Monday, November 30, 2009

Tadiran Telecom Bags Two More Subway Telecom Deals In China.

Tadiran Telecom, snapvoip.blogspot.com/

Tadiran Telecom, announced today that it has been successful in acquiring  contracts to build two large telecommunications projects in mainland China.

Tadiran has been selected to provide The Beijing Subway with advanced telecom solutions for its expansion of the Yizhuang Line, and to deploy both dispatching applications and administrative usage systems in the Chongqing Metro.
KTT, Tadiran’s subsidiary in China, will implement these projects.

The Chongqing Metro will be equipped with 28 units of Tadiran Telecom's IPx 3000 and IPx 800 systems connected over 16 km of track. Tadiran's systems will provide administrative and dispatch (operational) communications solutions, as well as network-wide management applications that will include state-of-the-art touch-screen consoles and the powerful Coral Network Management System for maintaining the entire network.

Beijing’s Yizhuang Line, set to open in December 2010, will be approximately 23 km long and include six underground stations and eight surface stations. Like the Chongqing Metro, Tadiran will supply comprehensive administrative and dispatch communications solutions that will consist of two separate networks of 41 Coral servers (Coral IPx 3000, IPx 4000 and FlexiCom 5000 models), the Coral Network Management System and the special dispatching consoles.

“We are pleased to have won yet another tender for The Beijing Subway, and also that Chongqing Metro selected Tadiran’s scalable Coral dispatching solution for deployment there, These two important contracts in China are clearly a direct result of the successful completion of similar rail communication projects in Beijing and the quality of Tadiran’s product portfolio.” said Zeev Aviv, acting CEO and president of Tadiran Telecom.

 Tadiran

CrunchPad Joins The DeadPool

CrunchPad Is Dead snapvoip.blogspot.com
Techcrunch (Micheal Arrington) has informed us that the much awaited CrunchPad, tablet computer is dead. It was slated to have been demoed on November 20th. I was actually waiting for it, with cash in my hand. Because one thing I like the concept and secondly, it was a collective bay area effort, where I live.
I even defended Arrington and the team that the crunchpad was vaporware, only last week. We needed the pad for a project that is under development at the moment. It is a sad tale of greed, jealousy and miscommunication that led to the following from one of the development team, but be aware, there is always, two sides to the coin.

We still acknowledge that Arrington and TechCrunch bring some value to your business endeavor…If he agrees to our terms, we would have Arrington assume the role of visionary/evangelist/marketing head and Fusion Garage would acquire the rights to use the Crunchpad brand and name. Personally, I don’t think the name is all that important but you seem to be somewhat attached to the name
said an email Arrington got from Chandra Rathakrishnan of fusiongarage. Well the crunchpad has gone to the deadpool but there might be a bunch of lawsuits.
Techcrunch

25 Million Cellular Phones Slated Go Offline In India For Lack Of IMEI.

25 Million Cellular Phones Offline In India. snapvoip.blogspot.com
Due to the lack of  IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) on mobile phone in used today in India may go offline due to state regulations.
DoT, Department of Telecom in India has instructed to block all phones without IMEI number. Most phone imported improperly from China lacks the IMEI number and faces the shutdown.
To avoid being shutdown the suscribers have two choices, one to get a new phone with an IMEI number or get a new IMEI number added to the phone via a software configuration.
One can pres the sequnce of keys *#06#to find your IMEI number.
The reason given for the shutdown is to prevent bad people from using the anonymity for their advantage.
thenextweb

Friday, November 27, 2009

Google Chrom OS Image With Wi-Fi Support For DELL Mini


Chrom OS Bootable USB Image snapvoip.blogspot.com/
One of the Dell folks ( DELL-Doug A) has gone through the pains of getting device drivers working with Dell Mini and created a USB drive image. WIth the sprit of Chome OS which is not much of an experience without network connection, the working Broadcom drivers come as a blessing.
To get the image working, you will need a USB key of at least 8GB and a method to get the image on to the USB key in a bootable format. Just copying the image on to a USB key will not work.
If you are on a Lunux machine, you could use the "dd" command to get the image on to an USB key;
dd if=ChromiumOS_Mini10v_Nov25.img of=/dev/sdb  
provided that your USB key is the device sdb. (it could easily be sda or sdc depending on how many storage devices you have on your machine. Take care not to over write one of your hard drive in the process. (You can run "fdisk -l" to list the devices you have).
The image comes with all the goodies as well as some caveats;

  • It will take more than 5-10 *minutes* for the ChromiumOS network connection manager to "see" the access points and allow you to select and connect - be patient.
  • Wired connections appear to work fine and appear quick to connect.
  • There are currently issues with both the connection manager as well as the underlying components (wpa_supplicant) that can easily break or get hung. When in doubt, reboot and give it another try.
  • Use this image at your own risk - it comes to you totally unsupported and very minimally tested.
 Once you get the image on to an USB key and reboot the machine with it plugged in to boot from it. If you are successful in geting the image working please be aware of the following;
  • The user name to login is "dell". The desktop login window will complete the user name by adding "@gmail.com" to the end
  • The user password is "dell"
  • The root password is set to "dell"
  • I've included a script in /etc called "mount_rw.sh" to allow root (or sudo) to remount the root partition for updates/changes/whatever you like.
 I have just downloaded the image but have not tried it yet.
Dell Blogs

HTC HD2 Reviewed

HTC HD2 Reviewed snapvoip.blogspot.com
Ebgadget has done a super job of reviewing HTC HD2, to me it is as important as the phone itself. The phone is equipped with a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, a generous 4.3-inch, 800 x 480 capacitive WVGA touchscreen display, an auto-focusing 5-megapixel camera with dual LED flash, GPS, and lots of other bells and whistles has made this phone the flagship of Windows Mibile 6.5 showcase. It seems that the phone is capable of bringing true capacity of the Windows Mobile 6.5.
But it is also seems that HTC's "sense" interface, the best of all HTC phones, is making the phone and the OS stand out, rather than being just a pinted face on the underlying OS.
The phone's hardware is not average either, in addition to Snapdragon processor and the large display, there is 512MB of ROM, 448MB of RAM, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1,  a microSD slot (supporting up to 32GB cards),  an accelerometer, proximity sensor, and light sensor completes the phone ready complete most of the day to day mobile tasks and more.
Link to the great review after the jump.

engadget

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Google Phone Coming Again, Soon, The Super Android

The Super Android snapvoip.blogspot.com


After we published about the first Google Phone, "Google phone coming soon", it went on the digg to become most dugg article on SnapVoIP. Now again, Google is planing another upheaval in the mobilesphere according to TechCrunch.
Micheal goes into say that the phone will be made by HTC and seems be carried around by testers at Google / Android team. It is or similer to The HTC Dragon / HTC Passion which is equipped with 1Ghz Snapdragon processor, run Android 2.0 with HTC Sense, have a 480×800 capacitive touch screen display. Basically a more powerful Droid without a keyboard.
Perhaps the Droid iPhone war will pave the way for the real Google phone, which is slated to become unique to Google as the iPhone was to Apple. I am looking forward to it and I have a feeling that it will provide BlackBerry users what they do not find in an iPhone.
Taking all the rumors (all of the above included) also suggesting that LG Electronics might be building the Google Phone instead of HTC.
But the best so far is that The Super Android, the Google Phone II will be a VoIP and data phone. 3G or 4G Android, based on the carrier.
Techcrunch

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Tesco To Carry iPhone In UK

Tesco iPhone snapvoip.blogspot.com

Retail chain Tesco will be carrying iPhones on its shelves next to Xmas carol CDs, stocking stuffers and ornaments this year it seems. But unlike the iPhone walmard deal, this one might bring out some competition as TescoMobile already has some competitive plans.
What ever the case UK iPhone customers will still be riding the O2 network as TescoMobile contracts with O2 to provide services. Lets see how these Androids might shake up the the mighty iPhone.
Tesco Mobile through its joint venture partnership with O2 is pleased to announce that it will shortly introduce iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS in Tesco Phone Shops and online through Tesco Direct in the UK.
For further information and for customers interested in pre-registration please visit www.tescomobileiphone.com.  
For more information on iPhone, please visit www.apple.com/iphone.
Tescomobile

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Offline Gmail Gets Attachments!

