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D-Link has introduced its Wireless G Flip-Style Wi-Fi Mobile Phone: If they worked at it, they might slip a few more words in its name. The DPH-540 uses 802.11g (which is a bit rare for a VoIP phone), handles WPA-PSK (also a bit rare right now), and uses standard SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) which works with many VoIP providers—although getting the SIP gateway details is sometimes problematic.
The phone is 3.74 ounces, color backlit LCD display, and all the expected real phone goodness like speed dial and ring tones. The software is from TelTel, which handles buddy lists, TelTel-to-TelTel (T5?) calling (free) and PSTN calling (fee).
The marketing material notes that you can “Call Anywhere in the World Wherever you Have a Wireless Connection” but doesn’t mention that most hotspots use authentication—not WPA Personal. This is a growing issue that will be addressed in Wi-Fi phones meant for real hotspot roaming, rather than this, which is great around the house or at some free hotspots (those that don’t have a gateway page to confirm use on before access).
The phone will be shown at the VON (Voice Over Network) this week (tomorrow through Friday). It will ship this summer via retailers for $250 (list).
Posted by Glennf at 12:23 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
The latest version offers better voice quality, more standard Skype features found on computers: Version 2.0 works on more devices through Windows Mobile 5.0 support, and can work on 240-by-240–pixel screens. Several features found in the computer-based version of Skype now work on the handheld release, including voicemail, presence, and SkypeOut, according to the press release.
Posted by Glennf at 03:12 PM | Comments (0)
Their new chipset will allow video on VoIP phones using Wi-Fi for transport: It includes a specialized chip for video processing, its b/g single-chip silicon, and a mobile VoIP processing chip.
Posted by Glennf at 11:31 AM | Comments (0)
At the Consumer Electronics Show, NetGear demonstrated its Wi-Fi phone to make Skype calls: The phone apparently has no special authentication, so will only work at locations that require only a simple encryption key or offer free service. Although Boingo and other hotspot chains have deals with Skype for cheaper VoIP-only access, none of the NetGear coverage mentions this arrangement.
Posted by Glennf at 10:08 AM | Comments (0)
Vonage is now shipping the UTStarcom F1000 configured for its service: This phone works over Wi-Fi networks that use no encryption or employ WEP or WPA-PSK (WPA-Personal) security. There’s no support for 802.1X authentication. The UTStarcom phone is a generic SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) device for VoIP, but the Vonage-branded version is preconfigured to work through the Vonage network.
The handset is $130 with a $50 rebate. The company claims 50 to 100 hours of standby time, five hours of talk time, and a two-to-three–hour recharge period. It requires a Vonage subscription, but there’s no additional charge to use the phone.
Posted by Glennf at 10:12 AM | Comments (0)
Aruba will interoperate with SpectraLink, Vocera, Avaya; adds new packet-based VoWLAN spec: Two big announcements on voice from the company that Microsoft picked to replace aging Wi-Fi equipment across their Redmond campuses and worldwide. Aruba says they are certified by SpectraLink, a veteran enterprise VoIP and VoWLAN firm; validated by Vocera, the Wi-Fi badge/intercom maker beloved by nurses and supply-chain logistics managers; and is part of the Avaya developer program.
Simultaneously, they’ve announced Voice Flow Classification (VFC), which is a packet-inspection and prioritization protocol which allows handsets, firewalls, and access points to be coordinated to avoid speech clipping on calls and overloading calls on individual APs. The technology provides prioritization at the firewall level, and monitors off-hook calls throughout a switched WLAN environment to push calls to APs that have capacity. It suppresses handset scanning when that would interfere with a call, too.
There’s an interesting small option noted in this protocol, too, which is that devices that hop on a network to access voice functions can’t pass regular data. This is intended to prevent security holes for enterprises using handsets that don’t have robust authentication.
VFC is part of their 2.5 platform update, which is free to existing users and available this month.
Posted by Glennf at 01:09 PM | Comments (0)
Broadcom’s BCM1161 processor integrates array of common features: The single-chip VoWLAN processor includes USB, an LCD, and analog codecs for microphone and speaker connections. It supports a 2 megapixel digital camera, recording audio, the playback of audio and video clips, and 3-way and speaker phone calls. It doesn’t include Wi-Fi on board, which is hard to figure from the coverage and press release. Broadcom offers Wi-Fi in a single chip to complement this VoIP offering.
Broadcom is also offering a reference design for integrating their product with a Wi-Fi chipset into a fully functioning handset.
Posted by Glennf at 10:34 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Wayport will offer Vocera’s VoIP badge systems to hotels, other service-partner venues: This is a nice win for Vocera, which has had rave reviews of their technology since its introduction. The Vocera badge uses Wi-Fi for VoIP but is hands-free. Tap the badge, speak a name or request, and voice-recognition technology tied into Vocera’s hardware and a local PBX can find people or complete calls.
Wayport has more than a thousand venues appropriate for Vocera technology, and this gives Wayport one more arrow in their quiver on the private network side. Wayport does offer private networking services, but more typically provides a range of services on the private side along with public Internet access, provisioning, account management, integration, and billing.
Posted by Glennf at 01:15 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack