Posts filed under 'VoIP'
We just switched to VoIP and in the process installed a semi-large Vonage box into my bedroom. I now sleep with the shimmer of quicky mart blue from its always glowing LED lights. If you wanna circumvent the large and glowing, then the SmartLink Micro Analog Telephone Adapter (M-ATA) by Patton is probably a great option. We’re not sure if it will work with any VoIP service or if comes with its own, but at just 3.6″ long by 2.1″ wide by .78″ high and .2lbs it makes this device an obvious choice for any road warrior or aesthetically sensitive folk. Includes caller ID, call blocking, call waiting and works with firewalls and faxes. Looks like an AC adapter is required for use, but hey, this thing is still really small.
Super-small VoIP adapter for phone, FAX [MobileMag]
March 17th, 2006
D-Link, manufacture of all things network oriented, has plans to enter the wireless phone market. The DPH-540 handset appears to contain no cell phone compatibility, but is designed for WiFi VoIP calls out of the box with any service. The 802.11g based phone includes a color display, text messaging, and other cell phone like features. Availability and pricing are unknown.
D-Link Announces Wireless G Flip-Style WiFi Mobile Phone [Techspot]
March 14th, 2006
What plays MP3s, is 802.11g compatible, can make calls via landline or VoIP, and closely resembles an iPod Mini? Give up? The FRITZ! mini of course. The device can also stream internet radio, display weather, news, stock quotes and more in RSS on the color LCD display, and notify you of text messages or emails in your FRITZ box. Should be available 3rd quarter from AVM. Price unknown.
FRITZ Mini Does It All: VoIP, 802.11g, MP3 [MobileMag]
March 10th, 2006
Skype’s sale to Ebay might not be what the owners wanted but they did it anyway. There are rumors flourishing, and Skype has been linked to not only Google and Ebay, but to Yahoo and News Corp. Even one of its founders implied the following (excerpt from Businessweek.com):
At eBay, Skype “would be a second fiddle [to the site's trademark auction software], as eBay is already successful and profitable,” says Arnold. “Skype would be on the outside, looking in.”
It is still my firm opinion that any company that pays $4 billion for Skype is nuts. Sure they handle over a third of VOIP calls in the US (so does Vonage), but they are only due to make $60 million in revenue this year. The VOIP landscape is going to change extremely fast as Google recently entered the market. My recommendation is that any one (eBay) looking to buy Skype, take great heed. What may seem like a great acquisition right now may turn around to be one of the grossest over payments of all time.
September 16th, 2005
Vonage is expected to file for public status any day, and it may just rival the hoopla that surrounded Google’s IPO. Vonage is one of the biggest providers of VoIP (voice over IP), taking a large share of the market.
The biggest concern right now amongst investors is whether or not Vonage will truly perform due to the overwhelming number of competitors (Vonage’s share of the market dropped from 60% to 30% this year). Cable and other telecom giants pose a large threat to their business. Just do a Google search for ‘VoIP’ and you will see what I mean; there are currently 1,110 VoIP service provider. Number of subscribers to VoIP by 2009 is expected to reach 28 million.
There is most certainly some money in the space, but ask a colleague of mine and he will tell you that Vonage provides terrible service. According to him he couldn’t get through to customer service and when he did he couldn’t get through to their inept staff. To make matters worse there has been recent concern about the inability to dial emergency numbers from VoIP. There was a law suit that accused of Vonage of being negligible but Vonage claims to have made the ‘inability’ extremely apparent in their packaged materials.
September 12th, 2005
Thomson made a major step in VoIP phones — they got rid of the computer. Typically, VoIP (voice over ip) allows you to use your computer to make phone calls over your broadband internet connection. However, with the new EV5203-C by Thomson, you’ll be able to plug the phone directly into your router.
This VoIP phone, the first fruit from Thomson’s purchase of Invente, will originally be passed out to service providers who will customize the Linux-based software to offer to consumers. Will the phone be customizble by the user? Well since it’s Linux, I’m pretty sure some hacker will make sure of that.
Take that DSL / land line! Bring on the cable.
September 1st, 2005
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