Offline Gmail snapvoip.blogspot.com
If you are one of those who requested ability to attach files to your emails while composing offline, you can smile now. GMail engineers have made the changes necessary so that attachments work the same way whether you are online or offline. You can just compose your message, add attachments and just send the message off.
In order to use this feature, you need to enable offline access through the GMail Labs tab;

  1. Select Enable next to Offline Gmail.
  2. Click Save Changes.
  3. After your browser reloads, you'll see a new "Offline" link in the upper right hand corner of the Gmail page, next to your username. Click this link to start the offline set up process and download Gears if you don't already have it.
If you do use the offline GMail, the GMail team would love to see photos of you using GMail from unusual places, like with a netbook from a mountain top or a ski lift! If you do, send the photos to hikingfan@gmail.com and you might see yourself on the GMail blog!
Official Gmail Blog: Send attachments while offline

Google Apps Connector For BlackBerry Enterprise Server 1.5 Serves More Users.

Enabling companies of all sizes to connect to Google Apps via their own BlackBerry Enterprise Server, Google Apps Connector for BES(BlackBerry Enterprise Server) 1.5 has entered a new era supporting a new regimen of users.
The initial Google Apps Connector for BES was focused on smaller companies running their own BES. But now the number of users per server has jumped to 500, doubling the previous number. Now companies of all sizes could combine the goodness of Google Apps with BlackBerry Enterprise Servers mobile capabilities.
But Google Apps are not leaving the small business behind;

Small businesses get more flexibility too. The Apps Connector now supports BlackBerry Professional Software, which is designed for up to 30 BlackBerry smartphones. We've also made it possible for a single BlackBerry Enterprise Server to serve users in multiple Google Apps domains, enabling low cost hosting services to be offered by our hosting partners.

Official Google Enterprise Blog: Google Apps Connector for BlackBerry Enterprise Server now connects businesses of all sizes

http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/

Google Maps Navigation App Ready For Android 1.6, In Time For Thanksgiving Travels:

Google Maps Navigation Comes To Android 1.6, Snapvoip



We were happy to see Android 2.0 users getting Google Maps Navigation beta a few weeks ago and at the same time wished that Google will provide Android 1.6 users with the same navigation capabilities.
Yes Google has expanded the service and the app to Android 1.6 platform and now the T-Mobile myTouch 3G and the T-Mobile G1 users will have the capability of traveling north for the Thanksgiving Holidays (At least that is the direction I will be traveling).
If you are a Android 1.6 user, you can download an updated version of Google Maps from Android Market to use Navigation today. Google Maps Navigation is in beta and is currently available in the United States. Some features of Android 2.0 are not available on Android 1.6.
But it will provide you with the capability to enter your destination to find fresh map, business, traffic data, satellite and Street View imagery along your route. If you find a place that you do not know about, you can check out the wikipedia to see if anyone has that information entered.



Official Google Mobile Blog: Happy Thanksgiving Travels: Google Maps Navigation now available for Android 1.6

Ebay Introduces A New iPhone App, Deals.

Ebay iPhone App snapvoip.blogspot.com


Ebay has introduced a new iPhone application and updates to it's existing application in anticipation of brisk holiday sales. But Ebay also predicts that mobile sales will exceed $500 Million this year. In addition to mobile apps, Ebay also has revamped it's mobile website @ (m.ebay.com).
Ebay Deals iPhone App (iTunes)
Press Release
eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) today made it easier for iPhone and iPod touch owners to shop eBay anytime, anywhere with the release of its new “Deals” application, providing a constant stream of the best deals across hundreds of millions of ebay.com listings. Available for free download on iTunes®, the Deals application features simple, intuitive navigation, customizable search features and PayPal® integration that makes check-out fast and easy.
The Deals app is the latest addition to eBay’s mobile offerings; eBay just released an upgraded version of its eBay iPhone app with new features such as social networking integration. An enhanced mobile web interface (m.ebay.com) also makes it simple to browse ebay.com on any mobile phone equipped with a web browser. All three offer consumers the ability to browse and buy on the go.
“As the world’s leading online marketplace we have insights into how people really want to shop … and they clearly want to shop on their phones,” said eBay Marketplaces President Lorrie Norrington. “It’s apparent that consumers want to shop for what they want, when they want and WHERE they want, and that’s not necessarily when they’re sitting in front of a computer or even walking through a store. This eBay app for the iPhone is the ultimate tool to put great value and selection at their fingertips on the go, wherever they are.”
Additionally, a special ‘12 Days of Deals’ will begin this Friday, November 27. eBay’s first of the ‘12 Days of Deals’ will go live with a Samsung Netbook N120-12GBK. Other exclusive Mystery Deals will be featured each day until Dec. 8.
“A deal means something different to everyone,” continued Norrington. “Our new Deals app allows you to create and personalize your own deal searches on the fly. This means you’ll never miss a deal … and the deals will find you. eBay’s new and upgraded iPhone offerings take advantage of typical smart phone features such as email, voice, alerts and orientation detector, all of which help shoppers find, share and buy from ebay.com while they’re mobile.”

AT&T Introduces Dataconnect PassSM, Pay-as-you-need Data Service

AT&T Dataconnect PassSM snapvoip.blogspot.com
AT&T has introduced  new prepaid broadband plans targeted  at netbook and laptop users who find themselves at lost without being tethered to the net. Verizon also offered a similar plans earlier($15 per day for 75MB, $30 per week for 250MB, or $50 per month for 500MB) and perhaps AT&T is determined not to be outdone by Verizon. Customers can purchase packages in advance for one day or one week or one month and options include:

  • DataConnect Day Pass (75 MB) – $15
  • DataConnect Week Pass (250 MB) – $30
  • DataConnect Month Pass (500 MB) – $50
“This is about choice and flexibility — giving our customers more ways to match their own data needs, on their own time and with their own budget, We want our network to be open, accessible and useful in a way that accommodates unique customer needs. DataConnect PassSM is another way consumers can customize the AT&T experience. ” said Mark Collins, senior vice president-Voice and Data Products, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets.
AT&T

