Chris Pirillo » voip http://chris.pirillo.com News and Reviews! Geek, Internet Entrepreneur, Hardware Addict, Software Junkie, Book Author, Once TV Show Host, Technology Enthusiast, Shameless Self-Promoter, Tech Conference Coordinator, Early Adopter, Idea Evangelist, Tech Support Blogger, Bootstrapper, Media Personality, Technology Consultant, Thicker Quicker Picker Upper. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:40:25 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 How to Communicate With Others http://chris.pirillo.com/how-to-communicate-with-others/ http://chris.pirillo.com/how-to-communicate-with-others/#comments Thu, 19 May 2011 10:20:29 +0000 Chris Pirillo http://c.pirillo.com/?p=25930 When was the last time you actually made a phone call for no other reason than to simply talk to someone? How long ago was it that you sat down and wrote a letter to send through the postal service? These forms of communication were the way we connected with others for many MANY years, and they are apparently a dying art form these days. I admit that I haven’t done either of these things in far longer than I can really remember. There are just too many other ways for me to get ahold of someone, do business with them or reach out to make a connection.

Why would we send a hand-written missive and pay money for a stamp, only to have it arrive several days later – if at all? We can sign into our email program of choice, type out our thoughts and have the completed message show up in the other party’s inbox within seconds… for “free” (not counting the cost you already shell out for your Internet connection).

Even though most of us have cell plans which include unlimited calling (or at least during nights and weekends), it’s still easier to use other means of speaking with others. I’m sitting at my computer working most of the day, so it’s just simpler to click that button on Skype when I need to hear another person’s voice. Heck, I’ll admit it: I don’t much like having to voice chat anyway. If there is business communication to be done, I prefer handling it via email. This allows me to keep track of the prior portions of a conversation for future reference. It also lets me be in control of when I reply.

Using voice communication can actually be a burden. As I just mentioned, you have the burden of being “on” during every moment of a conversation. Your attention shouldn’t wander… you need to focus right then and there. If you’re buried in a project, having to stop and take calls can be a huge downer. With an email, you can put off your response until you have the time to dedicate to the person trying to get your attention.

How do you talk to others? I have a feeling that social networks will actually be near the top of the list for many of you out there, along with email and VOiP services.

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/how-to-communicate-with-others/feed/ 8 Gmail Calling: One Million Served and Counting http://chris.pirillo.com/gmail-calling-one-million-served-and-counting/ http://chris.pirillo.com/gmail-calling-one-million-served-and-counting/#comments Fri, 27 Aug 2010 02:50:23 +0000 Chris Pirillo http://chris.pirillo.com/?p=21675 In less than twenty-four hours, the new Gmail Calling service has helped connect people more than a million times. The new feature is handsome if you’re contacting someone in Canada or the United States since those calls are totally free. Google is subsidizing those calls through its international rates… which are as low as two cents per minute.

It’s not surprising to most of us that this has spread as quickly as it has. There are millions upon millions of Gmail users all over the world. A large percentage of those people already use the video chat feature. It stands to reason that they’d be checking out a new calling service the second they read the word “FREE.”

Have you tried out the latest Google offering yet? What are your thoughts so far?

Our software center doesn’t give you the power to call anyone. It does, however, help you find the software you need at prices you can live with.

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/gmail-calling-one-million-served-and-counting/feed/ 3 How Do You Make International Calls? http://chris.pirillo.com/how-do-you-make-international-calls/ http://chris.pirillo.com/how-do-you-make-international-calls/#comments Tue, 04 May 2010 06:56:43 +0000 Chris Pirillo http://chris.pirillo.com/?p=19591 Skype users won’t be shocked to see the numbers released in a recent report by telegeography. The findings show that Skype-to-Skype calls accounted for 13 percent of total International call minutes in 2009. The stats showed that a whopping 54 Billion (out of a total of 406 Billion) International call minutes were done through Skype. Even more interesting is the fact that while overall International telephone traffic has slowed down, Skype’s traffic has been on the rise.

