VoIP News

Avaya Reveals Roadmap for Nortel Enterprise Assets at ITEXPO - Jan 06, 2010

Avaya Buys Nortel - Sep 14, 2009

ShoreTel Lands 1st 'Skype for SIP' interoperability - Sep 09, 2009

To Appear Offline or Not to Appear Offline, that is the Presence Question - Aug 19, 2009

Microsoft UC Developer Sandbox Featuring OCS 2007 R2 & Exchange Server 2010 Launches - May 13, 2009

Microsoft OCS 2010 Will Finally Eliminate the PBX - Mar 16, 2009

Karaka Bridges XMPP and Skype - Feb 27, 2009

VoIPshield Finds Security Flaws in Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, Office Communicator and Windows Live Messenger - Nov 12, 2008

Fonality's trixbox Pro Unified Agent Edition integrates with Salesforce.com - Sep 05, 2008

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LastApp for iPhone = Alt-Tab

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:55 GMT

A very cool new app in Cydia called LastApp lets you quickly switch between the last two apps running on your iPhone. Think of it as Alt-Tab for the iPhone.

It only works with jailbroken iPhones (obviously). Simply go into Cydia and then choose your activation method via the Activator preference pane in Settings. You can set it do double-tapping the Home button activates, short hold of the Home button, or single press of Home button at SpringBoard. However, my double-tab is preset to launch Camera, so I didn't want to change that. Fortunately, LastApp supports "shaking", so you can shake the iPhone to toggle between two apps. Is that not cool or what? It also supports slide gestures (drag onto screen from below, drag onto screen from bottom-left or bottom-right) and a plethora of other methods you should check out.

Also, with Backgrounder installed, you can optionally set the current application to background upon switching.

Get LastApp for free in Cydia using the BigBoss repository.

P.S. Hat Tip to Rich Tehrani for the tip

Tags: alt-tab, app switcher, app switching, apple, iphone, lastapp Related tags: lastapp, iphone, cydia, button

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Skype for Symbian

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 08:54 GMT

Skype for Symbian is now a downloadable application for Nokia phones and works over both WiFi and 3G. Over 200 million Symbian users around the world can now use this Skype app to make FREE calls to other Symbian mobile users without chewing up cellular minutes. That's a huge market!

You can download it from Skype or from the Ovi store.

Features include:

make free Skype-to-Skype calls to other Skype users anywhere in the world
save money on calls and texts with Skype's low rates
send and receive instant messages to and from individuals or groups
share pictures, videos and other files
receive calls to your online number
see when Skype contacts are online and available to call or IM
easily import names and numbers from the phone's address book

Of course, Fring already runs on Symbian, which includes Skype calling and IM. So is this really big news? I suppose having it as a native app is a big plus. I wonder if this is seamlessly integrated into the Symbian dialer so you can choose how to dial out or if you still have to launch Skype itself to make a Skype call. My guess is the latter. Also, can this app run in the background so you can receive Skype calls when the app isn't in the foreground?

Via Skype Blogs

Tags: nokia, skype, skype for symbian, symbian, voip Related tags: skype calls, skype symbian, skype, symbian, calls, users

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Comments on this Entry:

(NookSurfer on Mar 3, 2010 12:17 PM)

Pretty awesome news for the Nokia team. It's great to see that there are major development initiatives going on for platforms other than focusing on the Apple market.

Verizon Wireless Outage Nationwide

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 08:30 GMT

Verizon Wireless customers are experiencing a 3G outage nationwide. Some have been able to rectify the issue by unplugging their battery and plugging it back in, while others are still having a complete outage - both voice and data. (Verizon) Blackberry users are also offline, so no email access. Ironically, today Verizon Wireless put out a release how they've increased wireless broadband capacity on its Rochester, NY area network. Perhaps whomever did this upgrade took down the entire nationwide network? As an IT and telecom guy, I know I've had my share of mess ups.

Also in this release it says: "The company's "nation's most reliable wireless network" reputation is based on network studies performed by real-life test men and test women throughout the country". Great timing, Verizon Wireless.

