Interfaith conversations my arse…

Arabs are just sad.

Due to the current crisis in the region; calls to Lebanon (perviously 23¢/Min  for mobiles and 14¢ for landlines) are now being offered for free to all Olivoice users till the end of July.
Check it Out

Tongue twisting aside, Olivoice is the latest VoIP/VoBB service to hit the market with its offerings; while Batelco & JTC (whose service has been terminated/withdrawn this year) launched their own VoIP services last year, Olivoice sets a new standard for Middle Eastern VoIP companies and promises international call rates below 3 cents.

Like Vonage, Olivoice is a VoBB (Voice Over Broadband) service that allows you to make and receive phone calls over your existing broadband connection using a regular phone. Their edge is low call rates to the Middle East. For instance Vonage charges $0.23 cents to Saudi Arabia while Olivoice’s rates start at $0.05 to the same destination. Prices should drop further with time as they negotiate better deals with local telcoms.

But it really doesn’t stop at price wars. Their set of features is what interests me most. Olivoice comes with 12 features straight out of the box, including VoIP2Go, a service that allows you to utilize your VoIP account straight from your cellphone or any domestic phone to make calls using your olivoice account. Sweet!

On the techical side, Olivoice uses 4 different voice codecs and is setup to use G711Ulaw by default. A user can change the codec based on their bandwidth, if you’re using a slow ISDN connection for instane you might want to opt for G729a or ILBC (Internet Low Bit Rate Codec) codecs.

At the present time, you can only use Olivoice service using the bundled Sipura 2100 series ATA; future advancements could include the ability to make calls via a softphone using your computer or PDA on any WiFi network.

According to their prelaunch website the service will be launched in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and the Arab World. You can register to receive a discount code to use when they launch their service.

The first 100 registered users will receive a 25% discount. If you were a bit late and not from the first 100 registered users you still get a 10% discount, guaranteed!

Check out their website
English Version | Arabic Version

So you want a free VOIP phone for Skype? Centercode are having a beta test, here’s how to get it one:

Do you Skype? Centercode is pleased to offer another excellent test to our community. This new product greatly enhances and improves a user’s experience with VoIP with a special integrated functionality with Skype.

Qualified candidates will be active Skype users who use the software on a regular basis. This project is an international test. This means we will be need participants from all every continent to participate.

There’s also a Conference Phone test for small businesses.

Shout out to our anonymous tipster, leave a name next time

SIPphone annouced Area775 today. A new VOIP service that allows you to pick a free DID number that can be called from any landline, mobile phone or computer connected to the internet. Users can take advantage of a free U.S. telephone number in the 775 area code or pay $3.95 per month and select a different U.S. area code.

Interesting concept. I wonder what Skype’s next move will be. Skype in for free?

Note: You will be asked for a credit card number. Charges will only be made if you utilize their dual ring call service
Digg It

It seems a new player is jumping into the VoIP bandwagon almost everyday now. Skype, Gizmo, OpenWengo, Google Talk, you name it. Clearly Skype is the market leader. By offering free PC-2-PC VoIP calls and dirt cheap SkypeOut service Skype managed to create a ripple effect all across the internet, but cheap is not free.

Enter VOIP Stunt

Hideous interface aside; it seems VOIP stunt is offering free calling to landlines in 36 countries, including Australia, Austria, Ireland, Spain and the United Kingdom (Canada and the United States are on the list as well). Sweet? It gets even better! The software promises no adware, malware, or spyware, which is a major plus, but I still attach my standard privacy policy warning.

I still haven’t tested the service due to bandwidth congestion at the office, so I can’t really recommend it (I might review it later on) but feel free to Try It

From Wengo comes WengoPhone (WP) an open source Voice over IP aletrantive to Skype. Although lacking in several areas in my opinion especially GUI wise, WP brings the ability to make and receive SIP calls, send SMS as well as video conferencing.

