VoIPWatch

Will The Carriers Block VoIP on the Dell UMPC?

With the mobile operators leaning on Apple to not let VoIP calls be received easily on the iPhone, one has to wonder really if it's the operators or Apple. Dean Bubley of Disruptive Wireless got me thinking today about that as he mused about the pending Dell UMPC with an embedded 3G data chip on board.

Here's how I look at it.

On the UMPC's I have all I need to do is add a 3G dongle and run an IM app like Skype, Gizmo or Yahoo Messenger or a Softphone client like Eyebeam or Bria from Counterpath. The laptop behaves just like it should always on wired or WiFi broadband, making and receiving calls ala the mobile phone.

So, if Apple can't sell an iPhone that can make 3G calls, or receive calls over WiFi on the iPhone, yet I can do just that on the Nokia N and E series devices, what's to stop the carriers in general from allowing the Dell's to do the same thing?

The difference is Dell doesn't control the OS (Windows or Linux) that is on the UMPC, and what's more, I don't think the carriers will block VoIP on the UMPCs like those from Dell which come with embedded 3G. Then again, carriers are never predictable, or are they?

Garrett Smith has some additional thoughts on this topic as well.

What Will More Mobile Broadband Cost?

Om has a post about the expected explosion of Mobile Broadband. In the USA one expert I know said for AT&T to double capacity of their network "it will take a 7 billion dollar coat of paint."

That's a lot of iPhones.

Fring Downsizes

Hat tip to Ken Camp who caught wind of the news (via TechCrunch) that Fring is laying off 20 percent of their workforce.

Ken also shares some viewpoints about Fring and its lack of reliability/stability.

GigaOm has a roundup post with Om's usual on target insight as well.

Time For A SIP of 3G

I've made 3G calls with SIP on my Nokia N and E series phones using both Truphone and Gizmo, but on my iPhone I'm hobbled just like everyone else who uses on (that's not Jailbroken). Sure Fring works with SIP but its also WIFi.

Right now it's time for Steve Jobs to explore more deeply the concept of Openness vs. contractual closeness. SIP over 3G rocks, and that would drive data package sales for the carriers.

I'm not the only person in this camp. It seems Ted Wallingford and Ken Camp are too.

Keating On VoxOx

I want to love the idea of VoxOx but I have some degree of hesitation, so check out Tom Keating's post first, then try it yourself.

My biggest concern is do we need more apps that does a piece of the same thing or do we need more integration and deeper functionality for each service the app is supporting.

So, while I have that level of hesitation I do like the direction the newcomer is taking.

The Inq-1 From Three

Yesterday at the Three store inside Liverpool Street Station I got my first look at the new INQ-1 from Hutchison a.k.a. Three.

It's a very impressive phone, and one that is clearly designed for the social mobile generation. While they are not yet on sale, the price point is expected to hit retail next week here in London. The fit and finish is superb and it feels great in your hands.

If you use Facebook and Skype it's got to be on your to be considered list if you're in the UK or another Three served country.

Record And Sync via WiFi on iPod Touch and iPhone

The more I use my iPhone as a "weekend" device, the more I am loving the capabilities that developers find they can muster from it.

Take the folks at Griffin who have come up with two companion applications, italk, a voice recording program and italk sync which moves the files over WiFi to the Mac or PC (yes they have both flavors)

The way I see this I can now use the iPhone or new Touch as a voice notetaking device, then move them over to the Mac via italk sync, in an easy and simple way.

This will make it easy also to do podcasting on the go...hmmm

My First iTalk Recording

Dumping IM for Skype

Alec Saunders has given up all other IM's for Skype. I'm close behind with a big ***** but. I'll explain.

For starters I have too many friends and business colleagues who are NOT ON SKYPE. Enter Palringo, a client, and an aggregator of IM networks that does more and easier messaging for me. Plus I can use it on just about every mobile I have except my Android, if I want to.

Next I won't abandon SightSpeed as it isn't an IM client, but a video conferencing app that is perfect for Group Video calls, going beyond the one to one capabilities of Skype.

I'm also not abandoning Gizmo5 (or GizmoProject) as it also aggregates the major IM services but also gives me SIP access to other services like my OnSIP hosted PBX from client Junction Networks.

But....and this is the big BUT, I can see getting rid of more than just IM clients as Skype and SIP based services keep doing more for me than traditional voice platforms do.

For example, I can't get numbers from my local phone company that are based in foreign nations. I can do that with Skype and can point SIP based DIDs to my SIP service from OnSip or inPhonex or CallCentric.

What's more, I get tons more flexibility with capabilities.

So, at the end of the day, it's not about giving up only IM as Alec points out. With Skype and SIP it's about saying later to your old landline.

Jumping To A Conclusion

Apple prices computers and never really lowers them. For the most part the price of Apple computers have remained pretty static while the prices for Windows based PC's keeps dropping. So when reading about Apple price drops and then the viewpoint of what may be next it's easy to figure that Apple has a Netbook coming as one analyst from Piper Jaffray thinks.

By lowering the price point for MacBook's Apple creates a new price point. When they come out with a more advanced MacBook based on the next generation of Intel chips they have a price point to fill. Enter the NetBook version of the MacBook on the lighter weight Intel Atom processor.

All one has to do is think about why and what it means going forward with Apple, a company that is always steps ahead with whatever they do.