never really questions it. What Dan doesn’t know is that there are two issues in the telecom world that could greatly change the way he uses his Internet service and his television.

Luckily, Ted Wallingford is on top of both of those issues. The first has to do with corporate and political shills posing as consumer advocacy groups. In "Dissecting astroturf groups in the telecom industry" Wallingford focuses on those who pretend to be working for Dan, but are clearly working only for themselves:
"These groups are designed to manipulate consumer and policymaker opinion about regulatory law without identifying with one corporate interest or another."
He takes on specific groups and brings their transgressions to light:
"Case in point: the Consumers for Cable Choice, which is allegedly a front group for the telco establishment. This organization airs television commercials which push for legislation that will accelerate the available of television service from incumbant phone companies like Verizon and AT&T."
He also touches on The "Keep USF Fair Coalition" that is "an astroturf that is lobbying for increased universal service fund taxes to recoup usf revenues lost to VoIP providers," saying "political speech should be honest, or it is no more than industry propaganda."

Dan also faces some problems from Congress who are desperately trying to define the "rules" of the Internet and other communication advances. For the full scope of the hearings you can check out the Jeff Pulver Blog from March 30, but here is an excerpt from Wallingford’s "What’s Up Congress?"
"The national franchise is the humdinger. A scope of service that includes a nationwide data haul would seem to indicate that it's "OK" for nationwide carriers to set and enforce discriminatory QoS measures across their entire backbone networks, placing them at a competitive (or some might say anti-competitive) advantage over application providers…who don't operate national networks."
So why should Dan be worried about fake advocates and the inner-workings of a somewhat-dated bi-cameral governmental branch? Well, because they can end up costing Dan money and his freedom to information. As the future of innovations like VoIP and general Internet use is debated, there are those that will try to put a price on services that people like Dan simply can’t afford.

Tags: VoIP, Congress, telecommunications, F2C,

Posted on April 07, 2006 at 12:27 PM in | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Daily VoIP Links for 2006-04-07

"B9Creations is making about 30 B9 replicas per year, and you can have your veryLost in Space own for only 18 grand."
Open your DSL bill a year from now and "you may find yourself muttering about why you didn't factor in your passion for the open Internet into your Election Day choices."
"Back on March 13th, Tom Evslin and I filed at petition at the FCC on Post-Disaster Communications. It is now April 6th and there is no visible sign that this is going to be sent out for public comment in time for the 2006 Hurricane Season."
"I suspect that the free market will answer with one or more neutral networks, a sort of counter-tide coming from the software and service sectors, whose intent is to decrease the cost of high-speed bandwidth."
"iBikeMount lets you attach your iPod Nano to your bike’s handlebars. It’s a little pricey for what it is at $29.99, but you can use it on exercise bikes, baby strollers and even lawnmowers if you want to."

Posted on April 07, 2006 at 08:30 AM in , , | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

April 06, 2006

Daily VoIP Links for 2006-04-06

"With giants battling giants it is easy for normal sized folk to get crushed in their wake. During times like these, it is even more important than usual for smaller companies and concerned consumers to find their voices."VoIP You with my people

 

"Hello? Anybody there? Yes. Close to 33 million Americans by 2010 for a start."
"A rift in Washington over Internet regulation is showing signs of mending, with a key politician signaling that stiffer federal regulation of broadband providers would be acceptable."

File this under "I WANT ONE."

"We have to be seen and heard, and let Congress know that we are participating in the debate." Read this article, this is important. Seriously, read the whole thing.

Posted on April 06, 2006 at 03:01 PM in , , | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

April 05, 2006

The Bigger They Are...

