Hello folks,
Following on from my previous review of 2talk here I thought I would follow up with my experiences from using it via softphones and via the callback service in Canada and the UK.
All in all it's been an extremely great service. I used it mainly with the X-lite softphone and have never had any major issues. I found that using the G721 codecs gave the best quality when I was on a stable connection and didnt care about bandwidth usage. Using free softphones meant I wasnt able to use the G729 codec but apparently it is supposed to be quite good. I have also used Ekiga and SIP Communicator which both work very well.
The call quality from both Canada and here in the UK have been excellent. The latency is pretty much unnoticable so long as I'm on a semi decent connection (not too hard in North America/UK!) and I havent had any dropped calls or interuptions (bar those caused on my end by useless laptop batteries or accidental cable pulls!).
I did have some small issues with billing - their system wasnt recognising some Canadian caller IDs properly and billing them as Mobile calls, but a quick email to their support team had it sorted out quick smart with a credit to cover the issues.
On that note, their support team seems to be quite proactive and responsive, although I imagine they have the advantage of being a fairly small outfit at the moment.
The callback feature is extremly useful. Basically saves having to use calling cards etc. All I do is call my 028 number, wait for it to ring, and then it calls me back (so long as they received a caller ID which can sometimes be a bit dodgy internationally), I enter a PIN and then I get a dial tone and make a call as if I was in NZ. Its great for avoiding horrendous Telecom/VF roaming charges and to avoid making toll calls from friends' phone lines etc. I have it set up on my 028 number to call back all numbers and ask for a PIN seeing as I also have an 04 number which people call me on, but you can also set it up to only call back certain numbers with/without a PIN. The call quality using the callback seems to generally be much better than using calling cards and sometimes even better than just direct dialing on a landline from here.
The other great thing is the LocateMe & OneNumber feature where up to 3 external numbers + up to 5 VoIP phones can be rung simultaneously and you pick up which ever one you are closest to and the call connects to you. Works a treat while travelling or not at a computer. I have it set up to call my NZ cell and my temp Canada/UK cell and I give out my 2talk number instead of my 027 number so that when people call me the most I pay is 30c per min by answering on my UK cell instead of 1.50/min thru Telecom roaming!
One group of people I would definately recommend it to are either businesses or families who have staff/family members spread around the country. You can have multiple lines in different regions set up on one account, and calls are free between those numbers so effectively you can set yourself up a world wide PBX that isnt tied to particular desks or offices. There are also flexible options for redirecting calls to a head office or other staff member on no answer or busy. They also have support for 0800 numbers now.
Things I would like to see from them:
- A desktop interface/director that works with hardware VoIP phones that integrates with outlook etc to control calls (particularly useful for businesses if it could integrate with CRM type software for call tracking etc)
- Have Slingshot drop iTalk and migrate users to 2talk and offer it as part of the NDSL package
- Development or support of cell/smartphone apps that can automate dialing etc.
- Support for IP Phones to have centralised XML directories stored on 2talk servers with outlook integration and web based interface.
- Push for national (and international) SIP peering with other VoIP providers to bypass the PSTN as much as possible
- Push for IP Peering with other ISPs to make VoIP traffic free/cheaper
- Develop the faxing side a bit more with software to allow seamless faxing from desktop apps rather than via email
- Offer ADSL/Cable routers preconfigured with QoS settings to maximise VoIP experience
Why Is Some Broadband Providers Faster Than Others?
It is sad but it is true, not all broadband is created equal. The reason for this can be wide and varied everything from having a slow pc to not having the correct settings. However as you know New Zealand is not renowned for it’s fast broadband and the actual reason for that is because we don’t have a big enough population base and the population that is here is spread out into rural areas that are not cost effective for suppliers to install faster broadband.
Fibre is going to be the broadband for the future and a great example of a company bringing fibre to everyday businesses is CityLink. For the rest of us outside the reach of their network we have to settle for ADSL (Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line) until fibre is available to everyday users.
However not all ADSL providers are the same, ISP’s (Internet Services Provider’s) purchase a certain amount of back haul which ADSL users like you and me connect to the internet through. The trouble is ISP’s cram as many customers as they can onto these connections and when it gets filled up it simply goes slow, like when someone turns the hot water on in your house and your shower is cold and with both situations, it is frustrating.
