Working Anywhere

Swisscom Rolls Out WiFi Voice Calling In Hotels

I've personally experienced Swisscom powered hotels in Barcelona, Paris and even in the USA for the initial eComm event and two years of Office 2.0 in San Francisco, and can without fear express how well their technology deployments of WiFi will work in a hotel setting.

Well now they've rolled out WiFi calling at their hotels in Europe. And they use the same types of smartphones as Truphone plus a few others. While they haven't disclosed who developed their softclient, judging by the line up, it's Mailvision out of Israel.

Basically, you bring your own device and they provide information on how to install an application that works with their networks.

The Importance of Proper Audio Accessories in VoIP

Pal Alec Saunders has written a very complete review of the Yamaha Sound Gadget which is available on the Skype Store for $199.00 here in the USA and is available around the globe.

The reason I bring this up, is that now more than ever, the expression of GIGO-Garbage In, Garbage Out, could never be more apropos. Using inferior headsets, video cameras and speakerphones makes for a lousy sounding/viewing experience on the other end. This is no different than using one of the so called "free conference" calling services vs. client HiDefConferencing where after one call, you clearly hear the difference as fellow disruptor, Pat Phelan, pointed out some time ago.

For some time I've been a heavy user of the Polycom Comunicator, a device that is always in my travel bag and which allows my Mac to sound like it's a full size Polycom Starfish like speakerphone. Like the PolyCom, the Yamaha Soundgadget is a delight to carry, and I've turned it, along with any one of a series of my Mid and Netbooks, like the Viliv X70, Viliv S7 or my Asus EEE PC's such as the 1008 HA, into a complete traveling communications hub. The Viliv's give incredible video and when connected to the Verizon MiFi (or even the unlocked one I use that works on GSM) I can pretty much hold a conference call anywhere, even where WiFi isn't in full sound. The lightness of both devices, which pal Jim Courtney points out, is a key, so now, in a very small shoulder bag, I'm carrying all I need to be in business from virtually anywhere.

Personally, I've become a heavy user of two headsets. From client Freetalk, the Everyman headset may be the best value around. Priced at less than $23.00, the headset embeds inline a DSP (digital signal processor) that also has the Skype codec embedded inside. No other headset for the price sounds as good-it's so good it passes the Rutkowski Test when we record the World Technology Roundup together for KenRadio. That and the very stylish, and $200 dollar Bang & Olufsen Ear Set 3, a combination headset and microphone that works with Macs as well as the iPod Touch and iPhone are my voice input/output accessories of choice. I use the B&O Ear Set with my iPod touch and either client Truphone's iPod touch or iPhone app, as well as with Skype on both. Sound is clear and as others tell me, just like a mobile phone. For the untethered crowd the FreeTalk Wireless Stereo Headset is another headset that's great to use as it's range is far better than the usual Bluetooth headset.

So here's the net net on audio from where I sit:

Fast and Sleek-The Bang & Olufsen Ear Set is what you will want for XMas. The sacrifice for Skype users is the lack of SILK grade processing, but it works on the iPhone/iPod and your Mac (PC users, most PC's require separate input and outputs so the headset/mic combo is of less value)

Best Full Featured Headset for Windows and Mac Users Who Want to Be Alone is the FreeTalk Wireless Stereo Headset

Best Value for the computer calling type Skype, Gizmo and Counterpath XLite/Eyebeam or Bria softphone user is the Freetalk Everyman as dollar for dollar, nothing on the market comes close.

Best Speakerphone for The Road Warrior (Cross platform) is the PolyCom Communicator but the only reason it bests the Yamaha is the Yamaha lacks Mac Support under the Snow Leopard operating system as Jim Courtney pointed out.

By the way. These all make for great holiday gifts and by giving any of them to the people you love to talk with, you're giving yourself a better calling experience too.

My T-Mobile UMA Experience and My CDMA Data Experience

Traveling to Seoul Korea meant that being savvy and frugal with my mobile usage. I took along a battery of phones, but really at the end of the day ended up using my RIM Blackberries to stay connected most of the time.

