uMobile is the Philippines’ first advertising-funded mobile network that allows you to use mobile phone services (text messaging, internet surfing) for free or very cheap rates. Besides a Php .75 charge for text messages to other mobile networks, uMobile’s partnership with Fring lets subscribers to make mobile VoIP calls or do PC calling with Virtual Phone. The video embedded above shows you how to use the VoIP features on your mobile phone.

Apparently, there is a way for you to have free voice calls through major IM clients. Gtalk2VoIP, a messenger-based VoIP platform, just came out with free international VoIP call offers to over 30 countries through Talkster’s free international calls provider. You can use any SIP provider along with Gtalk2VoIP to make free or cheap calls based on your subscription plans. And if you find using softphones like X-Lite a little too complicated, you can use VoIP with Gtalk2VoIP through Gtalk, MSN Live Messenger, or Yahoo Messenger. Talkster’s partnership with GTalk2VoIP also allows users to make calls even to countries that are not among its network of 34 countries. All you have to do is use G-Talk to call the Talkster number given to make your end of the call free.

However, all calls made through this service are supported by advertisements so you only pay the cost of a local call instead of long distance charges when making international calls. Keep in mind that the costs will be incurred by the other party since they are calling a local number instead of yours.

For more information on how to use the service, visit the GTalk2VoIP website.

Dell just release their new Studio notebook line, which has some of the prettiest laptops I’ve ever seen. They certainly didn’t scrimp on the color options! The Vista laptops come in 15-inch and 17-inch, an Intel Core2 Duo Processor, up to 4GB of RAM, and a choice of 256MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650 or integrated Intel X3100 graphics. Storage for the 15-inchers is single 320GB 5,400rpm hard-drive ortwin HDD for a total of 640GB for the larger 17-inch notebooks.

What makes the Dell Studio notebook particularly interesting is its new Dell software, which includes an OS-X like dock. The Dell Studio will also have its own Dell video chat with IM and VoIP support (that works with the integrated 2-megapixel webcam), and it’s looking to be a very compelling alternative to Apple’s iChat.

Both laptops should be hitting retail stores in the US over the next few days. The 15-inch Dell Studio will be ggoing for $799 while the 17-inch one is priced at $999.

Source

According to the Google mobile blog, their new shortcut to allow faster Google searches on Nokia smart phones is now available for users in France, Canada, Germany, Spain, Italy, Russia, and the UK. The new feature is a free download and is very easy to install. If you live in any of those countries, point your phone’s browser to the respective website.

From there, choose to download link for search. Installation should only take a couple of minutes. Once that’s done with, you can enjoy newer, faster searching on your smart phone (which I hear will be 40% faster once you install the application).

It’s been some time since we got a major release from Skype and today, we finally have something. Skype just issued the first of several version 4.0 beta builds that they intend to release over the next couple of months.

The biggest change in Skype 4.0 beta is the user interface. If you’re used to the IM-like structure of the current Skype, you might find 4.0 beta a little bit confusing. The new software occupies the whole screen to make room for a growing number of features, forcing you to keep toggling between the client and the desktop. On the upside, the quality of video communication has improved greatly, with video calls large by default.

Other features to watch out for over the next couple of months include call transfer, auto redial, and best of all - the ability to send money. Looks like eBay’s been able to figure out how to integrate their PayPal system with Skype.

Though the interface will take some time to get used to, you’ll learn to love the 4.0 version once you’ve gotten over the initial shock of the bigger size. Skype has quickly become a more complete VoIP and video communicator - which is great because in an age of rising oil prices, the idea of quick VoIP calls will catch on quickly. Skype 4.0 beta will be available for download tomorrow but unfortunately, only Windows users will be able to try it out for now.

The revealed specs of the iPhone 3G are no doubt something to drool over, but if there was one thing that was a little bit overlooked during the WWDC Keynote, it’s the launch of MobileMe at me. It’s got Push Email, Push Contacts, Push Calendar, 20 GB of online storage with file sharing, MobileMe gallery, and allows you to synchronize between the iPhone, Apple desktop, Web interface, and PC desktop. What that all means is that you don’t need to dock your iPhone to the computer. In fact, there’s no real need to use an iPhone since it works perfectly well with regular PCs and Macs.