AT&T and BellSouth, long-time monopolizers and destroyers of the "little guy," have dominated the telecom news cycle of late. Their proposed merger (thought by many to be a done deal) has a number of industry insiders up in arms. Mark Del Bianco discussed the details of the merger, the possible struggles it will face and the potential fallout in an article on C/Net, even suggesting that this "done deal" might not be a sure thing:

"…a twist that ought to give the regulators pause. Both BellSouth and AT&T own considerable chunks of prime wireless spectrum that is unused and that could quickly and relatively cheaply be used to provide broadband services that would compete with telecom and cable wireline broadband services…"

Del Bianco believes that those opposed to the deal have a number of valid arguments:

"Competitors will no doubt argue that the Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department should worry about the loss of intermodal competition that will result if the two companies are permitted to retain this valuable spectrum…It may even be argued that AT&T and BellSouth should be required also to divest all their out-of-region spectrum in order to enable nationwide competition."

AT&T and Bell's supposed desire to squash all those who dare compete with them has plagued both company's images since the early 1900s when then AT&T President Theodore Vail unveiled his goal of "One Policy, One System, Universal Service," or as others like to call it, "world domination."

The recent attempts that the major telecom corporations have made to provide cable services have inspired backlash from smaller companies as well as other corporate Goliaths like Time Warner. The vehement disapproval of the "Bell monopolies" has been voiced in a series of ads. One ad, available from the National Cable and Telecommunications Association pretty much sums up the feelings of much of the country, and it must be seen to be truly appreciated.

AT&T has taken umbrage with these and other ads that are hitting the airwaves. They are also displeased that many cable companies have refused to show the pro AT&T ads that were, not surprisingly, created by AT&T. The company's response was covered in a recent news.com article:

"That these dominant cable operators would even attempt to manipulate the political process in this manner shows just how far the current regulatory regime has departed from basic norms of market competition and free and fair debate," AT&T said in its complaint."

The article also gave voice to the opinions of AT&T's competitors:

"Cable companies such as Time Warner Cable were quick to respond, saying they are under no obligation to carry competitors' advertisements. Comcast said it decided not to run the ads because AT&T's claims were false and unsubstantiated. The National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA) earlier this month issued a report slamming the phone companies for distorting the facts…"

With giants battling giants it is easy for normal sized folk to get crushed in their wake. During times like these, it is even more important than usual for smaller companies and concerned consumers to find their voices.

Tags: AT&T, BellSouth, telcos, telecommunications

Posted on April 05, 2006 at 03:52 PM in VoIP| | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Daily VoIP Links for 2006-04-05

my people's VoIP You Blog

We all know that you can receive your voice mail as email and send faxes with your VoIP phone, but those uses are merely the tip of the iceberg for Hollywood scenesters, The Nickelodeon set, experienced Naval officers, and everyone in between. See this article for VoIP usesthat you might not have heard about before.

Must see TV from the National Cable & Telecommunications Association.

"This phone was designed to meet strict military specifications for resistance from blowing rain, dust, shock and vibration." Also great for celebrities who like to assault people.

"Competitors will no doubt argue that the Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department should worry about the loss of intermodal competition that will result if the two companies are permitted to retain this valuable spectrum."

Is SPiT a problem? That's Spam over internet Telephony Red Herring says it's coming soon over your VoIP phone. Ken Camp says not so fast.

"So, today, I can out-Kirk Kirk with a flipphone that looks like a Star Trek communicator. But I would rather out-Kenobi with my very own light saber!  Sadly, it seems Star Wars' light sabers may be based on the same impossible physics that make "beaming me up" a hopeless impossibility."

Posted on April 05, 2006 at 11:26 AM in , | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

April 04, 2006

VoIP Pioneers: New and Novel Ways to Connect

We all know that you can receive your voice mail as email and send faxes with your VoIP phone, but those uses are merely the tip of the iceberg for Hollywood scenesters, The Nickelodeon set, experienced Naval officers, and everyone in between. The following is a list of uses for VoIP that you might not have heard about.

1. Oo-oo-ooh, Love Hurts.  VoIP Eases the Pain.

The low cost of VoIP calls is helping to ease the longing often associated with long distance relationships.  Here, Joi Ito talks about how "VoIP enables ambient virtual co-presence"--i.e., he has a friend who keeps his VoIP connection on all the time so he can hear his girlfirend go about her day while she's in another country.  Joi also knows of a man who uses VoIP to listen to his daughter's piano lessons.