HP AT&T Introduces HP iPaq Glisten, 3G World Phone

HP iPaq Glisten snapvoip.blogspot.com


HP and AT&T has introduced a new business HP iPaq Glisten slated for mobile professionals looking for windows mobile based phones.
The phone sports an AMOLED (active-matrix organic light-emitting diode) screen with touch capabilities built-in Wi-Fi, GPS functionality and is powered by Microsoft Windows® Mobile 6.5 operating system. As usual users will be able to access Windows Marketplace for Mobile for variety of applications.
Hardware wise, the phone has Qualcomm 7200A processor, 256MB memory and 512MB Flash ROM. Users will be able to add storage capacity via microSD slot. There is also a qwerty keypad and a 3.1 Megapixel, fixed focus camera.
“The iPAQ Glisten packs a powerful punch with its multiple input methods, variety of connectivity options, and a familiar, consistent email experience that allows mobile professionals to connect with the people and information that matter most to them, Our strategy for success in growing the iPAQ business and customer base is working with industry leaders, like AT&T and Microsoft, and leveraging our collective strengths in the business and prosumer markets.” said Susan Macke, vice president, Marketing, Handheld Global Business Unit, Personal Systems Group, HP.
 AT&T

"Can your phone and your network do that?" Apple Tries Hitting Back At Verizon!

Can your phone and your network do that snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Yes Without Even Jailbreaking, if Apple is trying to imply that iPhone can multitask.
The new campaign by Apple shows iPhone's ability to carry voice and data simultaneously on AT&T's network (mmmph :) in these two new spots and asks user "Can your phone and your network do that?" The only answer I had was given above. Putting a call on hold to do something else is not multitasking, I do that with my home phone which is more than 10 years old!
It is not the phone but the network that makes anything on any other network look and work better. Instead of fighting ads, add more cell towers!
Nothing beats Verizon 3G ads!
FAIL.

Sony Ericsson's Satio Sales Suspended By Vendors

Sony Ericsson's Satio Sales Suspended snapvoip.blogspot.com


UK's largest mobile phone retailers, Carphone Warehouse and Phones 4U shops have stopped selling the Sony Ericsson's Symbian-powered Satio phone.
It was a reaction to numerous custoer complaits and returns. Apparently a software glitch that cannot be fixed over the air update, is making the device power down when users access certain software. engadget have found multiple complaints of freezes, crashes, under-performing batteries, and bizarre interface behavior reported by users.
Soby has acknowledged the fact and expects to have a resolve by Xmas.
But do not despair if you are still wanting to buy the phone, like always, carriers like Vodafone, Orange and T-Mobile.always willing to sell you one, working or not!
engadget

Multitasking On iPhone With Multifl0w, Jailbroken Ones Only!

Multitasking On iPhone snapvoip.blogspot.com


Even though worms on iPhone scare people not to jailbreak iPhones, apps like Multifl0w bring people right back to it, because Apple is not giving that capability, be it due to battery life or out right control freakism!
The Multifl0w app is basically a App backgrounder and a task switcher. The Multifl0w basically allows iPhone to be like an Android or a Palm Pre!when it comes to multitasking.

But watch out for those batteries! Apps running in the background can easily eat into your battery life easily, unknowing to you!.
You can get it from jailbroken app store rockyourphone and said to be coming to cydia soon!
Multifl0w

New iPhone Worm Targets Jailbroken iPhones!

iPhone worm snapvoip.blogspot.com
Unlike to previously released harmless worm, the new iPhone worm is looking for Dutch ING customers who login via their Jailbroken iPhone and iPod Touch. But it is also the clueless users who installs SSH and leave the default password unchanged that get victimized. This worm uses command-and-control like a traditional PC botnet, using two startup scripts. First one runs on boot-up invoking the worm and the second creates a connection to a Lithuanian server (HTTP) to upload stolen data and let the perpetrators know about the victim
So if you are using a jailbroken iPhone, and have SSH installed, change the password!
You can do that by visiting Cydia app store and installing the MobileTerminal App. Once you have the app, run it and use the passwd command to change the default from "alpine" to whatever you want but something better than rockies.
But if you really want the App freedom, there are many fine Android phones.
Sophos

Monday, November 23, 2009

Cisco Security Intelligence Operations (SIO) To Go On iPhone.

Cisco SIO iPhone app snapvoip.blogspot.com


Cisco has released Cisco® SIO To Go, an Apple iPhone application that puts the power of the Cisco Security Intelligence Operations (SIO) in the palm of iPhone users, giving them real-time access to  actionable global security information. The Cisco SIO iPhone application could be personalized to show only those security threats that could impact their network.
"Enabling borderless networks is critical for today's business success.  A key component of enabling individuals to connect to their business networks from anywhere is working to ensure that the network is protected regardless of the device used. Our new Cisco SIO To Go iPhone application is another important step in making this vision a reality. It improves the means by which IT departments are alerted to threats, and it provides added confidence and device flexibility as Cisco customers are shielded from these breaches."Marie Hattar, vice president, Cisco Network Systems Solutions Marketing

Cisco SIO To Go iPhone Features

Powered by the Cisco Security IntelliShield Alert Manager Service, the Cisco SIO To Go iPhone application informs, protects and enables users to respond in real time to alerts and threats to the network. The application delivers early warning intelligence, threat vulnerability and proven Cisco mitigation solutions to users' iPhones as they occur. It also provides unique IP and URL address e-mail and Web reputation look-up powered by the Cisco IronPort® SenderBase Security Network and the Cisco SIO.
Alerts delivered include:
  • Cisco Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT) Alerts
  • Cisco Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) Signatures
  • Cisco Applied Mitigation Bulletins
  • Cisco Threat Outbreak Alerts
  • And many others
 The Cisco SIO iPhone application is free and will be available soon at the Apple iTunes Store.

Major Consumer Advocasy Groups Oppose Comcast-NBC Universal Merger .

Comcast-NBC Universal Merger snapvoip.blogspot.com
According to speedmatters.org, The Communications Workers of America have joined forces with Free Press and the Consumers Federation of America oppose the idea of anticipated Comcast-NBC Universal Merger.

"With this acquisition, Comcast will have the market power to determine what programs get aired and how much people pay to view programs on every media channel: cable, television, and the Internet, The merged entity would control one out of every five viewing hours in the United States." said CWA senior director George Kohl.
This merger seems to be bad for everyone except the wall street honchos. Some of the main reasons seems to be;
  • Comcast is the nation's largest cable company with 24 million viewers and has control of significant regional sports programming;
  • With the deal, they would add a major TV network, 27 local TV stations, multiple cable channels, Internet entertainment website Hulu and vast amounts of programming and movies;
  • Comcast has a long history of violating workers' rights, firing pro-union workers, stalling contract negotiations and launching aggressive campaigns to decertify local unions; and,
  • Comcast has a long history of non-democratic processes, notably its severe limitations on shareholders rights.
Free Press launched a website devoted to fighting the merger - and asks visitors to sign a letter to President Obama and spread the word about the merger via email and social networking websites. So if you believe this to be true, please spread the word.

Free Calls On Thanksgiving Day From TruPhone.