Here is a fantastic article discussing the issue more in depth.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=93&objectid=10524776
Some MID around the Intel Developer Forum 2008
Even before the official exhibition opens at the�Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco we can see the big them of mobility going around. Below are just a sample of the devices I could see when entering the main event centre hall.
All those devices are based on Intel Atom:
Lenovo Ideapad U8 (above), running Linux, 512 MB RAM, 8 GB SSD
Asus R50A (above), running Microsoft Windows Vista, 1 GB RAM, 32 GB SSD
Clarion MiND (above), running Linux, 512 MB RAM, 8 GB SSD
Aigo P8880 (above), running Linux, 512 MB RAM, 4 GB SSD
USI MID-150 (above), running Linux, 512 MB, 8 GB SSD
Below you see a video with Ultra Mobility Group Uday Keshavdas showing three Intel Atom-powered devices that will be on hand this week at IDF San Francisco, including the special Oylmpic edition Lenovo ideapad.
Comodo's Free Secure Email Digitally Signs And Encrypts Emails For ... - HostReview.com (press release)
Vodafone NZ releases new iPhone plans
Well, here we are again. Staring once more into the abyss that is the iPhone section of Vodafone's website. Only this time, rather than bang our heads against something sturdy, we give a low grunt and move on to something far more important.
Why the sudden change? Why am I writing it this way? The answer to the latter may never be known but the answer to the former is quite simple: The new iPhone plans are out!
Yes, Vodafone has released the new iPhone plans for New Zealand customers. However, is there any improvement?
From what I’ve seen so far, the answer is yes. But have they fixed it enough?
Well, the $250 1GB plan has been scrapped as an iPhone exclusive plan for one thing (now avaliable for any handset), replaced with the lowly 500mb $130 plan. Obviously there are now four plans, as opposed to three (two after a few weeks).
However, the greatest improvement overall is the addition of a $40 plan. However, at that price you'll have to settle for only 20 included minutes and 100 included texts. But for someone who isn't likely to be wanting to catch the latest 'will it blend' video on the move, this plan will be a godsend.
Of course, a few additional minutes would've been nice.
Well, at least the $40 plan phone is subsidized a fair bit
Anyway, here are the plans.
Intel-powered Yahoo! TV Widgets screenshots
These are some pictures I took from the show floor just after the Yahoo! TV Widgets announcement during the Intel Developer Forum San Francisco 2008:
And below a zoom in the Yahoo! TV Widgets area:
And more pictures of different TV Widgets:
This box is based on the new Intel Media Processor CE 3100, pairing an Intel Pentium M processor core at 800MHz and 256K L2 Cache, with multi-stream high-definition video decoding and processing hardware, including support for MPEG-2, H.264 and VC-1 with HDMI 1.3a output, and featuring advanced 4-field per pixel motion-adaptive de-interlacing and 9-tap, 128-phase, independent horizontal and vertical scalers.
It also adds a 3-channel 800 MHz DDR2 memory controller supporting tiled memory mapping and channel interleaving, dedicated multi-channel dual audio DSPs with support for 7.1 surround sound implementing advanced audio codecs, including support for Blu-ray requirements.
The media processor also features a 2-D/3-D Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 500 supporting multi-threaded dual universal scalable shader architecture for pixel/vertex processing, accelerated BLTs/Alpha BLTs, programmable anti-aliasing and compliance with industry-standard APIs: OpenGL ES 1.1, Open GL ES 2.0 and Open VG 1.0.
CA, Arcot Combine Solutions to Fight Internet ID Theft, Fraud - TMCnet
Xero is going international
Wellington-based Xero is going international, according to a release in the NZSX and a blog post. Xero is a listed company in the NZX and this is from the official announcement:
Xero wishes to advise that by early 2009 it will release a global version of its award-winning online accounting software.
Xero is choosing to disclose this part of its strategy now in order to openly respond to growing international sales enquiries.
Earlier this week Xero was named as one of the world's Top Ten Best Application User Interfaces of 2008 by Nielsen Norman Group, the US-based analysts and experts in software design.
'King of usability' and award judge Jakob Nielsen commented about Xero: "Making accounting fun? That's an award-winning design."
The award has led to a surge in interest from small businesses internationally asking when Xero will be available in countries outside its initial target markets of New Zealand, the UK and Australia.
Xero is a web-based accounting software-as-a-service platform. Sounds boring, but they managed to create an easy to use, good looking software that works for the company owner and for the accountant.
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