Apple Patent Describes iPod UI "Pushed" to Other Devices

An Apple patent filed in May 2008 describes a way of pushing whatever UI Apple wants to non-Apple hardware, for consistency's sake. That non-Apple hardware could include car stereos or something like the Chumby One (which has iPod functionality, but with a lookalike UI). It's a nice idea for Apple, but could be tricky given the myriad different hardware that might want to take advantage. What if the hardware has a resistive touchscreen, or a shitty processor? Might it just be better to use a custom interface for iPod integration? Regardless, it's in Remainders because it's not really that unexpected or interesting in its implications. [MacRumors]

Philips Announces Very Pretty Pro LCD Line

Philips' new high-end LCD line looks pretty fantastic, with two important caveats. First, let's drool a little: The two models (40- and 46-inch) have a 5,000,000:1 contrast ratio, 1ms response time, 5 HDMI ports (not sure why you'd need that many, but whatever) and a 200Hz refresh rate, with a nice brushed-aluminum look. Now, the caveats. First, they're UK only, and second, they're prohibitively expensive at about $3,000 and $4,100, respectively. Still, drool-worthy. [Engadget]

NYTimes Columnist Proposes Boycott of "Pro-Communist China" Bing

NY Times columnist Nicholas Kristof has proposed a boycott of Microsoft's Bing search engine due to its supposed pro-Chinese-government censorship of search terms like "Dalai Lama" and "Tienanmen" when searched in simplified Chinese characters. In English and other non-Chinese languages, the results you'd expect from "Tienanmen" show up, but in Chinese, apparently it returns sanitized results (no massacre, in that case). Since I'm not really sure how to type simplified Chinese characters on an all-Amurrican MacBook Pro keyboard, I haven't tested it myself—but if true, it's a little underhanded on Microsoft's part, although certainly paling in comparison to, you know, the Chinese government. What's odd is that Google's Chinese search also returns censored results, but "to a much lesser extent," so I guess it's okay. Weird stuff. [TechFlash]

Ooma Adds New Handsets and International Plan

Internet phone company Ooma began shipping its new Telo handset as well as offering a very cheap international calling plan (500 minutes for $5 per month). Ooma, for those who don't know (I assume this includes everyone) varies from other VoIP services like Vonage by cutting out the monthly fees, instead packing them into a fairly expensive set-top box, at $250. So this international plan requiring a monthly fee is a big deal for them, but it winds up in Remainders because I honestly had not even heard of Ooma until this morning. Oops. [Electronista]

But Mike notes that AT&T is already ok with setting up Windows and Blackberry phones with data only plans (but not iPhones) and that a data/voip-only phone is what Google proposed to the FCC when bidding on wireless spectrum back in the day.

The initial post that there would be a Google phone—an in-house, top-to-bottom Google developed handset running android—was met with skepticism by the press. Most people quoted previous statements from Google's Andy Rubin stating that they would not "compete with their own customers" by releasing a handset of their own. That mimes microsoft's strategy with PCs and Phones, versus their in house designed Xbox and Zune hardware. But there is a difference here, despite the quote from Rubin: Google does not charge for Android, so are these people customers or beneficiaries of the only real modern mobile operating system that they can license. And Free. I mean, Win Mo is currently terrible and costs money and symbian is a joke. Blackberry isn't up for grabs. And does Google care if they lose a few points of market share? I don't think so. This isn't even close to their core business, except that whenever someone gets on the internet, Google stands to make money. In this case, Google wins not by licensing more OSes to be used on phones, but in the very act of getting more phones in the world, no matter what the OS or platform. Now that's scary power. [Techcrunch]

The scoop by TechCrunch suggests Gizmo5 and Google Voice could join forces to create a skype like service. (Although many readers have noted that Gizmo5 and Google Voice already work together well enough as separate services.) We look forward to better integration. [Techcrunch via lifehacker]

Maybe the more interesting, number though, is how many companies it takes to make Google Voice happen:

In its correspondence with the FCC, Google also reveals several companies that help it provide Google Voice. The list includes fiber-optic network operators Level 3 Communications (LVLT) and Global Crossing (GLBC). It also mentions Broadvox Communications, Bandwidth.com, and Pac-West Telecomm. IBasis (IBAS) is responsible for connecting outbound international calls on Google Voice and Neustar (NSR) provides "porting and carrier lookup services," Google says in the letter. Syniverse Technologies (SVR) provides the free text-messaging service.

That's eight, not counting Google itself. [BusinessWeek]

When "docked" on the speaker (or its second, smaller charger), the phone is held in place via magnets. An aluminum scroll wheel control also adds to the metallic chic. It's all very elegant and European, but no word on the price yet. A (not so) wild guess: it won't be cheap. [Bang and Olufsen]

TechCrunch is saying that Skype is looking to buy Gizmo5, a SIP-based service that isn't quite as popular as the former, but works pretty well. SIP is an open standard that works with many, many devices—Gizmo 5 works with Google Voice even—so this could be a pretty good move even if Skype gets out of legal trouble. Imagine piping your free Google Voice number through Skype to get free calls like you can now with Gizmo5. [TechCrunch]

A brief recap: Google Voice doesn't allow calls to some rural numbers, sexy talk lines or conference call services because the access and termination fees to them are pricey. AT&T has oh-so-kindly asked the FCC to investigate them for not following net neutrality rules (hilarious, since AT&T is quite pissy about the FCC's serious desire to apply them to mobile broadband networks), largely because AT&T got smacked for doing the same thing back in 2007. The FCC these days, headed by Mr. Neutrality Julian Genaschowski, is all about investigating stuff, so they're dutifully asking Google WTF is up with that.

