Archive for: voice
The 3G/4G tango VZW (and pretty much every other LTE operator) must endure is reportedly coming to an end, according to sources of Light Reading. By “early 2013″, Verizon will begin rolling out nationwide VoLTE (Voice Over LTE) across their LTE network. The beauty of this: No more data/cellular (SMS + Voice) separation. Everything will effectively be transmitted and counted as data.
The same sources also say that VZW is currently doing wider scale testing in two U.S. cities.
The above report is somewhat disappointing depending on how you look at it. On one hand, 2013 isn’t really that far away. Conversely, previous VoLTE rumors involving Verizon claimed the carrier would begin rolling on said service in the 2H of 2012.
We’re eagerly waiting for the day that we can go into full data mode and drop the stingy minutes thing.
- February 9, 2011 12:59 pm
Talk a lot? While data and text-based communications are the norm (in more tech savvy circles) these days, sometimes you just want to pick up the phone and talk — a lot. Back before all of this new fangled technology, data plans, and SMS, talking was it. As such, overages charges on minutes were a way of life for some. But as data and texting becomes more popular, voice gets cheaper.
Following Sprint’s 2009 lead, AT&T has announced that they too will begin offering unlimited mobile-to-mobile calling to any carrier, not just their own. For the social butterflies who love yaking it up, this is exceptionally good news. The only catch is that you’ll need to also be signed up for AT&T’s unlimited messaging plan ($20/month single or $30/month family) and subscribed to a “qualifying plan” — Nation or FamilyTalk.
While not actually “free”, it’s nice to see AT&T at least attempting to do something nice for once, even if they can’t manage to leave the strings at home. Anyone yakers feelin’ the love?
- December 20, 2010 2:37 pm
This past August, Google unveiled a new feature within Gmail giving users the ability to place phone calls on their computer quickly and easily. Sweetening the deal came by way of “free” phones through the end of 2010.
Today, Google has come forward and changed their story, though for the better. Now, Gmail users can make free calls for the rest of 2010 and all of 2011. The reasoning behind Google’s actions here aren’t yet known. While Google makes truckloads of money every day, paying for people to conduct millions of phone calls during the same time period can’t be cheap.
We’ve reached out to Google for clarification and will report back when more is known.
- December 15, 2010 7:32 am
Even though I don’t reside across the pond and under Three UK’s coverage area, I’m constantly amazed at how they one up their larger competitors time and time again. Today, Three UK announced that they are removing the 1GB data cap on their “The One Plan”. While this move is drastically different than their competitors, it’s the right move. How can consumers enjoy rich multimedia like HD movies, streaming audio, and new exciting web-enabled games on the go if we are limited to something as restrictive as 1GB of data?
The new, revised “The One Plan” also features 2,000 voice minutes, 5,000 texts, 5,000 Three-to-Three texts, and the now uncapped, unlimited data starting at a paltry £25. I went and configured my own plan on Three’s website and got £30 as my total monthly bill with the above specs. Though, the data still shows the 1GB cap so it doesn’t appear that their site has been updated quite yet. But even then, £30 for all of that is far better than most carriers around the entire world.
Any Three UK users care to chime in?
Back when Sprint came out with their Simply Everything plans, I said that while it wouldn’t bring Sprint back into the black ink, it would at least appease heavy mobile users who are getting gouged by rising cellular plans. And as we look back on the past year or so that Sprint has had said plans, I was pretty much right. They really didn’t cause a massive influx of customers to the CDMA carrier. However, as Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T start capping and limiting plans, Sprint stands alone.
Alone until now that is. Some new marketing material for upcoming Verizon Wireless cell phone plans has made its way out into the open. Most surprisingly, not more than a few weeks after VZW announced their new capped data plans, a new $69.99 450-minute/Unlimited Text/Unlimited Data plan is revealed on this new flyer. (Paying for everything separate would cost $90+!) For families, there’s a $139.99 version that allows 2 lines to divvy up 1400 minutes while also enjoying the same unlimited text/unlimited data.
**As pointed out below, Sprint still has a leg up on Verizon as their $69.99 plan offers unlimited minutes regardless of carrier as well as unlimited texts and data.