Free Calls On Thanksgiving Day snapvoip.blogspot.com


If you are unable to visit with your close ones for this thanksgiving day, there is at least one consolation. TruPhone is providing free calls for 12 hours on Thanksgiving day. All calls made to US landlines or mobiles, using Truphone, will be completely free;

Call anyone
You can call any US landline or mobile/cell phone(US only, Canada is not included)
Call everyone
Make one call, make several calls. You can make as many free calls as you want, within those 12 hours.
Open to all
Whether you're new to Truphone or already using it, you can make free calls, no matter where you are.
No changes
You don't need to buy anything or change your settings, to make free calls on the day.
The Free Calls on Thanksgiving day, Thursday, November 26th 2009, will be available between midday and midnight GMT. You need to vary of the time and Truphone has a tool to find the right time slot for your time zone. For an example, mine, which is Pacific Standard time zone will have free calls from From: 04:00 (Thursday 26th) To: 16:00 (Thursday 26th). TruPhone has provided a tool to find the correct time slot on their site. (Follow the link below)

So say Happy Thanksgiving day to as many as you want!
TruPhone

GrandCentral Website Will Shutdown On December 31, 2009

GrandCentral Site Shutting Down snapvoip.blogspot.com



Google Voice has informed all the GrandCentral users the iminent shutdown of GranfCentral website. Grand Central is now Google Voice.
Google left the site running even after launching the Google Voice so that users could down load messages etc. But that has been a long time now. Google sent out the following message;
Dear GrandCentral User (.........):

We're writing to let you know that we will be closing down the GrandCentral website as of December 31, 2009.
All GrandCentral accounts were upgraded to Google Voice earlier this year, but since that time, you've still been able to log-in to your GrandCentral account and listen to old messages there. You will no longer be able to log-in to your GrandCentral account after December 31. Because of this, we strongly suggest downloading any messages or contacts that you want to keep in the next 43 days.
We will send you another reminder before closing down the site, but we suggest you take action now to download any information you want to keep.
- The Google Voice Team
Bye Bye GrandCentral!

Sunday, November 22, 2009

ITEXPO 2010 East Seems To

ITEXPO 2010 East snapvoip.blogspot.com



TMC team is already hard at work to get the upcoming ITEXPO 2010 East another memorable event. Yes Time passes so fast and while it seems only yesterday that we attended ITEXPO 2009 West, most of us are ready to have another load of knowledge. It has become a regular venue for me over the years where I go to pick up information and to learn from the masters of the trade. So Keynotes were always very important to me as well as the conferences I attend.
2010 is not much different and there is a wealth of keynotes presented by companieas such as Google Voice, Sprint, Digium, Polycom, Skype and Verizon Wireless.
But you cannot afford to miss all the conferences that are offered at the show either! I usuall chose a few but again this year I will have to toss a coin, a few times. Following are the conferences;
  • Business Communications Delivery Options
  • Call Center
  • Developer
  • Enterprise
  • HD Voice
  • Service Provider
  • Unified Communications
  • Video Communications,
But I learned through a post by Rich Tehrani of TMC, that there are a couple of vehicles to be given away!
Rich Tehrani
ITEXPO 2010 East (Register here)

BlackBerry Bold 9700 Arrives In AT&T Stores.


BlackBerry Bold 9700 at AT&T snapvoip.blogspot.com
Finally after what it seems eons in smartphone times,, AT&T has taken off some time from fighting Verizon 3G Maps ads to place BlackBerry Bold 9700 on it's sheleves.
But I guess people who were waiting for BlackBerry Bold 9700 already got them from T-Mobile. 
BGR

Backing Up Your SmartPhone.


Backing Up Your SmartPhone. snapvoip.blogspot.com
I backup my phones, iPhone, Android and BlackBerry like a prayer. But when I saw the article on Gizmodo, I realized that many people may not! So if you are one of them I suppose you follow the link and read it.
Gizmodo

Be A DJ With Your iPhone With Touch DJ. (You May Leave All Your Turn Tables, Mixers Behind)

iPhone DJ snapvoip.blogspot.com



If you are trpped off by your little brother beating on DJ Hero showing off, now you can too, if you have an iPhone and $19.99 to spare. Yes with Touch DJ (which is supposed to be the first DJ App for the iPhone), It seems you can slide and mix well.  You can independently manipulate two MP3 or M4A files, with everything a normal DJ do while playing with their things, like scratching, looping, and equalizing.
But you also have to do a lot of dancing with your fingers like tapping and sliding, Then again if you are a self respecting iPhone user, you will be pretty good at tapping and sliding. But a word for developers, a lite version may have many iPhone users sliding your way. (For me, I will watch the video!:)


Amido via engadget

Friday, November 20, 2009

Rebtel For iPhone, Call International Destiantions For Pennies.

Rebtel For iPhone snapvoip.blogspot.com



Rebtel which makes international calls for low prices have released an iPhone app. The new iPhone app allows you to call any international destination without having to hunt for a WiFi hot spot to save money. So far 53 countries has the service.
The system is not much different from Google Voice but this app is supported internationally. Pick a contact from your address book and Rebtel gives you a local number to call for a fraction of your international rate. The local number is saved to your address book so that you can use it anytime, anywhere. No need for WiFi coverage or internet access.
  • Cheap international calling!
  • Manage all your Rebtel numbers
  • See available call time for all your buddies
  • Check Rebtel rates to other countries
  • Check your call and credit history 
  • Add credit directly from your iPhone
 Available from Appstore
Rebtel

Google Chrome OS and VoIP Apps

Google Chrome OS and VoIP Apps snapvoip.blogspot.com
After the news of Google Chrome OS (Chromium OS Open Source Project) yesterday, quite a few people have tested it on VMware and other methods. I am waiting for this weekend to do a full copiling from the source and the test the bugger. But being VoIP related, I looked for VoIP support for within the OS. Of course there were many others who had the same idea.
I settled for the article written by Tom Keating of TMC in his VoIP & Gadgets blog. He has tested Flaphone, a flash based web application, basically a SIP endpoint. He confirms that it works well. He also got news that TringMe works on the new OS (It already works on GoogleTalk). I guess there are many others and any Linux based VoIP apps should run without much trouble. Perhaps need to compile anew. But until then, we know at least there are two VoIP Apps that works.
VoIP & Gadgets blog

Motorola Motus, iPhone With A Keyboard?

Motorola Motus snapvoip.blogspot.com


BGR has got some information on Motorola Motus and specs together with this very blurry photo of the device. It seems to support AT&T 3G and come very close to Motorola CLIQ in specs which in turn looks like an iPhone with a slide out keyboard. (BGR say that it is not a slider but a unique flip!)
The specs;
  • Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE
  • Tri-band 7.2Mbps HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100MHz)
  • 5 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash
  • 256MB RAM
  • aGPS
  • Wi-Fi
  • 3.1″ capacitive 480×320 display
  • Bluetooth 2.0
  • Weight: 133g
  • 1400mAh battery
  • microSD slot
  • Qualcomm MSM 7201A CPU
  • MOTOBLUR
 BGR

VoIP IP Telephony, Leading Tech Companies And Google

VoIP IP Telephony And Google snapvoip.blogspot.com
As usual Andy Abramson (VoIP Watch) made me read a whole post in a gulp and come away educated. Andy responds to some points raised by John Dvorac of PC Magazine regarding Google Voice and the lack of VoIP IP Telephony services by other tech companies. He lays out how others had the right ideas of which some failed, some stayed lukewarm and some actually lead to the formation of Google Voice.
Very nice refresher
Where Have The Big Internet Players Gone in VoIP and Why

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Techmeme Mobile For Droid, iPhone, and Pre.