Google says they're not providing a phone service like AT&T, but a free software/web service that's a supplement to your phone, emphasis on the free part:

Google Voice is a free application and we want to keep it that way for all our users — which we could not afford to do if we paid these ludicrously high charges.

Given that Google Voice isn't even a VoIP service and runs on top of your actual phone service—not to mention, is invite-only—they sorta have a point. Plus, um, free is good. [Google Policy Blog via Ars]

The FCC's interested in part because some lawmakers jumped on its ass, but also because it's very interested in making some new rules for telecoms. Currently, Google Voice blocks calls to some rural carriers, conference call services and naughty talk lines because they have pricey access fees.

You can read the full letter here (PeeDeeEff), but basically the FCC asks Google to describe how calls are routed with Google Voice, how it decides what numbers to block, what exactly Google means by saying the service is "invitation-only," whether or not it plans to charge money for GV (!), and some other stuff.

Google insists Google Voice is software, not subject to common carrier laws. We'll see, the new FCC is mighty feisty. [FCC (PDF via Bits]

AT&T supposedly just told Apple and the FCC this afternoon that their network is ready for VoIP over 3G for the iPhone, meaning it might take a bit to show up in apps, but the floodgates are open now. And yeah, whoa. Skype over 3G has been okay on other phones that weren't the iPhone before this, but AT&T's now "taken the steps necessary so that Apple can enable VoIP applications on iPhone to run on AT&T's wireless network." Since there's no cap on iPhone data—and AT&T says it's still unlimited with VoIP—that means you can get the cheapest possible voice plan and talk as much as you want through VoIP apps like Skype.

We wouldn't be totally surprised if AT&T suddenly discovering their network is ready for VoIP over 3G is at least partially motivated by the FCC's recent crowing about net neutrality—even for mobile providers—and in reaction to the FCC's investigation as to what exactly when down between AT&T, Apple and Google with Google Voice. This is AT&T showing Mr. FCC that they play nice and fair, and pretty please, don't drop some government regulation on their head, like mandated neutrality. It also makes them look better as they point the finger at Google Voice for not following net neutrality conventions.

A couple of points to add: This is specifically about VoIP (very likely because of the FCC's Google Voice curiosities), so there's nothing to fapfapfap about on the SlingPlayer or tethering front. While Skype is the most immediate woohoo context that comes to mind, we're actually more interested now in the possibility of an app that is even more targeted to letting you get over on AT&T and replace your voice minutes with data for phone calls.

Whatever the cause or motivations, we're just glad to see it happen, finally. Now we've just gotta wait for the apps to catch up.

AT&T EXTENDS VOIP TO 3G NETWORK FOR IPHONE

DALLAS, October 6, 2009 - AT&T* today announced it has taken the steps necessary so that Apple can enable VoIP applications on iPhone to run on AT&T's wireless network. Previously, VoIP applications on iPhone were enabled for Wi-Fi connectivity. For some time, AT&T has offered a variety of other wireless devices that enable VoIP applications on 3G, 2G and Wi-Fi networks. AT&T this afternoon informed Apple Inc. and the FCC of its decision.

In late summer, AT&T said it was taking a fresh look at VoIP capabilities on iPhone for use on AT&T's 3G network, consistent with its regular review of device features and capabilities to ensure attractive options for consumers.

"iPhone is an innovative device that dramatically changed the game in wireless when it was introduced just two years ago," said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO, AT&T Mobility & Consumer Markets. "Today's decision was made after evaluating our customers' expectations and use of the device compared to dozens of others we offer."

AT&T allows customers to download or launch on their wireless devices a multitude of compatible applications directly from any lawful Internet website. Additionally, because AT&T uses GSM technology, the most pervasive and open wireless technology platform in the world, we support customers using any GSM phone that works on AT&T's frequencies.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

The idea seems like a good one from a decade ago: A cordless (not cellular but VOIP) phone with a little computer screen in its base from which you could order pizza, send messages to Verizon mobile phones and (eventually) program your Verizon DVR. It required the rarest of customer: An early adopter with cellular, landline and TV all from Verizon, who wanted no part of ever switching to a different carrier for any variation of service or handset, and who didn't mind organizing their life solely around Verizon-branded apps, including proprietary picture-mail, calendar and VZNavigator.

Our own Matt Buchanan, who I happen to know tried very hard to say something nice, in the end dismissed its hardware as "shitty," its timing as "unfortunate," its content as "useless" and its OS as "not particularly a joy."

So what went wrong? "Probably a failure of marketing and pricing," said Zatz. "Requiring the Hub to be purchased solely via Verizon Wireless at $200 plus $35/month with a two year contract is pretty steep barrier to entry when introducing a new product category to the mainstream." You mean a shitty, anachronistic new product category, don't you Dave? [ZatzNotFunny]

According to CNET, Vonage is currently beta testing the Mobile VoIP app and expects to announce availability soon. Reports say that Apple is working with Vonage to settle a few technical issues with the software which made us curious. There have been statements from AT&T in the past that Apple may not actively assist developers in building a VoIP app:

Both parties (AT&T and Apple) required assurances that the revenues from the AT&T voice plans available to iPhone customers would not be reduced by enabling VoIP calling functionality on the iPhone."

This sounds more like Apple may not assist in VoIP over 3G, so will the soon-to-be-released Vonage app allow for VoIP over wi-fi instead? We'll be waiting to see what happens, especially since "approved" doesn't exactly mean "available" just yet in this case. [CNET]

Chances are this acquisition won't impact the day-to-day Skype experience on your computer or phone or pricing. Though here is hoping that the new guys at the helm will figure out ways to make Skype calling available on, you know, in-flight Wi-Fi, AT&T's 3G network and Android phones. [Skype]

Why put Android in a desktop phone? For one, plenty of apps, including visual voicemail, calendars, SMS, and email. Cloud Telecomputers also expects lots of third party Android apps to be built especially for the business phone platform. And as it supports landlines and various VoIP and SIP clients you will be able to set up a Google Voice app with a Gizmo5 SIP account to make it the ultimate phone booth. The start-up company also throws in HD audio and Bluetooth.

Cloud Telecomputers expects the Glass to be available in the first quarter of 2010 with a price tag somewhere in between $600 and $700. [Cloud Telecomputers via Electricpig]

The move is intended to assist servicemen and women abroad that would otherwise have difficulty directly contacting loved ones. Army SGT Dale Sweetnam explains on Google's Official Blog:

When you deploy, your life is put on hold. While you live and work in a different world, everyone else moves on with life back home. Your family and friends keep moving, and this sometimes means it's just not possible for them to stay awake until 2 a.m. to receive a phone call. Calling Iraq or Afghanistan is seldom an option.

Google Voice provides a solution to some of these problems. Service members can set up an account before they deploy. Or if they're already deployed, families can now set up an account for their service member. Loved ones can call to leave messages throughout the day, and then when that service member visits an Internet trailer, all the messages are right there. It's like a care package in audio form.

Even if you have never been in the military, it is easy to understand how your sanity could revolve around messages from home. If you or someone you know could benefit, head on over to Google's dedicated military invitation site. You should be up and running in no time. [Google Blog and BGR]

This tweet by cwalker123, a Google Voice developer, says not today (the 18th). And if you need to know why we're such big fans of Google Voice, check out our coverage. [BGR]

That means you'll be able to port the phone number you've had for 5 or 10 or 100 years to Google Voice and use whatever phone you want, whenever you want, on whatever carrier you want, with your current number—meaning you'll never have to worry about your phone number again. Right now, you can kinda hack it by forwarding calls from your current number to your Google Voice number, but you're stuck with pitfalls like texts not being forwarded. Google's also got an app cooking that'll route outbound calls through Google Voice as well, so the service is more seamless—currently, your outbound caller ID is whatever's actually assigned to the phone you're using. Update: Lifehacker pointed out a few months ago that Google mentioned the possibility in their support pages, but TechCrunch specifies Google is testing it now and that it'll roll out later this year.

I have to say, it's been interesting watching carriers become more and more irrelevant over the last two years. Their fears of becoming a "dumb pipe" are certainly coming true, and cutting the core of your mobile identity—your phone number—completely out of their hands has to be at least a little bit scary for them.

Now if Google would just solve GV's other major flaw—actually letting people in. [TechCrunch]

Step 1: Free Your Phone
There are lots of reasons to jailbreak your phone. Skype and SlingPlayer over 3G is just one of them. Luckily, we've got a comprehensive guide to easily jailbreak your iPhone 3G (or iPod touch). Follow it.

Step 2: Trick Your Phone
Welcome back! If you're just interested in using Skype, SlingPlayer and Fring's VoIP over 3G we're already at the end—search for Tricker Three3G in Cydia, install it, and you're good to go. SlingPlayer, Skype and Fring will think they're running on Wi-Fi, no matter what connection you're on. Right now, Tricker Three3G only fools those three apps. There's a more involved process if you want to fool other apps too.

