Posted by The Blogging Desk on Wed, Oct 06, 2010
BoyGeniusReport:
Something people have been waiting for since the first T-Mobile, Android handset was launched is finally going to be available… Yes, Wi-Fi calling is hitting Android devices on T-Mobile. We have reached out to T-Mobile for clarification, as this doesn’t seem to be a normal UMA implementation (as rumored); it’s powered by a new application and we don’t think Wi-Fi to cellular handoffs will work. With that said, T-Mobile’s Wi-Fi calling capability is a great feature nonethenless, letting you make calls over a Wi-Fi signal when there is no cell service, and even making international calls abroad for free. The service will roll out on the new T-Mobile myTouch when the device is released later this year as well as support the Motorola DEFY.
I told you it was real!
Jokes aside, good stuff over there for Android. I'd love to live in a world where iOS could make calls over WiFi if I couldn't get a quality 3G signal in my tomb of a home. It's almost too logical to work, I guess.
But at that point, we'd be drifting into my VoiceTime hypothesis. You know that one, don't you? Well, if you don't feel like clicking that fancy link, I'll be brief. Essentially, Apple does a very swell job of transmitting video via FaceTime, but also audio. So, what's to stop them from enabling audio only FaceTime calls?
It would be a great reason to take my monthly minutes with ATT down a few notches, so maybe that's why. Lord knows we can't start a project that would take monies out of ATT's pockets, but at the same time, alleviate stress from their already crackling network. I'm just trying to help, ATT! As an employee of an awesome IT Support company for the Philadelphia area, what more can they want from me?!
I need a frappé.
Posted by The Blogging Desk on Thu, Sep 30, 2010
Sure, this would be a big, hairy merger, but look at it this way: In one swoop, Facebook would dominate what I’ve maintained is both the new age and classic social networking. They have people’s credit cards; they have their real-world phone information; and in the end, they have a better, more useful, social graph than Facebook itself.
The Skype-Facebook client on the desktop would mean both Facebook and Skype will be jointly in people’s faces, and take time away from other web services, such as Google. A simple search box inside the Skype client, and the two companies are starting to take attention away from arch-nemesis, Google.
If there is one thing people need more of while using VoIP services at work, it's Facebook. As an IT support company based in the great city of Wayne, PA, the implications of such mergers are mind-boggling. Or is it mind-bottling?
Speaking of mind-boggling, Facebook is slowly becoming the next Google, getting their hands in seemingly everything. First it was Farmville, what's next, VoIP? OMG, that's what I'm writing about right now!
But seriously, why wouldn't Facebook considered buying Skype? You could have integrated video chat inside of their website to chat with friends, you'd automatically have a log-in associated with your Facebook credentials. If this happened, Skype would automatigically have, what, 500 million new users
I'd be curious to know of companies that use Skype to communicate with each other would then unblock Facebook from their frowned-upon website lists. Sounds to me like general productivity would take a nose-dive. Sorry, those TPS reports will have to wait, I'm Skypebooking with my wife. I forgot to water her Farmville plants.
I assume that's how kids talk these days.
Posted by The Blogging Desk on Mon, Sep 27, 2010
Engadget:
If you’ve already forgotten what that particular acronym means, we don’t blame you, as Unlicensed Mobile Access hasn’t held the spotlight since the days of HotSpot@Home, but suffice it to say the tech uses a WiFi access point to make free VoIP calls, no cell signal (or minutes) required. It’d be easy to point to this move as a nefarious T-Mobile plot to free up cellular bandwidth a la the femtocell, except it apparently also works the other way, too — the Optimus One will allegedly let you share that HSDPA 7.2 Mbps connection over WiFi with your thirsty laptop.
Smell that? It's the future. But I never would have guessed it would come from T-Mobile. Or even that I could smell it from our IT Support capital of the World, Wayne, PA.
What a huge boon this would be for cellular networks. Imagine if ATT did something like this? (maybe in 10 years) My house is essentially a lead box buried underneath liquid lead. It's not good for calls. Which is great because I hate talking on the phone. I usually have better things to do, like finish this road trip on NHL11. It's hard work, video games. Ya know?
If any carrier has had problems with network congestion, this would potentially take a large load off of their backs. Many people don't buy land lines in their home so that they can utilize their cell phones. Often times, though, they are in a similar situation as I am. If they do get service, it's usually pretty poor. Why not take the time to implement something like this? Maybe just have it turned off by default on phones, and allow the customer to flip it if necessary. No minutes used, no added congestion on their network. Sounds like a win to me.
VoIP is obviously the future for not sure enterprise, but perhaps in the home as well. Even Google has implemented these features into their web-based Gmail. It's a snap to use and is free for the time being.
I ignored 3 calls while writing this blog. Victory!
Posted by The Blogging Desk on Wed, Sep 08, 2010
Skype:
Channel Partners will help businesses set up Skype and buy and use Skype products. For example, they will help Skype Manager customers use and manage the Skype Business Client on their desktop and mobile phones via business accounts or connect their existing private branch exchange (PBX) or Unified Communications (UC) systems to Skype using Skype Connect.
Doesn't that sound like pretty much the greatest job of all-time? Well, next to being actual IT guy, I suppose. Boy is it awesome!
Skype becoming public has shown that they are opening up new ways to bring in the cash, and this could be one of them. If you have a slick connection at your workplace, why not look into Skype pricing as opposed to other VOiP options? Not only that, but what other VOiP options include video calling? I don't know about you, but I'd love for my boss to see me wearing my Spider-Man pajamas while fielding calls in my home office. As a side note, how annoying is it to type out "VOiP" and have to worry about that goody capitalization? I literally spent 10 minutes rereading it to make sure I de-capitalized the right letter.
Gmail Voice just came into the fray, and that is free for the end of the year. If you're running Google Apps at work, you'd be plain silly not to look into Gmail Voice. Silly, I say.