Voices in Technology » Phones

Secure VOIP Business Phone Systems are Available

mike — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 10:39:04 +0000

If the CIA and Sony’s Playstation networks can be hacked, then it is pretty obvious our VOIP (Voice/Video Over Internet Protocol) business phone systems are at risk. Business is using VOIP communications like never before. There are those that will tell you using a VOIP phone system will mean we are at more risk than ever, but is this really the case? Our normal phone lines have been listened in, and on, by governments, police and other organisations for a long time. There is little we can do about protecting them. At least with VOIP communications, we have a chance at protecting ourselves, and we can make those changes and decisions ourselves. If you have a business phone system, you should make sure your vendor is keeping you up-to-date with the latest in security improvements. I, for one, would much prefer to use a VOIP communication tool (on a dedicated server) compared with a standard phone call. Here is a look at some security features you should understand with your applications running from dedicated server hosting.

Encryption. Encryption should be standard with your application and set-up on digital phone systems. Even Skype uses encryption. It is hard enough to listen in on a Skype call, let alone other more sophisticated encryption tools. Ask your vendor about your encryption level, and always ask for more. They might be supplying you with standard levels of encryption, but extremely high levels are available.

VPN, TLS, SIP. Standard security encryption methods like a VPN (Virtual Private Network), TLS (Transport Layer Security), and SIP (Session Initiation Protocol), all need to be a part of your system. Essentially, they hide your location, secure the data transit of your calls, and assist with the cloaked (or quiet) establishment of your VOIP call.

Dedicated Managed Server. To be really safe, you need your calls to be going through your own dedicated servers. If you have a VOIP provider, you will probably be using theirs, and they should know what they doing. Find out all information about where your server is, how it is built, and obtain full hardware descriptions. You should ask for verification, and you need proof. If you have just installed software on your computer, you could be using one or many servers to transmit your calls. The technology levels of these protocols is increasing all the time, and staying up to date is important.

Password Management. Passwords are one of the most common problems with VOIP systems, as they are with all accounts, and other online services. You must change your password monthly. It should not be easily quested. Someone near you could be accessing your system without you even knowing.

Firewall. The firewall is like, well a firewall. It stops a fire from entering your place of business. Even when you are using your computer at home, you should always have it on. The firewall attempts to stop anyone using your computer at a distance without your approval. There are specialised resources on the internet to help you understand. If it is not on, then you are wide open for attack.

Disabling. If you are not using some services (features) of your VOIP system, make sure you turn them off. Running features are some of the best ways for unwanted entry to your VOIP system. Talk to your provider, and see what they have to say.

Wifi. Wifi means you are more open to attack, more than before. Wifi systems need to be secured with a password, and it is better to use secure encryption, for the transmission of that password when you log on, and securing the data floating through the air.

The list of security options continues. And continues to get better all the time. Keep your standard phone line and your VOIP lines separate, and make sure you are up to day with the latest in VOIP encryption. If you don’t understand all the types of security needed, then you have a problem with your vendor, because they should have told you in the first place. If you have what is available on the market, there is no way anyone can listen in on what you are talking about. If you are small target, it is only someone who is surfing ports (and just happens to bump into you) that can sneak through your protection. Unless you are a drug dealer, or a spy in another country, you do not have much to worry about.

Are Smartphone Payments Ever Really Going to Take Off?

mike — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 12:26:07 +0000

It may sound like something out of a sci-fi television show, but using a handheld device to pay to purchases is not just in the near future, it’s happening right now.

Consumers can opt to forgo cash and credit cards at the register. Instead, they can pull out their smartphone and tap it on the retail store’s reader.

New smartphone apps are virtually turning your phone into a wallet. All of your existing credit card account numbers are stored in the smartphone to make them all easily accessible.

Aside from credit card numbers being stored in the smartphone, you can download coupons to the phone, apply for store loyalty cards and gift cards, credit cards and even credit cards for bad credit.

Retailers that are already implementing this technology have made it possible for customers to check their balances on their gift card, add more money to the balance and get loyalty status updates.

A smartphone transaction is simple enough. Where retailers offer the smartphone payment, there will be a special screen that welcomes smartphone payments at the point of sale.

You simply tap the screen and select your method of payment. The transaction is completed when you confirm the amount. Not only are retailers welcoming this new future, but banks, credit card companies, wireless providers and tech companies are all hoping for this digital future.

The problems with an age in which purchases are made with smartphones are obvious enough. Not everyone can afford a smartphone. Even those that can and currently own one may be wary of making purchases with them.

