Smart Home Blog

VoIP comes to our offices and homes. It gives the cheapest way to communicate with business partners, co-workers, relatives or friends in different countries. But the latest tendency is to use mobile phone to talk via VoIP and not via GSM/3G. So, now many operators offer VoIP service for mobile users. How to get right one?

The new blog Mobile VOIP Review will help to do right choice. You’ll able to read news and review of existing VoIP providers there. Additionally there will be posted comments of real users of those services.

[via Asterisk Blog]

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Belkin recently introduced its new Desktop Internet Phone for Skype which doesn’t need a PC for making calls. It features speaker, speed dial, call hold/release, call pickup/park, mute, redial, hold, call-timer display and contact list for comfort and productive work. Its contact list supports over 500 sets of Skype and SkypeOut™ contacts. The phone also supports SkypeIn™ - a personal and portable Skype number that people can use to call your Skype phone.

The setup of Belkin’s Skype phone very simple. Just connect it to your router using WiFi or Ethernet and type your Skype username and password.

The new Belkin’s Skype phone can be purchased in March 2008 at $99. So, if you works hardly with Skype don’t miss that date. Personally, I prefer more generic solutions offered some alternatives such SIP, GTalk, Skype or Gizmo in one. For example, I’m going to use my Nokia E65 make VoIP calls via VoipStunt (SIP protocol). In my mind Skype works unstable last couple of months and it’s expensive a bit (I mean SkypeIn and SkypeOut). In any case it’s just a matter of preferences.

[via eHomeUpgrade]

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Westell MediaStation can be named as a new concept PC for home. It’s a small device featured with 6.5″ (400×240) LCD touchscreen display, integrated camera and speakers. It uses WinCE.NET 5.0 and offers a bunch of possibilities to use it:

• delivering media content from Intenet: video, audio, pictures;
• phone calls: land-line, VoIP and video;
• up to four phone handsets can be added and personalized for each family member;
• extending hardware functionality via USB ports;
• extending software by using SDK coming with device.

Westell MediaStation offers most needed functionality for home users together with portability and stylish design. If its price is reasonable, it may hit the market.

[via eHomeAutomated]

P. S. The same things (except connection separate handsets) and more can be done with Nokia N800 and coming N810. IMHO Linuxbased Internet Tablet is better option.

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SysMaster used embedded Linux to create a four-line IP video phone with built-in PBX and audio/video playback capabilities. Tornado M20 appears to be based on a very similar hardware platform with M10 - STB with amazing features and functionality. The M20 connects to local networks via wired or WiFi interfaces. it supports standard SIP-based VoIP registrars, proxies, or outbound proxy servers.

For comfort work with M20 it sports 3.5-inch color LCD display, along with a telephone keypad and handset. It can be connected to the TV via analog RCA video and stereo audio ports.

The M20 is already available with a suggested retail price of $260.

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Fonality has announced TrixBox - a telephony application platform based on Asterisk™ Open Source PBX Software. The target of TrixBox is to make fast and simple an installation and configuration of your business-class telephony system. This PBX box offers unlimited extensions, voicemail-to-email, music on hold, call parking, analog lines or high density T1/E1 circuits and many other features.

Additionally, TrixBox includes Customer Relationship Management system - SugarCRM, which may help you organize your calls and contacts to use them more efficient.

TrixBox is selling for $999.99. So, it’s a bit expensive and superfluous for home users but for small business it’s appropriate solution.

P. S. Have a look also the book “TrixBox Made Easy” and project wiki to get all information about the TrixBox.

[via Engadget]

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