Step 2b: The Long Way
In Cydia, the app you want to search for and install is VoIPover3G, which tricks any app into thinking a 3G connection is actually Wi-Fi. You also need to grab OpenSSH or DiskAid and the latest version of MobileSubstrate. From there, you have to tap into phone and install some custom text files for every app that you want VoIPover3G to trick. But you do have the power to trick any app with it, unlike Tricker ThreeG. If you're completely new to the game, I'd start with this guide to getting Skype to work over 3G and then just substitute the final steps for the relevant Sling parts from this guide. They're laid out pretty well, so fairly easy to follow. [ModMyi, iHackintosh, iPhone Download Blog]

The Hub is a landline slayer launched in a wireless world, where the landline is almost dead. It's a fertile garden behind a red-painted wall—red 'cause it's Verizon, har har—found when most people are trying to break down those walls. It's a Verizon Wireless VoIP phone coming about at a time when AT&T is killing their VoIP service entirely. It's the phone we imagined before the iPhone, tethered to our home broadband connection for instant-pizza-ordering awesomeness. In other words, it's a lot of interesting things, appearing in the wrong place and at the wrong time.

That's not to say it's bad. It's just unfortunate. The Hub makes sense in a very specific context: If you're a lock, stock and barrel Verizon customer, from wireless to TV to internet to, obviously, landline phone service. That's where the "Hub" name comes in—it brings a bunch of different Verizon services together in one spot: You can monitor cellphone locations using Verizon's Chaperone, send maps and directions from the Hub to phones running VZ Navigator, and manage a central calendar that your entire family's phones sync to. Eventually, you'll be able to do more, like manage your Verizon FiOS TV DVR. While a minor point, in a sense it's a very sore point with the Hub, since you can already do that from many Verizon cellphones this very second. Why do I need a Hub again?

The garden walls reach their greatest heights when you try to text or picture message to a non-Verizon phone—you can't. The calendar isn't open, using a standard like CalDAV for easy export—it's squarely in Verizonland. A surprising amount of managing the Hub actually takes place on Verizon's website, like uploading contacts (via CSV files) and photos. Thankfully, the Hub's pages are better designed than the rest of Verizon's website—there's legit eye candy in the photo gallery, for instance. And nearly anything you can do on the Hub itself, you can do from the website remotely, like manage voicemail or check your call history. But it's odd you can't do something very simple like upload photos via the Hub's USB port.

It doesn't really matter if there are walls around the garden if you're never tempted to leave. Unfortunately, the Hub isn't enough of an attraction. Pretty much anything you can do on it—buy movie tickets, send text messages, check traffic or watch videos, you can do faster or better on your computer or cellphone. The virtually useless selection of VCAST videos make the average YouTube video feel like HD in comparison, and the "traffic report" isn't a map with live traffic info, but a canned audio briefing from Traffic.com that you have to sit through an ad to hear.

The Linux OS itself isn't particularly a joy. God knows, Verizon's committed some horrible user interface atrocities over the last few years, but at least the Hub's is alright—usable, not mind-blowing. I wish it moved faster. The keyboard is annoying to type on, but it'll get better in the next software update, which adjusts the spacing and adds pop-up letters. A persistent set of buttons on the left gives you constant, instant access to the two main menus: The phone and the uh, menu, where you get to your apps. In the top right corner is the home button, which takes you to the desktop, where your widgets, like for weather, time, voicemail, etc. hang out. Applications tend to have a two-pane layout that's framed by buttons on three sides, which doesn't sound like a problem, but it becomes one since the touchscreen is not so responsive around the edges. I've accidentally called two people at 3 in the morning while trying to press the menu button. Not cool.

Actually, that's one of my more concrete frustrations with this phone: The hardware feels cheap and shitty. The handset, which costs $80 a pop, is a plastic piece of garbage with a shoddy build quality and terrible screen. (It doesn't help that you can't do much from the handset either, like send text messages.) The touchscreen isn't as responsive as it should be, and it distorts with even the slightest bit of pressure, adding to the whole crappy feeling. A screen designed to be touched shouldn't freak out when you touch it. The speakers really harsh, crappy and tinny too. I couldn't stand using it for loudspeaker calls.

There are a few bright points. While the directory isn't as precise as say, MenuPages, it is fairly painless to find a nearby pizza place and call them in a single stroke. The synergistic—I know, that word provokes a gag reflex—stuff works well. Directions quickly went to the Samsung Sway test phone I got with it, which promptly fired up VZ Navigator and pointed to wherever I pointed it. (Too bad VZ Navigator is slow and sucky, but that's somewhat besides the point.) And the call quality itself is pretty good—or at least I sounded "loud and clear" to the people I called.

The brightest light may end up being the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel—the promise that developers will be able to create their own apps for this thing in the future. The included ones, for the most part, just aren't that hot, and some of the newer ones in the pipeline are definitely more head-turning. But it's hard to see how this product can sustain itself long enough to engender a solid third-party developer community. More likely, it'll get slightly better, then go extinct.

