July 10, 2009
I put the Cradlepoint CTR-500 and Socket portable usb battery into a bag and powered it up. I attached the phone to the usb of the Cradlepoint and the 7dBi Antenna to the MC Connector of the Cradlepoint, voila. I have 7 hours of continuous wifi to bring anywhere with me with a range of minimum 3/4 mile in radius.
Quiet useful if you are no where near your car just to have a wireless connection.
June 9, 2009
The connector to the left is the conversion for my Cradlepoint CTR-500. Though the spec stated on Cradlepoint website is an MCX Connector, I found the MC Connector to connect perfectly without a wobble, a snug fit. I use this connector with my 14dBi Omni Antenna in my car. I also have a 21dBi Directional Antenna, but it’s too big to fit in my car. The possibilities are endless when you have a Reverse SMA Plug. Unless if you can find a converter from MC Connector to RP-TNC, your best bet is with RP-SMA.
I placed the Antenna in the trunk of my car. Along the 5 Freeway, I found 3G Connection from San Francisco Bay Area to Los Angeles, my provider is AT&T. I connect my Netbook, iPod Touch and my son’s PSP and Nintendo DS to it. I’m thinking of putting my second XBOX 360 in the car along with my 9 Inch VGA Touch Screen to play some games in a long trip.
Enjoy the range of your Cradlepoint.
June 9, 2009
I put together all of my DVD Collection in my PC. I can still watch them using my XBOX 360 or PC Connected to the TV. It’s more convenient for me to consolidate them and categorize them. Three of my PC Connected to my Flat Screen TV has Media Center PC. Browsing through my DVD Collection is a breeze. XBox 360 has the same Media Center PC Browsing look and feel. I have done a screen shot of how to convert your DVD so you can watch it on your PC.
Step 1:
Open DVD Shrink 3.2
Step 2:
Select the Open Disc Button.
Step 3:
Wait until it reads the disc.
Step 4:
This is how it looks when it’s done reading the disc.
Step 5:
Click on the Re-Author Button.
Step 6:
Step 7:
Go to Compression Settings Tab and Uncheck all the Audio that you don’t need such as Spanish or French but leave English checked otherwise you won’t have sound and the unnecessary picture in subpicture. If you would like to keep the subtitle for English, leave the subpicture for English incase you want to turn on Subtitle while watching on your PC.
Step 8:
In the Compression Settings Tab, the Pull Down under Video, select Custom Ratio.
Step 9:
slide it to the lowest to the left, and deselect all the ones you don’t need. I like to have a subtitle on mine, so I left the subpicture on there. I used VLC to watch my movies with subtitle.
Step 10:
Go to Edit Menu and Select Preferences
Step 11:
Go to the Output Files Tab and make sure the Split VOB files into 1Gb chunk is uncheck.
Step 12:
Click on the BackUp Button when you are ready.
Step 13:
Select Backup Target to Hard Drive and select the folder to your destination. Leave the box for Creating a Video and Audio TS SubFolder uncheck.
Step 14:
Wait until it is done converting the video.
Step 15:
After it is done converting, go to your Destination Folder and rename the biggest file there is, usually just one file and usually called VTS_01.vob. Rename the extension to Name of Movie.mpg. That is all. Final result below.
If you have Tivo Desktop, you can put the MPG to your TiVo folder and your TiVo should be able to see the MPG video. I usually watch it either with my PC or with TiVo.
Once you convert it to MPG, the possibilities are endless. You can convert the MPG file to iPod, or Xbox 360, or even to your phone in 3GP format. Those are in different discussion of course.
June 9, 2009
MyVu and iPod Touch is a good combination. I find myself with it even in the middle of the night (2am) watching a two hour movie I’ve already seen. The quality is really nice even though the quality is a compress ipod movie. The one I got sport a 640×480 resolution, MyVu Crystal. Currently the highest resolution you can get.
I was somewhat crossed eyed for a couple of minutes after watching a two hour movie. No biggie. While watching a movie either during the day or at night, you can adjust the brightness. I find it use full, if I’m outside, I turned up the brightness while at night I toned down the brightness. The ear piece is perfect as well. While using the ear piece, background noise disappear, and it is very comfortable.