Techmeme Mobile snapvoip.blogspot.com



If you were bothered by the lack of capabilities of Mini-Techmeme, be happy because, today, Techmeme has launched a new Techmeme Mobile site optimized for smart phones such as Droid, iPhone, and Pre. I simply loved the Techmeme Mobile. The experience is similar to the desktop version and I can read my tech stuff on the go, after reading my regular news on New Google News For Mobile.
Techmeme Mobile is available for all browsers at http://techmeme.com/m, but simply browsing http://techmeme.com/ will redirect there depending on your mobile device. If for any reason, you prefer to view the standard Techmeme page, a link at the bottom of Techmeme Mobile will send you there.
Techmeme

Ebay Completes Sale Of Skype!


Sale Of Skype! Done, Again. snapvoip.blogspot.com
Skype is Sold, yes Again to a group of investors including Silver Lake Partners, Joltid (i.e. the company founded by Skype’s original founders), the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and VC firm Andreessen Horowitz.
At the sale, Skype was valued at 2.7 Billion according to the Ebay announcement. Ebay has recieved 1.9 Billion in cash and notes valued at 125 Million.
Ebay also hold a 30% stke of Skype and the rest 70% is held by the conglomerate. Recently Ebay settled with Skype founders for 14% stake and board seats. Whatever the results are, Skype founders seem to be the real winners. Hope they will not sue themselves in the future.
SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) announced today that it has successfully completed the previously announced sale of its Skype communications unit in a deal valuing the business at $2.75 billion. The buyer, who will control an approximately 70 percent stake, is an investor group led by Silver Lake and includes Joltid Limited and certain affiliated parties, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Andreessen Horowitz.
eBay received approximately $1.9 billion in cash and a note from the buyer in the principal amount of $125 million. The company retained an approximately 30 percent equity investment in Skype. The company also purchased senior debt securities with a face value of $50 million as part of a Skype debt financing.

Google News for Mobile Renewed For iPhone, Android, and Palm Pre users.

Google News for Mobile snapvoip.blogspot.com


Mobile users on phones and devices such as Blackberry, Windows Mobile, and S60, have been experiencing mobile optimized news fro Google for a while.
Now Google News for Mobile has released a brand new version for iPhone, Android, and Palm Pre devices. The new offering brings the Google News experience that users are used to when they brows news on their desktops. Mobile News homepage now carries more stories, links and photos and you can traverse within your news categories, find videos and play them with fewer clicks.
Your personalization are honored now on the mobile version as well.
So point your mobile browser at http://news.google.com to catch up on news anytime and from anywhere.

Google News Blog: New Google News for mobile
The article could also be found on the Official Google Mobile Blog

Chromium OS Totally Open As Of Today.


After watching the live blogging by engadget on the product release, I sailed over to the Chromium Project to checkout what is in the offer and was glad that I could check out the code with Git.
I will devote a few hours this weekend or Friday night if it ends up raining and preventing us from hitting Tahoe.
Do not expect to download a CD, you have to download the code and build it yourself or ask someone who can.
I guess over time, there will be down loadable version. But there are Videos, community forums that you can learn about the OS, right now.
More I read, More I like  Chromium OS. But some how Android OS seems much simpler!
Official Google Blog: Releasing the Chromium OS open source project

Engadget

Androids In Your Chat, A New GMail Labs Feature.


Shirley is online with Android, Nicolle R. is using regular Gmail chat, and Chris I. is currently away but also on Android. Slatka is not an angry robot — she's online with Android but currently busy.
If you are a regular Google Chat user (on Gmail) now there is a way to know if your buddies are chatting from an Android Phone or device using Android Chat. Your chat buddies will show up as robot icons when they chat from Android.
I think it is better because you can send a small precious messages to those who are on the Android phones.
But I wonder if the users are utilizing those upcoming Android based tablets and netbooks need to have shorter messages, they can chat like any computer based chat user.
In any case it is a nice variation from those dots!
Official Gmail Blog: New in Labs: Green robot icon

"Display my Google Voice number" Is Your Choice Now.

I have always wondered, silently when ever I got an SMS message from Google Voice, "why do I have so many messages from G0O? (406 on your keypad)"
But I learned the reason today;

you may have noticed that the message does not appear to come from the sender's actual number, but from a (406) number (which spells "GOO" btw), with the sender's number (or name if they are in your address book) at the start of the message. We do this so you can reply from any of your phones and keep a record of the entire conversation online in your Google Voice inbox.
But this get complicated when you send an SMS from one of the phones on the Google Voice, to another Google Voice user. Instead of 406 number combination, Google Voice has automatically sent your Google Voice number with the message.
But Google Voice has decided that ultimately it is you who should decide if you want to broadcast your Google Voice Number.
You can dot that by;
"Settings > Calls > Caller ID (out)" and select "Display my Google Voice number".


Google Voice Blog: Helping you broadcast your Google Voice number: "'Display my Google Voice number'"

AT&T Loses Injunction Against Verizon Ad, Offers It's Own Ad

AT&T vs Verizon snapvoip.blogspot.com


Credit: Verizon

You can't call them droid wars but AT&T seems to be pissed off about Verizon ads. Now that an Atlanta Judge has ruled against AT&T in the lawsuit for an injunction against Verizon’s “There’s A Map for That” ad campaign. The court will hear the arguments again on December 16th and I guess by then ads might have done what the meant. It might be better for AT&T to start it's own campaign, "Best 3G experience over a EDGE network" or something,
Oh yes, they have done that;

First Pre-Paid BlackBerry Through "T-Mobile Complete",

"T-Mobile Complete",  snapvoip.blogspot.com/



 If you were waiting for a smartphone like Blackberry and did not want to go into those ridiculous contracts that the mobile companies lay in front of you, now T-Mobile has come to your aid.
The T-Mobile Complete offers supposed to offer BlackBerry Curve 8520 for $299.99 and the BlackBerry Pearl for $149.99, and the unlimited plans are starting at $50 a month but you will get the first month free. There were news that T-Mobile is offering Spanish market with unlimited talk/text/web plan (BIS) for $80/month.
Perhaps you can cross off one or two of the gifts for the season now!
T-Mobile announces the availability of T-Mobile Complete, a pre-packaged no-annual contract solution that offers the value of a monthly plan and the first pay-in-advance BlackBerry smartphone from a national U.S. carrier.  With T-Mobile Complete, customers can choose from four handsets starting at $59.99, which includes first month free. Customers can also choose from a range of unlimited plans starting at $50 per month. T-Mobile Complete is currently available nationwide at Best Buy and at select Walmart locations.
T-Mobile Complete kits are the easiest way to give phones this holiday season. Just buy the kit, wrap it, give it as a gift, and the recipient can activate service from anywhere, anytime – and they get the first month free! One of the four devices available through T-Mobile Complete is the BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone, the first pay-in-advance BlackBerry smartphone available from a national carrier.  Smartphones will be a hot gift option this holiday season – in fact, T-Mobile expects smartphones to account for 40 percent of its sales in the fourth quarter of 2009.
T-Mobile Complete is just one great holiday gift option from T-Mobile.  With a wide array of devices this holiday season – including the broadest lineup of Android smartphones of any carrier in the U.S. – there’s something for every type of customer.
Please let me know if you have questions about this new offering from T-Mobile. For more information on holiday giving, we’re happy provide our guide on how to give smartphones as holiday gifts.
BGR

Palm Pre Drops To $80

Palm Pre snapvoip.blogspot.com



Amazon has dropped the price of Palm Pre on Sprint network for $79.99 with $36 activation fee waived for a limited time. To get this price, you need to sign up for two year contract.The offer expires on Nov 23rd.Amazon also gives $5 worth on MP3 credit and free two day shipping.
Where will the Palm Pixi go now?
Amazon

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Verizon Droid Camera Issue, It Is A Date Related Bug In Android Camera Software!


