With a little luck, viral adoption, and good marketing, hullo could easily surpass Skype and Gizmo in North American usage. Call quality is better, you can use any handset you like, there are no restrictions on free usage, and you get a bunch of very appealing new features.
Alec Saunders .LOG — An explosive mix of VoIP, Technology, Wine, and Politics
On Alec’s recommendation, I downloaded and installed Hullo last week, but as of yet, I haven’t actually got it to work…. I have a feeling that the whole jig is based on Hullo calling your phone, and then it calls the phone of the person you want to talk to, and Voila. My problem: my home phone is a voip phone already, and Hullo couldn’t ever “find” my home phone, to ring it. And you would have thought THAT part of it would have been dead easy ;-)
Alas, my gut says that if I get off my duff and go out nad buy a headset, like i’ve been thinking about for the past few weeks, Hullo would rock my world as it rocks Alec’s.
technorati tags:Hullo, VoIP
Wow - that sounds like alot of problems. Well, it IS.
Over the past few days, our Primus VoIP service started misbehaving with the new sympatico service, and swapping out old Vtech phones for new Motorola phones just made the problem worse.... now, incoming Voip calls cause the DSL to spontaneously combust, and I lose sympatico. And then the loss of the DSL also causes the Primus VoIP box to crumble... the whole event seems to take about 2 minutes. It's simply lovely.
On Thursday we thought it was simply a problem with chrappy sympatico service, as both the Wiz and I had VPN tunnels, and i was trying to make VoIP calls. Calls were dropping every 5 minutes. Now I find that there was a Primus problem that was causing the dropped calls, but even after that was fixed, any VPN tunnel would make my calls sound like Martian Speak.
So - I've ordered ACI internet, to see if it can make a difference from the crap Sympatico.
We still can't get a good VoIP call going.... I suppose I will have to unravel that mess again. To make it more interesting, I don't know the username/password to my Primus ATA VoIP box - if anyone is reading this - and you happen to know what the default username and password is - please email it to me! I would like to see what the default settings are, and if I have the most recent firmware.
jules-in-voip-hell
technorati tags:Primus, Sympatico, Motorola, VoIP
We've survived a week and a half now, and things are indeed coming together. The next task is to finally hang everthing tat is not yet hanging on our simple walls. Photos, art, shelves; hopefully not each other ;-)
I've been culling new photos from the past 4 years, and now it's up to the wiz to hel determine which ones will be lucky enough to warrant a frame, atleast for now.
It's foggy and damp up here, reminding me of the early mornings at willoughby, and there is one bird, calling out, which helps with the memories.
technorati tags:willoughby, usshers creek, sunday, fog
Forbes.com published a story Aug. 22 by editor Michael Noer on two-career relationships that provoked a heated response from both outside and inside our building. Elizabeth Corcoran, a member of our Silicon Valley bureau and principal author of the magazine's current cover story on robots, sent in this rebuttal. Here's a link for reader discussion.
Careers and Marriage - Forbes.com
Wow - the hits just keep on coming ;-) Are you ready Boppers?
This article, infact, both articles, are able to resonate with me. Does that mean I am struggling with duality? :-)
Now that I am where I am, it's curious to compare pre-2002 life with post-2002 life.... i'm glad it's different.
technorati tags:careers, marriage, Forbes
It's the first real Thursday in the new house, and we actually have a paper delivered. The Globe. Yup. And so - I was uber excited to unrap the paper, have a coffee and paruse the news, so to speak.
I thought Thursdays were the day for the Technology Section to come out - and yet, I can't find it!!!! Arggh. I will continue. I need another coffee first.
technorati tags:Thursday, Globe and Mail, Technology Section
An interesting story popped up this week, or was pulled down, I should say. Chris Gardiner, a homeless man, who was living under the Gardiner Expressway, under one of the ramps to Spadina, was evicted yesterday, and his home was dismantled to make room for desperate repairs needed to the popular highway.
I find it curious that he felt that it was his right to live there, and that any offers of help from the city to relocate him, or find him housing were rejected. His claim was that it's "against his religion to rent from a landlord". Essentially, he didn't believe in land ownership. I'm not convinced that land ownership can be claimed as a religious belief, or if it was simply a fitting arguement to the man's situation. Regardless, he's now gone, but has told the city "they have't seen the last of me yet".
Curious.
technorati tags:Chris Gardiner, Homelessness
Ok. The one thing that the rest of the world seems to be talking about is the idea of the Long Tail. In theory, the Long Tail is all about building a service/distribtion channel/product that will have a very limited, or very precise audience. It's about creating something NOT for the mass market, but for the 1% of the population who wants it. It's especially interesting as a distribution channel. You see... I have a weird ability to like things that are obscure, that the rest of the world isn't interested in. It's a challenge to find these things, and to acquire them.