Remember the line, "You had me from hello?" from Jerry Maguire?  Now thanks to inexpensive VoIP calling you can keep the conversation going, or just listen to your loved one wash the dishes.

2. In the Navy

More concerned with secure communication than the location of a ‘70s English classic rocker, the U.S. NAVY integrates VoIP technology into its ship-to-shore communications.
(From tmcnet.com ): "The US Navy has operationally demonstrated its (VoIP) switching platform as an effective solution for implementing highly efficient secure ship-to-shore voice communications. During the Navy's Trident Warrior '04 (TW04) exercise in October 2004, the Automated Digital Network System (ADNS) demonstrated the Navy's ability to...eliminate outmoded, inefficient time division multiplexing (TDM) voice network connections in favor of the converged transport of both voice and data communications over a more economical common IP-based satellite link."

3. The Life of a P.A.

A young production assistant has just finished his third straight 13-hour day on the set of a TV pilot that most likely won’t ever get that elusive green-light. Exhausted and in desperate need of some relaxation, he stumbles into a Los Angeles bar only to come face-to-face with legendary Led Zeppelin front-man Robert Plant. Being a huge fan, he does not want to look like a fool by making countless ecstatic calls in front of Mr. Plant, but he does want to get all of his friends out to the spot. His solution? He makes one call with my people's "one call, tell all" feature on his phone apprises everyone in his “group” of the situation, giving them enough time to catch a glimpse of the man who penned “Stairway to Heaven” just before he ambles out into the California night.

4.BFF ("Best Friends Forever" for those of you who have forgotten)

Always at the forefront of technology, young girls on the brink of teendom have begun to use their VoIP phones as a true sign of friendship. Telepocalypse related a story of a friend’s daughter and her phone (although the young girl’s knowledge of the post remains questionable):

“one little strange thing my daughter and her friends do with (VoIP) is they put their best friend’s picture instead of their own in the profile, strange huh? It seems that part of their identity is their best friend and they advertise who this is to each other.”

We can only assume that as long-distance lovers,. naval officers, ‘tweens, and beleaguered P.A.s continue to venture out into the world they will be the ones to find new and exciting ways to use their VoIP phones.

Tags: technology, VoIP

Posted on April 04, 2006 at 03:55 PM in VoIP| | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Daily VoIP Links for 2006-04-03

A maturing market, however, will bring it down to US$3 billion by 2010, says Juniper Research.
"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."
Clegg Ivey from Voxeo, “Telecom sucks, the internet is amazing, now telecom’s suckiness is threatening the internet."
Cute, cuddly, technology for under $30.
"The reason network neutrality is even an issue is because the telecom and cable companies (the network providers) are becoming more concentrated."
"I believe a network neutrality law is a tactical, practical, strategic and philosophical error. It takes us further away from Freedom to Connect."

Posted on April 04, 2006 at 10:51 AM in , , | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

April 03, 2006

A Brief History of Celebrity Phone (and PDA) Abuse

It seems that you can’t even turn your head these days without having a celebrity’s phone whiz right past it. While down-under actor Russell Crowe and dear, sweet Naomi Campbell dominate the “phone hurling” headlines, it is important that we look back through history to learn from those who came before. (Please note: all of these events “allegedly” took place.)

September, 1998 – Naomi Campbell Beats Assistant with Phone.

OK, so Naomi is one of those historical figures that "came before." Here’s what Newsday.com had to say about that first incident: "Campbell is accused of punching a personal assistant Georgina Galanis and hitting her with a telephone at a luxury hotel while in Toronto to film a movie."

Hey, at least she was getting film work.

February, 2005 – Paris’s Phone Hacked

Sure, Paris didn’t throw her phone, but I’m sure she would have if she wasn’t carrying her dog and that weird monkey thing. Please see Techworld.com for further details:

"Hackers have posted the mobile phone address book of hotel heiress and amateur porn celebrity Paris Hilton on the Internet, putting the phone numbers and e-mail addresses of, among others, Eminem and Christina Aguilera in the public domain. The breach could be a valuable security lesson for individuals and companies using any kind of mobile data."
I’m sure the lesson was heeded by Paris, as well. There’s no way she’ll ever do anything that would land her in the news again.