The Skype minutes for last year were generated by 520 million users from 250 different countries. These kinds of numbers give even Facebook a run for its money. While some may scoff at the service, it’s quite clear that it holds a lion’s share of the VoIP users out there.

Are you a Skype aficionado? Have you ever used it to speak with someone in another country?

You won’t need to make any long-distance calls to grab the latest software titles for your computers and mobile devices.

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/how-do-you-make-international-calls/feed/ 9 Happy St. Patrick’s Day! http://chris.pirillo.com/happy-st-patricks-day/ http://chris.pirillo.com/happy-st-patricks-day/#comments Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:31:49 +0000 Chris Pirillo http://chris.pirillo.com/?p=18302 I think that this is the one day of the year where nearly everyone tries to claim they are at least “part” Irish. What better excuse is there to eat some awesome food, drink a lot of green beer, and have a great time on a weekday? I was watching my local news earlier, and they were showing clips from several different local pubs and restaurants. There sure are a lot of Irish people in Seattle! Who knew?

All I know is that I don’t really enjoy green beer. Something about it just kind of creeps me out. Seeing the Chicago River turned green every year is pretty cool though, I must admit! The parades are fun and lighthearted, and I do love a good Corned Beef sammich! I don’t like to be pinched if I’m not wearing green… but it IS quite fun to pinch someone else!

Did you partake in any fun activities today in honor of St. Patty’s Day? What did you do to celebrate?

Don’t forget to check out our software center to see what’s new today!

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/happy-st-patricks-day/feed/ 1 How Can Companies Hire Social Media Directors? http://chris.pirillo.com/how-can-companies-hire-social-media-directors/ http://chris.pirillo.com/how-can-companies-hire-social-media-directors/#comments Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:59:02 +0000 Chris Pirillo http://116550106 I came across an interesting link today while browsing Twitter. The author writes about how companies who are new to social media are failing miserably when it comes to writing job descriptions for their newly-created social media positions. He goes on to say he used to blame the companies themselves for writing poorly-constructed ads. Then, he realized that it isn’t the company’s fault at all. They don’t know what they’re doing, remember? They are new to this whole social media scene, and may not even know what it is they are looking FOR, exactly.

How would you suggest a company create a position for this, and market it? What should they look for? How should their ads be worded to be the most effective? I think that the social media experts in our community are the perfect place to get ideas flowing, and help these companies out!

What have you read today that sparked your imagination and interest, or made you stop and think? Make sure you share the links with the rest of us, so we don’t miss out!

Don’t miss our downloads center today! There are some excellent deals for both Windows and Mac people!

[awsbullet:twitter for dummies]

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/how-can-companies-hire-social-media-directors/feed/ 6 TeamSpeak vs Ventrilo vs Mumble Audio for Gamers http://chris.pirillo.com/teamspeak-vs-ventrilo-vs-mumble-audio-for-gamers/ http://chris.pirillo.com/teamspeak-vs-ventrilo-vs-mumble-audio-for-gamers/#comments Sun, 31 May 2009 03:13:42 +0000 Chris Pirillo http://chris.pirillo.com/?p=13351
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Voice over IP (or VoIP) is just not going to go away, despite what Wicket wants. It’s not just here for awhile, it’s definitely going to be around. You may have used Skype, or Vonage before to talk to someone. If you have, then you’ve used VoIP. But if you need to talk to several people at once, these are not good choices. What do you use in situations like these?

Some of you use Teamspeak or Ventrilo, and those are both good options. The Mods and I use Ventrilo here on the live stream at times to talk to each other, have conferences, or even let them talk to all of you. Once our Ventrilo license expires, we may just start using this new open source program: Mumble.

Mumble is an open source, low-latency, high quality voice chat software primarily intended for use while gaming. Even though it says it’s “intended” for gaming, it can be used by anyone. It won’t suck up your bandwidth like Skype will. There isn’t much of an interface to Mumble, but it IS clean. And – it’s seriously configurable! Being open source… it’s free to use.