Hopefully Verizon gets around to announcing and releasing these new plans sooner rather than later. Check out the full flyer after the jump…
- September 15, 2010 9:41 am
Being a smartphone aficionado over the last several years has shown me time and time again just how badly battery technology has languished. It seems like we hear stories all the time of the next latest and greatest battery tech that is “just on the horizon”. And yet, that horizon never comes. The stories fade into oblivion and we never hear about them again. This more recent story isn’t about a type of battery per say, but more in how batteries charge. Currently, batteries need an electronic power source, whether it be a battery or a wall out let, to leech power from. There’s plenty of times in the average person’s day that such things just aren’t possible. Enter the world of 2035 and the spectacle of batteries charging themselves solely by the human voice.
TechCrunch showed off a Google Voice desktop app last week. For me, it was kind of a surprise as Google is more or less all things web. Desktop apps are sort of anti-Google. Then again, I’ve seen stranger things. Anyway, numerous people fell in love with the idea of the GV App, though not the notion that Google wasn’t sure if they were ever going to release it.
That obviously won’t do. Once the masses have seen it, they want it. That’s the gist behind GiveUsGVDesktop.com anyway — to garner 500,000+ digital signatures in hopes Google can be persuaded. It’s a noble effort for sure. But do 500,000 people really actually care (or have a use for) a desktop-based Google Voice app? We’ll see.
In the mean time, if you want to show your support, mosey on over to the GV App petition website and sign the petition.
UK readers: Get up off your butts and shout! Google’s Eric Schmidt came forth at the Guardian Activate conference and stated that Google Voice is indeed coming to the UK. For those who still don’t know, Google Voice is a pretty awesome service that allows you to share one number across multiple land and cellular lines. Besides that, transcribed voicemails in SMS or email form further add sustenance to the service.
Unfortunately, Schmidt wasn’t as forthcoming about any specific dates or timeline. But the fact that it has now been acknowledged should at least count for something, right? Any UK readers excited?
I’m sure many of you have heard about Skype’s buddy buddy deal with Verizon Wireless and the subsequent vanishing of Skype’s mobile apps in various mobile app stores. Windows Marketplace, Nokia Ovi Store, Apple App Store, Android Market — they all have seen Skype disappear/lose functionality/fail to gain new functionality within the last week. For instance, Apple’s Skype has long been promised to gain 3G VoIP support after Apple and AT&T finally got a few ducks to line up. After the announcement, that added 3G VoIP support is looking more and more distant. Even worse however is Nokia’s Ovi store which saw Skype get completely removed. When Venture Beat questioned Skype on the decision, a spokesperson had this to say:
Skype has made a decision in the United States to not promote the Skype for Symbian app through the Ovi Store. We did this so that we could drive more attention to the recently announced Skype and Verizon Wireless agreement. This was a marketing decision — plain and simple
Obviously, some large sums of marketing and sponsorship money traded hands, with Verizon paying rather hefty dough to get the top spot in Skype’s eyes. At first, Skype and Verizon both win. The VoIP market and mobile internet crazed world will gobble this up. But over the longer run, I see this deal hurting Skype more than it hurts. To be fair, the other mobile platforms highlighted above aren’t “losing” Skype. They’re just losing easy Skype downloads via their standalone app stores. Anyone will still be able to go to Skype via their mobile browser and download their platform’s respective Skype client. But how many “casual” mobile users out there will go to where everyone says the most and best apps are (again, their mobile platforms app store) and not see Skype? Most of those users won’t think to search outside of the app store. They’ll just download something else.
That right there is a bad, bad thing for Skype. With their new Verizon deal, they’re effectively making it many times harder to get their app and service on mobile devices. For a techie like your or I, we know countless sources for mobile apps and such. Farmer Joe off the street — not so much. It’s really disheartening to see a great VoIP service potentially sabotaging themselves all for some cash up front. Do you think Skype will continue their dominating position in the VoIP world, especially considering the mobile sphere? Or is Skype literally committing suicide by cutting off easy access to millions of customers?