Even though there’s a lot of wires going in and out, the eye glass connect to the controller, and my ipod video or ipod touch connects to the controller. The controller has a built-in Lithium Battery, perfect for two two hour movie (4hr Battery Life as the spec stated). Good enough since my iPod Touch Battery will die before the four hour mark. The controller has the brightness control as well as volume. And the volume can be louder than what the ipod output, be careful with the volume settings. The brightness has four settings. Cycling through them may not be noticeable until it’s by two notch during day time, but you’ll appreciate it during the night.
While watching a movie, you can still look around your surroundings by looking below or above the glasses. I wouldn’t recommend you using this while driving or walking. Wearing the glasses is very comfortable. The nose part can be adjusted, it has one of those paper clip spring metal thing. The cables has a magnetic piece near the top part so you can put the cables around your neck preventing it from dangling too far from your neck and create trip hazard. So MyVu pretty much thought of everything, down to the weight of it. It is very light and thin.
If you have your iPod Touch jail break and you want to transfer your mpg or mp4 movies without iTunes, it won’t output the video to MyVu for some reason. But if you transfer the movies with iTunes, jail broken or not, it will output the video to MyVu.
Other than it has complete my geekness with this gadget, it is use full when traveling in long flights or at the train. Kind of weird walking around with it on at the train, people thought I’m wearing a fancy sunglasses. Watching video pod cast is really nice as well.
I use MyVu for my PC at home with Video Output. My MyVu came with the iPod video connection that connects to the bottom of the iPod. But I also have one of those video connection that connects to the headphone jack of my iPod Video that sends the video signal from my iPod video to the TV. I use that connector for my PC to output the video. I also use that video connector to play games off my XBOX 360. The video connector I got for my iPod Video saves me money from getting the same connector from MyVu website.
MyVu was tested with iPod Video 30G, iPod Nano Video Capable which is the latest generation, and iPod Touch 2G.
June 8, 2009
SecureSpot by D-Link
SecureSpot by D-Link is an Anti-Virus, Firewall, Identity Protection and Parental Control device. Though there is a thin client to be installed on your PC for the Anti-Virus part, it’s a very small program that will protect your PC from Virus. There is no thin client program for the Mac yet, as of now, but as stated on their website, it is coming soon. No indication anywhere in the box that the Anti-Virus program isn’t available work for Mac. So if you are a Mac user, you might want to check DLink SecureSpot website for the upcoming client for Mac.
The install was easy. Once the hardware is installed, you can set it up by opening your browser (Internet Explorer or Firefox) and the SecureSpot Access Control Panel will open by itself. But in my case, it wasn’t happening. I had to go to the SecureSpot support page located in the back of the start-up guide.
Once in the control panel, you can register your SecureSpot and download the latest firmware. The Anti-Virus software protection is by McAfee.
When all is done, and you have a Mac, be sure to turn off Access Control, otherwise you won’t be able to surf the internet on your Mac. Once the thin client is available for the Mac, you can turn Access Control back on if you like to control who can surf the internet and monitor your internet that way.
Everything else is self explanatory, Parental Control is to your preferences. Setting this up might take more time than usual, but worth it if you have kids.
That’s the basic setup I’ve done with the SecureSpot by DLink.
One thing I like about this setup is that the Anti-Virus software is fast, and while I was scanning all of my hard drives in my computer, I was still able to surf the internet without ever slowing down. Everything else are done by the hardware, which is what I’ve been looking for. For the price and the subscription of one year for the Anti-Virus by McAfee, and the peace of mind when you have children surfing the internet as well, it is well worth it. It protects up to four computers, which is sufficient enough for me.
May 26, 2009
I recently just got an ipod touch and was disappointed that I can’t multi-task. Even when I jailbreak it. For instance; I listen to Slacker Radio or Pandora and I got those Backgrounder app from Cydia, so I put Slacker Radio or Pandora to the background while listening and trying to check email, the sound would cut off from time to time, making it hard to listen. I’m glad I didn’t get the iPhone, I would have thrown that out the window. My BlackBerry can multi-task as well. Such a setback in technology to the stone age. I would stick to my BlackBerry and Windows Mobile Phones!