More:
TMCnet

Tags: 3g, outage, verizon wireless Related tags: verizon wireless, outage nationwide, wireless, verizon, network, nationwide

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http://deadcellzones.com/verizon.html

Skype to Offer VoIP over 3G on Verizon Wireless? - Feb 12, 2010

Judge rejects AT&T Request to pull Verizon ad, AT&T Responds with Anti-Verizon Ad - Nov 19, 2009

Major Blackberry Outage - Sep 22, 2009

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AT&T ~~Grants~~ Denies Us Mobile VoIP Freedom - Oct 12, 2009

AT&T Grants Us Mobile VoIP Freedom - Oct 08, 2009

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Comments on this Entry:

(Deadcellzones.com on Mar 3, 2010 11:09 AM)

Not surprising as they have hundreds of cities across the US where they claim service available and it is not. See this map and blog article at Deadzones.com

http://www.deadzones.com/2010/03/false-advertising-of-service.html

New CKEditor (FCKEditor) on Movable Type

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:24 GMT

CKEditor (formerly FCKEditor) is one of the best WYSIWYG editors. In fact, some of us within TMC have had an affectionate nickname for the old name due to it sounding very close to something X-rated. Dropping the 'F' (bomb?) might explain why they renamed it to CKEditor.

One of my pet peeves when using our old FCKEditor is that the Paste from Word is useless since it doesn't strip out all the extra crap that Microsoft Word puts into the Clipboard. Well, I tried out the new CKEditor on Movable Type and finally this feature works! I'm a straight HTML-kinda guy, so I never paste from Word into the (F)CKEditor, but my boss Rich Tehrani swears by it. I've seen him paste into FCKEditor then have to click View Source button and clean up all the gobbledygook by hand. It ain't pretty. Not very efficient either. All that work just to retain some hyperlinks and formatting? I tried telling Rich "Notepad and handcoding HTML tags FTW! (For the Win!)", but he wasn't buying it. Part of my job as CTO is making sure TMC team members are productive. It pains me to see Rich being so inefficient and he ain't learning straight HTML code anytime soon.

So anywho, it's been awhile since I've upgraded Movable Type's GUI editor (FCKEditor), so I thought I'd check the new version out. I got it working for MT4.x simply by using the old FCKEditor plugin that David Davis wrote along with some minor code tweaks.

First, I simply downloaded the latest CKEditor from ckeditor.com. Next, I extracted it into the exact same folder as my old FCKEditor plugin folder since I could see the filenames were different by 1 letter (old filenames had 'f' and the new files had no 'f' as the first letter). Thus, I could easily revert to the old version if I wanted with no concern over overwriting the current FCKEditor.

Then I had to rename fck_editor.js to ckeditor.js in mt-static/plugins/FCKeditor/fckeditor/fckeditor.tmpl.

Next, I added a snippet of code below just above this line:

images/spacer.gif" width="100%" height="10"/>

Code to add:



All this code does is look for the textarea with id=editor-content-textarea and overlay the CKEditor on top. Pretty simple...

Here's the editor in action:

While this works, the only issue I have is that I can't override the Insert Image button that the CKEditor uses. Thus, I lose the awesome MT Asset Manager, which takes care of uploading and managing images.

It should be an easy fix. In the old FCKEditor MT plugin the code to override FCKEditor's InsertImage button was this code inside the fck_editor.js file:

    insertImage: function() {
        var div = DOM.getElement( "editor-content-enclosure" );
        app.openDialog( "__mode=list_assets&_type=asset&edit_field=" + div.getAttribute( "edit-field" )
            + "&blog_id=" + div.getAttribute( "mt:blog-id" ) + "&dialog_view=1&filter=class&filter_val=image" );

Basically, this code launches the MT Asset insert image dialog window. But I'm not sure how to make these changes to the new ckeditor.js, which seems fairly different from fck_editor.js. Alas, Javascript isn't my expertise. If any of you Movable Type fans out there figure it out let me know. I should mention that if you're running Movable Type 5, there is a new CKEditor MT plugin that seamlessly integrates with the new CKEditor (download). Alas, we're still running Movable Type 4 since there are plugin incompatibilities with MT5. So I'd really like to get the new CKEditor running on our MT4.25 install.

Tags: ckeditor, editor, fckeditor, graphical editor, html, movable type, mt, mt4, mt5, plugin, wysiwyg Related tags: editor content, running movable, content enclosure, filter class, content textarea, ckeditor

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My How Far Asterisk has Come!

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 07:55 GMT

I just wrote about Bill Miller leaving Digium and how Bill was one of the important faces at Digium and the VoIP industry as a whole. What I wrote at the end of the article got me thinking about the VoIP industry:

I hope this [important people leaving VoIP industry] isn't the start of a trend. But if it is, this just goes to show you that the VoIP industry is constantly evolving and perhaps new blood will be a good thing. It's easy to get sentimental when people I've worked with for years leave an industry I love.