March, 2005 – Naomi Strikes Back

Oh Naomi, will you never learn? The good people at Gawker caught up with Naomi for what was at least her second gadget-related thrashing:

"Naomi Campbell allegedly continues her assistant-abusing rampage in Rio, this time slapping a young servant while simultaneously using her (PDA) to beat the girl. Can’t fault the woman for multitasking."
June, 2005 – Russell Mad. Russell Throw Phone.

Nothing says “tough guy” like going totally insane on a concierge. There was so much written about this it was hard to focus on a single quote, so I’ll leave it up to the pros at CBS News, but visit TMZ for more on this and other celebrity "meltdowns" from last year.  Excerpt: "Russell Crowe was arrested and charged Monday for allegedly throwing a telephone at an employee of the Manhattan hotel where he was staying."

February, 2006 – Hugh Grant Fights Back with Camera Phone

Showing a bit of that legendary British charm, Hugh refrains from throwing anything.

From, The Superficial: "(Hugh) was checking his phone when the photog approached and started clicking away, an eyewitness tells the paper. Hugh reportedly retaliated by pulling a patented Cameron Diaz move: He started to shoot back with his cameraphone.

"How do you like it, mate?" he's quoted as asking the lensman…"

March, 2006 – Seriously? Again?

Showing utter disdain for the month of March (that's two years in a row, Ms. Campbell), Naomi “allegedly” lashes out yet again…and yet again Gawker has the tale:

This very seriously just in: Supermodel and anger-management poster child Naomi Campbell was just arrested for assault. As we understand it, Campbell beat the crap out of a woman (we think her maid, which sounds about right), who is now at Lenox Hill Hospital. Campbell, meanwhile, is chilling at the 33rd precinct.
Someone should really introduce these people to softphones.

Posted on April 03, 2006 at 03:51 PM in Techno-tainment, technology| | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Daily VoIP Links for 2006-04-03

Voip You 

iPhone may not be real but the video is cool.
Whuh? Maybe the Apple iPhone is real?
This is your brain. This is your brain hacked with your iPod.
"A story is emerging that some folks on Wall Street think Vonage is shopping itself around as a takeover target, rather than an IPO."
"This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us."--A memo at Western Union, 1878 (or 1876).

"We are not the bogeyman, but we are the disruptors. We are the ones embracing new and emerging technologies."

Posted on April 03, 2006 at 02:08 PM in Daily VoIP Links, Daily VoIP Links| | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

What is VoIP?

Complete this sentence:  VoIP is __________.

While we here at the Voip You blog think VoIP is even cooler than Chuck Norris, most people can't tell you what VoIP is.  According to a Harris Interactive poll, 87% of Americans can't define VoIP.  In fact, 20% of the poll's respondents believed VoIP was a hybrid automobile from Europe and 10% thought it was a low-carb vodka.

What’s VOIP, you ask… and what does it have to do with me?  Well, thanks for your interest.   VoIPVoIP is a kick is a round house kick delivered upside the head of the telecommunications industry.  That's how we see it.  The more conventional definition has it that VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol is a technology that allows people to make phone calls using the Internet, instead of normal phone lines. 

Still, the round house kick analogy is more fun. 

Within the next few years, VoIP will become a common term, and it will be used to carry billions of phone calls here in the U.S. alone – with many more around the world.  Why? Because VoIP is cheaper than traditional phone service.  Or, back to our analogy, VoIP will put a well-deserved beat-down on your phone bill.  And, VoIP phone service has evolved to being as simple to use and as reliable as any phone service you might be using today – so this might be for you, right?

Here’s the deal… and the reason for this blog. There are still people out there that just don’t understand VoIP or Internet telephony or Voice over Broad Band (VoBB) or whatever the latest terminology happens to be. 

Well, here’s where the VoIP You blog comes in.  We are here to debunk the myths, educate the willing and generally hold your hand as you walk through the exciting world of VoIP.

Posted on April 03, 2006 at 11:02 AM in VoIP| | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)