The thought of managing your entire financial existence from one device may seem convenient, but also a little scary. With this technology still in the experimental stage, it’s anyone’s guess as to how feasible it really is for wide use in the future.

Many people like the tangibility of cash and credit cards and old habits die hard. We’ve been pulling out cash and credit cards for generations and that behavior has been ingrained in us.

Physical methods of payment will also still be available even if your phone’s batteries die. There’s also the fear of losing a phone and being at risk of theft and a breach of privacy.

Although phones and applications can be protected with a password, most people don’t treat them with the same level of security as their wallets.

While it may be too early to tell if making payments with your smartphone will really take off, one thing’s for certain: you still need to have those plastic card account numbers to have them loaded into your phone.

In a down-turned economy, most people are trying to manage their finances more responsibly and avoid credit card debt. For these people, smartphone app technology may be one of the last things on their minds.

Bad credit credit cards are available, however, but it’s a good idea to learn to manage the physical plastic cards, especially credit cards for bad credit, before upgrading to a high-tech smartphone app.

Until retail merchants begin to accept this smartphone technology more widely, you’re probably better off keeping those credit cards and cash on hand.

Battle of the Platforms

mike — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 12:54:57 +0000

The smartphone platform smack-down has been going on for some years, with new contenders entering the race with confusing regularity.

Unless you are willing to read more news and analysis than is humanly possible, it can be tough to decide which mobile platform is the right one for you.

To help you overcome this conundrum, here is a brief guide to the common smartphone platforms and the kinds of handsets you can expect to see running each.

The current pop culture hero in the mobile world is Apple’s iPhone, running the iOS software shared by it and other devices like the iPod Touch and iPad. It provides a robust, user friendly experience that is not overly conducive to customisation.

The iPhone 4 is the latest model to run iOS, although the iPhone 3GS may still be available on some carriers, with the software functions largely identical between the two.

In the US, the platform of choice for business users has been Research in Motion’s BlackBerry OS, available on devices such as the BlackBerry Torch, Bold and Curve.

While Apple’s platform is all about adding your own apps, BlackBerry puts the focus on emailing, messaging and web browsing, aided by the physical QWERTY keypads included on most handsets.

The relative newcomer in the smartphone race is Android, developed by search giant Google. It has already overtaken most of its rivals in terms of market penetration, in large part due to its availability on a broad selection of cell phones.

Android is the most flexible platform around, with individual manufacturers such as Samsung and HTC offering different user experiences based on the same core software. Android runs on high end superphones and entry level models, although there is some fragmentation because of the different versions which are available.

Microsoft refreshed its presence in the mobile market with the launch of Windows Phone 7 in 2010, erasing the issues of the past which had caused it to be squeezed out by rivals.

Windows Phone 7 straddles the line between Android, iOS and BlackBerry OS, offering a comprehensively cohesive experience no matter which handset you choose, just like Apple, while attempting to match Android for app developer freedom and diverse functionality.

There are other less dominant smartphone platforms available, including the Nokia-backed Symbian and HP’s WebOS, although these are only present on a tiny percentage of the mobiles sold in the US.

Nokia’s recent announcement of Windows Phone 7 support means that Microsoft is likely to see a surge in the uptake of its mobile OS, with analysts predicting that within four years, the market will be led by Android, with Windows Phone 7 in second place and Apple’s iOS in third position.

Because each platform is attempting to provide as broad a selection of features as possible, it really makes sense to consider each one before committing to a particular company. Each should give you social networking integration, web access, a healthy library of downloadable apps and the promise of future updates and enhancements.

There are positive and negative aspects to each platform, although they can become difficult to identify if you have thrown in your lot with a particular firm. In fact there are even handsets within a particular platform family that are better than others.

For iOS fans, the iPhone 4 is the only real option if you want to enjoy the latest features in full, while Android users looking for high end thrills should try the HTC Sensation or Samsung Galaxy SII. The BlackBerry Torch is king of its particular category, while the Samsung Focus brings build quality and a great screen to Windows Phone 7.

Whichever platform you choose, smartphones all have web-sufing capabilities, so you can read more about saving money at sites like Moneysupermarket.com

Blueberry Phones – The a 9500 (News)

Terence Harvey — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 01:39:58 +0000

Blueberry phone is a very widely becoming popular brand in Malaysia (also the birth place of the company) but the honest truth is that, if you actually have a look at the phone itself it’s apparent that it’s nothing but a copy of the worldly famous Blackberry. Although that being said, don’t take this lightly either. Because, maybe they’ve taken the original idea from the mobile giant Blackberry, but they do have features that are may not as good as the Blackberry but certainly well worth talking about.

