September 26, 2008
how to use MTurk for audio transcription
I was very interested in automated transcription for awhile. But after the recent downtime of the PhoneTag system, I turned off the service. People kept getting a fast busy when their service was down. I had though to writing a script to send my voice mails to MTurk. Over at Waxy the guy did something similar and explained it very well, code included. It is the best MTurk audio transcription guide I have seen. It still ends up costing $.40 per minute which is about $.20 per :30 seconds. In volume you can get a contractor in the philipenes to do that for $.10 per :30. Still too much to support with ads, but WAY cheaper than doing yourself.
Posted by Martin at 2:08 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 17, 2008
minor annoyance
just resetting up my Vista machine after a bunch of HARD crashes. Tried running MS Excahange in a Virtual Machine on Vista. too unstable. Crashed too hard. When Vista would install new updates it wouldn't close the virtual machine correctly and the harddrive would get corrupted. so now I have two machines. one Vista and one with Windows Server running Exchange/Cloudmark/BES. thanks Matt!
Installed my Linksys CT 120 to use with SKype. the only gripe (hey it rhimes) is that the set-up program for Linksys resets the speaker output in Windows to the Linksys. This disabled my external speakers. Had to go into windows and reset it. But all fine now.
Posted by Martin at 11:26 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 8, 2006
Lingo shoots and misses
So about five months ago I bought a dLink router with Lingo VoIP Phone Service. Over the weekend I tried to install it. After five hours. YES FIVE HOURS on the phone with the ever so helpful Lingo technical support in Toronto I still couldn't get the Lingo network to recognize my MAC address router. The guy suggested he send me to "level two" but they are only open certain hours etc.... No go. I am not going to implement something that hard. I also noticed at Fry's that they don't carry Lingo anymore. Maybe that is telling.
Posted by Martin at 8:14 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 5, 2005
PhoneGnome a re-branded Sipura 2000?
Joi Ito pointed me to the new PhoneGnome - It's now easy to make FREE phone calls!. Immeidately I said "hey that looks like a Sipura 2000! I bet it is. I wonder how they are going to do now that Cisco bought Sipura for $68M in April (duh the founder did Cisco's last SIP adapter). Sipura was the first acquisition in the Linksys division. Look for their products with the Linksys badge on them soon. Say byebye to the Vonage/AT&T VOIP deals and hello to Linksys only deals!
Posted by Martin at 10:48 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 10, 2005
VOIP and your own number
These guys Lingo Broadband Phone Service Powered by Primus advertise that you can keep your phone number. I wonder how they do that? Gunna review it.
Posted by Martin at 9:27 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
December 4, 2004
SPIT?
Think VOIP is safe? Wait till you get SPIT. Spam over Internet Telephony. Spam, DoS Headed VoIP's Way. And with VOIP you are also vulnerable to DoS attacks. You really want your phone system vulnerable? I am going to only have VOIP in my new house. I will tell you how it goes.
Posted by Martin at 10:13 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 7, 2004
Web 2.0 VOIP panel
Watching the VOIP panel at Web 2.0. Vonage, AT&T, Covad
Vonage CEO was immediately on the defensive having to defend their recent price reduction in reaction to AT&T. He suggested that they already had it in the pipeline as a part of "simplification" of their plans and only moved up their announcement. But he didn't really address the price war topic. He suggested that they will have lots of features to support price (followme phone numbers, easy install, etc.). I don't believe it.
AT&T says they understand price wars. They understand how to make EBITDA during a price war. A not so subtle dig at Vonage not being there yet. Also noted that they use SIP not VOIP, "Services over IP". AT&T will be the leader in delivering Services over IP, that includes many data services, voice services, etc. Their vision is much greater than just phone over IP. They haven't had a good history of execution (can you say ATTWS), but this may be strategic enough that they get it right. All AT&T comments were basically "we can do this, believe me". It sounded quite desparate. Pointing to alot of PAST AT&T inventions (Linux, telco switches, etc.) he tried to convince the audience that "AT&T has the key components to deliver the new services". Yea right. But you have screwed up more assets than any company in history. They divested themselves of many of the assets that may be valuable (cable, Wireless, local lines, Lucent, etc.) Vonage pointed this out. Gesse this is almost as scathing as the Cheney/Edwards debate!
Covad guy said "we are just an integrator". We don't compete with anybody. We focus on small to medium business. I don't believe it. They are struggling. No-one has ever made alot of money scaling an integration truck rolling business. Good luck. Roadkil.
Posted by Martin at 9:59 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 27, 2004
Holy jump'n frogs, Vonage gets $105M!
