Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) is a technology that allows you to make phone calls through your broadband connection. VoIP service is generally cheaper than traditional landline telephone service due to the capabilities of the network cables that broadband connections are built with. Broadband connections usually utilize CAT5e or CAT6 Ethernet networking cables. They boast faster data transfer rates than traditional landlines and can move multiple voice, audio and data packages inbound and outbound simultaneously. This allows for multiple phones calls over the same connection. In addition, connections remain open only as information is being sent. Therefore, you are not paying to keep a line open while no data is being transmitted.

Although VoIP phone calls are cheaper to transfer, phone calls made from one VoIP customer to another VoIP customer (aka “in-network”) are usually free. Therefore, as more people sign up for VoIP service, it is likely that more of your phone calls will be free, thus reducing your bill even more. Now that more companies are entering the VoIP market, making the switch to VoIP is even easier. While some VoIP phones can be expensive, many companies such as 3COM also provide basic phones that are cheaper to purchase and shorten your payback period significantly when investing in VoIP hardware.

The 3COM NBX 2101 is a basic VoIP phone that allows you to make phone calls over your broadband connection. The phone features a large two-line, 24-character LCD display that improves visibility of the system’s directory of internal users. There is a 10/100 LAN uplink device switched port on the bottom of the set. Use it to connect your PC to the LAN for access to the NBX NetSet application so you can set your user preferences. A conventional alphanumeric touch-tone keypad allows you to use it just as you would use a regular phone and a landline connection. The user interface consists of LCD directory buttons, scrolling buttons, feature access buttons, a message waiting button, hold button, transfer button, call toggle button, and volume controls. This phone retails for about $275 new.

The good news is that many companies offer used and refurbished phones, giving the consumer more purchasing power. Customers can find used phones, such as the 3COM NBX 2101 VoIP phone, selling for much less than retail. Instead of paying $275 for the phone, you may find the phone for $100 or even $50. In many cases, the phones are considered “equal2new”. Many of them also include a manufacturer warranty. Purchasing them used or refurbished not only saves you money, but it also extends the life of the product, thus reducing waste, using less of our natural resources, and preserving our environment. Higher end VoIP phones can also be found selling for less in used or refurbished condition. So be sure to explore this option to save even more money when switching to VoIP.

Written by Eric Higgins .

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Filed under: Cellphones

Uh-oh, Indian Blackberry users — better get ready for some major disconnection anxiety. Apparently the Indian government is demanding that RIM either allow it to snoop on its encrypted email service (or worse, drop down to 40-bit encryption), or shut down the entire Indian Blackberry network at the end of the month. That’ll cut off an estimated 400,000 subscribers, so the carriers, RIM, and government officials are due to meet and try and hammer out a solution on the 14th, but the issue probably won’t be easy to solve — ISPs are now concerned that if RIM complies, all encrypted wireless data will be open to spying, which would make things like ecommerce virtually impossible. Furthermore, since Blackberry traffic gets routed to Canadian NOCs first, there are some thorny international issues at play as well — just to put things in perspective, RIM doesn’t even allow the Chinese government to snoop in this way, although we’re certain there’s another backdoor in place. Honestly, though, we’d suffer through a little CrackBerry withdrawal if it kept the G-men out of our hair — let’s hope RIM’s got some fight in ‘em.

[Via Boy Genius Report]

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Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming

Just four days after Apple announced that the beta version of the iPhone SDK would be available to developers, some 100,000 downloads have taken place. ‘Course, it’s not like we’re shocked by Cupertino’s latest horn tooting, but we’ve all ideas that number pales in comparison to the amount of requests for unlocks. Nevertheless, the real news from the Apple camp is that companies such as Namco and PopCap are apparently on board to bring titles such as Pac-man, Galaga, Bejeweled, Zuma and Peggle to the iPod touch / iPhone via App Store. Furthermore, Six Apart’s CEO admitted that it’s already developing a “native iPhone application for TypePad,” and the VP of THQ Wireless implied that we’d be seeing some of its wares surface here as well. As for release dates? Your guess is as good as ours.

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Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio

For BlackBerry users feeling a bit left out of the mobile music store revolution, take heart, as Puretracks is running to the rescue. Utilizing the spotlight at SXSW in Texas, the aforementioned outfit is showcasing its newly developed, DRM-free music store and service for the BlackBerry platform. Reportedly, the system was crafted with partner Magnet Mobile Media, and it’s slated to function on the Pearl, Curve and 8800 series mobiles. As of now, we’ve no idea how much the tunes will cost, but we do know that they’ll be compressed AAC / AAC+ files and will be available in the US on April 1. As for future plans, the firm hopes to bring the service to Canada and “other markets,” and best of all, it’s even looking to “include support for WiFi capable handsets.”

