VoIP Phone Service

July was not a good month for keeping my blog updated, unfortunately. August has not been looking so good either. However, I feel like I need should at least write a quick review of a product I've been using and have been a big fan of: Gizmo Project is a VoIP (internet phone) serive that charges 1 cent per minute for calls to the US and varying rates to other countries. You can either attach a traditional phone to it (by buying a SIP adapter--they sell an unlocked one for $60) or use your computer to make phone calls. I haven't tried out the SIP adapter yet, but I have tried both the Windows and Mac clients to make and receive phone calls (you can receive phone calls through either a free 775 area code number or by purchasing a number in select area codes for as little as $3/month--much lower than the other VoIP services I've looked at). The client is also available for Linux in RPM, Deb, and Linspire (CRM) packages. I used a 512 kbps connection and on my end the voice quality was just as good, or better, than any call I've ever made on my cell phone. While using the internal mic on my MacBook, there were some complaints from people I called about static and echoes and such (as expected from an internal mic). Similarly, when using my Logitech headset on my Windows desktop there were some complaints about voice quality on the receiving end, but I was told that it was much improved and not much worse than a slightly bad cell phone connection (that was also before I had properly configured my router). The computer interfaces were natural and sleek, my only complaint about the GUI was that it lacked the ability to be docked (and then hidden) on the edges of the desktop. Still, overall a great product with great prices (at least in the US) for VoIP (and unlike many other popular VoIP services there's no lock-in and no monthly fees--unless you get a none 775 call-in number).