Asterisk started in late 2001. I penned an article for Communications Solutions Magazine titled 'In Search Of A Linux-Based PBX' where I examined the various Linux-based PBX solutions. Take a look at what I wrote for Asterisk:

Asterisk
As my search continued, I stumbled upon a company called Asterisk. According to their Web site, Asterisk is an open source PBX and general telephony toolkit that runs on the Linux operating system. Asterisk provides a set of APIs that essentially make it a type of middleware between Internet and telephony channels like VoIP, voice over frame relay, etc., and telephony and Internet applications like voice mail, phone directories, call parking, and so forth. Asterisk supports a flexible and extensible channel API, allowing any number of real hardware or software interfaces. It is purported to support ISDN, PRI, T1, and POTS through an Adtran Atlas. The Quicknet Internet PhoneJack and Quicknet Internet LineJack are both supported. Plans to support Lucent-based Winmodems also in the works. This product is not a turnkey out-of-the-box Linux-based PBX, and its still under development, but it does have several telephony functions working, such as call bridging, call transfer, call parking, and rudimentary voice mail. Check them out.

Wow! Back in 2001 the only POTS support Asterisk had was with Adtran Atlas and the Quicknet Internet PhoneJack. Now Asterisk works with Digium hardware, Rhino, Pika, Sangoma, and more. Further, back in 2001 I explained, "This product is not a turnkey out-of-the-box Linux-based PBX, and its still under development, but it does have several telephony functions working, such as call bridging, call transfer, call parking, and rudimentary voice mail." Amazing! Who would make such a statement today about Asterisk? It has all the major telephone features and a pretty sophisticated voicemail system. When I examined Asterisk back in 2001, it seems like a garage basement project by a couple of guys - which it pretty much was. Just ask Mark Spencer!

My oh my how fast it has grown. It's too bad Mark didn't offer stock options back in 2001. I would have taken some. I'm a huge fan of open source and knew that Linux was going to crack the multi-billion dollar telecom market, which is why I penned the 'In Search Of A Linux-Based PBX' article in the first place.

Tags: asterisk, linux, mark spencer, voip Related tags: linux based, quicknet internet, rudimentary voice, parking rudimentary, still under, asterisk

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Bill Miller Leaves Digium

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 07:35 GMT

Digium and TMC having dinner
Left-to-right clockwise: Steve Sokol, John Todd, Russell Bryant, Dave Rodriguez (TMC), Greg Galitzine (former TMC), Jane Brooks, Tom Keating (TMC), Bill Miller

Last week I heard Bill Miller, VP Product Management for Digium had left for another opportunity. Bill has been with Digium for as long as I can remember. He's one of the core faces of Digium and Asterisk, and I've worked with him over the years for various Digium news stories, including but not limited to the Skype for Asterisk announcement, which Bill had promised to give me a scoop on, but alas the eBay folks (public company) wouldn't allow me to have the news before everyone else. You win some, you lose some.

In any event, I've been in the VoIP industry since the beginning of time - back to it's core roots when I was testing and reviewing NetMeeting and VocalTec's Internet Phone. So I've been in the VoIP industry when you could count the major players on one hand and got to know many of them personally. Although Bill joined Digium in 2006 which was at least 10 years since VoIP started & 5 years since Asterisk was created, Bill was at Digium to partake in its phenomenal growth. So it's always sad when I hear one of the VoIP industry's core guys leave.

Recently, Chris Lyman, CEO of Fonality left the organization he co-founded. I hope this isn't the start of a trend. But if it is, this just goes to show you that the VoIP industry is constantly evolving and perhaps new blood will be a good thing. It's easy to get sentimental when people I've worked with for years leave an industry I love. I wish Bill Miller the best of luck in his new venture. What that is I'm not sure, but when I find out I'll update this post.

Tags: asterisk, beelinebill, bill miller, digium, voip Related tags: worked years, digium, industry, miller, years, asterisk

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Vonage World $14.99 Unlimited Promo Plan for 6 Months

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:02 GMT

Today, Vonage has launched a new promotion for Vonage World calling plan that allows new customers to sign up for $14.99 for the first 6 months with a one year agreement. According to Vonage, this plan gives you unlimited calls to over 60 countries at a 40% reduction in cost from the previous rate for 6 months. After the promo is over the cost will then be $25.99 per month. Still a great deal, especially since you can use Vonage on your Blackberry or iPhone using their Vonage Mobile app to make unlimited calls to over 60 countries. Other nice features include:

• Vonage Visual Voicemail and SimulRing
• No access codes or calling cards
• Keep your existing number

Tags: apple, blackberry, iphone, promo, voip, vonage, vonage mobile, vonage world Related tags: calls countries, unlimited calls, vonage world, vonage, unlimited, months

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Textecution Disables Texting, Email and Web Browsing While Driving

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:50 GMT

Wireless Zone is now offering its customers a free application called Textecution which locks a phones texting capabilities when the user is behind the wheel. The application is targeted towards parents who are concerned about their teen's texting while driving habits. It leverages GPS to detect if you are traveling more than 10mph and then it disables texting, as well as email and web browsing.