It's pretty ballsy to charge $200 for a landline phone with $35/month VoIP service right now, one that does the same thing you can do on an iPhone or G1, but is tied to your desk. Which is a lot of the reason I like it. But it's just as ridiculous to ask that much for a phone that's built with subpar hardware and doesn't live up to its full potential in a world where it's already horribly outmoded. Time was up two years ago. [Verizon]

Skype's been on cellphones and portable devices for a while, but it wasn't until recently that they included video. Problem is, Nintendo's DSi—although equipped with a front camera that captures video—only has a 133MHz CPU. The weak processor is enough for games, but is it enough for video chat? Perhaps Skype only meant that it could support audio chats, which would be disappointing, what with that camera always staring you in face while you talk. [TechRadar]

A proposal has already been drafted, challenging carriers who disallow VoIP traffic over their 3G networks. Deconstructed, this kind of selective connection seems fundamentally wrong: these carriers are choosing to block certain data not for traffic management reasons, but to sabotage competing services. But the sheer magnitude of the competitive threat—the possibility that VoIP over cellular data could completely destroy conventional voice services—at least explains why companies do this, and why regulatory bodies have been so reluctant to touch the issue.

At this stage, it's a distant issue for US carriers, much less cell users. But an EU/Trade Commission intervention into the European wireless industry could at least remind US regulators that, yes, filtering wireless data for anticompetitive purposes is actually kind of a dick move. [Handelsblatt via TGDaily]

Our quick test showed that voice quality is quite good—definitely on par or better than actual 3G calling over AT&T's network—and connects rather quickly. It's unfortunate that 2.2.1 doesn't have background notifications, so there's no way somebody could Skype you unless you had the app open all the time.

In an iPhone to iPhone Wi-Fi call test, Phone A heard Phone B perfectly clear, but the person on Phone A sounded like a robot with enunciation problems from Phone B's side. iPhone to Laptop worked perfectly fine, however.

What's also interesting is that voice calling only works when you're on Wi-Fi in the 2.2.1 firmware, popping up a restriction message if you're on 3G, but 9to5Mac says it works just fine in the 3.0 firmware. Not sure whether that's because the 3.0 developer's beta is less locked down, but it's one pretty good reason to risk the upgrade. We suspect that this hole is going to be locked down REAL soon, lest AT&T lose out on a bunch of minutes. [App Store]

The iPhone client feature set is more or less what we've come to expect from Skype mobile apps: free Skype-to-Skype calls, SkypeOut support, pretty interface integration (they went with the iPhone aesthetic over the Skype desktop aesthetic, thankfully) and instant messaging to other users. You can even snap a profile picture from within the app. The app will also support 2G iPod Touches with external mics.

But! For those of you who held onto the vain hope that an official client might be able to somehow skirt the universal App Store ban on voice over IP over 3G (VoIPo3G?), forget it—you won't be able to Skype unless you're connected to a wireless network, and text messaging has been entirely excluded. You can't even top up your SkypeOut account or purchase other services like voicemail, which, by the way, can't be accessed from the app.

Not to poop on Skype's party, but this announcement leaves me with questions—specifically, why should I download this? Third party apps like Fring picked up Skype's slack a long time ago, and lump in multiprotocol IMing, something which gives them a distinct advantage over this official client on the one-app-at-a-time-please iPhone. Skype told CNET that their app will have better voice quality (and probably lower latency), but aside from that was unable to offer many significant advantages over other apps. [CNET and NYT —Images from CNET]

For those of you who haven't heard of it, GrandCentral/Google Voice is an online phone consolidation service. Basically, you pick a single phone number for your account, and have Google Voice—which can manage calls, voicemail and now SMS—route contact to that number to any number of other phones. It's sort of like a web-based switchboard for all your devices.

Google has preserved GrandCentral's functionality, and added a few features to their web client. For example, now you can see your voicemails collected on your PC and transcribed, or have a voicemail transcription sent to your phones via SMS. Speaking of SMS support, that gaping hole that blighted the old GrandCentral, it is now included and logged accordingly. Conference calling and cheap international rates are also available through the client.

Google Voice is in beta, but it's one of those trademark soft, open, indefinite Googly betas. It's closed to everyone except previous GrandCentral users, and the company says that the beta will open to the rest of us "soon". [Google]

Previously, the JaJah app for the iPhone was used as a middleman to connect people on VoIP to your cellphone, but it still required a mobile plan, and used minutes. Now, the Jajah app works entirely over wi-fi, meaning you can use the iPod touch, and make calls without a mobile plan. It also works on the iPhone, but won't work over 3G or EDGE, because then AT&T wouldn't make any money.

The strength of this Jajah app is simplicity, and that is a good thing. It doesn't try to work with a million different communication services (such as Fring or IM+), and it maintains much of Mobile OS X's design DNA. This makes the app extremely easy to use.

Placing a call is as simple as selecting a contact from your list, or bringing up the dialpad and entering a number. Similarly, sending a text over IP (handy for international SMS) looks like it's pretty much the same as sending a normal SMS, except that you're inside the JaJah app. I got to see the UI for sending an SMS, but because the service isn't set up yet, I didnt get to see it go through.

As for call quality, voices sounds a tad on the tinny side, but not to the extent that I would say it's bad quality. There's also a few seconds of lag while the data passes through JaJah's servers, yet that's no huge surprise either.

The cool thing is that JaJah would like to work with Mobile Carriers on branded solutions, and expect carriers to offer flat rate VoIP service using the JaJah technology. This means you wouldn't need to buy minutes, you'd just pay one dollar amount every month for unlimited use. In any case, VoIP junkies should look at JaJah when it comes out in a few weeks.