Sure I used the Nokia E71 with Truphone, but I wanted to put the RIM Blackberry Curve through its paces with UMA in a part of the world where broadband is like water and air. And when I say broadband, I mean blazing fast, no latency broadband, where WiFi is one of the standard ways of staying connected.

The RIM Blackberry Curve with UMA via T-Mobile performed like a champ. The connectivity was super fast, and the call quality better than what I get back in the USA. Given the fact that this is a route around roaming charges, the approach couldn't be beat, as the minutes fall under my "unlimited" plan from T-Mobile in the USA.

For email though I had to use the RIM Worldphone that has Verizon as the carrier. Being CDMA it was an easy connection to whatever network was available, and while the Curve was great on WiFi, without any GSM to latch onto, when out and about, it was not much help. The Worldphone was though and I never missed an email.

The bottom line is simply this. With some planning you can stay very connected, without a lot of hassle.

Sharing Broadband and More

While tethering on the iPhone in the USA remains a bit of a challenge (especially if your updated to the latest version of firmware on the Apple iPhone) there are other options emerging.

For years Apple Macintosh users have been able to turn a Mac that is hard wired to an Ethernet connection into a hotspot, but now the new Windows 7 OS from Microsoft has been turned into both a hotspot and a wireless bridge via Connectify.

Connectify.me is where you can find it.

Another way to share wireless broadband is Joikuspot, and now their new Boost (Beta) allows users to combine wireless broadband signals into one, giving the user really fast bandwidth.

Of course, Sprint doesn't want you to tether.

Boingo Goes Blackberry-A Huge Boon For Voice

My agency has represented Boingo for 18 months or so now, and long before that I was a Boingo customer, a happy customer, who found that using it on my Nokia N & E Series devices and my laptops was always something that allowed for easy connectivity.

One of the missing pieces, more due to RIM's SDK, was Boingo on the Blackberry. As a Blackberry user with T-Mobile I've always enjoyed logging on to WiFi at home (via Hotspot @ HOME) or at a T-Mobile Hotspot, and having my mobile number from the USA anywhere in the world accessible to me.

That worked great in the past at places like Starbucks, some airport lounges like those from American Airlines and at some airports. But as T-Mobile has been exiting the WiFi world in dribs and drabs, the most reliable and broadest reaching aggregator has been Boingo. Now, with Boingo on the Blackberry, UMA Voice will work as well on the Blackberry as client Truphone does on my iPhone, iPod Touch and Nokia E71 virtually anywhere Boingo connects.

This is a huge step forward as the business market end user which needs connectivity now can get connectivity in more places, where T-Mobile's footprint doesn't go. With Boingo, as with WiFi of your own or within the enterprise or campus, means you can get connectivity for voice coverage higher up or farther away. Currently, AT&T in the USA doesn't have a VoIP client for their users, nor is there one with Verizon or Sprint on the Blackberry's that has any traction, as access to the SIP and WiFi stacks on the RIM devices has never been really offered.

Blackberry users though should not just take my word for it, or the insight above that I've linked to. They should also read some of the insider's viewpoints as well.

BerryReview

BlackBerry Insight

CrackBerry

Blackberry Sites

PocketBerry

BerryReporter

Event Reminder Time-eComm Europe

It' October 1st and that means it's time to look at the calendar. It's hard to believe it's been for me a month since I've flown more than up and down the State of California (from LAX to SFO train to SMF, plane to SAN, back to SMF-Sacramento) and home again to SAN.

While last month got off to a flying start with IT EXPO in LA, and included other events like DEMO and VON, this month has me flying tonight to SFO via Virgin Atlantic and then a train to SMF on Friday and back to SFO, then a flight to SNA-Orange County, a car ride home to SAN and then the first event of the month starting Tuesday of next week, CTIA as Wireless Week hits San Diego.

I then head up to SFO for more Wireless activity around a few events, back to SAN, before heading from SAN to LAX and over to LHR (London Heathrow) before making my way to AMS for eCOMM Europe.