Sure, but what if your son/daughter turns off GPS? Or they could sit on their phone to block the GPS signal, then quickly whip it out, text something, then stuff it back under their buttocks. GPS won't be able to lock-on fast enough in many cases. Further, what if their son/daughter is a passenger in a car or riding a bus or train? That kinda sucks to be joy riding with your teenage friends and be the only one who can't text or check email. Don't get me wrong, I like the concept, but it doesn't seem foolproof and seems a bit limiting. Fortunately, you freedom-loving, independent teenagers need not worry about Textecution affecting you very much since this application only runs on Google Android devices.

So you iPhone, Nokia, Samsung, and other mobile phone users need not worry - at least not right now. Besides, I'm sure the ACLU will sue on the behalf of some 17-year old kid claiming they have the "right to text" while traveling more than 10mph. Heck, some teenagers can run more than 10mph. What then? Can't run and text if you're a fast sprinter? Another freedom lost. Where's Glenn Beck when you need em?

Anyway, here's the news release...

Putting the Brakes on Texting While Driving Wireless Zone Launches the Textecution App to Disable Texts, Email and Web Browsing While Driving

We've all heard the horror stories of accidents that occur when drivers are texting behind the wheel, but no wireless provider or retailer has stepped in to take a stance of this pressing issue, until now.

Recently, the National Safety Council published a study reporting that 28% of accidents occur as a result of talking or texting while driving; 200,000 accidents are blamed on texting while driving per year. Due to these shocking statistics, 19 states have now banned texting while driving. Last week, an additional study was release by the Highway Loss Data Institute which stated that the ban's states are putting on texting while driving are showing no reductions in accidents, because the laws are not being enforced. Wireless Zone's new application Textecution prohibits the ability to access the texting, emailing or web browsing feature of the phone, ensuring the safety of the driver, as well as the safety of others.

Putting the Brakes on Texting While Driving

Wireless Zone Adds Textecution to All Applicable Cellular Devises, Application Disables Texts, Email, Web

MIDDLETOWN, CT - At the turn of the New Year, three more states - Illinois, New Hampshire, and Oregon - added its names to the growing list of states that have banned texting while driving. Staggering statistics, including the fact that you are 22 times more likely to get in a car accident if texting while driving, have influenced political powers and a national retailer to take a stand.

Wireless Zone, the largest cell phone franchise in the U.S., has announced it will place an application, at no cost to its customers, that prevents texting while driving on all applicable devices. The application, Textecution, is a user-friendly application that completely disables texting while driving.

"Wireless Zone has always been committed to cell phone safety," said Mark Asnes, COO and Executive Vice President of Wireless Zone, noting that Wireless Zone has provided hands-free devices to customers, for free, in the past. "Our stores have provided hundreds of thousands of free hands-free devices to anyone with a cell phone - whether or not they purchased the phone from us. The challenge today is people text more than they talk; and driving while texting is a danger for everyone on the road. We knew we had to do something."
Textecution runs on Android phones and uses the onboard GPS to know how fast the phone is moving. If it detects the phone traveling at 10 miles an hour or more, Textecution disables the texting, email and web browsing functions of the phone.

"We see the application primarily as a tool for parents to install on their teenage driver's phone so they know their child is safer behind the wheel of the vehicle. However the program is also ideal for companies to install on its employees cell phones," Asnes said.

The products founder wanted to connect with a national brand to distribute this program. With its consistent dedication to cell phone safety as well as it having more than 400 locations nationwide, Textecution's Jonathon Young found Wireless Zone to be the ideal match.

"As a loving and protective parent, my children were the inspiration," he said. "I felt the temptation to text while driving was simply too great, and I was determined to prevent it. The idea was truly an epiphany that I hope prevents many needless tragedies, and keeps all of our kids and loved ones safer on the road."

ABOUT WIRELESS ZONE
Founded in 1988 as "The Car Phone Store", Wireless Zone has become the nation's largest premium wireless retail franchisor and was ranked the No. 1 franchise in its category by Entrepreneur magazine. Every store is independently owned and operated, exclusively offering Verizon Wireless products and services. In 2009, the more than 400-unit franchise awarded more than 100 new franchise locations, setting a strong tone despite the rocky economy. Wireless Zone is a division of Automotive Technologies, Inc. For more information, visit www.wirelesszone.com.

Tags: aclu, android, apple, driving, glenn beck, google, iphone, Textecution, texting, wireless zone Related tags: while driving, texting while, disables texting, texting email, allow textecution, texting

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