When hooked up via USB, this speakerphone can make calls over Skype for anyone running XP, Vista, Tiger or Leopard. It also features its own volume control and mute function as well as velcro backing for mounting in an easy-to-reach area. And, of course, it comes with the prerequisite sound bytes that have become a staple of all Trek communicator replicas. A price has not been announced, but it is expected to arrive sometime in April. [Dream Cheeky via Everything USB]

To use JaJah on your iPod touch, all you need is a wi-fi connection, and a compatible headset so you can talk. Calls can be placed to any phone, anywhere, you can send and recieve SMS messages over IP, and you can even have a real number assigned to your iPod touch that let's you receive calls from any phone.

As for service, you can either purchase call minutes through JaJah, or soon enough, they'll make their service available to mobile carriers, letting them use the technology under their own name, letting customers deal with a company they already know. JaJah says pricing for the iPod touch service will be the same as the rest of their devices, which is to say about 3 cents/minute to other people in the US, and as low as 3.4 cents/minute in parts of Europe.

The App isn't out quite yet, but JaJah expects to have it ready as a free download in the coming weeks. [JaJah]

JAJAH Turns iPod Touch Into an iPhone
White Label Solution Enables Any Carrier to Provide High Quality Calls and text Messaging via the iPod Touch

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA — February 5, 2009 — JAJAH, the leading IP telecommunications company, today announced a complete revamp of the iPod touch, turning the device into a fully functioning mobile phone for consumers. The new capability, available as a white label solution, enables carriers as well as non-carriers to launch the service under their own brand and provide their customers with the ability to make low-cost phone calls and send SMS text messages to any phone in the world from their iPod touch. To use the service, end users only require an iPod touch and a Wi-Fi connection, with no need for a SIM card or contract.

Move over, iPhone
The iPod touch is one of the most popular consumer devices in the world for music, entertainment, Web-browsing and now, making phone calls.

"Millions of people around the world already have an iPod touch in their pocket. With JAJAH's solution, any company can turn their customers' iPod touch into a fully functioning mobile phone," said Trevor Healy, CEO, JAJAH. "The device is particularly popular amongst students, who live in a world where Wi-Fi access is always available and, like everyone, they are looking to save costs, so this is a perfect solution."

JAJAH's next generation IP communications platform gives its partners everything they need to launch the service immediately. This includes the application itself, plus the entire suite of management services, from termination of the calls and quality control, right through to billing and processing payments in 200 countries around the world.

Given the economic downturn, consumers are seeking ways to make calls on any mobile device they own, as inexpensively as possible. "Offering a turnkey solution provides iPod touch users with added value," said Jon Arnold, principal analyst of J Arnold & Associates. "This is a prime example of how JAJAH's innovative platform helps carriers differentiate their services."

Connection made easy ...
Anyone with the latest version of the iPod touch will be able to download the service from the Apple App Store. With a microphone headset (available from Apple), users will immediately be able to make calls and send SMS messages from their device from any Wi-Fi network in the world. Calling costs will be up to 98 percent cheaper than existing rates on mobile networks, and in many cases could be free.

A platform for everyone (else)
JAJAH's plug-and-play IP platform is the only service that provides the full suite of services required to develop, deploy and monetize IP communication services anywhere in the world. The JAJAH platform is used by a number of the world's largest companies including Intel, Yahoo! and Comcast, and allows any company to offer value-added-services (VAS) to their customer base with no upfront payment or development work, saving millions for its customers and ensuring partners are prepared for the next generation of service provision.

JAJAH continues to develop innovative communications services. In the coming months the company will announce a range of new data communication services, applications and partnerships. For more information, please visit: www.jajah.com.

Work rules, lame carriers, prohibitive contracts—whatever the reason you're shacked up with a WinMo phone, you've been through the same experience. You toil with the layers of menus, hidden device settings, poor browsing and crashy, inconsistent performance. Surrounded by fancy, shiny phones with even fancier, shinier OSes, you're even getting a bit jealous, and feel like you have a genuinely last-gen device. Well, as Windows Mobile enthusiasts (who are out there in droves) will tell you, it's not that terrible. With the right apps you can get quite a lot of utility and—yes—enjoyment out of your aging phone.

For God's sake, get a new browser
Internet Explorer Mobile, even in its latest incarnation, has rarely been described as "good." In fact, it's pretty much the complete opposite. No worries though—Windows Mobile, through third parties, has the broadest and most versatile collection of browsers of any of its competitors.

Opera Mini/Mobile: A Java-based browser, Opera Mini is a free download that will immediately give your phone a new lease on life. Fancy this: Now, with your phone, you can visit actual websites, rendered to a reasonable degree of accuracy! OH MY GOD!

There's also Opera Mobile, a native app with a few more advanced features, which has recently shifted its emphasis to a relatively narrow set of touchscreen devices (mostly from HTC and Samsung), on which it performs as a reasonable counterpart to Safari Mobile or Chrome Mobile. It's free when it's in beta, but will cost you for long term use.