The Droid Camera snapvoip.blogspot.com
The issue with the Droid's camera that got everyone up in arms, including me, seem to have come from a bug in the Android Software. So the theory of secret updates by Verizon or Google could be put to rest. engadget got a comment on their post;
There's a rounding-error bug in the camera driver's autofocus routine (which uses a timestamp) that causes autofocus to behave poorly on a 24.5-day cycle. That is, it'll work for 24.5 days, then have poor performance for 24.5 days, then work again.

The 17th is the start of a new "works correctly" cycle, so the devices will be fine for a while. A permanent fix is in the works.
Man these bugs bug me!
Engadget

iPhone Coming To South Korea, Soon.

iPhone approved in South Korea snapvoip.blogspot.com
iPhone has been blessed by the Korea Communications Commission allowing  Apple and a chosen partner(s) to sell the device in what seems to be the largest and last mobile market in Asia, who could afford the iPhone. South Korean law requires companies that provide so-called location based services, such as maps and direction finders, to obtain government permission.
Last major launch of iPhone in Asia was when China got the iPhone.
iPhone is now expected to arrive in no time and carriers, KT Corp. and SK Telecom Co. may be looking to sell the iPhone on their networks. All are guesswork at the moment as parties including Apple is yet to announce anything about the plans.
Either case iPhone will face a market dominated by local manufactures, Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc.
Google hosted news

Delta Hotels and Resorts Moves From Microsoft Exchange 2007 To Google Apps For The Ease Of Communication And Collaboration.

Sometimes it is necessary to leave the flock to make it better for self. Looks like Delta Hotels and Resorts are doing just that. Even though we are not big boys, we manage most our communication and collaboration needs through Google. We are slowly moving away from Microsoft Office suites to Google Docs and Open Office. So usually we are happy when we introduce some one to Google Apps or Google Docs.
So when I saw this post about some big company dropping the incumbent Exchange server 2007 for Google Apps is big news.

"Delta Hotels and Resorts decision to embrace Google Apps is another example of our commitment to improving collaboration and breaking down conventional technology bottlenecks. The pain points of conventional, on-premise solutions include desktop software licensing, private wide area networks, and never-ending storage requirements." Michael Rodger, Director of Digital Innovation for Delta Hotels and Resorts.

Michael will be presenting more information on the transition at a live webcast this Thursday, November 19, 2009 2.00PM EST/11.00 AM PST or 7.00 PM GMT.


Official Google Enterprise Blog: From Microsoft Exchange 2007 to Google Apps: the Delta Hotels and Resorts story: "Delta Hotels and Resorts"

http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/

Google Earth for the iPhone 2.0, Brings A Very Welcome Update


When Google Earth was released for the first time, I was was really elated because, it was one of the apps that I used extensively on my desktop. I was glad to have the app with me when ever I wanted, It is because I am working with a group of people that map stuff around the county where I live. Sometimes this extends to other countries as well.
So I am equally excited about the Google Earth for iPhone version 2.0. It is bringing features like, being able to see my own custom maps by logging into my Google Maps account. So all the custom maps that you created on the desktop, are in your pocket too.
What a way to take a hike!
There are other improvements as well like improved performance and new languages. I am happy to see that Japanese is on the list as, I spent a lot of time over there. And like here, I love to explore and leave bread crumbs. Google Earth for iPhone only makes it easier.
Official Google Mobile Blog: An update to Google Earth for the iPhone

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Verizon Droid Camera Issue Fixed, With A Secret Update?

Android forums and websites are wondering how the camera focusing problem on the Droid (documented error to be fixed in early December) suddenly got fixed without anyone one knowing about it.
Many are mad that their phones got updated without a notice and some are happy that it took care of the camera problem.
What ever the case, silent updates, from Verizon, creepy.
engadget

HTC Hero And Samsung Moment Only $99 At Best Buy

HTC Hero $99 snapvoip.blogspot.com



As expected Sprint HTC Hero could be had for $99!, the same price the Droid Eris sells for. Best Buy has dropped the price to meet Verizon's Droid Eris (A rebadged Hero) price point, at least till the end of December, for holidays I guess.
“Best Buy Mobile is committed to offering a great shopping experience and helping holiday consumers get the most out of mobile technology, whether it’s for them or as a gift, this fall has brought an unprecedented amount of highly-anticipated mobile devices to the market. We are excited to offer customers great selection, value and support to help them make sense of it all.” said Shawn Score, president of Best Buy Mobile. 
So if you got scared by Verizon's $350 ETF and put off getting a Droid, now you can have a droid by another name with a lesser evil ETF.
Best Buy press release via engadget

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10, Snapdragon Based Android Hands On Video

XPERIA X10 snapvoip.blogspot.com


Androids are coming in droves it seems. Sony has done some work on it's Android phone, with Snapdragon processor,  4" capacitive touch screen (854 X 480), 8.1 MP camera and User Experience Platform (Standard Android OS with Custom UI with Timescape and Mediascape), to make a grand entrance to the Android lineup.

The phone also has UMTS 3G HSDPA/HSUPA, WiFi b/g, GPS and Bluetooth 2.1, with physical connectivity provided by microUSB and a 3.5mm headphone jack. There is also a microSD slot for the 8GB card included in the box as standard. The camera has auto focus and an LED flash  with some standard CyberShot extras.
But as we have seen the distinction, is the Custom UI with Timescape and Mediascape. Last time we saw it it was so slow, we had to say some holy words. But Sony seems to have worked on the phone and the apps have become snappier.
Timescape manages time and associted changes, updates or events and presents via tumbling panes depicting the most recent changes. SMS, emails, calls, voicemails, photos, Twitter, Facebook updates and calendar entries are all visible in those panes.Once you tap each pane you can see the event in it's entirity. You can press the Infinity symbol in the top corner to bring together related information to that event from all across the phone and online.
Mediascape manages audio, video and still image content in a similar manner. Yes the combination seem to be a special experience and the ability to run the multitudes of android apps could only enhance the experience. You can expect to have the phone in coming February.

 
HDBlog via Gizmodo 

Monday, November 16, 2009

Nokia E72 On Shelves, Now!