For example, I like ridiculous, unpopular Depeche Mode songs, songs that didn't even make it to any of the CDs. Songs like "The Happiest Girl" and "Lie to Me".
Those songs might fall into the Long Tail of Depeche Mode. I also like "Land of the Lost", and man, that is HARD to find.
Now, how about something REALLY hard to find: The Last Canadian.
it's an interesting conversation.
technorati tags:The Long Tail, The Last Canadian, Land of the Lost
... but nothing exciting is going on. Could it be that August is the slowest month of the year? No interesting news to comment on, nothing exciting to rant about...
The nights are crisp and clear, and the reruns are in full force. I suppose I could always finish unpacking ;-)
I will think of something exciting to comment on. Hang on.
technorati tags:August, Boring
They weren't kidding, whoever coined that phrase......
By 10:00 every night, it's like the street rolls up and falls asleep. No lights, no people, just lots of dark. We are by far the rowdiest house on the street - with kids running under the sprinklers past the 9:00 point.... ;-) Lots of gratuitious hollering and squealing.
And today, it's all about the hunt for the illusive wicker patio furniture. It's going to be like a safari, but with less danger.
technorati tags:bedroom communities, patio furniture
After what seems like an eternity, i'm theoretically back. Not back back, but in a new back. New house... everything of necessity still in boxes, with the exception of the laptop and powercables ;-)
There are a thousand and one funny things from the past 3 days - I will be sure to fill you in as time allows.
;-)
technorati tags:moving, Oak Ridges, cardboard
Oh my. It's beautiful. I was one of the original owners of the Nokia 9000i. This knocks the socks off the feelings i had for that wee device.
Nokia - Nokia 770 - # Easy broadband access over Wi-Fi connection or connection via mobile phone.# A truly portable, elegantly-sized tablet designed for effortless Web browsing.# Handy for Internet communications, like calling and instant messaging.# Impressive hi-resolution widescreen display and intuitive interface.
Technorati Tags:
Nokia 770
‘Mass Murder’ FoiledA terror plot is exposed by the policies many American liberals oppose.Friday, August 11, 2006 12:01 a.m. EDT
OpinionJournal - Featured Article
Zarowny - this one’s for you.
;-)
If I was one of those wiley, conspiracy theorists, I would be looking at the “foiling-the-big-bad-terrorists” story with crossed eyes and a furrowed brow. Is it simply convenience or coincidence that this story broke, right when things were nice and calm, and people were starting to not be afraid? Was there some ingenious government ploy to play up the terrorist card, get people riled up, and put another big spotlight on all the “good work” that the counter-terrorists groups are doing for our behalf?
What if there was no ploy, what if it was a carefully contrived set up, to get us going again? Who bets that some interesting announcement will be made in the coming days, following on the heels of this thwarded terrorist attempt? Perhaps it’s a government security bill waiting in the wings for more financing? Or there is a need to add more military presence somewhere? What if the terrorist plot was indeed a plot, but one perpetrated by the US/Brits?
Hmm… imagine.
It appears I’m not the only one wondering aloud about the same things…
Dear Kitty is also thinking along the same lines along with the London daily News Line
technorati tags:British Terrorist Attempt, Terrorist Conspiracy Theory
Always a kid for trying out new things, I've just downloaded the new Windows Live Writer
And here we are! It's nifty, it's got nifty wingdings that let you blog a page in IE (it's too bad I don't use IE)... but it will be curious to see what else it can do, and if it can do what Performancing can do, or what the inherent, built-in blog editor for Flock can do.
Ack. I'm worried that it's not going to know which journal to post this article in... there are 3 on jules.ca.....
Eww.
Nope - it doesn't understand that there is more than one journal (both Flock and Performancing understand without me having to play around at all). It doesn't allow easy Technorati tags either. Guess I've got to stick where I am. It's not such a bad place to be.
.Funny, the things you would take for granted, especially when searching from the comfort and privacy of your own living room…. (or wherever your computer happens to be).
I don’t use AOL, but i bet it’s likely the same for any browsers that you use with some regularity.
As I sit squinting through the sunlight, i realize there is much info about myself on the net, and i’m fairly indifferent to it. I’m careful with my address, and with my phone number, and i use one email for crap stuff and one for the real deal. I hide info about the wiz and about the chickadees…But that’s about it.