If you’ve used anything else for this type of communication, consider Mumble. It is mature enough to use, and I definitely recommend it.

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/teamspeak-vs-ventrilo-vs-mumble-audio-for-gamers/feed/ 4 What is MagicJack? http://chris.pirillo.com/what-is-magicjack/ http://chris.pirillo.com/what-is-magicjack/#comments Wed, 06 May 2009 09:52:06 +0000 Chris Pirillo http://1260225330
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What do you currently use for your phone service? Do you use a traditional land-line company, or something like Vonage? I’ve been using Vonage in my home for a couple of years now. Lately, though, some people were asking me what I thought about MagicJack, so I decided to try it out.

I figured we’d set it up together in this video. After all, the package promises “60 seconds to a lifetime of savings!”. It also talks about having free voice mail, free International calling, and even free local and long-distance. All you need is a phone and a broadband connection.

I actually had to go buy a cheap corded phone, because all of the phones in my house were cordless! I plugged the MagicJack in, and it instantly opened. The little interface told me to click a button to start calling – even while everything was downloading.

Within about 30 seconds, I was ready to register. I entered my email and a password into the program. I was told that following activation I would receive a confirmation email to finish the process. Then, it asked me my name, and approximate location for proper 911 services. After this step, it gave me the option of which area code I wanted to go with for where I live. Then, I could choose any number I wanted. Heck, I could’ve even chosen a number and area code back in Iowa!

I then had to of course agree to the Terms of Service. Don’t do as I did – or didn’t do. Always read your Terms of Service before agreeing! After doing that, I had my very own MagicJack phone number. I didn’t like the giant banner ad in the middle of the dialer though. I guess that’s what we get for having free phone service though.

I plugged the phone it, picked it up and dialed. It went through! That quickly, I called myself! I even answered myself. The sound was pretty clear, as well. I was impressed at this point, for sure. It took no time to set up, and it works!

If you shut down the MagicJack application on your computer, you cannot receive incoming calls. So – keep that in mind! Oh! Cool! There’s a call log! However, I don’t like that the address book cannot coordinate with my address book within my operating system. That would rock! Maybe they can work on that with a future release.

Well, there you go. There’s my opinion on MagicJack. It’s free, it’s simple, and it works. Try it for yourself. You may want to consider this as an alternative to a traditional land-line phone.

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]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/what-is-magicjack/feed/ 32 Skype on the iPhone / iPod Touch http://chris.pirillo.com/skype-on-the-iphone-ipod-touch/ http://chris.pirillo.com/skype-on-the-iphone-ipod-touch/#comments Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:29:56 +0000 Chris Pirillo http://chris.pirillo.com/?p=12848 This morning, CNET reported that Skype is officially coming to the iPhone in a few days. I’m impressed, but not really thrilled. I usually keep Skype open on my desktop, but prefer to use it for video calls only – which you won’t be able to do on the iPhone, so… whatever. On the other hand, if you’re an iPod Touch user, this is HUGE news.