Nokia E72 snapvoip.blogspot.com



Nokia announced today that it is releasing it's much awaited hand set Nokia E72. (But all attempts to locate on online stores have prooved be otherwise). Either way the device comes with full QWERTY keyboard, and adds desktop-like email and chat experiences. The latest version of Ovi Maps with A-GPS navigation and compass, an optical navi key and 5 megapixel camera are all packed into the sleek, beautifully-designed handset.
Why the focus on emails and chat, according to research, we all tend to rely on emails for important task than a phone call (May be because of clear and ready trails of evidence) and that we spend a good deal of time emailing each other so Nokia is going where we are going.
On the occasion Nokia vice president Ukko Lappalainen said,
"The research shows that people are spending an average of five full days per year - equivalent to a full work week - responding to emails. Half of us (46 percent) choose email over voice or text to send and receive important information. The Nokia E72 was designed exactly with this kind of person in mind - it allows the owner to be more responsive and communicate how they want, whenever they want and wherever they are."
Nokia E71 users swear by the usefullness of the device so I guess there will be a large bunch that will jump to get the E72. But I think I will go the Nokia N900 Way.
Nokia

Talk2Cisco, Learn, Talk With Cisco Excutives Direcly, Live.


Talk2Cisco snapvoip.blogspot.com
Cisco has introduced a new feature, Talk2Cisco, which allows public to talk directly, live and interactively. It is an online video broadcast featuring Cisco leaders answering questions submitted by the viewers from all over the world, or at least Ustream.TV reaches out.Using Ustream.tv, Talk2Cisco brings public directly in touch with the source of the information. These interactive sessions covers topics of interest to everyone and connects interested with others who are also following Cisco business and technology.
Next Session;
The New Collaboration Experience: How technology is changing the way we work, live, play and learn.
Featuring:
Carlos Dominguez, Senior Vice President, Cisco, Office of the Chairman of the Board and CEO
November 19, 2009 11:30 a.m. PT – Live Broadcast
RSVP for this show.

T-Mobile BlackBerry Bold 9700 On Shelves.


T-Mobile BlackBerry Bold 9700 snapvoip.blogspot.com
T-Mobile is giving even more (Plan) to BlackBerry fans with the release of BlackBerry Bold 9700.  The Phone is priced at $199.99 under even more plan or $449.99 if you do not like contract strings attached to you. Like the rediculous Verizon EFT.
Get it

50 Cents Sound Lab App Lets You Remix His Songs On iPhone.

Sound Lab App from 50 Cents. snapvoip.blogspot.com



Not to be out done by other artists that have iPhone apps, 50 cents has come up with his own app called Sound Lab App. The app was created with assocoation with Vitamin water (does any one drink these?) and the app is based on Moderati’s Romplr remix platform.
Even though this app comes only with one song, "Baby By Me", 50 Cent is giving the user that creates the best remix with the app and shares it on the branded site, the opportunity to meet him.
So if you are a vitamin water drinking (or not) 50 cents fan, this is the app for you.
Techcrunch

Nokia N900 "Mobile Computer" Hands On

Nokia N900 Hands On snapvoip.blogspot.com



I have always been a fan of Nokia NXXX series of tablets or mobile computers as the firm like to call them. I have owned N800 and own Nokia N810 with WiMAX for some of the tasks that Androids and iPhones are incapable of accommodating. I have been waiting for N900, to evaluate, not necessarily buy the device. There were some good news about the capabilities of the device and the N810 is providing me with all I need at the moment, remote measurement of certain scientific activities.
But I was gald to see that engadget has done a very good hands on of the device. Looking at the specs, the name "mobile computer" fits well with the device. Anything with a 600 MHz ARM Cortex A8 processor, 1 GB memory for applications and 32 GB of storage is on-board storage, expandable to 48 GB with a MicroSD card.. The 3.5-inch display which has a resolution of 800 x 480, is supported by 3D graphics accelerator with OpenGL support. The device also has 5-megapixel camera with flash and autofocus for photos and video.
I really might replace my N810. Link to the hands on article at engadget after the jump

engadget

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Verizon Drops The Ball, Droids Aren't That Attractive Anymore!

Verizon Droids Suck snapvoip.blogspot.com
For short while I was bit blinded by the Droid Ads and thanks to engadget, it all cleared up now! People who were thinking they were getting one leg up on iPhone and AT&T services has something new to look at, Verizon's contracts and ETF! Verizon has just managed to make a fantastic phone like the Droid a dud! Where is the FCC customer protection? If you cancel a Verizon contract on 23rd month, you still will have to pay $120 according to the following clip from Verizon rules.



I do not need to say much after that, I guess. So it is an Android on T-Mobile seem to be the best deal now, or is it?.
engadget

New RCs For Asterisk 1.4.27, 1.6.0.18, 1.6.1.10, and 1.6.2.0, Ready For Download.

http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
The Asterisk Development Team has released a new Asterisk release candidates for versions 1.4.27, 1.6.0.18, 1.6.1.10, and 1.6.2.0. These release candidates address issue with pattern matching in the dialplan, and removes broken support for direct transcoding between G.726 RFC3551 & G.726 AAL2.
In addition to the fix, a T.38 negotiation regression was resolved in the 1.6.x series. Additional information could be found of the chanlogs listed below.The release candidates are available for download at Asterisk download servers.

The ChangeLogs:
ChangeLog-1.4.27-rc5
ChangeLog-1.6.0.18-rc3
ChangeLog-1.6.1.10-rc3
ChangeLog-1.6.2.0-rc6

If you come accross any issues found in any of these release candidates please report them to the Asterisk issue tracker.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Broadvoice BV16, BV32 Voice Codecs Are Supported In FreeSWITCH Now.

Broadvoice HD Codecs snapvoip.blogspot.com
FreeSwitch has announced the support fro recently open sourced Broadcom's BroadVoice BV16, BV32 Voice Codecs right now.
So if you want to try out the HD voice right away, this is your opportunity. These two codecs were released without any licensing fees or royalties, and under the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL), version 2.1. The benefits of these include;

  • Low Latency - only 5ms
  • Low CPU Usage - typically 1/2 to 1/3 less than comparable ITU codecs
  • High Quality - comparable MOS scores to other codecs
  • Moderate Bit-Rate - very high coding efficiency
These two codecs joins other high quality codecs, including CELT codec and G.722. added recently.
Read at FreeSwitch

Palm WebOS 1.3.1. For Sprint And Bell Customers Ready


Palm WebOS 1.3.1 snapvoip.blogspot.com
If you have a Palm Pre, may want to get to a good WiFi connection, and make sure your battery has enough juice and get the update which is heavy, at 129MB. Even though the update is big, there don't seem to be bog feature releases. They certainly have taken care of number of bugs and tweaked the system a bit.
You can read about all the tweaks at palm.


GadgetsOnTheGo via Gizmodo

Friday, November 13, 2009

AT&T Gets Back At Verizon On Ads

AT&T Coverage snapvoip.blogspot.com



AT&T today responded to Verizon ads regarding coverage. I have tried to look at AT&T's coverage map that the press release but there were no maps of 3G coverage, yes I get Edge connectivity. (If AT&T meant 3G by data, good for them). But I still have reception problems here in Bay Area, CA. and waiting for better voice connections!So I know how AT&T coverage works and I do not know how Verizon does because I do not have any personal experiences with them. It does not matter to me how Verizon advertises, (Until my contract runs out! with AT&T)
Oh I like them DROID ads :)  and how the DROID is beating iPhone!
Follow the link to see AT&T's points or excuses, here is the press relese.