Both browsers Opera Mini routes content through Opera's servers for optimization and compression, which can occasionally break formatting. Update: Opera Mobile runs independently of Opera's servers, though there is noticeable compression performed—presumably locally—on some images.

Skyfire: This upstart company has produced a phenomenal browser, dedicated to bringing a full desktop browsing experience to Windows Mobile phones. This powerhouse app is now available to the public, and lives up to most of its claims.

Skyfire routes web content through its servers like Opera Mini does, but with a greater emphasis on exact page reproduction. For the end user, that means fully optimized streaming Flash video, which will allow you to watch everything from Hulu to Megaporn—all automatically transcoded into a lower, EDGE or 3G-appropriate bitrate. Skyfire works wonderfully on most WinMo phones, touchscreen or not, but its version for VGA-resolution phones needs better visuals.

TorchMobile Iris: This is another browser that claims to bring the "desktop experience" to your phone, and for the most part it does, assuming your phone has a touchscreen. It got its start on the LG Dare, where it performed relatively well. In short, this WebKit-based browser render quite well, but it's not terribly fast and the navigation paradigm isn't the most intuitive of the lot. But! It's free and it's not Mobile IE, and for this I am grateful.

Give your old phone a new look
This is where Windows Mobile feels the most out of date; its interface is a classic example of design by committee, only this time the committee was made up primarily of the visionaries responsible for Windows Bob, Windows ME, Windows Vista and possibly the Pontiac Aztec. The solution? Skin it.

PointUI: About a year ago, our own Jason Chen raved about PointUI, and not much has changed—it's still fantastic. This layer, not unlike those designed by HTC, Samsung and Sony to mask WinMo, will provide pretty, finger-friendly navigation to a touchscreen Windows Mobile phone. It looks like the project is on temporary hiatus, but the app is still available here.

SPB Mobile Shell: This one isn't free ($30, actually) but does provide a fairly complete conversion. It reaches deeper into layers of the interface than PointUI does, is a bit more friendly for QWERTY-based phones and offers a load of user skins.

ThrottleLauncher: HTC's TouchFlo 3D is a wonderful Windows Mobile shell, but unfortunately can be difficult to port due to its 3D acceleration requirement. ThrottleLauncher is a TF3D replacement, which works on most Windows Mobile touchscreen phones. It looks like TF3D, and offers skins to look like Android, iPhone OS and others. There are a fair number of bugs present, but they're tolerable.

Fill out your app list:
Most of those things that modern smartphones have—the swank maps, the messaging services, the productivity apps—you can have too. They may not be as polished, but they work very, very well.

Google Apps: Aside from plethora of mobile web apps offered by Google, there are a few native ones as well. Google Maps is a must-download, and provides almost all of the functionality of its iPhone/G1 brother, including GPS integration. Google Mail provides a nice, speedy interface for your Gmail account, offering relief from Windows Mobile's occasionally frustrating mail app, and allowing for relatively easy switching between accounts.

Skype: Here's an area where Windows Mobile generally trumps all others OSes—voice over IP. The native Skype app is lovely, functioning well over Wi-Fi and cellular data connections, provided your carrier allows the latter.

Palringo: Palringo is a multiprotocol IM app, which enables messaging on many networks at once in a single program. AIM, MSN, Yahoo, ICQ—they're all there. Like any decent IM app it works with the WinMo notification system and runs in the background, so you can be constantly apprised of your new messages, just like those smug BlackBerry users. In fact, I think it's fair to say that in the area of messaging, Windows Mobile shines. Similar, also good: Fring.

TCPMP Media Player: Its development has been discontinued, but the app is perfectly usable as is. What is it? It's a barebones media player that'll handle almost any codec, audio or video, that you throw at it. In other words, you can encode video for mobile consumption however you like, something that can't be said of most other OSes (cough*Apple*cough).

Pocket Scrobbler: An unofficial client for the fantastic Last.fm internet radio/social network service, this app will handily stream endless, personally catered internet radio over a cellular data connection or Wi-Fi. Windows Mobile actually has a distinct advantage with this type of programs: the ability to run apps in the background!

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It stands arched in white plastic, with a 7" LCD touch screen looking out at you; a wireless handset tucked into the back is for when you don't want to use the video speakerphone.

Video quality looks good for the camera, and the UI is almost as beautifully done as the iRiver says it will run under $400, and availability is pending negotiations with VoiP carriers—they want to bundle it with service, because right now, it doesn't run Skype or any similar services. Bringing such a unique device into a big VoIP partnership might pose some problems, but we hope not, because this thing is beautiful.

iRiver also brought out a similarly Braun-inspired D50N, a wi-fi "communicator" with a full Qwerty keyboard for IM, browser, and translation dictionaries:

And the P7, a Spinn-inspired PMP with a 4.3-inch WQVGA (480 x 272) touchscreen that comes in 8/16GB sizes with a microSD expansion slot:

Both of these models were in a mix of Korean and English, so it was hard to get the full flavor, but the screen on the P7 looks great for video and its nice, magazine-layout-like UI, which is navigable via touch and a Spinn-like analog scroll wheel.

