Are you a VoIP user? Are you a gadget hound as well? If so, then we’ve got the list for you. The following twenty-five VoIP gadgets for the VoIP fanatic cover the realm of phones, headsets, Web cams and more. But, they’re not your ordinary phones, headsets and Web cams. Oh, no — they’re designed for someone like you, because they’re one-of-a-kind accessories that will heighten all your VoIP experiences.
All but one of the gadgets listed below were introduced during 2007-2008, and a few won’t hit the market until the end of this year. We read all the reviews as well, so you won’t find any questionable products here. And, surprisingly, many products are within an average budget. Since you’re going to save money with a VoIP service anyway, it’s about time to treat yourself. We said so. Read the rest of this entry »
Have you tried lately to figure out which Linux operating system you’d like to use? And, did you think about adding a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) device to that Linux system? We can guess that you probably overwhelmed with the choices available to VoIP users today. In fact, to write a truly definitive guide to VoIP for Linux users, we would need to write a book.
Instead, we combed the online Linux and VoIP Wikis to find the most-used combinations of Linux and VoIP according to the systems and devices that were most talked about on these support and documentation pages. Those choices, listed below along with their Wikis, will provide you with a definitive guide to choices available, and to the choices that provide the most documentation for ease of use. Read the rest of this entry »
Update 5/8/08: Even more blogs added at the end. Thanks for all of your suggestions!
When was the last time you looked for expert advice on a blog about VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) or WiMAX (the successor to WiFi)? Or, perhaps you sought an antique telephone or the latest gizmo that could connect you to your Aunt Sally through the Internet. The telecom industry has changed dramatically over the past few decades, and blogs provide one way to keep up with with transitions from traditional technology to the latest connectivity.
To that end, the following 100 120 sites represent the most popular, unusual, informative and useful blogs within the telecom industry. The sites listed below are in alphabetical order beneath each category heading. While the sites are numbered, the numbering does not indicate any order of value. Read the rest of this entry »
VoIP use is estimated to grow to 32.6 million users by 2010, an estimate that proves VoIP’s growing popularity. Despite the VoIP growth, there seems to be a real PC bias to the technology and programs that make the most of VoIP - that is, until the past few years. It seems VoIP providers are finally starting to realize the untapped market in ever tech-hungry Mac users. Software and hardware is out there for VoIP on the Mac if you know where to look, and some VoIP has even become unabashedly Mac specific. Unsure where to begin? Here are some tips and advice on getting VoIP for your Mac. Read the rest of this entry »
Looking to compete with the likes of Skype or Vonage? Well, don’t start eyeing that new yacht just yet. While the VoIP industry is making some people very rich, you will have a tough time competing in this saturated market. However, adding VoIP to other Web services provided by your company is a good business move. Even if you can’t become the next VoIP giant, you can definitely profit from becoming a provider to your existing customers. If you offer ISP, email and/or hosting services, VoIP should be the next addition to your business’ roster of features. Don’t be intimidated by this new technology, either. You no longer need an IT degree or a small fortune to become a VoIP provider. Read the rest of this entry »
With the ridiculous amount of email spam circulating out there (some estimates put this at staggering 82% of all emails), it’s hardly a surprise that VoIP would be the next target. With calls being cheap and the technology readily available, spammers have little to discourage them from adding SPam over Internet Telephony (SPIT) to their repertoire. SPIT has the possibility of being even more annoying that your run of the mill spam because, unlike Spam email which you can ignore or delete at your leisure, SPIT calls happen in real time and disrupt your day. SPIT can also eat up your VoIP bandwidth, lowering the quality of your calls and clogging up your voicemail with the same annoying junk that gets filtered out of your email.
Luckily, SPIT attacks are still fairly rare, at least in the American market; but in the past few years with the explosion of VoIP usage the amount of potential targets for SPIT has grown, making it a more worthwhile endeavor for spammers. As VoIP becomes more widely used, the growth of SPIT is almost inevitable, so it makes sense to set up your VoIP to take care of unwanted calls before they ever become a problem. Here are a few tips on methods you can use to help keep SPIT out of your VoIP system. Read the rest of this entry »
As VoIP becomes ever more popular, the security of these systems becomes more of a concern. VoIP can be vulnerable to a number of attacks due to the nature of VoIP calls. In short, VoIP traffic flows across the Internet in unencrypted packets, which means anyone that has access to the network between sender and recipient can intercept these packets — essentially allowing them to create a recording of your conversation. How can you help secure yourself against these types of attacks?
One way to help protect your privacy is to encrypt these conversations so that they aren’t simply floating around out there for potential hackers to latch onto. Be advised, however, that some of the best encryption methods aren’t something any layperson can do. They’re at the network level and would be better left for the IT department to handle. Read the rest of this entry »
The introduction of Apple’s iPhone has been heralded by many as a device to revolutionize the telecommunications sector. To some degree, this is true. What the iPhone does, it does well, with sleek and innovative design. But the problem lies in what the iPhone doesn’t do, which to a degree might actually be more important than what it does do. Because at $500–$600 it isn’t exactly a bargain buy. Apple may soon have a fierce competition on its hands with rumors swirling around about a similar device being released by Google. The mysterious Google Phone is in a unique position to take advantage of the weaknesses of the iPhone and provide consumers with a superior product. As of yet, Google Phone exists only in blurred Loch Ness-esque pictures floating around the Internet. If and when it does finally release, here are some features I’d like to see that could really put the squeeze on the iPhone. Read the rest of this entry »
One of the greatest advantages of VoIP over traditional phone service is its versatility, but with the wide array of new features coming out it can be hard to keep track of all of the options that are available. Don’t feel bad, unless you are attached at the hip with your computer it can be almost impossible to keep up- but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be enjoying the same features as those with a less healthy attachment to their computer. Here are a few ways to get you started using your VoIP in ways that you might not have thought possible. Read the rest of this entry »
When a body of independent auditors and experts recommended that the State of California consider open-source software and Voice over Internet Protocol telephony (VoIP) as two measures to cut costs in 2004, that was the signal that open source and VoIP should unite. After all, what’s better than free software? Open source is better, because you have access to the code. What’s better than open source? Open source that’s focused on VoIP. That’s what you get here — 74 open source apps tucked into categories that you can use “as is” or change to fit your specific VoIP needs.
The following apps and resources are categorized by SIP, H.323, IAX, and RTP protocols and include clients, libraries, gatekeepers, and any other open source resource available for those specific protocols plus PBX and IVR platforms. You’ll also find tools like faxware, voicemail apps, and middleware that applies to one or more of the previously mentioned protocols. Read the rest of this entry »