I asked for your opinions on Twitter a few minutes ago…

chrispirillo: Skype is coming to the iPhone. Is this big news or a big snooze?
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:51:40 +0000 2009
joshcheney: i think BiG news! lol
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:53:44 +0000 2009
MetalHaze: Remember, #Skype only works on 3G #iPhones .
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:53:54 +0000 2009
susanbeebe: Skype VoIP is big news – free calls over 3G, WiFi is cool ! :)
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:53:54 +0000 2009
ChickenStudios: Hmm a bit of both, could be useful could just be more clutter for the app store
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:53:59 +0000 2009
JakeOSmith: NEWS!
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:54:08 +0000 2009
INFECTEDPB503: feel asleep at skype…
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:54:11 +0000 2009
DaddyCast: with video would be big
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:54:24 +0000 2009
apabate: travel internationally then ask that question again. Skype is your best friend overseas. Skype on iPhone – FTW all the way!!!
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:54:31 +0000 2009
topicm: it's cool, but would be better if iPhone did video and allowed Skype to use 3G as well (in addition to Wi-Fi)
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:54:35 +0000 2009
michaelg: Skype on iPhone will be very convenient for international travel
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:54:39 +0000 2009
TechFrog: SInce it will only really work during WiFi connection, its moderately #SnoozeNews
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:54:46 +0000 2009
ludovicah: its not news certainly.. people have been bleating about it since yesterday
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:54:46 +0000 2009
geekgiant: Since it's WiFi only, it's kind of a snooze. Will be nice to have native though.
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:54:58 +0000 2009
crackass: big snooze as i don't use Skype and i don't know anyone who does, bar internetz people who i don't speak to!
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:55:01 +0000 2009
RamonNuez: Albeit very cool and don't think it's big news. If you use the fring app then you already have skype.
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:55:07 +0000 2009
BayouBengal56: Skype = snooze for iPhone but win for iPod touch.
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:55:07 +0000 2009
AwesomeRobot: a big snooze for me
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:55:09 +0000 2009
SamBSJA: big snooze!
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:55:25 +0000 2009
EMcCready: as it only works on wifi and I only get it @ home its pretty much snooze, as I could use my house if I wanted to call someone
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:55:32 +0000 2009
JMGubbins: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:55:32 +0000 2009
chrisspera: RE: Skype on the iPhone: Snooze. Skype on the iPod Touch: News!
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:55:44 +0000 2009
annimetti: If it works with skype international calling, which I presume is the news, then it's pretty big news. No?
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:56:09 +0000 2009
AngryChad: @chrispirillo: Neither. It's medium level news.
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:56:21 +0000 2009
Fee501st: Wake me when you can use it on edge/3G
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:56:32 +0000 2009
Neonez: big news!
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:56:33 +0000 2009
richgilberto: It's big news if the iPod touch gets a standard earpiece/mic config attachment.
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:56:34 +0000 2009
tommycarlier: As long as the Belgian mobile market is what it is, I'm not using a lot of mobile online applications on my WinMobile device.
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:56:38 +0000 2009
TheRubberband: It would be awesome news if all iPhone users got on board.
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:56:38 +0000 2009
jaredatch: about damn time, but still big news!
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:56:51 +0000 2009
TheBorzoi: There were already a few Skype apps for iPhone. I know quite a few people that have been using them.
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:57:07 +0000 2009
tomacintosh: an absolute snooze to me
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:57:13 +0000 2009
martinjon: International calls on every iPhone – thats news I think – I've used a MYLO for years for that sort of access = NEWS
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:57:17 +0000 2009
muppetaphrodite: If Skype were coming to the iPod Touch, that'd be a big deal. But we iPhone users are stuck with too many minutes anyway.
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:57:29 +0000 2009
atothebed: This is very exciting! I would potentially use Skype on my iPhone …but I'd rather have MSN make an official app first!
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:57:46 +0000 2009
tpbtpb: medium news, if it works.
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:58:03 +0000 2009
AndersHa: for me: big news. Skype is the future!
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:58:26 +0000 2009
harrysaxon23: Snooze, at least up in Vancouver, since voice chat only works over wi-fi, which is generally hard to find outside your home.
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:58:40 +0000 2009
thekiwiguy: snooze..Fringe client has been around 4 a while,and its “good”. without a front cam, & videocam iphone is crippled for this..
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:58:43 +0000 2009
victoria0918: Big news is when the iPhone is sold unlocked for user option on which provider to use.
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:58:52 +0000 2009
RandyNieland: Huge news! Skype is the first crack in the AT&T exclusivity armor, as far as placing “calls” from the iPhone (and iPod Touch)
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 17:58:59 +0000 2009
kpslover007: I hear it is controversial. I think that it will be a good move.
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 18:01:04 +0000 2009
marcoscmartins: like Fring, I think is the same old history… wasn't enough. If voice signal still clear, should be nice, but I doubt.
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 18:01:17 +0000 2009
tristanlueking: Big news! been waiting for it for awhile. The question is, will it measure up to expectations?
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 18:01:31 +0000 2009
laurentmeyvaert: I think it's big news. I've been waiting for it since the start of the App Store. I prefer the real thing :)
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 18:01:33 +0000 2009
JustinCarmony: Depends on if and how easy I can make Skype calls with it.
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 18:02:16 +0000 2009
LaceRocks: snooze
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 18:02:56 +0000 2009
bdegrande: Skype is really big news for those of us with an iPod Touch. Not the first VOIP app, but I hope it's the best.
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 18:03:10 +0000 2009
Condawg: Big news, in my opinion. Especially if it's for the Touch, too. Cheaper calls. Much cheaper calls. Hell yeah.
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 18:03:15 +0000 2009
Mpieters: big news…but only useful post iphone 3.0 – my writeup at http://www.mpieters.com
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 18:04:18 +0000 2009
Kennethturner: big news to the people who goes over their minutes and make international calls
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 18:05:36 +0000 2009
tgarlanger: I'm wondering how great Skype is going to be on the iPhone as well.
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 18:06:14 +0000 2009
tialoc: would be nice to have access to skype contacts. May use at hotspots but otherwise.. Zzzzz. ..
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 18:08:47 +0000 2009
notsleepy: big news to me. Avoid huge bills when travelling overseas
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 18:09:02 +0000 2009
lmdupont: it would be big news if it worked on g3 but it requires wifi
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 18:09:29 +0000 2009
GourleyGirl: tiny little screen, fuzzy connection..hmmm..sounds frustrating. But being able to see your people from anywhere, I like that.
about an hour ago
Mon Mar 30 18:10:20 +0000 2009
steveofmaine: Well, it's bigger news than cut and paste IMO.
about 58 minutes ago
Mon Mar 30 18:12:38 +0000 2009
davepope: The big news would be that that means it's coming to the iPod Touch as well…
about 57 minutes ago
Mon Mar 30 18:13:35 +0000 2009
zargam: nothing shocking to me..lol
about 56 minutes ago
Mon Mar 30 18:14:34 +0000 2009
patrickem: Skype to iPhone = snooze
about 55 minutes ago
Mon Mar 30 18:16:16 +0000 2009
kevinkinnett: it is the eventual future of voice communication (just another type of data service) this is one important step along the way
about 51 minutes ago
Mon Mar 30 18:20:16 +0000 2009
foleymo: Hey Chris, Have you heard about this? http://bit.ly/NjTm
about 44 minutes ago
Mon Mar 30 18:27:09 +0000 2009
BuayaGuy: what if Skype + iPhone = call online around the world for free or low cost?
about 44 minutes ago
Mon Mar 30 18:27:10 +0000 2009
iPhoneFTW: CHRIS UR AWESOME and hilarious watched u when u used to b on tv and still watch u now i also sub, macs are awesome eh?
about 44 minutes ago
Mon Mar 30 18:27:16 +0000 2009
iPhoneFTW: hey chris what do u think of the new iPhone OS 3.0 i think its awesome CUT COPY PASTE!!!
about 42 minutes ago
Mon Mar 30 18:29:04 +0000 2009
Crinklex2: Truphone and Fring already have Skype built in correct? Plus new Skype app can only be used via WiFi. I say big snooze.
about 38 minutes ago
Mon Mar 30 18:32:24 +0000 2009
iPhoneFTW: i think its gonna be an interesting app
about 37 minutes ago
Mon Mar 30 18:33:18 +0000 2009
joeyv: – depends on how well their app works, I am impressed with the latest update, on windows atleast.
about 37 minutes ago
Mon Mar 30 18:34:05 +0000 2009
Crinklex2: Of course that won't stop me from downloading the Skype app and trying it out. You know, the tech geek thing in me and all…
about 36 minutes ago
Mon Mar 30 18:34:44 +0000 2009
TimBrazer: skype for iPhone? Big Snooze! Fring is available too…
about 34 minutes ago
Mon Mar 30 18:37:13 +0000 2009
stemount: Skype on the iPhone is ok but Fring already does it, but I would think it would be better UI but still only wi-fi calls :(
about 33 minutes ago
Mon Mar 30 18:37:47 +0000 2009
unclelouie9841: I think it is a bigger deal for people with iPod Touches than for iPhone users.
about 33 minutes ago
Mon Mar 30 18:38:07 +0000 2009
melanieruth78: if it's still free, then it's big. Otherwise it's not.
about 32 minutes ago
Mon Mar 30 18:38:52 +0000 2009
]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/skype-on-the-iphone-ipod-touch/feed/ 5 Are There Extensions for Cell Phones in Your Home? http://chris.pirillo.com/are-there-extensions-for-cell-phones-in-your-home/ http://chris.pirillo.com/are-there-extensions-for-cell-phones-in-your-home/#comments Wed, 05 Nov 2008 07:57:02 +0000 Chris Pirillo http://chris.pirillo.com/?p=9162 Ronni was a speaker at Gnomedex last year. She is one amazing lady, and a good friend. She has an excellent question, sent to me recently via email. Sadly, I don’t have the answer. However, I’m hoping one of you out there will know if there’s something like what she’s looking for.

Since you are my guru for all things technology or vaguely related, I’ve got a question for you:

I use a VoIP service for my home telephone. I have one base phone with two extensions so I don’t need to run the length of the apartment when someone calls. I also have a cell phone.

Cell reception is so good in my neighborhood, I don’t really need to be paying $300 a year for the VoIP service. But if I cancel it, I’m stuck with one cell phone and who knows where it might be when it rings. I have trouble remembering to stick it in my pocketbook when I leave the house, and I certainly wouldn’t remember to take it with to the bedroom at night or wherever else in the house I’m going to be for awhile. Plus, I don’t see the point of having two telephone numbers these days.

So here’s what I’m wondering:

Is there such a thing as an internal network for cell phones that combines with normal extension handsets? Maybe a box of some sort connected through the landline jacks that most homes have already installed? I can’t imagine that this doesn’t exist, and it would be particularly useful for women whose clothes don’t often have pockets like men’s clothing, so it’s not easy to keep a cell phone with you all the time.

Or maybe there’s another solution…

Perhaps you’ve addressed something like this in one of your videos that I’ve missed, or maybe you could do so if you haven’t.

I hope you and Ponzi are well,
Ronni

Come on Geeks. Ronni is right… there has to be something out there that can help her. What have you come across that may fit the bill?

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/are-there-extensions-for-cell-phones-in-your-home/feed/ 17 How to FAX over VOIP on the Internet http://chris.pirillo.com/how-to-fax-over-voip-on-the-internet/ http://chris.pirillo.com/how-to-fax-over-voip-on-the-internet/#comments Mon, 18 Feb 2008 04:22:10 +0000 Chris Pirillo http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/02/17/how-to-fax-over-voip-on-the-internet/ Brightstar wrote: “I keep hearing about how hard it is for faxes to work through VOIP. I’ve prepared a top 5 list of things you can do to make sure your faxes have the best chance of going through.”

  • Set your baud rate to 9600 and turn off Error Correction Mode. The slower your Fax goes, the more likely it is to go through without errors. Most VOIP providers are unable to support the default baud of 33600 baud due to the amount of data that has to go through. Error Correction Mode was designed for faxing PSTN to PSTN. Voice over IP often has extra noise added due to jitter instabilities in the connection as it travels from one fax to another. This causes false positives for Error Correction Mode because it will cause the fax to loop over and over trying to fix these noise errors, when it can’t be fixed. This will end in a communication error usually.
  • Use a provider that supports T.38 – T.38 is an audio codec designed for Faxing over VOIP. it allows for more detail and better looking images as well as stability by creating redundancy in the RTP stream.
  • Set your packetization to 10 milliseconds or less. The more header there is in the stream, the less likely jitter and instabilities in your internet connection are going to cause a synchronization error. (You may need to contact your provider to make this happen if your box is locked, such as if you use Vonage.)
  • Keep on top of your ISP. Stability in your internet connection are paramount in making sure that faxes are successful. Speed tests can help you track this. Look for an advanced speed test that offers more than just and upload and download speed. A personal favorite of mine is located at MyVoipSpeed (Note: An up to date Java version is required) which is really nice because once you’re done, you can click on the detailed analysis link and then call up your ISP and give them the URL for the test so they can see what’s going on.
  • When all else fails, call your VOIP provider. There may be issues in the routing of your calls that are causing problems. Only your VOIP provider’s call processing team will be able to fix this kind of thing. Have your provider test from a PSTN line and then their own VOIP line. If they can send through PSTN but not their own VOIP line, it’s a routing issue on their own end.
  • Bonus Tip!Don’t even think about faxing using Voice over IP on a satellite or wireless connection. These kinds of connections are too unpredictable, and add a huge amount of latency that will make it impossible for fax machines to sync up properly.