I’m not going to debate whether open-source code is good or bad for you. I’m perfectly fine with a closed-source code solution provided that it follows industry standards. What makes VoIP potentially disruptive to the communication industry as we know it today, is the existence of SIP (Session Initiation Protocol). SIP allows different VoIP services to interoperate over the internet directly without ever hitting the traditional phone network (PSTN). Simply providing the kind of interoperability and interconnectivity we have come to expect from the Internet.

So what’s the big deal? Skype and several other VoIP services DO NOT ALLOW their users to call anyone outside their service over the internet. For example, if you’re a Voiceglo user you cannot call a Skype user without hitting PSTN. If that didn’t paint a crystal clear picture it might be useful to think of Skype as an island excluded from the rest of the world.

WengoPhone on the other hand is an Open-Standards Platform, which means that you’re able to call and receive calls from users that are not using the same software. The media has not yet grasped the significance of this, and still report about VoIP in the same old terms; still considering the traditional PSTN as the only means to interconnect.

OpenWengo is currently available for Windows Only, and with Linux, OSX and WinCE clients in the work.

Related

• [Microsoft Ventures inVoIP]
• [Intel takes a stake at Skype]
• [Ahmad Humeid's Project Gizmo: An “open standards” Skype replacement?]
• [OpenWengo Developer Resources / Wiki]
• [PhoneGiam]

Tags: [Softphone] [VoIP] [Skype] [OpenWengo] [SIP] [Session Initiation Protocol] [Voice over IP]

Intel is not the only one venturing into VoIP, last wednesday Microsoft announced the purchase of VoIP software and service provider Teleo. Microsoft will work on integrating Teleo’s technology into its own VoIP products and IM clients.

Teleo’s ability to make PC-to-Phone calls will position Microsoft as a direct competitor to Skype; and they’re definately not wasting any time, they expect to have Teleo technology integrated into MSN Messenger by the end of this year. You can expect Microsoft to leverage the relationship it already has with businesses through its Microsoft Office Suite by integrating VoIP features. They’re in a powerful position to offer communication solutions to their customers; it’s surprising it’s coming to the game so late with this purchase.

If anything, this is a sure sign that VoIP is gaining momentum.

Related Links [Microsoft Press Release] [Teleo] [eWeek's Article]
Tags: [VoIP] [Skype] [Teleo] [MSN Messenger] [Voice Over IP]

Does Apple Even Own iPod?
Earlier on I’ve blogged about Microsoft patenting iPod Interface; Creative Technologies decided to raise another legal threat to the iPod music player, and has been awarded a U.S. patent for a song-navigation technology it claims is used on Apple Computer’s market-leading devices.

“Apple tried to claim invention, but this patent dispels that,” said Craig McHugh, president of Creative Labs, a Milpitas-based subsidiary. “We are going to look at all the alternatives that the patent provides. We can look at legal remedies.”

No word yet on how Creative intends on enforcing it’s patent.

More iPod Related Stories:
[Apple's Secret is Out] [iPod Phone] [Microsoft Patents iPod Technology]

Google Maps Update New Orleans
Google Maps has updated its service by adding a ‘Katrina’ button alongside the current ‘Map’, ‘Satellite’, and ‘Hybrid’ options. Satellite images were taken on August 31. In order to view the new images enter “New Orleans” in the search bar. To view a “before & after” click the satellite button to view older images.

More Katrina Stories:
[In the Wake of a Storm] [Katrina in the News]
More Google Related Stories:
[Google Eying Talent] [Google Talk] [Google Knows]

FreeSpire, a free copy of Linspire (Limited Time)
The people at Linspire are giving Linspire 5.0 away for free (digital download only) until September 6th. Simply go to purchase the $49.95 digital edition, and then enter coupon code ‘freespire’ to receive a $49.95 discount.”

More on Freespire
[Freespire Press Release] [Linspire]

Intel’s Disruption
Trying to repeat the success of its Centrino brand for notebook computers, Intel said it will launch a set of technologies geared specifically for entertainment PCs. Look out for “Intel Viiv” sticker, coming to a computer near you. Intel also seems to have bought a stake in the in internet phone phenomenon Skype

Tags: [iPod] [Linux] [Freespire] [Google Maps] [Technology News] [Intel] [Skype]