Truphone, one of the first to enable mobile Internet phone calls over Wi-Fi connections, now includes free calls to and from Google Talk users. Here’s a video from their press blog showing Truphone and Google Talk in action. I like this demo because it is low tech, sans marketing shtick, and shows someone actually using the product.

A great example, blogger style, of how video can really communicate the nuts and bolts of a new product or feature. For lots of people, a free 30-day trial isn’t enough. They want to see it before they try it.

Truphone announced its beta software for Wi-Fi-enabled Nokia mobile handsets in September 2006. Currently Truphone is available for Nokia’s E60, E61, E70 and N80 Internet Edition handsets. Truphone for other handsets including Windows Mobile devices will follow soon.
 

Over at Digital Media Update, Sightspeed’s Peter Csathy blogs about a deal inked between Google/YouTube and Digital Music Group Inc. DMGI will supply YouTube with  a bzillion hours worth of classic TV shows and video content and YouTube will, of course, make their money back through advertising on the “watch” pages associated with the DMGI content. Peter says this is a deal that will be closely watched by all major content providers and distributors. Could movies, music, and prime time be in our not too distant future? Show us the money!

Gizmo Project announced today an new update to their popular softphone. Read reviews by Om Malik, Luca, and Tom Keating. The biggest addition is the ability to now call Windows Live and Yahoo Messenger contacts in addition to Google Talk, Jabber and other Gizmo users.

Today, if you’re already a Gizmo Project user you get the download and install the new version from the web site, click here. Sometime tomorrow or Thursday, the Gizmo folks will add an automatic install feature that prompts you to install the new version the next time Gizmo starts up. I like that.

As for using it, I’ve made a few test calls to Windows Live Messenger. Just enter the MSN ID in the  call field, pretty easy. However the only way I can see to save a MSN or Yahoo contact to the contact list, is to select GoogleTalk in the Contact Type box. I don’t know if this is the intended use but….users don’t always do what they’re supposed to do…

On the receiving end, the incoming call didn’t look like me. It looked like GTalkToVoip was calling (who in the world is that?). Answering the call and hanging up seem fine, but after that, the whole process seemed to crash Windows Live (receiving end). I don’t use Windows Live for voice at all so I’m not an expert. In my opinion, you’re better off just inviting your friends to join Gizmo.

 

 

Bloggers like Andy and Phoneboy have made mention of Gizmo Project growing pains and bugs. Sometimes timing is everything because I was just thinking that. Well, maybe I’m feeling a little cranky today. I haven’t seen the problems Andy and Phoneboy have, but I do see other Gizmo-related errors and general “not responding” messages regularly, and it’s getting me down.

I’ve also never been able to get GizmoCall to work for me at all despite numerous pleas to tech support and the forums. I reported on it’s launch but was waiting to give a user opinion. Never happened. I really think that Gizmo is going in the right direction with the additional services like SMS, web calling, integration with other IM networks. I recently decided to use Gizmo as my primary chat interface since I can integrate with MSN,Yahoo, Google, and others. A new features lets you import your MSN contact list into Gizmo at one shot instead of laboriously one by one. And Gizmo is SO easy to set up with the Nokia N95 which means I can use it to make mobile internet calls.  I also use Gizmo to handle all my incoming calls through GrandCentral. Another big plus.

When the sun is shining you can overlook application not responding and other weirdness. But you can also get tired of making excuses. Sigh. I feel it’s kind of like a great outfit, love the color, the style, looks good on me, perfect for the occasion, but it doesn’t quite fit right.

I was just thinking about Hictu the other day and I went to have a look at it again. Next thing you know, Luca tells me that they’ve released a new version. Read more here.

I haven’t been using Hictu. There’s been just so many new tools to try. And that’s exactly the issue. In a nutshell, Hictu allows you to see the online presence of contacts on Skype, Gizmo, Abbeyphone, Yahoo, ICQ, MSN, Sitophono, GTalk, AIM, Jabber. They call it a presence dashboard.

Just saw this on the mouse-phone, no wait, phone-mouse from Genius. The Genius Navigator 380 apparantly supports Skype, MSN, Yahoo!, GoogleTalk, QQ, and AIM. When you get a voice call over IM, your mouse, er rings. Just snap it open and take the call. Kind of reminds me of Max Smart’s shoe phone.

