Skype in my iPhone has really been useful. I once called my daughter as I sat on a bench in Orchard Road in Singapore. There was a strong wifi signal that I picked up. You can’t use the Skype in Iphone if you are connected to a 3G network though. The calls are just as clear when I called using the wifi connection.

So what are the new features of Skype 1.1 for iPhone and iPod Touch?

1. Send low-cost text messages (SMS) to friends and family around the world using Skype credit

2. Allows users to listen to their Skype voicemail while on the move

3. Improved look and feel using the dial pad, while calling phones

4. Supports Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Swedish, Traditional Chinese and English languages

The latest updated Skype 1.1 for iPhone and iPod touch is now available for download through iTunes App Store on your device.

Photo Credit

So what is new with Skype 4.1?

1. Screen sharing
2. Send contacts
3. Birthday reminders
4. Better call quality
5. Better video quality
6. Accessibility features

Another good news awaits Skype subscribers. As a promotional offer Skype is allowing all its existing users to make One month of free worldwide calls.. There is a fair usage policy though and you can read more about it Fair Usage Policy.

Two years ago, Google acquired GrandCentral and began Google Voice, a free phone call and messaging service that will make VoIP more accessible to hundreds of thousands of users. This year, the service was relaunched so GrandCentral users can participate in a private beta, and it is rumored that Google Voice may be available to the public very soon.

Essentially, each user will be give one phone number that they can configure for all their calls and SMS, wherever that may be – at home, the office, cellphone, or even through Gizmo5. Previously, beta users were given an assigned number but Google Voice will be letting users port existing numbers soon. Users can choose to screen callers, set up groups, and set up a voicemail account where messages can be transcribed and sent through email or text message. Outgoing calls are free in the United States and can be made through the Google Voice website, and international call rates are competitive with other VoIP services.

Firefox users will be able to access Google Voice more easily thanks to a Google Voice widget. To make a call or send an SMS messages, all you have to do is click on the icon instead of going to the website. The Firefox widget also recognizes phone numbers on websites and turns them into clickable links.

Besides these, Google Voice has more helpful features like conference calls, call record, and call forwarding. Check out the Google Voice website for a complete list of features and more information.

When you’ve got friends in six different locations and would like to talk to them all at once, a conference call is the most natural solution. But where do you find a VoIP provider that offers this service for free?

Enter Oovoo, a high-quality VoIP service with video conference calls at its core. Yes, video conferencing, and it’s all for free! Their video call service has loads of features that allow you to hold video conferences with up to 6 people, make high-res video calls, record video calls as .flv or .avi files, and send video greetings to more than one person at once. And if your friends don’t have the Oovoo software, they can easily place calls through their web browser.

Besides video calls, users can also enjoy up to 120 minutes of free phone calls to the US and Canada, text chat with up to 6 friends, send large attachments, and add Oovoo to your blog or MySpace page so people can give you a call.

Oovoo is available for Mac and Windows. Try it out today, and don’t forget to avail of the 120 free minutes!

Last March, Globe Telecom launched their new Globe WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) service in key provinces – Cavite, Cagayan, Cebu, and Southern Luzon. Today, the telecommunications company intends to make fast Internet access available to more households in the Philippines by deploying the service in more provinces.

Globe WiMAX is a wireless broadband technology that can transmit data wirelessly through various transmission modes for fully mobile internet access. It’s similar to WiFi but provides larger coverage and higher bandwidth. Since WiMAX’s launch last month, Globe says they’ve gotten about 4,000 WiMAX subscribers, some of which claimed to switch from existing DSL fixed-line services.

Globe WiMAX packages are as follows:

P795 for 512 kbps
P995 for 512 kbps with landline
P1,295 for 1mbps with landline

Everyone’s buzzing with excitement over the announcement of the new iPhone 3GS, especially since it comes equipped with a lot of exciting software and hardware features, like the new 3-megapixel video camera. However, the placement of the lens is rather odd; instead of being located above the touchscreen, it now faces away from you – the wrong way for video calls. It’s as if the new iPhone 3GS was designed to prevent video calling apps from working, which is not good new for Skype users. Although iPhone programmers can use the camera to store videos, they can’t write apps that will route the stream, which means that Skype for iPhone will probably skip adding video call features anytime soon.

There are four reasons why this may have happened. First, it could be due to simple manufacturing economics; it’s too early to lower the costs of video components. It could also be because video-to-file is easier to manage than streaming video. Battery life could also be a factor – video calls eat up batteries very quickly. But I think the real reason is that it’s a carrier issue. Mobile operators are threatened by the potential of VoIP and the big savings they offer to consumers. I imagine AT&T would be hostile to any VoIP-friendly features on the iPhone.

Source

The iPhone has had the Truphone 3.0 VoIP application for some time now but after today, iPod Touch users can use Truphone VoIP goodness. Yes, a Truphone application is now available for the iPod Touch! Truphone supports several IM services like Skype, AIM, Yahoo! Messenger, MSN Messenger, and Google Talk, and gives free calls over WiFi to Truphone, Skype, and Google Talk users. Plus, users can enjoy great savings on calls to mobile phones and landlines across the world at low rates. Truphone 3.0 also has a new integrated messaging tool that unifies all IM communication in one page, eliminating the need to constantly switch between applications. Other new things to look forward to is a more intuitive interface, faster application, and improved voice call quality.

Get Truphone for the iPod Touch at the Apple Store now!

Source

Skype 4.1 for Windows is now available with so many useful, in-demand features. The highlight of this new update is Screen Sharing, a feature that many users have been asking since they introduced it on Skype 2.8 Beta for Mac. This useful feature allows you to make presentations, help a friend out with computer trouble, or show off moves in a game. All you need to do is click Share Menu in the conversation area of of the Skype Window, and you can share what’s going on in your screen with any other Skype user using Windows, Linux, or Mac. You can also decide if you want to share the whole screen, or part of it.

Other new features include birthday reminders, and an import service that lets you add contacts from Gmal, Windows Live Hotmail, AOL, Yahoo! and Linkedin. And yes, everything is still totally free!

Download Skype 4.1 Beta now.

Most Filipinos with relatives in the US and Canada probably used to have phone bills in the thousands, especially during important holidays like Christmas and birthdays. Today, VoIP technology has made cheaper for loved ones to stay in touch. And with the addition of the Magic Jack, even the least technologically capable person can use VoIP to save on phone bills.

Magic Jack was created especially for those who aren’t at the forefront of communications technology. This simple device is a socket where you can plug your landline in, as well as a USB device that you can plug into your PC or laptop. Once you’ve got the Magic Jack plugged in, you’re well on your way to unlimited calls using your computer.

The service isn’t for free, but it’s at an unbelievably low price of $19.95 a year. The annual fee also includes local calling with long distance, and other convenient features like voicemail. You can even avail of a 30-day free trial at the Magic Jack website.

TeamSpeak is one of VoIP’s best kept secrets. Originally designed for the gaming community, TeamSpeak has a server that acts as a host to several client connections, making it capable of handling thousands of simultaneous users. Essentailly, its main feature is a teleconference system that allows gamers to talk to each other and strategize over VoIP. Now, even regular users are on TeamSpeak for personal communication, as well as co-workers who use it for inter-office communication.

Other features of TeamSpeak include:

Best of all, Teamspeak is absolutely free – except for businesses, who have to pay a one-time license fee. Available for download on Windows, Mac, and Linux via the TeamSpeak website.