telephony

CES 2010: Skype Adding HD Telephony To LG, Panasonic TVs

Audio/Video, Home Theater, CES, News, Phones / By /

skypeSkype is partnering with TV makers to include their telephony service into TVs in 2010. So far, Panasonic and LG are signed up: LG Electronics will add Skype to its NetCast enabled displays, while Panasonic will add it to select sets equipped with its VieraCast services.

Of course, you will still need an active Internet connection in order to make use of this service, but it’ll certainly make it more convenient and comfortable to make calls from your sofa. It will be interesting to see how well this actually works.

Press Release

Google Voice to add number portability?

Networking & Internet, Phones / By /

For those of you have GrandCentral (now Google Voice) accounts, you already know what a great service it is. Since Google bought them, they’ve revamped the service and added lots of new features. However, having to change your number is a bit of a showstopper, particularly for folks who have lots of contacts and trying to inform them all of your # change would be a major PITA.

The potentially good news is that Google may add number portability to the service later this year, so says TechCrunch who got that info from a Google employee. This would be the single biggest thing that drives new customers Google’s way.

By the way, if you’re interested in helping out the cause, you can suggest to Google features you’d like to see in GVoice.

via TechCrunch

Skype offers unlimited long-distance for a flat fee

Networking & Internet, Phones / By /

Skype has just annoucned that for about US$10/mo, you can get unlimited long-distance (Skype-to-landline) to the country of your choice (well one of 34 at any rate). Not a bad deal at all. This turns the traditional long-distance market on its head. I still remember paying over $1/minute for long-distance calls (made in the same hemisphere no less). Yes, that is per minute.

Ok, so there’s a little * next to the ‘unlimited’ as in no more than 10,000 minutes per month, but seriously are you going to be using Skype for more than 5 hours a day?!

See the page on Skype’s site for more details on rates, etc.

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