Check out the article: Why Windows Mobile Rules
Yesterday we posted an article on why the iPhone is so wonderful, or Part 1 of the whole iPhone versus WinMo debate. Today I’ve got a guest blogger, David K from over at Mobility Digest and he has written up Part 2, so read on to learn why Windows Mobile devices are the best and are here to stay…
And I’m a PC
The sheer power and beauty of Windows Mobile has been tarnished recently. Not by any flaw in the machinery, but rather in the marketing myths created by glossy commercials. It’s time to debunk those myths and remind everyone why Windows Mobile is the past, present and future of mobility. Well, I was also getting suffocated by iPhone fanboy smug and I needed to get some air by bringing some facts to the table;)
First off, let’s get past the numbers game. Windows Mobile has been out for years and overall has outsold the iPhone. Of course there’s been a recent explosion in sales of the iPhone due largely in part to millions of dollars in ads but the sales of a product are hardly the ultimate test or else we’d be declaring the Razr the best phone of all time. Not to take anything away from the Razr but it was a great form factor and little more…much like the iPhone.
So let’s talk form factor. The iPhone is a sleek looking device. For you WinMo fans, it looks like the Touch HD sharing almost identical dimensions. Of course, where the HD has those buttons on the bottom, the iPhone just has blank space that goes unused for some reason and the screen is smaller and a lower resolution than the Touch HD. Of course, the Toshiba G series will have an even larger screen than the HD with the same resolution as the HD thus really mocking the iPhone. But we don’t need to speak about identical form factors. With Windows you can get candybar style with or without a physical keyboard, sliding keyboards in all directions…pretty much whatever you want. And keyboards are a question of personal preference and for some people it’s a gift. Fortunately for WM we have phones released in two flavors at a time, like the Touch Pro and the Diamond (or Touch Pro 2 and Diamond 2) which are essentially identical except for the keyboard. I know Steve doesn’t like a keyboard but Doug loves them.
And I know you iPhone guys love having one button…just because it’s sleek I guess. Without that button you’d have no safety net, but fortunately it serves to both reset your iPhone when it fails or correct a non-functioning iPhone so thank goodness you have that button. I have a neat idea – instead of having just a home and power button use that empty area for something…anything. Imagine that if you were in email and wanted to make a phone call you didn’t have to go home and then go to the phone and instead you just pressed one button. On the Fuze and Diamond that area is a capacitive screen and can be used to scroll or launch apps leading to even more ease of use and speed in accessing what’s important to the end user. We all know why there aren’t more buttons – it would confuse iPhone users. It’s ok to admit it
Much has been made of the ‘beautiful’ screen on the iPhone but the facts are straightforward on this point. The entire current line of HTC phones (and Toshiba and Acer) all have at least 480×640 with most opting for 480×800 compared to the iPhone’s 480×320. And of course the Touch HD, Touch Pro 2 and Toshiba line all have larger screen sizes than the iPhone, but who’s counting? Oh right, we are. So too bad iPhone fans! If you want to imagine what it looks like look at your iPhone and instead of pixels you just see sharp lines. I’m sure when you make it to WVGA it will be to much fanfare, like when the iPhone got 3G and I would have sworn they had introduced 3G that day (except I was on my Tilt at the time using 3G and I had already retired my 8525 that was also 3G).
I know the iPhone and multi-touch go hand in hand, but there’s a reason why capacitive screens are in use. Like, did I mention that I can use my finger with a glove on and use my screen? It’s a neat trick in winter. I can even type with my nails for precision (and for women who have long nails). How about the fact that I can use a stylus and write words on the screen (you know, like it’s paper) and my WM device will turn those words into text for me on the fly. If the iPhone could do that same feat it would be considered revolutionary. For WinMo it’s been around for years though.
But let’s discuss hardware a little bit more. Of course, we have an accelerometer as well, but of course with Windows we can customize it so that means any app we want we can force rotation and we even have this crazy keyboard that works in landscape mode. And by year’s end we’ll have at least two phones with 1 ghz processors in them so let’s not get into a speed competition here.
While the iPhone is only available on AT&T with WM you can unlock your phone and move between carriers. It’s mindboggling to iPhone users but I could use my phone on any GSM network if I wanted to. The iPhone is shiny though… And we’ve got your fancy 802.11g, don’t worry about that. And somehow WM figured out how to conquer MMS (you know, sending photos and sound) which the iPhone lacks for some reason.