FirstRSS ERROR: "http://shop.tagjag.com/products/fax" NOT FOUND!

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/how-to-fax-over-voip-on-the-internet/feed/ 26 VoIP Tips Skype, Phones, Gizmo, and Ventrilo http://chris.pirillo.com/voip-tips-skype-phones-gizmo-and-ventrilo/ http://chris.pirillo.com/voip-tips-skype-phones-gizmo-and-ventrilo/#comments Sat, 08 Dec 2007 03:01:22 +0000 Chris Pirillo http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/12/07/voip-tips-skype-phones-gizmo-and-ventrilo/

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I don’t use traditional means of communication anymore. I tend to use VoIP more than anything. I have Ventrilo open pretty much constantly, to communicate easily with my friends and co-workers. I also just installed it on Ponzi’s computer, so we can use it as an on-demand intercom. Today, I decided to give the Gizmo Project a try, as well.

Gizmo is a free phone for your computer that lets you make and receive calls as easily as sending an instant message. The key features are:

  • Unlimited free calling
  • FREE calling to landline and mobile phones using the All Calls FREE plan.
  • Chat with Windows Live Messenger, AIM, Yahoo! Messenger, GoogleTalk, and Gizmo users.
  • Free voicemail

For about $35.00 a year, you can receive unlimited Call In. This allows anyone to call you from anywhere. You will be assigned an actual phone number, and will have call transfer, dual ring and even call forwarding capabilities!

It’s so easy to use. I demonstrated by calling my new Gizmo number from my iPhone. I then walked into another room and talked into the phone, while you all could hear it coming through the computer. Very cool, very easy… very affordable!

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]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/voip-tips-skype-phones-gizmo-and-ventrilo/feed/ 32 What is Ventrilo? http://chris.pirillo.com/what-is-ventrilo/ http://chris.pirillo.com/what-is-ventrilo/#comments Sun, 28 Oct 2007 05:32:21 +0000 Chris Pirillo http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/10/27/what-is-ventrilo/
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The community-at-large is loving GoToMeeting as we’ve been using it (they’re offering an exclusive 45-day trial for you right now). While we were chatting tonight, Wirelesspacket demonstrated a VoIP client that we’ve started to use on a regular basis around here (even though it’s been used by gamers for a while now).

Ventrilo is the next evolutionary step of Voice over IP (VoIP) group communications software. Ventrilo is also the industry standard by which all others measure themselves as they attempt to imitate its features. By offering surround sound positioning and special sound effects on a per user, per channel, per server or global configuration level the program provides each user the option to fully customize exactly how they wish to hear sounds from other users or events.

Ventrilo is best known for it’s superior sound quality and minimal use of CPU resources so as not to interfere with day to day operations of the computer or during online game competitions. It is also preferred for the simple user interface that any first time computer user can very quickly learn because the most commonly used features are immediately visible and can be activated with a single click of the mouse.

Version 2.3.0 introduces more user control of how the main window is displayed. You can turn on and off the title bar, display the large buttons on the right or switch to toolbar mode with icons on the top to maximize the usable width of the window. Extended mode which hides the User Name, Server and Bindings options. Turn on and off grid lines in the user list window. You can also customize the user list window icons and toolbar icons.

