Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

If you have not yet signed up, I think now you have another reason to join TringMe. TringMe allows you to make calls from Google Talk (Gtalk), or Googletalk (and to some gooletalk ). Gtalk doesn’t support making phone calls natively, basically you can’t dial anyone from within Gtalk. Enter Tringme, if you already have Gtalk installed, then making a call to any phone or SIP URI from Gtalk is as simple as sending a message using Gtalk. Calls made from Gtalk can be terminated on all devices that TringMe currently supports.
Is that sweet or what? Ok here how it really works, straight from TringMe blog;

"To make a call, all you need to do is send a message to tringme@gmail.com from Gtalk. Please note that you would have added TringMe to the list of friends in Gtalk already.

• To make a call to a number, merely send a message - call <number> - to tringme@gmail.com. For e.g. call 18585551212 would initiate a call to 1-858-555-1212.
• You can also call other TringMe users by merely using their email address. For e.g., call abc@xyz.com would connect user abc@xyz.com to whatever destination the user has chosen to terminate upon.
• You can reach more than 40 million worldwide SIP users using Gtalk just by typing their SIP URI. For e.g call greg@somesipserver.com will connect you to Greg’s SIP server.

In all cases, you will get an inbound call from TringMe and once you answer, the call to the intended party will be initiated. This also opens a new way for developers to integrate core TringMe functionalities using Google or Jabber APIs."

Although it required invites to join TringMe, I just signed up today without any problems at TringMe site. I certainly will be writing more about TringMe, once I had a good taste of it.

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

If you got surprised by the new Google Reader and GoogleTalk sharing feature, a post on Google Reader may help you to get things right.
Google is looking at ways to make sharing more flexible, and in the meantime there are several ways to share items without letting all of your Google Talk friends see them (you can also add or remove friends via Gmail or Google Talk).
I do not see the big deal. You are sharing, reading publicly available feeds. I see a problem in that I don’t want to bombast my friends with my silly/serious feeds!

Official Google Reader Blog: Managing your shared items

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

Although in the back channels of news and talks about communications, Google talk has gone through many a changes and challenges. Two of those were integration with GMail and Orkut, both of which I use extensively.
These integrations provided unique scalability challenges to Google Talk team and had to handle a sudden increase in very large number of users. But they have fared very well and one of the Engineers, Reza Behforooz, has done a presentation at the Google Scalability Conference
a while ago. But the lessons learned might help any project that will require to scale to large number of users in a very short time.
Following is a video at Google Video.

Google Talkabout: Lessons in Building Scalable Systems

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

Grand Central, which I am have my comfort number subscription on, has been aquired by Google. May be it will be Google Central, mmm naagh. It is just to small and the amount paid is too to be called Google Central.
I think it will be a part of GMAIL and Googletalk (I typed once, gooletalk and I continue to have hits based on that!) it suites the purpose well. According to the Google Blog article (the link below) ,
While Google is moving their technology over to Google’s network, a limited number of invitations will be available to register for a GrandCentral beta account. If you have a U.S. telephone number, you can sign up for an invitation at www.grandcentral.com. Current GrandCentral customers will continue to have uninterrupted access to the service. Wow, lucky me! oh US.
Official Google Blog: All aboard

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

Google Talkabout weblog announced a new feature for the Google Talk Gadget: group chat. Now, for instance, when the two of you are chatting about an upcoming event, and want to include a third person, you can just invite him to join our chat.
According to a blog post; Google Talkabout: Group Chat for the Google Talk Gadget
this is how you do it; start a chat with one of your friends. Click on the button at the top of the chat window that says "Group Chat," and then pick the name of the third (or fourth, or fifth…) friend you want to invite from the drop-down menu. They’ll receive an invitation to join the group chat. If your friends are using Gmail chat or the downloadable Google Talk client, their invitation will launch the Google Talk Gadget.

In addition to Group Chat there are multiple new features that were added to the Googletalk, like new imoticons, Blackberry client etc. Visit the site to find out more.

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

VoIP IP Telephony @ http://snapvoip.blogspot.com
JAJAH has signed a deal that puts it ahead of the other similar VoIP providers. They’ve secured investment from T-Mobile owner Deutsche Telecom to put their VoIP system at the heart of new handsets.
This is a major move for Jajah as Skype, Googletalk, YahooIM all are vying for a space in the mobile VoIP world.
While other Cellular provider have taken VoIP capabilities from their smart phones, T-Mobile have embrased the idea. This will push the position of T-Mobile in the mobile race!
T-Mobile’s already in the process of embedding JAJAH into its web products and we’d guess its mobiles will be next.

"The importance of these investments will be realized as new devices and service emerge” says JAJAH cofounder, Daniel Mattes.

T-Mobile already have uncapped data tariffs in the shape of Web’n’Walk. Add JAJAH to the mix and it’s a serious contender for your next contract renewal.
informer.

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

Geniousnet has released Genius Navigator 380, which is 1200 dpi optical mouse as well as a tethered VOIP / IM phone.
According to Genius, Genius Navigator 380 can be carried along with your notebook anytime, anywhere. As long as you have internet connection, be it in the office, home or your favorite hangout, and you are writing that paper, over due home work or browsing the Internet, and the LED on the Navigator 380 blinks to tell you that someone just called you through Instant Messenger or your VOIP application like Skype. And if the PC speaker is on, the ringing will also alert you for the incoming phone call. So one just needs to pick up the mouse, and open it up like a clamshell mobile phone to Navigator 380.
Genius also tells that, the Genius VOIP Mouse software can support up to six Instant Messengers (Skype, MSN, Yahoo, GoogleTalk, QQ and AIM) and combine these IMs into one window. Seven buttons in Navigator 380 are for the phone functions — Phone on/off, List up/down, Volume up/down and OK for call up the IM window.

Links;
Genius net

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

The same team that developed GTalk2VoIP has come out with Talkonaut. It is about to offer all mobile users a combination of VoIP technology and IM chats based on Jabber (XMPP) protocol. Mobile VOIP, VOIP IP Telephony technology for mobile devices are picking up everywhere, and this is one way to do it.
Talkonaut is based on revolutionary GTalk2VoIP gateway technology and allows you to make voice calls to any Google Talk[tm] and MSN/Live Messenger[tm] users, to any SIP capable device or to other mobile or landline phones for low cost. Rates are available at GTalk2VOIP, see links below.
Talkonaut application is designed to be able to run trouble free on almost any J2ME capable handset with MIDP-2.0 and CLDC-1.1 support. Though, some handsets might be difficult to configure to run Talkonaut.
Talkonaut leverages portable J2ME framework technology developed by GTalk2VoIP TEAM, which makes it possible to run on almost any mobile handset with minimal MIDP 2.0 support. A list of devices is available on site to help with handsets and PDAs with their status regarding the operation of Talkonaut. If your handset is not on the list, do not despair, it does not mean it is not supported. Just that the particular device has not been tested yet.
All IM chats made through this method is free but there is a charge for SMS and VOIP calls. Check GTalk2VoIP site or links below for information.

Links;
Talknout Home
Talkonaut feature set
List of supported devices
Rates at GTalk2VOIP

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

The same team that developed GTalk2VoIP has come out with Talkonaut. It is about to offer all mobile users a combination of VoIP technology and IM chats based on Jabber (XMPP) protocol. Mobile VOIP, VOIP IP Telephony technology for mobile devices are picking up everywhere, and this is one way to do it.
Talkonaut is based on revolutionary GTalk2VoIP gateway technology and allows you to make voice calls to any Google Talk[tm] and MSN/Live Messenger[tm] users, to any SIP capable device or to other mobile or landline phones for low cost. Rates are available at GTalk2VOIP, see links below.
Talkonaut application is designed to be able to run trouble free on almost any J2ME capable handset with MIDP-2.0 and CLDC-1.1 support. Though, some handsets might be difficult to configure to run Talkonaut.
Talkonaut leverages portable J2ME framework technology developed by GTalk2VoIP TEAM, which makes it possible to run on almost any mobile handset with minimal MIDP 2.0 support. A list of devices is available on site to help with handsets and PDAs with their status regarding the operation of Talkonaut. If your handset is not on the list, do not despair, it does not mean it is not supported. Just that the particular device has not been tested yet.
All IM chats made through this method is free but there is a charge for SMS and VOIP calls. Check GTalk2VoIP site or links below for information.

Links;
Talknout Home
Talkonaut feature set
List of supported devices
Rates at GTalk2VOIP

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

After opening up googletalk for everyone in September, Googltalk team realized that they not just supporting people switching over from other chat / talk services. There was a another segment, totaly new users needing more than hand holding.
So what did the Googletalk team do? As any good support team, among other things, they came out with a tutorial on Googletalk. The tutorial is video based and can be watched on line.
So head over to Googletalk blog and immerse yourself, even if you are a pro, you might pick up some pointers.

Links;
Googletalk video tutorial, part one Add friends
Googletalk for everyone

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

After opening up googletalk for everyone in September, Googltalk team realized that they not just supporting people switching over from other chat / talk services. There was a another segment, totaly new users needing more than hand holding.
So what did the Googletalk team do? As any good support team, among other things, they came out with a tutorial on Googletalk. The tutorial is video based and can be watched on line.
So head over to Googletalk blog and immerse yourself, even if you are a pro, you might pick up some pointers.

Links;
Googletalk video tutorial, part one Add friends
Googletalk for everyone

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

I was reading a comprehensive 3 page article today about how skype, the disruptive VOIP technology is doing in the market place. The article covers a lot of ground and shows off wishes of Ebay and the rest of us, what skype should be. Ebay paid 2.6 Billion to aquire Skype and the figure might run high as 4.1 Billion if all the promised bonuses were paid.
The Ebay has a task of proving to it’s investors that it made a good purchase and skype will be profitable. It is not an easy task but not a difficult one either, if the numbers are correct.
Currently, there are about 206 Million broadband users worldwide. Broad band users tend to use VOIP IP Telephony applications like Skype, better than the dial up users. But Dial up users also try out these VOIP applications but I am not sure if it worth the effort. Initially there were many dial up users that used Skype in old days but the current bandwidth requirements and tag along improvements make it, that you have a broadband connection. And the world is heading that way. Some Users in Japan getting 100MB fiber to home for the same price I am paying for DSL in USA. USA is yet to catch up with broadband deployment with the countries like Japan and South Korea.

What I was surprised about the numbers on skype was the user base and it’s distribution. According to the article; "The number of registered users, those who have downloaded the free Skype phone software, more than doubled to 136 million by Sept. 30 since the sale to eBay. That is more than half of the world’s roughly 206 million broadband Internet users, according to International Data Corp. Each day, 250,000 people download Skype, compared with 130,000 before the sale."
So if you are able to make a $1 per month, it is around 1.6 Billion per year. Add some advertising like ebay goodies or Google ADSENSE, Ebay should be able to show to the investors that the investment was worthwhile.
Another fact that surprised me was that most of the skype users are concentrated in the Asia and Europe. Of all the users, only one fifth speaks English, and the highest number seems to be Chinese.
The article also tells us about slowing of Skype and it’s competitors, not only the smaller outfits (a swarm of it) offering VOIP solutions, big boys like Adobe and Microsoft are entering the arena. Remember Netscape, dominant browser untill MS released the IE. Skype might go the same way.
"The biggest challenge facing eBay is that swarms of competitors, and not just Yahoo and Google, have climbed out of the woodwork, experts say. Besides smaller rivals like Vonage, Jajah or VoipBuster, which is based in Cologne, Skype faces Adobe, the digital document maker, which is developing its own Skype-like phone products, and Microsoft, whose Office Communicator software for businesses enables Internet phoning.

Traditional phone companies like Deutsche Telekom and France Télécom, and their competitors in the fixed-line and Internet businesses, are also giving away free minutes and Internet phone calls to retain customers.

In China, Skype’s biggest market, the leading Internet phone company is QQ, owned by the Chinese operator Tencent Holdings, which says it has more than twice the number of users as Skype."
I think it is time, you read the article. Beacause I feel like changing the header to say, "Skype is on the way down"

Links;
Kevin O’Brien’s Article on IHT