VoIP

Video: 3 Skypephone unveiled!

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 14:47:08 -0400

Skype virus phones home

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 06:59:55 -0400

This isn't the first time that we've seen VoIP app Skype get targeted by a virus and it probably won't be the last: the latest scam involves a pop-up dialog box that claims to be the "Skype Defender" and asks for your username and password. Of course, if you fork them over, your Skype minutes will likely get sucked down the malware rabbit hole. A simple virus definition update should be enough to get rid of this one but you might want to alert your users, just to play it safe.

Skype launching branded phone

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 06:59:54 -0400

Prada has a phone, Giorgio Armani has a phone...why not Skype? Okay well, maybe that wasn't quite the rationale behind the move but Skype has revealed that it's planning to release a Skype-branded phone. The phone will apparently be released on the 3 network in the U.K., Italy, Hong Kong and Australia, with more territories to come. Of course, this thing will support Skype calls over WiFi as well as Skype buddy lists. Other rumored features are 3G support and a built-in web browser, though both of those seem pretty standard in this day and age. No word yet on pricing, though rumor has it that we could be seeing these devices by the end of the month.

For more on the coming Skype phone:
- see this TechCrunch article

Ban on Internet taxes

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 06:59:59 -0400

If you think the government is trying to reach into the pockets of every Internet user, think again. The U.S. House of Representatives took the first steps to extend an Internet tax moratorium for four years, even though the tech industry wants to permanently bar state and local governments from taxing Internet access. The issue is a hot one because governments are always looking for ways to raise money. And what better way than going after the growing use of the Internet? The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to extend an Internet tax moratorium for just four years, despite calls from the tech industry to permanently bar state and local governments from taxing Internet access. The House voted to pass the Internet Tax Freedom Act Amendments by 405-2 this week. The proposal would extend the moratorium on Internet access taxes and other taxes unique to the Internet until November 2011. But don't breathe a sigh of relief yet. The Senate still has to pass the same measure. And the House bill narrows the definition of Internet access, allowing state and local governments to tax Internet-related services such as VoIP.

For more on net taxation:
- see this Infoworld article

Worldwide IT spending to hit $3 trillion

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 06:59:59 -0400

Possible recession? Not when it comes to IT spending this year, at least according to Gartner. The consultancy is predicting that worldwide spending will surpass $3 trillion in 2007, an 8 percent jump over last year, thanks is part to growth in developing countries. One-third of spending occurs outside of North America, Western Europe and Japan. IT spending is projected to reach $3.1 trillion this year and $3.3 trillion in 2008. Still, Peter Sondergaard, senior vice president and global head of research at Gartner, said that a possible recession next year could have an impact. He recommended creating two IT budgets for 2008. "The first should reflect the same kind of marginal growth prepared during the past six years," Gartner said in a press release. "The second budget should assume the need to cut costs in response to the arrival of a possible recession."

For all the details:
- see the article in CIO

Vonage to settle with Sprint for $80M

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 06:59:58 -0400

There's not a lot of good news in Vonage land these days, so anyone hoping to hear something positive with regards to the ailing VoIP provider will have to settle for this: Vonage has reached a settlement with Sprint-Nextel in the patent infringement suit that just got wrapped up a few weeks ago. As part of the settlement, Vonage will pay Sprint $80 million and in turn, will be granted a license for the technologies in question. "We believe this deal is good news for Vonage, our customers and our shareholders," Vonage General Counsel Sharon O'Leary said in a statement. "It allows us to put this litigation behind us and continue to focus on our core business by removing the uncertainty of legal reviews and long-term court action." Despite the front of optimism, financial analysts weren't quite so upbeat. "To the extent Vonage fails to come to terms with Verizon and Sprint, we can not dismiss the risk that Vonage's liquidity may be at risk," Citi analyst Michael Rollins wrote.

For more on the settlement:
- see this Wall Street Journal article

ALSO NOTED: Motorola shows off WiMAX modems for consumers; Nokia's 3G N95 on sale today;

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 06:59:51 -0400

> Nokia's 3G N95 on sale today. Article
> Motorola shows off WiMAX modems for consumers. Photos
> Hands-on with HP's iPaq 912. Article
> iPhone gets VoIP calling thanks to Truphone. Article
> Sling Media's SlingPlayer now supports Symbian's S60 OS. Article
> Dell's new 20" webcam-equipped LCD to be loosed tomorrow? Article
> D-Link's wireless USB hub makes a showing. Article

And Finally... A USB locking kit: for the truly paranoid admin. Article

Judge orders Vonage to pay $69.5 million

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 06:59:58 -0400

There hasn't been too much news on the Vonage Deathwatch front lately but when it comes to the ailing VoIP service, no news is usually good news. Last we heard, the VoIP provider had bought itself a little more time with a temporary stay, though we all knew that that band-aid wouldn't keep the company from falling apart in the long term. Despite that fact, rumors swirled that Sprint--the next in line to sue Vonage--would simply scoop up the company for a song, in lieu of legal action. Well, so much for that rumor. In what might prove to be the killing blow, a Federal jury has ordered Vonage to "pay $69.5 million in damages for infringing on six telecommunications patents owned by competitor Sprint-Nextel." Additionally, Vonage must "pay a five-percent royalty on future revenues." Much like the Black Knight from that Monty Python movie, Vonage has vowed to fight on but let's be honest here: they're not fooling anyone. My advice? Do like old Kenny Rogers and know when to fold 'em.

For more on Vonage's plight:
- see this AP article

Windows Worm spreading via Skype

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 06:59:55 -0400

Batten down the hatches, VoIP fans: there's a new Windows Worm in town and from the looks of it, it's spreading itself via Skype. Apparently, clicking what appears to be an image link in a "cleverly written" chat message downloads the w32/Ramex.A virus to your local hard drive. Once the file is executed, the user's machine can be taken over and controlled remotely via Skype's API. More details on the worm are available from Skype's Blog.

VoIP: not ready for prime time, says security group

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 06:59:59 -0400

While many CIOs are salivating over the prospects of VoIP as a way to reduce telecom costs and introduce new ways to integrate voice into enterprise networks, the Jericho Forum security group does not believe that the technology is ready for the enterprise. They reached this conclusion after an eavesdropping vulnerability was made public on the Full Disclosure mailing list this week by a group of researchers who contend a remote attacker could turn a VoIP phone into an eavesdropping device. The researchers singled out vendor Grandstream Networks, as having some "serious bugs" in SIP stack engines that allow attackers to potentially listen into a conversation unnoticed. "You can't run VoIP on a corporate network because you can't trust every single device on that network. VoIP as it stands certainly isn't secure. Going forward, everybody should be using inherently secure protocols," one member said. Ouch. A Grandstream rep told Cnet it is aware of the vulnerability in its software, and will release countermeasures in late September to address the issue.

To read more on the security vulnerability in VoIP:
- see the article in Cnet