Vonage picked up $105M today from NEA, 3i and Meritech making the total $208M they have raised! Well I made a prediction a couple months ago that Vonage was going to be roadkill. My contention is that the people who control the pipes to the home are the ones who will monitize those pipes to the greatest extent. That means no Vonage, no separate billing relationship for VOIP. On the one hand you could say this funding proves me wrong. On the other, you could say it proves me right. Investors are scared. They want to gaurantee success, so they plow a huge pile of money into Vonage to make sure no-one can catch them. Eventually someone will buy it. I can understand that strategy. But the bar has been raised to a nose-bleeding level. While the post money valuation was not disclosed, you have got to assume it is somewhere between $300-$400M. That means for these investors to make any money you have got to sell the thing for over $500M! I don't see that happening any time soon. NEA has got to be praying for another IPO window!
Posted by Martin at 11:49 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
August 10, 2004
PhoneConnector says it is a Windows problem...
Well I may not have to return the PhoneConnector after all. I received this e-mail with the fix. It seems to work. For some reason they blame it on Windows resetting the default audio device. I don't know whose fault it is, but all applications seem to be playing together happilly now. Playing music on the speaker and talking on the regular phone over Skype. Wow, customer support that actually solved my problem!
_________________________________
Dear Martin Tobias,
Hmm…something didn’t go quite right with your installation. Windows has a bug that automatically sets your default audio to a new sound device. PhoneConnector specifically corrects this issue during installation but for some reason it didn’t work for you.
Here is what you need to do. With the PhoneConnector plugged-in go to your Windows Control Panel and set your default Audio Device to your normal speakers and microphone. Your speakers should now work normally for all your ‘other’ sound applications at this point. (Skype not included).
Now from Skype click FileàOptionsàHand/Headsets. Select the “Audio In” and “Audio Out” settings to “USB Audio Device” (this is the PhoneConnector device). Leave your “Ringing” to your normal sound card.
That’s it! All other sound applications (CD player, Windows sounds etc, will use your normal sound card and Skype will use the PhoneConnector device!
Please let us know if this corrects your issue.
Sincerely,
PhoneConnector Support
Posted by Martin at 10:36 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
PhoneConnector RutRo, spoke too soon
Well this is one of those Whoops... The PhoneConnector is an astoundingly simple device. Unfortunately it needs to be a little smarter and complex. It re-routes all your sound in/out to the USB device. that means that if you have speakers they stop working. If you pick up your phone you can hear your music and DVDs but that is not an optimal experience. When you unplug the phoneconnector device Windows complains about alot of DirectAudio errors. A reboot fixes that, but you shouldn't have to. I pinged the company for a solution, but their web site is silent. Leads me to believe their driver is pretty simple and can't handle multiple audio devices. Crud. Another gadget to return.
Posted by Martin at 8:35 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
VOIP made easy...
While I was waiting for Cisco and Sipura to come out with the hardware to connect my traditional POTs phone to my computer (without tying me to a network), tiny startup PhoneConnector solved my problem with a nifty little $39.95 USB box that does just that with no frills. While the others worry about multiple lines and baking in voicemail, number portability and all sorts of other fancy features for the ISPs of the world, Phoneconnector does one thing simple, cheap and very well. You plug in a regular phone on one side and plug the other into your PC. You choose what network you are going to use (I chose Skype) and it works. When I pick up the phone, I get a dial tone. When I dial the number (if I have configured Skype to convert numbers into Skype IDs), skype dials the number. If I want to use the Skype interface on the computer I just mouse away and I hear the ring and pick up just like a regular phone call. Hey, call me at martintobias2 on Skype!
The only thing that is a bit weird is that the little white box has gotten VERY hot. Like too hot to hold. Don't think that is normal. They probably need a fan in there, but don't have enough power. Maybe more holes. I see some manual "upgrading" happening to the housing.
Posted by Martin at 4:43 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 25, 2004
Sipura VOIP adapter finally on sale!
You can buy one here. I am placing my order now. This is like a cell phone. It has all the features you need, and you will pay more for it if you buy an "unlocked" one, but it is better in the long run. Then you can configure it for any network. Go get one today!
Posted by Martin at 8:50 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 17, 2004
Free Conference calling
Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools newsletter pointed me to this service FreeConference.com:
I had never really realized that what a conference calling company is selling is actually two things. One a conference bridge (very expensive traditionally). Second is multiple toll free lines. Now if you assume very cheap or free (due to flat rate plans) long distance, and you can do the conference bridge in IP on a server, could you deliver conference calling free? Yes. Just unbundle the two. Each participant pays their own longdistance. The bridge is now a server. Reservations are on the web, no operators. Volia! Free conference calling.
Free teleconference service
FreeConference.com
A great dial-in teleconferencing solution for free. You just set up your call as little as 90 minutes in advance and distribute the call-in number to the folks calling. The organizer pays nothing, and participants pay only their usual long distance, which should be extremely cheap (particularly with the new flat-rate plans). The voice quality has always been excellent. In six months of use this teleconference service has never failed me one iota. I skip the bells and whistle services they offer. Since they don't charge anything on your phone bill, or take your credit card number for their free service, they hope to make money on premium services, or maybe by selling ads in the future.