If you've been to busy (flying around) to recall, this month bring the Emerging Communications Conference & Awards event in Amsterdam, (eComm Fall, 28-30

October) and as organizer Lee Dryburgh likes to say, "is the world's leading-edge event, spanning Telecom, mobile and Internet based communications. It’s designed to showcase and accelerate both technology and business model innovation. There is not a migratory way for telecom operators and media outlets to the future; emergent social practice is increasingly clashing with their very structure and desires. This means unprecedented opportunity for those ahead-of-the-curve."

Lots of key players will be there. Who? You are who. So don't miss out on what is the falls most important VoIP, Mobile, Collaboration and Thought Leadership conference about communications in Europe.

For more information please visit http://eComm.ec or register here

to receive 10% discount.

MiFi Offered With Data Bundle in Germany

As a fan of what I dubbed "PocketSpots" sometime back, it's great to see the mobile operators around the globe beginning to embrace the little darlings.

UMPC Portal is pointing out that Vodafone Germany is offering a bundle deal where for 40 Euro per month customers receive a 5GB HSDPA contract and the device for free.

I agree with Chippy from UMPC Portal. A MiFi PocketSpot is a better deal than a laptop or Netbook with an embedded 3G modem. I also agree that obtaining an unlocked version, and buying local SIM's in each country is a far more appealing approach.

Next Generation of Eye-Fi Adds GeoTagging

if you're a shutterbug who wants to upload without any need to take the SD card out of your camera, then Eye-Fi is for you. And the newest version, according to Coolest Gadgets, now has Geotaging.

This is a great plus as you can now sort by the tags as they will identify where you shot the photos more precisely than ever before. As CG wrote: "The Eye-Fi Geo card was specially built to seamlessly integrate with Mac products and applications, including iPhoto ‘09 and ‘08, the iPhone and MobileMe."

Now that's radical integration.

Take Your VoIP Apps And Go-A Guide For The USB Drive Set

As someone who wishes he can lighten his load, carry a USB drive loaded with apps that allows me to "stay connected" would be too cool.

I found this cool guide like website devoted to what are best labeled as PenDrive Applications that for the most part are designed for Windows PC's, but the site claims more Mac and Linux apps are coming. One of the categories was VoIP, and a bevy of softphones were listed, as well as utilities to take your Skype application on a USB drive.

Now that's cool.

The way I figure it, all you need is a USB/PenDrive, the Plantronics Internet Phone Booth in your kit bag (a zip-loc is great for this) and you're off and dialing anytime you can find a PC.

Banks And The International Business Traveler

I have just spent the better part of ninety minutes contacting a series of financial institutions to notify them that I'll be out of the country for the next week on business. This is an exercise that I do each and every trip and it's getting OLD.

Wells Fargo takes the cake for the most technology lagging of the bunch. This wasn't a surprise, but their CTO is too chicken to talk to a customer despite requests from my private banker and even a request via their PR team to hear how things can be made easier for everyone. Why? They have over 90 products spread across some 15 or more platforms, and as a business and personal customer, and one who uses a number of their services, I need to notify multiple departments (or have my private banker handle it) each time I leave the USA because as of the 1st of the year, a blanket notification stopped being any good for them. Once I made a payment to a vendor from Madrid, then another from Valencia and Wells Fargo FROZE my access for over 24 hours....and the excuse was "our departments are different" even though they had been notified, but only one department.

Next was Bank of America. It seems their systems were down for weekly maintenance (have they heard of redundancy in the banking world?) and as of six months ago, paper and pencil were banned for security reasons, so that card is not going to get used until I have a word with them tomorrow (like I have nothing better to do on a business trip.)

On the other hand, AMEX was a breeze, telling me that as a valued cardmember of many years my profile is such that their security features can detect the patterns and I'm all set. WOW...

Here's the rub. The banks all have online systems, yet not a one has an International Travel Notification engine. To me, and I bet any other global business person that's an easy notification system, the same way services like Do Not Disturb work with Google Voice and CallVantage or a service like AwayFind handles your notifications by email.

It's just technology and security has to stop being the excuse for not doing things that are for the convenience of the customer and the overall business.