All of these changes still keep the most commonly used features at your finger tips by means of a single click of the mouse. No need to navigate clunky multi-stage menu options just send a comment to the other users. Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/what-is-ventrilo/feed/ 49 Are You a Skype Supernode? http://chris.pirillo.com/are-you-a-skype-supernode/ http://chris.pirillo.com/are-you-a-skype-supernode/#comments Wed, 24 Oct 2007 06:54:22 +0000 Chris Pirillo http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/10/23/are-you-a-skype-supernode/ If you run Skype outside of a NAT configuration, you may be passing traffic as a supernode. Skype’s documentation claims the impact of this extra traffic is negligible, but you can prevent your Skype client / connection from becoming a supernode altogether:

  • Beginning with Skype 3.0, an explicit switch is provided in the registry settings to allow the disabling of supernode functionality.
  • Any computer hosted on a network that is behind a network address translation (NAT) device or restrictive firewall will disable supernode functionality.
  • Skype clients behind an HTTP or SOCKS5 proxy will not serve as supernodes.

I’m guessing that most of you are behind a router with NAT, but the University of Waterloo has a fantastic wiki page with further Skype tweaks in relation to the supernode feature.

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/are-you-a-skype-supernode/feed/ 6 Skype Audio Problems on the MacBook Pro http://chris.pirillo.com/skype-audio-problems-on-the-macbook-pro/ http://chris.pirillo.com/skype-audio-problems-on-the-macbook-pro/#comments Tue, 23 Oct 2007 09:59:17 +0000 Chris Pirillo http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/10/23/skype-audio-problems-on-the-macbook-pro/ For the life of me, I could not figure out why I was only getting audio out of my right MacBookPro speaker. Live chatter Eric Wrixon made the reason abundandly clear:

I think I might know why your Skype client on your Macbook Pro only plays audio out of the right speaker. If I’m not mistaken the microphone on the MBP is located under the left speaker grille. If the audio in your Skype conversation was played back through the left speaker it would generate a lot of nasty feedback into the mic. The client may be purposely using only the right speaker to reduce the amount of microphone feedback. I don’t know if that really is the reason for the Mac client using only the right speaker, but it sounds like a reasonable explanation to me.

Makes total sense to me now.

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/skype-audio-problems-on-the-macbook-pro/feed/ 6 Skype and VOIP Thoughts http://chris.pirillo.com/skype-and-voip-thoughts/ http://chris.pirillo.com/skype-and-voip-thoughts/#comments Tue, 02 Oct 2007 23:45:52 +0000 Chris Pirillo http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/10/02/skype-and-voip-thoughts/
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http://live.pirillo.com/ – Online auctioneer eBay Inc. said Monday, Niklas Zennstrom, the co-founder and chief executive of Internet phone service Skype, , is stepping down and will become non-executive chairman of Skype’s board.

Four of my friends joined me for this discussion: Kat, SC_Thor, Wirelesspacket, and last but certainly not least… Datalore.

EBay acquired Skype, a provider of Internet telephony services, in October 2005 for approximately $2.6 billion, plus an optional amount dependent on the achievement of certain goals.

From the start, many have questioned the logic behind the acquisition, suggesting that eBay would have a difficult time recouping its investment and leveraging Skype to boost interactions eBay among buyers and sellers.

Skype will try to boost its monetization capabilities by exploring broader e-commerce options, possibly within services like SkypeFind, in which businesses are listed and recommended, and SkypePrime, a service for selling advise and expertise.

The general consensus amongst us on the Skype call is that Skype is a good service for communication. I personally don’t use it much, because I prefer my phone or other IM clients. We haven’t come to an agreement yet, though, on what the future of Skype actually will be. What are your thoughts? Do you use Skype? Do you feel it’s going to become a huge force in the VOIP world, or will it fizzle out? Let me hear your comments, thoughts and ideas!

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