I’ve installed Fring on my Nokia N80i and got it working. (Yahoo!!) I won’t bore you again with my installation woes but this time I’m pretty sure it wasn’t me that was the problem.

When connected to a Wi-Fi access point, I’m able to make and receive calls and/or chats from Skype contacts. Of all the softphone-type VOIP applications I’ve tried, I have by far the most contacts in Skype so Fring will be useful to me for that reason alone. Using SkypeOut credit, I can make VOIP calls to non-Skype numbers. So far, I’d rate the call quality to Skype contacts as 7/10, which I think is pretty good. At least no echo, no echo.

Today BridgePort Networks announced the commercial availability of MobileSTICK, a USB device that transforms your PC or laptop into an extension of your cell phone. When you plug MobileSTICK into a PC or laptop with a fixed line or Wi-Fi broadband connection, the device launches a PC softphone, secured by a SIM card that utilizes the your existing mobile phone number to make and receive phone calls, SMS messages and multimedia (MMS) messages. Your existing mobile remains active and continues to utilize its existing SIM.

Ken Camp had the opportunity a few months ago to do a podcast with BridgPort’s Sanjay Jhawar that explains the MobileSTICK technology in detail. It’s really good and worth a listen.

When I first heard about Talkster back in October, I was intrigued. I participated marginally in their alpha program and thought their service “cool”. But at the time, it seemed to be raining mobile VOIP services like cats and dogs. Wasn’t Talkster just another “me-too” service? Today, with the launch of their new beta program, I had a chance to chat with CEO James Wanless, who set me straight on what Talkster is really all about. So, if you are an IT lead, manager or director of information systems in your company, or if you want to control the mobile devices your employees use, then you need to know about Talkster.

First, about the beta program. The beta is really designed to serve users a small slice of the potential of the Talkster network. It showcases two main pieces of functionality. 1) enable moble phones to call instant messenger with voice services such as MSN, Gizmo Project, and Google Talk. 2) enables long distance calling at substantially reduced long distance and roaming rates.

Talkster services operates on any regular mobile phone that has a web browser. The beta takes minutes to set up and you don’t have to install software on your phone or computer. Basically, you create an online account with the names and email addresses/numbers of your MSN, Gizmo Project and Google Talk buddies. Next, you use the browser on you mobile phone to log in to your Talkster account. You’ll see your contact list with a presence icon beside each name indicating if they are online or not. Select a name and you make a voice over IM (VoIM) call to that person free of charge. Alec Saunders did a nice demo on his Blackberry a while back with some good screen shots. Tom Keating in today’s post also has some good observations.

But while the consumer side of the Talkster network is ready now, the goal is comprensive and consolidated control over mobile communications services and devices for the enterprise. In fact, Talkster styles itself as a business mobility company. They’re not in the race for the cheapest phone call, what James Wanless calls the “race to zero”. “That’s not a great business model”, he says. “Talkster provides a contact centric service for mobile business users. Phone numbers, IM addresses, even SIP URls are all consolidated into one interface. Users just have to choose by name and not worry about how the call is placed. But on the enterprise level, companies can manage people on their cell phones out in the field and bring cell phone usage in line with company policy.” In the business version of the product to be released this spring, Wanless says Talkster will provide these essential tools so that the enterprise can manage their mobile users.

The Talkster beta service is open to users worldwide at www.talkster.com. Enterprises interested in the forthcoming enterprise service can send an email to enterprise@talkster.com.

“Sahweet” as my son would say. For once I had no trouble with the setup of the Nokia N800 internet tablet. I’m hooked up using Wi-fi and was able to make calls right away using Google Talk. I haven’t yet hooked up via bluetooth to my phone, but that’s next. As you can see, the screen is a great size and remarkably crisp and clear. Another neat feature is the full screen finger keypad, which I found somewhat bizarre at first, but I think there’s a bit of a knack to it. A little more practice and I’ll be a pro in no time.

There’s so many great features to explore on this device, like web cam, media player, internet radio, email and text messaging, internet calling with video. I’m trying to be systematic but it’s hard! The design is sleek, fits great in your hand, and the snap out desktop stand doubles as a hand grip. I checked on Amazon and the N800 can be had for around $379.