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Last week, I posted about TruPhone releasing an iPhone client of their very useful TruPhone VoIP service.  For those unfamiliar, TruPhone offers free calls while you’re attached to a Wi-Fi network between phones running TruPhone software; much in the same way Skype-to-Skype calls are free from computer to computer.

Last week, I was with someone who has TruPhone on their iPhone.  We conducted a test call between his iPhone and my Nokia E71 and the voice quality was outstanding.  Later, we called each other again and had great results.

For anyone who needs dirt cheap calling, or free if you’re both attached to Wi-Fi, be sure to give TruPhone a look.

Who isn’t sick and tired of calling a company and having to wade through their phone tree.  “Press 1 for Sales, 2 for Customer Service”, and so on.  Automated phone menus may make life easier for companies, but consumers struggle with them.

I was recently sent some material from a company called Fonolo that takes the frustration away by giving you a listing of the entire phone tree and actually allows you to call into that part of the phone tree with the click of the button.  The service officially launches in the first part of September.

There are only a few companies in the directory now with hundreds or maybe even thousands by launch time.  After you sign up and create an account, you are given an outline of a company’s phone tree.  Think of being able to call your cell phone company and instantly being able to get a human in the proper department.

After setting up your account, you can have the service call you on whichever number works best for you, for example your mobile, office line, or home line.  At some point, the Toronto based company plans on offering call recording capabilities as well.

My friend Andy Abramson is quite the global traveler.  He’s always on the go and amazingly is always in touch while he’s out and about hopping from one city (or continent) to another.

To stay in touch, Andy utilizes a varied array of VoIP and mobile products that combine the capabilities of his Nokia handsets, Internet telephony, and access to Wi-Fi/3G connections.  Check out his post where he goes through this set up.  Keep in mind Andy is a PR man, so it may seem like he’s pimping his clients, but he discloses which ones are clients and those who aren’t.

Nonetheless, Andy provides some great insights into staying in touch for people who travel for work or pleasure.

First, the good news.  TruPhone, the UK mobile VoIP client I’ve written about before, has launched their client VoIP application for the iPhone and is available in the iPhone App Store.

Before this announcement, TruPhone has only been available for the Symbian platform which I’ve used on my Nokia phones.  What does TruPhone do?  Easy answer: it uses Internet telephony to route calls, making it very cheap to call internationally from your mobile phone.  Because it uses Wi-Fi, TruPhone does not have any roaming charges and also allows you co make calls when you you’re in a cell phone dead spot.

Now the bad news: A limitation to the iPhone TruPhone application is that it only allows you to make calls while on a Wi-Fi hotspot, not over the 3G cellular data network.  On the other hand, my Nokia phone running S60, while on 3G, can send and receive VoIP calls over TruPhone when on 3G *and* Wi-Fi.

I imagine this is due to the fact that Apple and AT&T crippled the iPhone’s ability to do VoIP calling while on the 3G network.  Steve Jobs is okay with you VoIPing over Wi-Fi, but not 3G.  Gotta love the US telcos cripling phones…yikes.

Some say trends start Europe and cross the pond over to the US.  It’s true for fashion - is it true for personal communication as well?

According to a study by the EU, Europeans are turning their back on traditional landlines and instead are embracing internet telephony (also called Voice over IP or VoIP) and mobile handsets.  As Ars Technica points out, survey respondents aren’t getting landlines because of a lack of access, but rather because of a disinterest in the service altogether.

It is of no surprise to me that PSTN landlines are going the way of the dodo bird.  They are expensive, non-innovative, and lackluster.  Why should we pay for PSTN lines when a VoIP line can do all the same functions at a fraction of the cost.  If you have a quality broadband connection and QoS, VoIP can be liberating on your pocket book.

Services such as Skype show consumers that voice is just another communication mode enhanced by Internet, just as email transformed inter-office communication.  Therefore, using the net to route the calls is effective and neccesary with today’s communication infrastructure.  In Europe, where telephony termination rates (translation: voice calls are expensive in Europe) are outragously high, Skype has become very popular.  According to the aforementioned study, this is especially true in the blok states of Latvia, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Poland, and Bulgaria, where Skype usage is above 50% of European internet-enabled households.

As an additional note, Skype becomes most inviting when you can use it away from your PC.  I have used a Philips-made cordless phone that uses Skype to route calls. For my review of the Philips VoIP 841 cordless phone, check it out at Web Worker Daily.

One key advantage that Apple computers have over their PC counterparts is the inclusion of iChat.  This pre-installed and drop dead easy to use chat and video chat application is ready to go the minute you get your new Apple computer on the Internet.