All are taking major cues from Dieter Rams, the German design legend who was doing smooth white plastic and hard-edged minimalism before Jonathan Ive was a twinkle in Steve Job's eye. In short, this stuff is beautiful, so we hope pricing and availability solidifies soon.

iriver Brings a Hot New Look and Feel to Networking With the All-Inclusive WAVE-HOME Multimedia Communication Device

Next Generation Networking Base Station and Handset Keep You Connected
and In Control Of Your Home and Office Life

Las Vegas, NV – iriver, a global leader in innovative digital devices, is bringing its award-winning ingenuity to the networking space with the game-changing WAVE-HOME. More than a home networking device, the WAVE-HOME is the ultimate all-in-one solution that provides advanced multimedia, web and phone capabilities – a comprehensive communications hub that keeps you totally connected and in control at home, at the office and in your life. Featuring a sleek and minimal base station and portable handset, the WAVE-HOME manages and integrates all your phone, Internet, home entertainment and lifestyle needs.

iriver’s WAVE-HOME and all of its new networking devices will be on display at the iriver booth (#7935, Central Hall) during the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center, January 8-11, 2009.

Kuno Kim, President, iriver, said, "The WAVE-HOME is a milestone introduction for iriver as we expand our product innovation and design into exciting new areas such as life and home networking. Our mission has always been to help consumers easily connect with the things they value most in life. Our new networking devices take this concept to the next level by providing a stylish and powerful way to stay completely connected to every aspect of your home and business life and relationships."

The WAVE-HOME comes with a stylish base station with a 7" color LCD touch screen and is designed to integrate all of your personal digital content such as music, photos, movies, digital photo frame, hand drawing, Internet and phone services. Music, video, and FM radio can all be enjoyed in pristine sound thanks to the WAVE-HOME’s built-in, high-quality stereo speakers.

WAVE-HOME is not just a simple VolP telephone, it’s an internet multimedia communication device that combines a wide variety of activities at home or in the office. It can be used privately or in a broader context, such as creating new business opportunities via broadband internet such as VoIP. When connected to broadband Internet, the WAVE-HOME offers Web surfing, and also supports Internet phone service at home and in the office with VoIP Phone, VoIP Video Phone, SMS/MMS, MMCID/MMRB, live Phonebook sync, and more. Phone calls can be made by using either the internal speaker phone or the wireless handset that also supports a remote controller. WAVE-HOME also features a 1.3M pixel CMOS camera for taking sharp photos that can be instantly presented via the photo viewer.

Another exciting feature is the intelligent Widget that provides instant weather, stock and traffic updates, as well as web and multimedia services that users can enjoy without a computer since the device is connected to broadband internet. The Widget utilizes a graphical user interface (GUI) and displays an individual information window or a text box. The defining characteristic of a Widget is to provide a single interaction point for the direct manipulation of a given kind of data. Therefore, the user can arrange his or her data with several Widget functions such as Widget Connector, Widget Icon, Widget Manager and Widget Gallery. It provides endless options on the 7” color touch screen. Due to its simplified navigation, it creates an intuitive and easy-to-use interface.

WAVE-HOME catches the eye with its sleek, minimalist design that enhances any interior and creates style at home while changing the way we communicate.

iriver Shows Off Sleek and Style-Savvy Multimedia Players For ‘09

Trend-Setting PMP, MP3 and MP4 Players on Display at CES 2009

Las Vegas, NV – iriver, a leading innovator of stylish digital devices, shows off its signature style at CES 2009 with a hot new selection of Multimedia Players, including the compact yet powerful P7 NAND flash player with a new intuitive user interface and large 4.3" touch screen. Also on display are the slick new E50 MP4 Player with 52 hours of continuous playback, the E100 Season II, a revamped version of the original E100 Multimedia MP3 Player, and the truly eye-catching Mplayer Eyes MP3 player.

All of iriver’s Multimedia Players will be on display at the company’s booth (#7935, Central Hall) during the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center, January 8-11, 2009.

P7 PMP Offers Sleek Design & Smart Performance
Iriver’s sleek new P7 is the perfect on-the-go media companion for any trend-setter. The P7 will be available in 4, 8 and 16GB Nand flash models, making the player slimmer and lighter than HDD-type PMPs, and also more durable. Functions include Video, Music, Photo viewer, FM and Voice Recording. The compact P7 delivers up to 50 hours of audio playback time and full movie CODEC support for enjoying the latest films or videos. The intuitive new user interface and brilliant 4.3” LCD touch screen make the player a snap to use and control, Enhanced features include SRS WOW HD and 7 Preset EQ settings, plus micro SD slot.

Unfortunately, you are still subject to your standard carrier rates when calling with Skype Lite (no Wi-Fi or 3G required), but it does provide power users mobile access to their contact lists while on the go. The app should appear in the Android markeplace sometime in the next few days, while versions for other Java-enabled handsets from carriers like Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Nokia, LG, and Samsung should be available starting today. As for the iPhone, it seems that Skype reps at CES hinted that it is in development, but when we might actually see it is anyone's guess. [Skype via PC World and azstarnet]