Gizmo5 Feels Home At Google (Voice)

When we reported that Google is acquiring Gizmo5 (Gizmoogle), without doubt, everyone agreed that it was best for everyone, Google, Gizmo5 and everyday VoIP users like you and me. Some people may disagree but it is the only way one can over come schemes by the likes of AT&T and Apple, who decided to deny millions of iPhone users, cost saving and day to day life enhancing products like Google Voice.
We knew about Google Voice since it was big, but what about all those small players, who did not fit into the form of AT7T or Apple?
But I am happy that Gizmo5 is at Google. I use both Gizmo5 and Google Voice and have been for years. My google Voice number was issued by Grandcentral even before Google acquired Grandcentral and the Gizmo5 is as old!
Since GrandCentral came into the folds of Google, it enhanced the product and we have Google Voice today. So the Gizmo5 will bring similar enhancement to the table.
For users of Gizmo5, there is not much difference at the moment, except;

Current Gizmo5 users will still be able to use the service, though we will be suspending new signups for the time being, and existing users will no longer be able to sign up for a call-in number.
Google Voice Blog: Google welcomes Gizmo5

Super Computer In Your iPhone, The Wolfram|Alpha app!


The Wolfram|Alpha iPhone app snapvoip.blogspot.com
Many will be happy that they will be able to use 50,000+ built-in algorithms, and 10+ trillion pieces of continually updated and curated data via the Wolfram|Alpha app for iPhone.
I used Wolfram Mathematica through out the university career and still continue to do so. But being able to have most of those capabilities in the palm of my hand, from where ever I am, makes it a reason to smile and thank the Wolfram team for the fabulous app.

So how do you turn the iPhone into a super computer? The  app plugs directly into Wolfram|Alpha's supercomputing cloud and makes the Wolfram|Alpha knowledge engine available, to where ever you and your iPhone are. The an elegant native iPhone interface that includes a special notation keyboard as seen above, customized iPhone output, editable history, and integration with maps and other iPhone services.
In a smaller scale, I am glad I can leave my notebook or netbook behind when I go on star gazing trips.
Also the Wolfram|Alpha knowledge engine is avialable over the web if you did not know already. I have made it my default home page!
The app is available from app store.

ICD Vega Brings Android To Your Kitchen

ICD Vega snapvoip.blogspot.com



Innovative Converged Devices (ICD), unveiled Vega today. The first in line of Android based products  which are slated :) become low priced will provide High Definition entertainment and information devices that feature 3G connectivity, a Tegra processor, full streaming media, and a touch interface.
The devices will be in 7-inch, 11-inch and 15-inch denominations and are scheduled to be distributed through Tier 1 carriers across North America, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East in the first half of 2010.
The specs of the devices are scare but ICD promises to provide full specifications and to demo the Vega device at the 2010 International CES Show, which takes place January 7-10 at the Las Vegas Convention Center/Las Vegas Hilton.
We know this much from the site;

Android 2.0 Eclair
373mm x 254mm x 16mm
15.6" Touchscreen
NVIDIA Tegra
512 DDR / 512 NAND
1.3 MP Web Cam
Micro SD
Bluetooth 2.1
Wireless 802.11 b/g
USB 2.0
2g/3g Data
Cellular
3.5mm Audio Jack
Magnetic Docking
Tablet/Dock Charging
Accelerometer
Ambient light sensor
Dual digital microphones
ICD via Gizmodo

Dell Launches "DELL Mini 3i" (Ophone Mini 3i), Android Based Smartphone

DELL Mini 3 snapvoip.blogspot.com



All the speculations and leaked news about Ophone Mini 3i that we spoke about earlier was confirmed by Dell today. But Dell has China and Brazil in it's vision of target, both which are ripening mobile markets.
US and Europe are awash with smartphones from Apple, HTC, Motorola and the market is pretty competitive but China and Brazil are very much open for the game.
“This signals an important milestone in the long term partnership between China Mobile and Dell, We are excited for Dell to be among the first manufacturers to introduce new technology based on the OPhone platform. We look forward to working with Dell as it brings innovative new products and services to add value to our customers’ lives.” said a China Mobile spokesperson.
Brazil also has a large cosumer base that could be tapped to elavate the Dell's offering.
“As a leading innovation company in Brazil, Claro is proud of being the first wireless carrier in the world offering the 3G version of Dell’s smart phone. This confirms the Brazilian market strength and Claro as a leading actor in introducing new technology products and services to the country”, said João Cox, president for Claro.
 But there might be Dell Smartphones in US as well, Dell has agreements with AT&T and Verizon for mobile devices. There was news that Dell will build a phone for AT&T last month.
I think Dell has made a smart move with it's smartphone!
Dell

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Qualcomm Introduces New Mobile MSM7x30 Chipsets And Dual-carrier HSPA+ and Multi-Mode 3G/LTE chipsets

Qualcomm mobile CPU snapvoip.blogspot.com
If you were happy to read about snapdragon CPUs that some of the phones from Toshiba and Acer, you will find those specs to be of everyday mobile sets, once Qualcomm gets through the marketing of it's new chipsets. The MSM7x30 utilizes 800 MHz to 1GHz custom superscalar CPU based on the ARM v7 instruction set. The other chipset should connect to your carrier(s) easily and surf faster, depending on who is your carrier! .
The new CPU chpsets,

The MSM7x30 family of chipsets, which includes the MSM7230(TM) solution for HSPA+ networks and MSM7630(TM) solution with multi-mode HSPA+/EV-DO Rev. B and SV-DO support, is designed around optimal data throughput and powerful multimedia functionality. The 7x30 has the same market-leading Scorpion CPU as previously commercialized in the Snapdragon QSD8x50 chipset. The 7x30 uses an 800 MHz to 1 GHz custom superscalar CPU based on the ARM v7 instruction set, delivering exceptionally high-end processing at low power to support features that include:
  • 720p high-definition video encode/decode at 30 frames per second
  • Integrated 2D and 3D graphics GPUs with support for OpenGL ES 2.0, and OpenVG 1.1 industry standard APIs
  • Dedicated low-power audio subsystem supporting 5.1 surround
  • 12-megapixel camera support
  • Integrated GPS for location-based services
  • Support for leading mobile operating systems, including Android, Windows Mobile, Brew Mobile Platform and Symbian
  • Support for package-on-package memory for reduced board space, optimized power consumption and more responsive performance
 Dual-carrier HSPA+ and LTE are network innovations that provide the ability to deliver more advanced data capabilities to mobile devices, supporting more compelling applications and richer user experiences. A wide variety of network operators, infrastructure vendors and mobile device manufacturers are now working with Qualcomm to enable the deployment of these next-generation network technologies in new markets worldwide. Interoperability testing with infrastructure partners is already underway with multiple field trials scheduled for the first half of next year. Commercial launches of data-centric devices based on Qualcomm's MDM solutions are expected to begin during the second half of 2010.

Press releases;
 MSM7x30 family of chipsets
 HSPA+ and Multi-Mode 3G/LTE chipsets

Blog Widget by LinkWithin