[Via mocoNews]

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Filed under: Cellphones

This is just getting silly, don’t you think? The iPhone Dev Team has once again proven their totally gnarly talents by freeing up the latest firmware before it’s even the latest firmware. Apple, here’s our suggestion — just let people do what they want with your devices, since they’re clearly going to do it anyway. That way, instead of making enemies, you’re making lifelong buddies. Reasonable, right? Steve, give us a call, we’re more than happy to riff on some ideas for playing nice with the end-user.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Filed under: Cellphones

Looks as if Nokia’s going to be using a portion of that gigantic profit it raked in during Q4 to appease NRW.Bank — unless a meeting it hopes to establish within the next few days changes matters, that is. Apparently, a German state has “asked” the handset maker to hand back government-issued subsidies (with interest, no less) that it received to build a cellphone factory in Bochum which it now plans to close. In sum, Nokia’s looking at a tab of $92 million, as the folks in the industrial Ruhr region are none too pleased about what will likely result in the loss of some 2,300 jobs. Purportedly, the cash is due by March 31st, and if Nokia refuses to comply, the bank has stated that it will “take legal action to secure payment.” Them’s fightin’ words there.

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Filed under: Cellphones

It’s been a rough couple months for Motorola’s handset division — rumors of a sale, two high-profile executive departures, layoffs, and that pathetic showing at Mobile World Congress — but today it looks like the company might have some tricks left up its sleeve for CTIA. We’re not sure where it came from, but this supposed marketing video popped up on YouTube with shots of several new handsets, all of which jive with rumors we’ve heard about Moto’s upcoming devices, like the Linux-based Ming 2 and the 5 megapixel cameraphone developed with Kodak (pictured above). Other notables are a Q variant running Windows Mobile 6.1 and an odd new music slider that could be the ROKR E10. Of course, none of this is official (and Moto did release a hype-laden video just before MWC only to fall totally flat), but we’d be lying if we said we weren’t hoping to see Moto try and come back around at CTIA — we’ll see what happens. Video after the break.

[Via Unwired View]

Continue reading Motorola to unveil a slew of new handsets at CTIA?

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Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Here’s a treat from HTC and Sprint to lighten those Monday blues: the Sprint Mogul, built by HTC, is getting a software update to bump the phone’s data connection up to EV-DO Rev. A, roughly doubling current download speeds, and really boosting uploads. This makes the Mogul the first phone in the States to hit Rev. A speeds, and should make the $199 phone quite the attractive option for modem usage when an ExpressCard would be just too darn convenient. Only problem is that when Sprint and HTC promised this update in back November, they also said GPS would be a part of the package — and just such a ROM was leaked in January. We’re not sure what happened to that feature, but we’ll try not to look a gift horse in the mouth for the time being.

Update: Turns out GPS is indeed included in this update, as confirmed by Sprint.

[Thanks, Joel P.]

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Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Portable Audio, Portable Video

While Apple continues to market the iPhone as a 3-in-1 device — web, phone, and iPod — it’s clear that Jobs has a 4th market clearly in his sights. It’s no accident that EA and Sega were both selected to demonstrate their skills with the iPhone SDK during last week’s press event. Now Gameloft, the worldwide number one mobile game publisher in terms of revenues — has committed to developing games for the iPhone. “Over 15 titles” are expected in 2008, in fact. Oh iPhone, is there anything you can’t do with your 3D processor, multi-touch display, and 3-axis accelerometer? Oh right, GPS, 3G data, corporate Exchange, A2DP Bluetooth audio, MMS, … you get the idea.

Update: John Carmac — co-founder of Id Software — just commented that, “We (Id) have put in our application like everybody else.” So yeah, it’ll play Doom… officially this time.

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Filed under: Cellphones

We’ve seen phones that push the boundaries of chintziness, but this newfangled MP7 phone really shows what humans are capable of when they’ve no motivation to assemble a decent product. Granted, most everything here is lost in translation, but the blatant “Blue tooth” logo on the front pretty much sets it up for disaster. Nevertheless, this GSM handset reportedly comes in silver or black and features a 320 x 240 touchscreen display, a 1.3-megapixel camera, built-in FM tuner and support for some form of mobile TV along with the elusive “MP7″ format. Best of all, this marvelous gem of handset engineering can be had for $599.90 (or a dozen easy payments of $59.99) — we can hear the N95 cowering from here (or is that laughter?).

[Via Saporra]

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