For instance, the Chinese have been coping many popular brands but still most of those devices fails to include 3G or Wi-Fi type expensive network features. The Blueberry phones on the other hand comes with both of those above mentioned networks (some chosen models only) + they have dual SIM and the TV (analog) features too. The a-9500 doesn’t have a TV but when it comes to networks it rocks. So if you’re looking for a cheap phone to browse internet fast and use Facebook type online social networks then the a-9500 will be just for you. It has both 3G and Wi-Fi and also Bluetooth.

Please remember that some of these phones don’t have USB ports so make sure to check for that if you’re purchasing. Anyway, this model however comes with an USB port. When it comes to multimedia it can be a bit disappointing. The reason is that, it only supports MP3 as an audio codec and for video the user is left with MP4. The 2.2” inch display looks bigger than most of the other model which usually comes with 2” and other hardware specifications are as follows. The length 109mm, width 60mm and the depth is around 13.5mm.

Both MSN and Facebook support is embedded by default. The web browser supports HTML, Java, etc. The keypad is also roomy thanks to the overall width of the phone itself. PDF and MS .doc extension support is also there. There aren’t any multiple color choices available (only Black).

The battery has a talk time of three hours + 180 hours of stand by time. But please keep in mind that depending on the settings, etc the battery life will differ accordingly. Anyhow, in comparison with some other latest phones the a-9500 delivers some impressive aspects such as the 3G and Wi-Fi which is quite a surprise for these types of devices (again considering low cost Chinese units) and it feels like they do have a nice future ahead of them.

iPhone SIM free is Leading the World

Terence Harvey — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 13:01:12 +0000

When talking of mobile phones there is nothing better than the iPhone. It’s the best that a person could ever boast of to own. Apple has unleashed a few models in iPhone, the latest one being iPhone SIM free . Products from Apple are them self the symbol of excellence and magnificence and so is this recent iPhone 4 which are SIM free. It’s the latest technology that has been entered into by Apple.

The Apple SIM free handset is compatible with all the kinds of mobile connections and does not erupt with any sort of disturbances as often happens with the SIM free handsets of other phones from well know companies. You get the autonomy to combine the superiority of apple with the telecom service that fits your requirements and pocket the best. With Apple SIM free you are also assure that your mobile phone software would never crash no matter how many times you change the connection and services.

The most amazing fact is that iPhone SIM free hand set could be used any where across the world, globally and can support any connection from anywhere. There is a special card available in the phone itself which makes the phone more adaptable to you. Using such a service does not cost you any extra charges, you can very well use the plans that you like.

Moreover iPhone SIM free hand set comes at very reasonable prices in contrast to the other expensive iPhones. Though being cheap they offer a great durability and are high on their utility value. You can also buy the Apple SIM free hand set from the company’s website. These mobile phones include the latest technological features offered by Apple that are there in the other Apple mobiles. So grab the best from the nearest online compare and buy.

The Winner Of The Cell Phone Tracking App Game

Terence Harvey — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 22:29:05 +0000

In my opinion, the winner of the cell phone tracking app game is the Sprint Family Locator. I believe that Sprint has beat out the other cell phone tracking applications which are Google Latitude, Find My iPhone, Glympse, and MobiWee.

Some people might find the fact that the Sprint Family Locator charges $5.00 a month a little bit of a put off. Please don’t let this dissuade you from using the service because the features that the Sprint Family Locator has are hands down much better than the features of the other cell phone tracking applications.

It’s not uncommon for both parents to have to work in this day and age. This usually results in children having to walk home from school or ride the bus home from school and watch themselves until their parents arrive home from work. With the Sprint Locator you can easily configure the system to send you an automatic text message that will contain the exact location of your children at the time that you would normally expect them to arrive home from school. This service provides a peace of mind that the other cell phone tracking applications miss out on.

There’s no need to upgrade your cell phone if you want to use a Sprint Locator. This is one of the beautiful things about the way the Sprint Family Locator works. Free cell phone locating applications require that you download and install software onto them and of course this means that you’ll need to have the latest and greatest programmable phone in order to do this. That’s not the case with the Sprint Family Locator. It automatically works with any Nextel or Sprint cell phone.

Another reason that the Sprint Family Locator is better than these cell phone tracking application is that you don’t have to subscribe to a data plan in order to be able to use the Sprint Family Locator. If you want use any of these other free cell phone tracking applications you will have to subscribe to a data plan so they aren’t actually free at all.