Besides that, Mobile Me syncs all your e-mails, contacts, and calendar entries across mobile devices. All the synced data is accessible and modifiable using any device - like on an iPhone; on a PC using Outlook 2003/2007; on a Mac using the Mail, Calendar, or Address Book; and on a Mac, PC, or mobile phone using a web browser. Current browsers that are supported are Firefox 2 and Safari 3 for Mac users and Firefox 2, Safari 3, or IE 7 for Windows.

All those features will cost you $8.25/month or $99/year. The service isn’t available yet but so far it looks to be a powerful way to manage your files as well as your online identity.

At Steve Jobs’ keynote presentation at WWDC in San Francisco today, we finally get to see what the iPhone 3G has in store for us. Apple seemed to take a lot of the criticisms made on the iPhone to heart - it’s got thinner edges, a full-plastic back, and most importantly, the iPhone 2.0 firmware. What makes the iPhone 3G different from the competition though is, well - the 3G feature. Apple says they’re making 3G is available internationally, runs 3rd party applications, and works with enterprises for much less. They even claim that its 3G speeds is 36% faster than the Nokia N95 and Treo 750. Battery time is fairly decent, with 300 hours of standby, 5 hours of 3G talk, 8-10 2G talk, 24 hours of audio, and 7 hours of video.

Apple intends to release the iPhone 3G to the 22 biggest markets - the US included - on July 11. The lucky 22 countries who’ll be getting the iPhone during its official release date are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and the US. Those in the US can get their iPhone 3Gs for $199 (8GB) and $299 (16GB) - with a two year contract with AT&T. 48 other countries - the Philippines included - will be getting the 3G iPhone “later this year”.

As for those who just got an iPhone recently, users who got a 2.5G iPhone on or after May 27 and want to exchange it for the iPhone 3G can do so without paying additional charges. You’ll need to turn in your 2.5G iPhone though. And if you’re based on the US and want the new iPhone, AT&T says there’s no way you can get one without signing on for a 2-year contract.

Source

I attempted a second call to report that there was no connection at all. It took almost 45 minutes. This time “Butter” replied and after the usual reporting of the IP address and Physical address, my line got cut again.

A third call. I got disconnected.

I am in my 4th call. The time is 11:49 AM.

Smart Bro really sucks big time.

Today, Sipgate released a free app for the iPhone that allows users to use any VoIP service that has the industry-standard SIP. The Spigate service allows users to call up any number without using their minutes from their wireless plan. This makes it very convenient to call to or from other countries, where a call can cost as much as $3 a minute. But with a VoIP service, you pay peanuts - as low as $.01 per minute.

If you’re curious about the service, you can download a copy of the Sipgate VoIP-enabling software at the Sipgate website. Sipgate is giving all new users 111 free minutes for domestic calls as a way to test out how VoIP works on the device!

Modern steganography makes use of digitally transmitted sound files or images to hide messages. It’s a lot more than simply scrambling the 0’s and the 1’s - steganography doesn’t allow anyone to listen in and decode it. Hidden messages only show up as content in spam messages, subtle changes in the image, or as extra nose in the VoIP conversation, making it very difficult to detect even if software is used.

Mazurczyk and Szczypiorski developed two techniques to send hidden messages through VoIP based on VoIP systems’ packet loss and redundancy. The first method looks at real-time transport protocol and unused fields in real time control protocol to send the messages. The second uses delayed audio packets to hide the messages. An experiment proved that the protocol method is more efficient when it allowed them to send over 1.3 megabits during a 9-minute VoIP call.

Why are security experts trying so hard to decipher secret messages? Apparently it’s so they can intercept messages from suspected terrorists through Skype. German police might already be working on software to intercept Skype calls.

Source