And if you want to make the best audio and visual experience it helps to have the hardware and software to back it up. Of course watching movies or tv recorded on your PC are an ease and you can even set your computer to sync recorded tv or other videos with your phone at set times so when you leave the house you can have the morning news waiting for you. And did I mention that we can listen to music over Bluetooth stereo headsets? I know Apple is working on that but Windows Mobile is apparently living in the future. Man I love my Motorola S9 headset.
And you know what else I love? After I use my camera to take VIDEO I can share it with other people. Of course, I can email it, stream it in real time, use video share but I like to sometimes use my Fuze’s tv-out and put it on a full screen. And by the end of this calendar year we’ll have HDMI out with full HD abilities. I know the iPhone can’t do it, but trust me, it’s really happening. The iPhone 3G’s 2 megapixel camera is really behind the market here. My Fuze is 3 megapixels and the Touch HD and Diamond 2 are 5 megapixel cameras.
Let’s talk about the simplicity that is the iPhone’s interface. I remember my old Treo 600 with a user interface that was nothing more than an application launcher. I was so happy when Apple brought that back from the grave With the iPhone it’s one interface for everyone. Meanwhile, Windows Mobile has a user interface for everyone. I mean that. We have plenty of interfaces that are just app launchers and even iPhone clones. We have Touch Flo3D in multiple versions, SPB Shell, PointUI, Mobility Flow, Windows standard home screen, MyHome, Winterface, YRGO…ok even I’m bored of going through this list (which isn’t complete) but it’s pretty simple: if you want Steve’s preferences you know what they look like. If you want your user interface Windows Mobile has it for you. And few things are as important as the main user interface of a phone so it’s good to have the option to just have an application launcher or to have a sophisticated multi-tab user interface but what I like most is that it’s my choice as to what I want.
And much has been made about the iPhone’s applications. I don’t need to go through the myth again but there are more WM apps in existence than iPhone apps and that’s a simple fact. And most of the apps that are ‘only on the iPhone’ are either entirely false (with the same exact app available on Windows Mobile like Shazam’s MusicID) or misleading (since we have at least one app that does the same function except has a different name). So many of the touted apps like GMaps and Facebook apps already exist for WinMo. In fact we typically have multiple apps that perform similar functions and they compete to be the best which in the end leads to the consumer getting the best product. All of this with the ability to get any app available under the sun without Steve’s blessing and he doesn’t have the right to revoke apps. It’s a free market and we like it that way.
What may come as even more of a surprise is that WinMo not only has more applications but we can run them simultaneously. Yes, every modern mobile operating system
can multitask…except the iPhone of course. The iPhone is so revolutionary that multiple apps drain the battery excessively so it’s one app at a time guys. I mean really? Really? Windows Mobile can not only multitask, but you can toggle between running apps just like a computer so you don’t need to close the app, go home, launch a new app and keep that cycle going.
iPhone fanboys are convinced they have the latest software and tout Calendar, Contacts, Weather, Email Client, Calculator, Web Browser, Photo Viewer, Camera, Stocks, You Tube Browser, GPS and Google Maps. That’s pretty easy to match because we literally have all of those and almost all of them are preloaded on our phones. Except of course, our GPS is unlocked so we can use it with TomTom, iGo, Amaze, GMaps, Live Search…well you get the point. And yup, we have geotagging, FaceBook, Twitter. I know the commercial says ‘only for the iPhone’ but it turns out WM has it as well.
And that browser you guys have that is the ‘real internet’ let me just state 1) we have Iris which is the same engine (WebKit) so we see pages exactly the same way you do (except of course our screen resolution is substantially increased so even on a smaller screen we can see more thanks to VGA and WVGA) and 2) we have SkyFire which shows things like Flash 10 that the iPhone can’t show…you know, like the REAL web page. Streaming flash and video of any kind is not a problem and ActiveX plugins actually work. I guess I should mention that SkyFire loads webpages multiples faster than Safari but let’s not let facts get in the way of a sexy device.
I’m sure we all remember when the iPhone finally got the ability to push email. The only thing is that fancy push email and Exchange sync you have is Microsoft’s ActiveSync because Apple couldn’t get push to work. Apple licensed it from Microsoft! So yeah, we’ve had that for years so the best phone of all time is licensing from MS one of the most basic phone functions of an email capable phone. Thanks for sharing but you can’t be better than us when you’re borrowing from us. Of course, while we’re talking about a business phone it really is important to be able to cut and paste to be able to effectively use your phone for business. So if I get an email from one person I can cut texts from it and move it into a Word document or another email. And of course, Microsoft Office (Outlook, Power Point, Excel, One Note and Word) are all standard for WinMo as is Adobe Viewer. We can use VPN and utilize remote desktop as well so having a Windows Mobile device provides instant access to all of your work files. Another standard app is World Card Mobile Business Card reader that takes a photo of a business card and ‘reads’ the text and inputs that right into your contacts. In terms of a business phone it’s really not the best place for the iPhone to try to claim a victory.
So you guys try to claim that you can make a locked phone ‘your’ phone with jailbreaking. Jailbreaking leads to Apple re-locking and then a race to re-jailbreak. These are all patches to try to customize your phone while Apple tries to lock your phone. It’s pretty funny that some WM users are using a version of the WM operating system that’s not even on the market yet, apps ported from different phones, emulators (GameBoy, NES, Genesis, they’re all here)…well pretty much nothing is off the table and it’s doesn’t involve ‘jailbreaking’– it just involves installing an app or a ROM and none of that is something WM will retroactively lock on us and HTC seems to like it in fact. Unlike the iPhone, with Windows it’s my phone and I can do with it what I like and WM isn’t arguing over that.
And don’t think for a second I’ll let the fanboys tell you about how good of an mp3 player the iPhone is. I already mentioned Bluetooth stereo headsets, but this is something WinMo has had for years. The ability to use a Bluetooth stereo headset seems so fundamental to a portable mp3 player it’s hard to imagine not having it. But that’s not the only advantage WinMo has. Windows Mobile has removable storage so there’s no limit to how much music we can carry. Of course, we can always stream music from our computers to our phones (using freeware like Didiom or Orb) so any music I have on my PC I have access to on the go. Oh and I have this crazy FM radio tuner so I can listen to local FM music without killing my battery listening to internet radio (and yes, we have the same apps for internet radio too, calm down).We get this without being locked to iTunes music and of course we get video on larger and higher resolution screens which as I mentioned can be expanded exponentially by using the tv-out capabilities. Also, if I want to listen to a song by Doug Smith I can simply say ‘play artist Doug Smith’ (you know, like those Ford Sync commercials) and it will play songs from that artist, a particular track, fast forward to another track, announce the name of the song…well you get the picture. We can control our music with our voice and that’s only the tip of the iceberg. I know it’s a tangent, but incoming text messages can be set to be read out loud and all of the phone’s functions can work that way as well so if I want to call someone all I need to say is “call Doug Smith” and the dialing begins. And this is all thanks to standard software that is on every Windows Mobile device and has been for years. I’m sure the iPhone evolution will eventually claim it as their own but it’s fun to have it now
There’s one thing I won’t argue with…simplicity – the iPhone certainly appeals to the simplistic (ok, that was a cheap shot). It’s pretty easy – if you don’t want 1ghz processors, unlimited storage, tv-out, WVGA resolution, FM radio, unlimited apps, full customization, a real business solution, video recording, a flash to go along with my camera, a phone design of my choice with more than one button, a removable battery, use of non-proprietary connections (so I can use miniUSB from a BlackBerry, for example) then go for an iPhone. If you want to have those same features in 2 years with a bunch of really glossy commercials so you think you’re the first on the block to get them then get the iClone.
The most powerful devices on the market with the latest hardware and software belong to Windows and it’s available without any smug. With everything WM has over the iPhone I feel like I’m living in the future!
May 26, 2009
If you have the HP C7250 or HP C7280 All-In-One Printer and got the DeviceIO Error while you shutdown or restart your PC, you need to disable anything related to HP. I would use CCleaner at ccleaner.com to disable. The screen shot below is a brief how to disable the Monitoring part of the HP All-In-One Printer. Essentially, you need to disable:
hpmon06
hphup06
HP Software Update
hpqSRMon
Those are just a few, there might be more. Usually this happens after you do an upgrade to the software. After you disable those, you need to restart your computer. It won’t take into effect until you restart your computer. After you restart your computer, you can shutdown your computer without the error coming up again. At least for me it didn’t, with 5 of my PC at home.