10 iPhone Apps You’ll Wonder How You Lived Without

Louise — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:17:33 +0000

Since its emergence onto the mobile phone market, the iPhone has become the foremost versatile mobile device in the world. It’s more than just a phone, for some it’s also a PC, a calculator, a library, a CD collection, a sat nav…

The words “There’s an App for that!” are by now familiar to all of us. Here we take you through some of the best Apps that developers have to offer, broken down into categories.

Shopping

Everyone loves shopping, and the iPhone makes shopping both online and on the high street even easier.

Ebay Mobile. Everyone’s used or is familiar with Ebay, and this free app allows you to check auctions, make bids, sell items or just browse, anytime and anywhere. If you’re going to be out when an auction you’re bidding on is due to finish, simply load up the app and make a sneaky last-minute bid. See an item in a shop that you like, but want to know if you can get it cheaper? Load up the app and see what it’s going for on Ebay.

RedLaser. This is another app that’s dedicated to saving the consumer some money. Essentially it’s a barcode scanner combined with a price comparison site; when you scan the barcode of an item it searches for retailers of that item and tells you how much each one is charging for it, both online and in store. Invaluable for the bargain hunter! An alternative, with a more localised search, is Shop Savvy.

Moneysupermarket Vouchers. This iPhone vouchers app is a bargain-hunter’s dream. Featuring a database of thousands of discount vouchers and codes, the app will allow you to search by retailer, restaurant or attraction to see if there are any valid money-saving deals. You can also use the ‘What’s Local’ search to see what’s on offer in your local area if you’re having difficulty making up your mind where to go.

Media

Want to know when your favourite show is on? Fancy a trip to the cinema but don’t know what’s currently showing? No problem, there’s an App for that!

TV Guide Mobile. See what’s on, wherever you are. Has listings of shows for all channels available in your area. With a filter system, you can see at a glance which shows are repeats or first airings, and you can even set your favourite shows so you never miss an episode. You can also search for a listing by show name, genre or air date.

Movies by Flixster. This app is great for the frequent movie-goer. Check cinema listings in the local area, watch trailers for over 10,000 movies and even check reviews of restaurants near a movie theater. You can also use this app to buy cinema tickets, or rent/buy movies to watch on iTunes. It does everything except make you popcorn!

Soundhound. Ever heard a song that you like but can’t find out the title? Soundhound will ‘listen’ to a tune and display the title, artist and even the lyrics to it. Got a song stuck in your head and don’t know where you’ve heard it? Sing or hum the tune to Soundhound and the app will be able to identify it for you. It’s currently the only music-recognition app that can do this. If you find a tune you like, you can buy it easily from iTunes with this app.

Last.fm. Listen to free radio for hours on your iPhone with this handy free app. You can set it to ‘learn’ your music tastes and recommend new bands based on previous preferences. Want to see a live show or festival? Last.fm also contains gig listings in your area.

Food

OpenTable. If you eat out regularly, this app will be especially useful for you. It can search through a database of thousands of restaurants by name, cuisine, location and price range, and can tell you if there are any tables free at the times you specify. Make reservations and read customer reviews all via this handy free app.

FastFood. Need to eat fast? This app will point you in the direction of the nearest fast food diner, restaurant or supermarket, and even show you the nutritional information of each item on the menu! Search via brand name, cuisine or chain name.

RecipeFinder. Not everyone can, or wants to, eat out all the time. That’s where this app comes in handy. Search through thousands of recipes and create chopping lists based on ones you like. With over 300,000 recipes stored, and new ones being added all the time, you’ll never have to wonder what to have for tea!

The Qualities of a Typical Cordless Headphone

Terence Harvey — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:33:06 +0000

Are you planning on choosing the best among the wide selection of cordless headphones available in the tech market today? Then the truth is, their features greatly vary according to the different manufacturers and designers. So if you want to end up with a desirable choice of cordless headsets then it is highly recommended for you to initially assess what kind of features and functionalities are you looking for in a typical headphone.

First on the list, you would say, is that is should be cordless. These types of headphones are sometimes linked with wireless headphones or bluetooth headphones – only the latter is much more specific. In the wide range of types of cordless headsets, bluetooth headphones are just one of the many specific types, although sometimes, bluetooth headphones are widely considered to embody the idea of cordless and wireless headphones in general.

Another important quality that is quite relative to headphones being “cordless” is the fact that the user can have the opportunity to move around without worries of affecting the sound quality of the audio. Conventional headphones in the past have headphones with cords and wires being connected to and from external players just to hear what a movie character is saying. The fact is, it can be somewhat irritating to deal with the wires of the traditional cordless headphones because people nowadays are becoming even more restless and they move around too much. So a cordless or a wireless headphone is the best option for people who puts a special emphasis to the opportunity to move around without having to miss any essential dialogue or music from the headphone itself.

