Jan 31
We already knew that the FCC had plans to rewrite the technology that supports the nation’s ageing landline phone network
     |
Dec 13
Razer unveiled its interesting Comms chat service for gamers back in April of this year. The idea is that you can use the Razer service to allow you to communicate with friends in games without having to rely on the in-game chat that the video game itself offers. When it originally launched it worked with […]
Nov 27
Skype for China now talks directly to Microsoft, may reduce government snooping (updated)
Posted in: Today's Chili
Skype use in China was especially risky for a while — when a local company (TOM Online) was processing data with no real safeguards, it virtually guaranteed the presence of government monitoring. Now that Microsoft has teamed with Guangming Founder on a new China-specific Skype build, there’s a chance that your chats are more secure. GreatFire.org has noticed that the updated app encrypts all data and sends it directly to Microsoft, making it harder to censor or spy on any communications. Don’t be too quick to discuss taboo topics, though. It’s not clear that the Chinese software is free of back doors; Microsoft says it’s following local regulations, which aren’t exactly open-minded. Even so, anyone already using Skype in mainland China will likely want to upgrade if they value some semblance of privacy.
Update: Guangming Founder was created by Guangming Daily, a government-backed newspaper; while Skype’s new approach is still more secure, the association casts extra doubt on the privacy that users can expect.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Microsoft
Via: The Next Web
Source: GreatFire.org
Nov 26
This article was written on December 07, 2010 by CyberNet.
I don’t make many phone calls, but lately I’ve been on the verge of migrating my contacts over to my Google Voice phone number. The big reason I want to to do this is to to completely eliminate my text messaging fees, and with the official Google Voice app for the iPhone I’m awfully close to making the complete transition. Wouldn’t it be cool, however, if you didn’t have to use any minutes for calls made with your Google Voice account on the iPhone?
Well, I’m here to tell you it’s possible with a free third-party app called Talkatone. The Google Voice VoIP calling is a feature that’s tucked away in the app a bit, but in my testing I didn’t notice a difference from a normal call when talking to someone that was on a landline. This isn’t just for Google Voice users though… it can also be used to make calls to your contacts who are logged into Google Talk (assuming they are using Gmail Chat and have the video chat plugin installed). You can also go old-school and use this as an instant messenger with your Google Talk friends.
With this article I’m just focusing on the ability to call a phone using Google Voice VoIP access on Talkatone. Just follow the three simple steps below to navigate your way to VoIP bliss.
- Launch Talkatone, and login so that you get to your contacts screen. Double-tap the header labeled Contacts:
- Select the Google Voice VoIP Call option:
- Dial the number you want to call, or select the Address Book button in the upper-right corner to select someone from your iPhone contacts:
If you find that this isn’t working for you the developer says you may need to set up the Google Voice integration first:
- Login to your GMail account on Mac or PC and sign in to chat there.
- Make at least one phone call from there using the Call Phone button (you may need to accept the terms of service). If you don’t have Call Phone you may need to install Google Video chat plugin first.
- Optionally: To receive your Google Voice calls in Talkatone as VoIP you may login to your Google Voice account and click Forward to Google Chat.
Here’s a more comprehensive list of Talkatone features:
- Login using your GMail account directly to Google Servers over a secure connection.
- Portrait and Landscape modes supported.
- Voice Calls over 3G and WiFi (sorry, NO VIDEO yet, it’s on our list) with advanced codecs support, packet loss reconciliation, etc. for superior voice call quality.
- Share your location in real time with your peers.
- Unique “double-side coverflow” navigation with support of swipe gestures for quick switching between open windows.
- Supports avatars from Google Talk server and from your iPhone’s address book.
- Basic Bluetooth headset support.
- Double-tap top status bar to show the “Quick Menu”: mute message sounds, clear unread counts and place a Google Voice VoIP call.
- For U.S./Canada users: basic support for VoIP calling to/from regular phones using Google Voice account.
Not bad, and it’s all free. I did get a glimpse of some iAds in the app, but I only saw them after I had actually been connected with the person I was calling. I didn’t see any ads elsewhere in the app. Since it is free you don’t have much to lose by trying it out.
Talkatone iTunes Link
Thanks Jason!
Copyright © 2013 CyberNetNews.com
Nov 20
Tom Wheeler, the newly crowned chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, has ambitious plans. He’s already on a crusade to get carriers to allow cellphone unlocking, and now he plans to rewrite the technology that supports the nation’s ageing landline phone network.
| |
Oct 09
Skype for Android has had an overhaul, so now the video quality’s actually, y’know, good.
Posted in: Today's ChiliSkype for Android has had an overhaul, so now the video quality’s actually, y’know, good. Oh, and the UI is massively improved, too.
| |
Oct 08
This article was written on October 03, 2011 by CyberNet.
Welcome to the WrapUp by CyberNet. This is a collection of news stories, downloads, and tips that we have collected over the last few days, but never got around to writing about. Don’t forget to send in your own tips, or just leave a comment on this page if you think you’ve got something we should include.
–News–
AT&T Starts Sending Warnings About Throttling
The top 5% of data consumers on the AT&T network are starting to get warnings (via SMS) saying that they may have their transfer speed reduced. Users will apparently get multiple notices as a warning so that you can try to cutback on usage.
Microsoft Makes Changes to Zune Music Pass
Effective today the Zune Music Pass will drop in price from $14.99 to $9.99, but you’ll also lose your ability to permanently save off those 10 MP3s to your own library each month.
BlackBerry PlayBook Starts at $299 Now
As of last week retailers have been slashing the price of the BlackBery PlayBook down to $299 for the 16GB model, which is $200 less than it was prior to Amazon’s tablet announcement.
Amazon’s New Kindle Lineup
Last week was pretty big for Amazon as they unveiled their new lineup of Kindle devices, which range in price from $79 for the basic E Ink display up to $199 for the 7-inch color tablet powered by Android.
Firefox 7 Offers Improved Performance
The new Firefox 7 supposedly manages memory much more efficiently and overall makes the browser much more responsive.
Windows Phone Mango Getting Pushed to Devices
Microsoft started pushing Windows Phone 7.5 Mango to devices last week, which has some new features like Internet Sharing (think WiFi hotspot).
Apple Sends Invites for October 4th iPhone Media Event
Tomorrow Apple will be holding a media event where the focus will be on iPhone-related news.
New Delicious Owners Roll Out Changes to Site
The people who bought the Delicious bookmarking service earlier in the year have released their first set of changes, which for me has taken away some of the usefulness I found in it (such as the advanced sorting options).
View a Digital Version of the Dead Sea Scrolls Online
The Israel Museum has posted the 2,000 year old Dead Sea Scrolls online and is powered by Google technologies. They are very high resolution which means you can zoom in to see every little crack in the document.
–Tips, Tutorials, and Reviews–
Google’s OnTheFly Mobile App Compares Flight Prices
Frequent flyers can appreciate the mobile OnTheFly Android and iOS App by Google which will let you compare prices between airlines as well as view ticket cost trends.
Get Email or RSS Alerts When New Episodes of Your Favorite TV Shows Air
MyTVrss is a free service that can send you an email or provide an RSS feed to alert you when a new episode of your favorite television show is airing.
Use the Kindle Flowchart to Find the Right Kindle for You
Now that there are several different Kindle devices to choose from you’ll need to think through which one is right for you. This flowchart basically serves as a comparison of the different devices to guide you with your decision.
Make Free VoIP Calls With magicJack iOS App
Most of you have probably heard about using a magicJack for landline phone calls, but now the service is also offering a solution for iOS users at absolutely no cost.
Turn Your Windows 7 Machine into a WiFi Router
Maryfi is a free app for Windows 7 that will let WiFi clients share the computer’s Internet connection.
–Downloads–
- Bullzip PDF Printer 7.2.0.1320 Beta [Homepage] [Mirror]
- CCleaner 3.11.1541 [Homepage] [Mirror]
- Capture .NET Professional 11.4.4285 [Homepage] [Mirror]
- Dropbox 1.2.39 Experimental [Homepage] [Mirror]
- Firefox 7.0.1 [Homepage] [Mirror]
- Firefox 8.0 Beta 1 [Homepage] [Mirror]
- Google Chrome 16.0.891.0 Beta [Homepage] [Mirror]
- Notepad++ 5.9.4 RC [Homepage] [Mirror]
- Opera 12.00.1076 Beta [Homepage] [Mirror]
- PDF-XChange Viewer 2.5.199 [Homepage] [Mirror]
- Skype 5.5.0.119 [Homepage] [Mirror]
- Thunderbird 7.0 [Homepage] [Mirror]
Copyright © 2013 CyberNetNews.com
Sep 19
Republic Wireless to offer Moto X for $299 off-contract, plans starting at $5
Posted in: Today's Chili
Republic Wireless’ low-cost, WiFi-driven phone service has proven tempting. The rapidly aging smartphones attached to that service, however? Not so much. The carrier will soon improve that device selection, as it has just revealed plans to sell the Moto X for $299 off-contract — roughly half of what it costs at other providers. Service is also expanding beyond the original $19 plan (now limited to the Defy XT), with steep discounts if you don’t depend on cellular service. Rely solely on WiFi, and you’ll pay just $5 per month for unlimited access; a $10 plan will be available if you need cellular voice and text messaging. There will also be more traditional plans with unlimited 3G and 4G data that respectively cost $25 and $40 per month. Republic Wireless hasn’t said when its extra-cheap Moto X will be available, but the new rates should take effect in November.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Google
Via: Laptop
Source: Republic Wireless
Sep 18
Can’t make it to the office in time to join the weekly conference call through Skype? Don’t fret — Skype has just updated its iPad and iPhone apps to let users join group voice calls. The releases also improve video and voice quality. Either update is otherwise quite light, but those who want to always stay in the loop can grab the new Skype versions at the source links.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Internet, Mobile, Microsoft
Via: The Next Web
Source: App Store (iPad), (iPhone)
Aug 23
Each week, our friends at gdgt go through the latest gadgets and score them to help you decide which ones to buy. Here are some of their most recent picks. Want more? Visit gdgt anytime to catch up on the latest, and subscribe to gdgt’s newsletter to get a weekly roundup in your inbox.
Who's in charge here?
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.