If someone opened my search can of worms they’d likely find that:
- i do many searches on furniture
- i do regular searches on movies
- i do regular searches on people
- i search for on-line tools and software
- i search for gadgets
You probably couldn’t tell if i was a man or a woman. You likely would be able to tell that i lived in the GTA at one time. You would think i have an unhealthy interest in solid wood furniture.
What are you search secrets?
Techcrunch » Blog Archive » AOL Proudly Releases Massive Amounts of Private Data The utter stupidity of this is staggering. AOL has released very private data about its users without their permission. While the AOL username has been changed to a random ID number, the abilitiy to analyze all searches by a single user will often lead people to easily determine who the user is, and what they are up to. The data includes personal names, addresses, social security numbers and everything else someone might type into a search box.
Technorati Tags:
AOL Search Scam,
Search History,
Search Secrets
... until we move. How can I possibly be sitting down and typing? Easy, it's only 9 am on a sunday. We've got miles to go before we move. And I managed to convince the wiz that the TV, computer and coffee maker don't get packed up till Monday night at 11.
Whew.
That was a close one.
It's a good thing it's a Saturday, and I've been spending the time relaxing, or i'd be really freaking peeved off right now.
I just returned from walking the dog up to the local grocery store, to pick up some lemons (for the caesars I am undoubtedly going to need to drink now), and i SWEAR TO GOD, if I encounter people taking up the ENTIRE sidewalk just once more in my life, I am going to go telco. (Going Telco is the 21st century version of going "postal".)
Why people think that it's perfectly fine to walk 3 across on a busy sidewalk is beyond me. Why they think that they don't need to shift around when they encounter on-coming pedestrians is more than a body can take on a hot saturday. I am entirely sure that it was only my good breeding and bringing-up that kept me from turning the walk into a bloodbath.
I made it to the store in one piece, keeping the cursing under my breath. But on the return walk home, I was once again hugging the edge of the sidewalk, one foot on the grass, actually. From behind me, I can hear two joggers approacing, talking about stocks and reports. WHAM. Joe Stock Jogger slams into my elbow, with nary a look behind. I was shocked silent. The only thing I could utter was a medium loud "thanks buddy" at his disappearing back. I looked at the smapp dog, she looked at me, and we crossed the street in peace.
We are indeed ready to move.
Technorati Tags:
Irritating People,
rudeness
TechCrunch has now launched a sister site - Crunch Gear for the Techno Socialites who are desperate to know or to have the latest tek toys. It’s following in the same footsteps as TeckCrunch, and the site looks outstanding!
CrunchGear
Hello, and welcome to the latest CrunchNetwork blog, CrunchGear.com, a daily journal of all things gadget-tastic. Our goal is to take a long, hard look at the daily gadget grind and separate the wheat - the gear we will actually buy and will actually reach our shores - from the chaff. Every day we hope to bring a digest of the hottest tech stories and intelligent and informed commentary on the industry as a whole.
Technorati Tags:
Techno Socialite,
TechCrunch,
CrunchGear
Oh my.
I NEED one. :-)
Well, perhaps I just like the idea of being a Techno Socialite. It seems so Lah-di-dah.
Communications Infrastructure > Network Devices > Sony WiFi device targets techno-socialites
Sony WiFi device targets techno-socialitesBy: Edward N. AlbroPC World.com (U.S.) (10 Aug 2006)
When launched next month, Sony Milo (“my life online”) will be one of the most versatile WiFi devices out there. You can IM with a mylo, you can make VOIP phone calls using Skype, and you can check your email.If nothing else, you have to give Sony credit for creative thinking with their latest product announcement. The mylo device they’re talking up today is unlike any other I’ve seen.In form, it’s a little like a Sidekick, with a 2.4-inch screen that slides up to reveal a full QWERTY thumb keyboard.
But unlike a Sidekick, it doesn’t connect to a wireless phone network. Instead the mylo depends on Wi-Fi networks for its connectivity.Sony says the mylo (the name stands for “my life online”) is designed for a life form they call the “techno socialite” and it’s largely about communicating, presumably with other techno socialites. You can IM with a mylo (as long as you use Yahoo, Skype or Google’s chat services), you can make VOIP phone calls using Skype and you can check your email (if you have a web inbox with Google or Yahoo).It’s also got a web browser (Opera’s mobile browser), it plays MP3s and videos, shows photos and you can edit simple text files. You have only 1GB of onboard Flash memory. To store more songs or other files, you’ll need to use Sony’s memory sticks.
Technorati Tags:
Sony Milo,
Techno Socialite