Wireless headphones now flooding the market offer you wireless surround sound functionality that best describes a high quality headphone. Now you can guarantee a solid sound quality whose structure and design can filter outside and external noises. It’s like having virtual speakers hang over your head to your ears. But if you are having serious worries about issue regarding hearing protection, there are many wireless headphones available that can have special features such as noise reduction and audio filtration to protect your ears. Soft ear pads on both sides can also offer comfortable audio experience to the user.

The ability to tune and listen to movies or watch a typical movie without having to disturb other people in the house or rousing someone from sleep is one of the major advantages of a typical cordless or wireless headphone. If you want to exclusively watch movies at night then you don’t have to worry about disturbing anyone, you can have the full blast of audio experience on your own. Headphones like these are also perfect for gamers to enhance their gaming experience. For more information regarding headphones check out the Cordless Headphones Guide.

Samsung Moment Overview

Terence Harvey — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 10:40:07 +0000

The Samsung Moment, a heavy and square mobile device with very good configuration, is a Smartphone with an advanced processer. It consists of an AMOLED screen and a complete QWERTY keyboard. The handy slider designed Samsung Moment will ring in the minds of iPhone users.

Design and feature
The AMOLED 3.2 inch display is gorgeous. The display is very beautiful and bright with very good color depth. There are three touch-sensitive buttons below the screen- Home, Menu and Back. There are two other buttons; one to send and other one to end. There is an optically clickable track-pad that will help you to move fast on the screen. The volume rocket is at the left side and a volume control key and a camera button are at the right side of the device.

The physical buttons are more prominent. The curved rectangular keys with optical illusion make you feel free to type. The slider system is solid and it opens with usual twist. Comparatively the onscreen keyboard is easy to use. The device consists of a micro USB port and a 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack. The call quality is clear and loud especially the speaker phone is louder than any other phone in this category. The 3.2 megapixel camera with a LED flash is added and there is an on screen indicator for auto focus.

Specifications
The screen size of the Samsung Moment is 3.2 inches with 480 x 320 display resolution. The on board memory is 256 MB. The OS installed in it is Android 1.5. It has 3G facility, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. The battery life is up to 5.5 hours. The mobile is available from Sprint in U.S and rumored to be available soon as an unlocked phone. There are additional features added to this device such as Sprint Navigation, Sprint TV, NFL etc. The mobile is very much capable of becoming one of the best unlocked phones 2010, provided the unlocked phone is available at the right price.

The Good
The Samsung Moment is the first Android phone with 800 MHz processor. The fast processor makes the application switching quite efficient without much delay.

The Bad
The resolution of the screen is very low (320×480). There is no search key on the keyboard and the tiny spacebar interrupts to type fast. There is no battery charging indicator on the screen on the screen.

The Future Of Technology: Going Mobile

Terence Harvey — Thu, 06 May 2010 02:22:34 +0000

This is a guest post from Barney Scoble

The era of the internet has arrived; technology is moving at such a pace that we as humans are almost unable to even keep up with it anymore. In this post I’m going to cover the future of technology and where we are headed.

The Past State Of Technology

In the past technology was a very small part of our lives with the first computers the size of a gymnasium and not any more powerful than a calculator. We have certainly come a long way since then.

Then came the days of the first personal computers in the early 1980′s. However it wasn’t until the mid nineties that the home computer started really becoming a vital role in the family home with things like Window 95, Microsoft Office, and the Internet.

It didn’t stop there.

The Present State Of Technology

Today technology has evolved 10 fold since the 1990′s. Today almost everyone has a cell phone, and a personal computer. On top of that things like dial up Internet are a thing of the past, and replaced with high speed Internet almost everywhere you go.

When you look back at how far we’ve come since that point you might wonder how much farther can we really go? The answer to that is that we can of course go a lot further.

The Future Of Technology

The future of technology is going to be very different. In the past we had to go were the computer was to use it. In the future things will continue to be more mobile. Things like portable photo printers, iphones, and other mobile devices are just the start start.

As mobile computing progresses, data will no longer be stored on your computer’s hard drive but in a place that has come to be known as “the cloud”. This a virtual place where all data for your computer will be stored and will be accessible to you from any point in the world at anytime on any computer, or hand held device.

This may sound strange but if I would have told you 20 years ago that everyone will have their own personal mobile phone and will be able to run their entire office from any location, would you have believed me?

In The End…

While I can’t say what specific types of technology will be around in 10 years from now one things is for sure, technology is becoming more mobile by the day and eventually will be the present state of technology.