Category: VoIP

VoIP

Vonage Introduces 3 New Handset Solutions

Vonage Multi-Handset Bundle Vonage is aiming to make it easier for people to convert from traditional landline phone service to the Vonage VoIP service. At CES 2008, Vonage introduced several affordable hardware solutions that eliminate some of the guesswork in setting up telephone handsets throughout your house. At the most basic level, new customers can now get a V-Portal box with easy configuration and helpful feedback for troubleshooting any service issues they may have. If you need several phones throughout your house, my landline to voip conversion hack still works, but there are a couple of more elegant solutions to getting handsets around your home. Vonage now offers a bundle with 3 handsets all working wirelessly from the same base station or you can use a networking over power line solution to get your phones to the rooms you need them.

VoIP

VoIP Disaster Recovery Planning

One of the biggest risk factors in moving from a world of landline phones to VoIP and cell phone solutions is the need for communication when the power goes out. Landlines are designed to be low power and typically work even when the lights go out. To achieve the same level of robustness, I recommend some configuration changes you might need to make.

Downloads / Freeware / Premium / VoIP

SightSpeed

Cross-platform video conferencing is one of those things that never worked well outside enterprise class software. Apples iChat AV made video conferencing for the masses seem like a reality and AIM made strides to try and offer a video component, but everything in the consumer space tends to fall short in communicating between Mac and Windows computers. SightSpeed changes that with PC to PC and Mac to PC video communication. The app also records video for video blogging. Video mail messages of 30 seconds in length allow people to leave messages. If you prefer to only use audio, that’s supported too. Think of this as the Skype of video communication, with outstanding image quality and convenient conferencing between your Mac and PC friends. The basic version is free. If you want to communicate with multiple people simultaneously, SightSpeed Pro is available for $49.95 per year and includes a free Webcam. I doubt SightSpeed will replace Skype as the favorite app for online communication but it certainly raises the bar for everyone else trying to break into the space. If you have relatives who live a long way off or need to communicate with remote business partners, this is the most affordable solution for long distance face-to-face communication. [Windows 2k/XP Mac OS X 10.3.9 $0.00]