Anyway you can't go wrong with this one.
-- Thomas Petzinger
[I've used this service and it is excellent. In fact is the clearest teleconferencing I've taken part in. -- KK]
FreeConference.com
http://www.freeconference.com/IsItFree.asp
Posted by Martin at 10:30 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
January 5, 2004
top 10 trends in 2004 for VOIP
VOIP is on everyone's 2004 tech trend list. But what are the specifics in VOIP? VoIP in '04 :: Voxilla.com :: A user's guide to the VoIP revolution The most intriguing and I believe potentially disruptive is the increased FCC regulation of the providers.
Posted by Martin at 2:35 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 11, 2003
Cable wins VOIP
Time Warner announces they are getting into VOIP in a larger way. FT.com Home US I saw something this week that put the number of VOIP subscribers at Comcast around 1.3M. WOW that is alot! As the ISPs get more into it, the independents like Vonage are going to have problems. Do you really want to write two checks each month to two different companies? Look for Vonage to get bought soon. And I bet Cable guys win VOIP. They don't have any POTS lines to cannabilize like the telcos. Telcos loose again...
Posted by Martin at 10:57 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 3, 2003
comparison of current VOIP providers
Posted by Martin at 2:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 18, 2003
Qwest to offer VOIP in Minnesota
Well the bells are caving. Qwest to offer Internet phone service | CNET News.com. Their first assault on VOIP was a page right out of the music industry's playbook: the lawsuit. Cheap phone service has got to be illegal! Look at all these federal mandates the traditional phone companies have to support, of course these upstart internet guys can offer cheaper service because they don't have to support all the crap the Feds make us do. Like number portability, rural access, 911 and so-on. Well a judge in Minnesota just decided that the VOIP guys don't have to pay those fees. So devoid of their legal argument, Qwest had to enter the fray. Expect them to position the other guys as unreliable.
This is getting interesting
Posted by Martin at 10:42 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 17, 2003
Packet8 does firmware upgrade
Apparently Packet8 has done a firmware upgrade and added a bunch of good features. Here is what Mark says about that:
Packet8 just released a new firmware for their hardware with a bunch of
new features. I think they are now closer to delivering the same
services as Vonage. New features include caller ID, 3 way calling,
caller ID blocking. The firmware upgrader worked really well. They
sent me an email, I clicked on it, an applet launched in my browser that
found my VoIP phone unit on the local LAN and automatically upgraded it.
I have not bought any of them yet. When I do, I will review here. I am waiting till I move maybe.
Posted by Martin at 9:02 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
October 27, 2003
You can now buy a Sipura VOIP eval unit!
Here is the site if you can't wait! Sipura Technology SPA-2000. 
Posted by Martin at 1:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 16, 2003
VOIP vendor Packet8 seems to be a favorite
I am just starting to research home VOIP systems. There is a good thread here lauding the virtues of Packet8. broadband Forums Voice over IP 1st Day -Packet8. They seem to be the low price leader and the crowd favorite. In fact, our own Mark Price sent me a mail saying he uses them and is very happy.
I read a review in a magazing that looked at Packet8 and Vonage (I can't find it on-line) and the reviewer gave Vonage the nod for market leadership and features. Although it is higher price per month. I bet is really a packaging thing. Also I understand that Vonage uses SIP and that Packet8 uses a codec developed by parent 8x8. Although Packet8 does sell a SIP video phone.
What I want right now is just a dongle that I put in between my existing phone system and the broadband switch that lets me switch VOIP providers on the fly. I see a heavy price war a coming on the carrier side. I e-mailed the guys at SIPURA and asked when their open dongle would be available. They replied November. So I am going to probably wait till after Christmas to buy into the deal at home. There will be many more options then.
Posted by Martin at 8:29 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
Case study for VOIP meets 802.11
Red Hering points to a case study where the University of Arkansas (yes that technology hub), took their monthly phone bill for intercampus calls from $530,000 to $6,000. RED HERRING | The Business of Technology The phone companies better be quaking in their boots.
Posted by Martin at 8:17 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 15, 2003
Sipura VOIP adaptor looks cool
The way I want to implement VOIP in my home is basically to buy a little box that I can plug in my existing phones on one side and into my ethernet on the otherside. Then I go somewheres else and sign up for a VOIP carrier to carry my calls to where they need to go (another computer or another phone). The original guy who designed the leading dongle like this (cisco ATA-186) has started a new company called Sipura to make a Cisco killer. Feature-Packed Telephone Adaptor to be Released :: Voxilla.com :: A user's guide to the communications revolution. I can't wait to buy one...
Posted by Martin at 2:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack