Source: alanweinkrantz.typepad.com

About 18 months ago, I asked Ralph de la Vega when I could control my AT&T U-verse^SM TV with my iPhone.  Well now, I can.  Sort of.  As long as you are away from home. 

AT&T has a free application from the Apple App Store to make scheduling and managing recordings on their DVR even easier when you’re away from home. 

The U-verse TV Mobile Remote Access App for iPhone and iPod touch lets customers record their content from virtually anywhere and is another example of U-verse TV applications and DVR enhancements that have been rolled out to customers at no extra charge.

The app allows users to easily search U-verse TV program listings from the full program guide, view descriptions of selected programs, schedule program or series recordings, manage or edit scheduled recordings, and delete stored DVR content.

The Mobile Remote Access App is available for free from Apple’s App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/.

The launch of the new U-verse TV Mobile Remote Access App follows several DVR enhancements that are currently being rolled out to U-verse TV customers, including an exclusive new Total Home DVR feature that allows customers to schedule and delete recordings from any U-verse receiver in the home — all from a single DVR.

Source: www.voip-news.com

Taridium has released an ipbx iPhone interface for its enterprise PBX solution. The iPhone interface compatible with Apple’s iPhone, iPhone 3G and iPhone 3G S.

“One of the big advantages of the Taridium ipbx iPhone interface is that users can now access internal PBX extensions directly from their mobile phone with a single click — it basically allows you to take your office extension with you,” says Dominique Kull, Taridium’s CTO.

According to Taridium:

With the ipbx mobile interface your employees always stay ahead of the game. Visual voicemail allows them to listen to their office voicemail directly from their iPhone, check their recent calls, call users back as if they were at their desk and even host telephone conferences. This does not only save money, but also allows access to the Taridium unified voicemail system, where a single mailbox serves VoIP phones, mobile phones and any other phone that supports conditional call diversion.

If required for compliance reasons, all calls passed through the mobile phone can be recorded and immediately reviewed on the phone. Users are presented with a familiar interface that seamlessly integrates their iPhones into the office telephone system.

Source: www.voip-news.com

If the downloads of the new Skype for iPhone are any indication, there are a lot of people who are totally psyched about the ability to use the two cutting-edge technologies together. It’s no wonder really. It’s great gadget meets awesome gizmo.

But how do you mix the two technologies without breaking the rules (and getting yourself kicked out of the exclusive network!)?

Well, VoIP News has you covered. Checklist: How to Mix VoIP has all the info you need to get started melting the two technologies together. It will walk you through step-by-step with everything you need to know.

Source: www.voip-news.com

VoIP News of the UK report that college tutors are using VoIP to get parental contact with their students.

The VoIP Weblog reports that the founders of Skype want their company back.

VoIP Watch reports that there are Google Voice apps coming for the iPhone.

Source: alanweinkrantz.typepad.com

Source: www.voip-news.com

Zer01 has announced an unlimited calling plan. Read about it on The VoIP Weblog.

Smith on VoIP reviews Skype for iPhone.

TMCnet has news about the quick and widespread interest in the Skype for iPhone download.

Source: www.voip-news.com

Uh. No.

Skype for iPhone isn’t going to put the cellular companies out of business (hello, still need a network to run on!) but it certainly could make things interesting. Since Apple has an explicit ban on VoIP services running on the cellular network, Skype for iPhone runs on WiFi connections … good thinking but that means that it can’t be used everywhere so it can’t be a full-on solution to controling phone bills.

So can mobile VoIP be a powerhouse on the iPhone? Probably not. AT&T has safeguarded their network against the bandwidth stress of VoIP. But everything has to start somewhere. We are at the beginning of this new solution of mobile VoIP and the possibilities are great and broad …

The question is, where is it going to take us?

Check out VoIP News for a full report on Skype’s limitations.

Source: voip-tech.blogspot.com

It’s finally available the software to videocall by VoIP for the iPhone, the popular Skype™ is ready to use for the factotum cellphone by Apple; Skype™ for the iPhone is freely downloadable from the official website, or from the App Store website.
At the momento you can make calls by Skype™ just via a wi-fi broadband connection using the wireless connection integrated into the iPhone.
Skype for the iPhone is compatible also with the iPod Touch (the 2nd generation one).
For more informations, visit the Skype™ website.

P.S.: this is not an April fool’s joke!

Source: www.voip-news.com

VoIP and Gadgets Blog checks out FriendCaller – another VoIP app for the iPhone.

There is a list of the top 30 VoIP leaders on Twitter up at LucaFiligheddu – what? I’m not on it? ‘Course I don’t Twitter about VoIP. But whatev.

NewsOxy has more on the iPhone’s VoIP.

Source: www.voip-news.com

VoIP News of the UK has news of a new handset with touch-screen functionality from snom.

Obsessed with VoIP on the 3G network of the iPhone? VoIP Watch has info on how you *could* make it happen, if you are so inclined.

Smith on VoIP says that Apple should buy Skype … Find out why.

Source: alanweinkrantz.typepad.com

WalMart just started selling the iPhone today. Here is the model line-up.  You can’t buy online from WalMart.

Here’s a 49 second video I shot at the WalMart on Austin Hwy in San Antonio.

The Point of Purchase Display is the front end-cap, surrounded by other, lower end phones.  The salesman I spoke to told me that the plan is to attract customers who don’t normally shop at BestBuy, an AT&T store or an Apple store. 
(intro music info here. I was listening to Richard Turner’s "Best of the Beatles Radio Show" on KSYM)

Source: alanweinkrantz.typepad.com

While AT&T offers international roaming plans for the iPhone, you can rack up a huge bill without knowing it…. until you get home and get the bill.

The problem with AT&T’s billing plans is that for $24.99 you get 20MB of Data, or $59.99 for 50MB, or $119.99 for 100 MB, or $199.99 for 200 MB. 

Sounds good, but how do you know how much data you are really sucking up?

My Suggestion:  Don’t Pay for Roaming.   This is not all AT&T’s fault.  They have to pay reciprocal carriers for airtime and for some reason, when your iPhone sucks up data, they gotta pay the local carrier and in turn you gotta pay AT&T.

Here’s How To Save:

1.  Turn Data Roaming "OFF."  Always make sure you have downloaded the latest version of iTunes for your iPhone and when you get to the SETTINGS button, be sure you turn the data roaming "ON/OFF" button on Settings>General>Network>Data Roaming.

2.  Use WiFi Instead of 3G/GPRS/EDGE.  WiFi is readily available in many of the international airports, hotels, bars and cafes which you can use to check email and browse the web.  I did this when I was in Israel in March and it worked just fine.

3.  Turn Fetch New Data "Off."  Check your email and sync your contacts and calendars manually rather than having the phone do it for you.

To engage this features tap on Settings>Fetch New Data>, Change Push to "OFF" and Select "Fetch Manually."

4.  AT&T tries to promote their global data packages.  Don’t buy them.  You will have to micro-manage and figure out how much data you have used.  And when you are traveling, it’s sometimes good to just shut things off and enjoy your travels, even if it’s for business. 

Do you have any AT&T global data billing horror stories to share?  Comment below.

Photo by Alan Weinkrantz (c) 2008 – Shot on location on the beach promenade in Tel Aviv