To accompany the launch of their sexy Studio line of laptops,  Dell is including a new utility on their Studio line computers called Dell Video Chat which is powered by SightSpeed, a proven video conferencing application I’ve written about before.  The inclusion of this application will bring simple video conferencing amongst the new Dell users and will allow them to interface with friends, family, and colleagues who are on Windows, Linux, or Apple computers.

One competitive advantage SightSpeed brings to the table is their inclusion of Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), the standard VoIP protocol used on the internet and enabling you to make VoIP calls to almost any VoiP user on the globe.

Just for Dell, SightSpeed has a new UI just for the Studio laptops that is redesigned and slick.  Dell Video Chat includes free unlimited video, voice, and text chats worldwide to anyone else on SightSpeed and video conferencing with up to 4 people.

Are you a small business who wants to make a big impression with your phone system?  If so, check out Jazinga, the so called “No IT-guy required” phone system.  In basic terms, Jazinga gives small businesses a high-end phone system that includes features such as an automated attendant, company directory, individual voicemail boxes, and voicemail to email.  Additionally, the Jazinga box includes wireless networking, fax and email.

Many business want to install and configure their own VoIP systems to enhance the functionality of their phone systems.  Such systems are very, very expensive to install and maintain.  Alternatively, Asterisk provides an open source (free software) PBX system, but to use it you have to be a wise phone geek and have copious amounts time to invest in implementing the system.

Jazinga aims to fill this void by supposedly simple to buy, install, and maintain.  The box can use your own VoIP or standard landline for calling in and out.  Additionally, a few of the features Jazinga provides are:

• Auto Attendant - “Press 1 for John, Press 2 for Sarah”.
• Free voicemail with voicemail-to-email: have your voicemails sent to your inbox for portability.
• Music-on-hold: upload your mp3s so you can have music playing for incoming callers on hold.
• Simulanious ring: have an incoming call ring multiple phones so you never miss a call.

I just received a Jazinga box to put through its paces.  I’ll post status updates as I try out this box and will post a full review upon the conclusion of my trials.

I’ve been a long time user of and advocate for GrandCentral, an amazing service that was acquired by Google last year.

Since the acquisition, crickets have been chirping when it comes to GrandCentral talking, blogging, or releasing any new features.

Well they’re at least blogging again.  The latest is that they are allowing a forwarding number to be used on two separate accounts.  What does this mean?  Say, for example, a married couple each have their own GrandCentral numbers and they both want to have their home number to be rung whenever either of the GrandCentral numbers are dialed.

Before this new GrandCentral announcement, this would not be possible.  Whoever tried to register the home number second would have been denied by GrandCentral.

Also, according to the blog entry, “a lot of new features are in the works and we look forward to rolling them out quickly!”

Craig, we look forward to seeing them too!

It’s no joke, 2007 will go down as a SWEET year in technology. Jim Courtney over at Skype Journal has posted some of his highlights from the past 365 days. Here are the ones I agree with wholeheartely:

• Nokia N95 and N81 8GB: I introduced myself to the Nokia/Symbian platform for the first time this year and it has blown my mind and changed my perspective on the mobile telephony market. I recently received a Nokia N81 8GB from the Nokia Blogger Relations Program and I have loved having all my music with me. Kind of like an iPhone, but not locked down to *any* carrier, notably AT&T (like the crippled iPhone).
• Google-enabled BlackBerry: using Google mobile services on a Blackberry is a great fit. Google Talk and Gmail are seamless on this device. I haven’t been able to try it, but the Google Calendar plugin makes the BlackBerry an even more useful window into my google online life.
• Using my home network IP address. I have recently enabled my Linksys Linux powered router to let me VPN into it. So if I’m at a coffee shop or otherwise unknown wireless network, I can VPN into my own network and surf a little more securely. Not bad for a $50 router.

2007 has been such an amazing year in technology. I’m so anxious to see what 2008 has to offer!

According to a recent article in the New York Times, 2007 will be the first year that consumers will spend more on cell phone subscriptions than on land lines.  I can certainly see why.  In my house we haven’t had a landline in roughly 3 years.  Instead, we’ve relied on VoIP (Sunrocket, Packet8, and now ViaTalk) for our dial tone.

However it is suprising for me to see that this is true for the mass market.

What about you guys?  Have you dropped your land lines yet?

I have many friends who are in their late 20’s and early 30’s and only have a cell phone.  If my wife didn’t feel the need for a normal phone, I would just have a cell phone as well.

(photo credit)