May 12, 2009
Cradlepoint CTR500 Setup info with BlackBerry Bold
I had a hard time figuring out what settings are needed to do a dial up. It’s actually pretty simple.
Considering you have the firmware 1.5.1 from Cradlepoint.com
and you are with AT&T/Cingular, otherwise, check your own APN Settings
Attach your BlackBerry Bold to the Cradlepoint via USB.
Under the Basic Tab, click on WAN on the left Navigation area.
Under Cellular modem PPP Authentication (OPTIONAL), there is a Pull Down Modem Interface. Select USB1 – BlackBerry
Leave Username Blank
Enter CINGULAR1 for password, all in capitalized
Leave Protocol at Auto.
That’s it, no need to touch Ethernet Port Mode or other settings.
Go back to top of the page and click on Save Settings Button.
Now, you need to go to the Modem Tab.
Click on Network on the Left Navigation area
Set whatever Global Settings you want, I set mine to Always on
Under Modem Specific Settings there is a pull down.
Pull down and select USB1-BlackBerry
Leave AT Dial Script as is
Modem Password is CINGULAR1 (all in uppercase)
repeat the password again in uppercase
Access Point Name (APN): wap.cingular (all in lowercase)
Go Back to the top of the page and click on Save Settings Buttons.
That’s it. Wait till the modem reboots, unplug your BlackBerry and plug your BlackBerry once the Cradlepoint turned on again (30 Seconds).
The Phone Icon on the Cradlepoint should be from Orange (Connecting) to Green (Connected). Once you see Green, you can surf the internet.
I can use my ipod touch with it now.
If you have other phones such as the Samsung or Nokia, you might need an AT Command under the Modem Tab then Network
AT
AT+CGDCONT=1,IP,”(YOUR APN)”
ATDT*99#
or if you have AT&T/Cingular
AT
AT+CGDCONT=1,IP,”(wap.cingular)”
ATDT*99#
There are two APN for AT&T, try both if it doesn’t work.
APN: isp.cingular and wap.cingular
Google APN list for other providers settings.
You also might need to enter username WAP@CINGULARGPRS.COM if it doesn’t work under the Basic Tab then WAN.
Good luck on your endeavor, please post here for your results. Each phone are different and eventhough my phones aren’t listed, it works with Cradlepoint. Other phones that aren’t listed works too as I was browsing through some forums.
Update: 5/21/09
There is a bug with the Bold. For some reason, I had to turn On my WiFi if it’s not On, or if it’s On, I had to turn it Off. Then I re-plug my Bold back in via the USB and it works again. Weird.
April 24, 2009
How to dial phone numbers with letters -
This is a very simple tip that isn’t always intuitive for everyone.
You know how a ton of businesses phone numbers are spelled out in
letters so that they are easily remembered? Well if you haven’t
used a touch tone phone in a while and you have a full
QWERTY keyboard on your BlackBerry, you may be in a bind if you are
trying to call 1-800-44-CYCLE to save a bunch of money on your
motorcycle insurance. Well it is easier than you may have thought.
Step 1. Dial the numbers that you do see, so 1-800-44
Step 2. Hold the alt key and spell out CYCLE. Hit call and it will
automatically convert the letters into their respective numbers.
That’s it.
April 23, 2009
Which VOIP is best for you? Is it Vonage, Skype, Meritcall, or Packet8?
That all depends, if you like the no monthly charges, then I would go with MeritCall, Skype or Packet8. Which is what I used before. Though I still have Skype in my BlackBerry as a backup incase I was travelling and need to make international call, I still prefer the integration to the phone to make internati0nal call.
Such integration comes from Packet8 at mobile.packet8.net for the BlackBerry. This means, whenever you make a call, it will re-route international calls to Packet8 so you don’t pay the premium price from your mobile carrier. The quality of Packet8 was sufficient, sometimes is very good, sometimes there’s a little lag every 5 minutes on an hour call. But it’s small lag where it’s not annoying.
For my Home use, I use Vonage. After giving Skype a chance many many times, it’s quality isn’t all that great for VOIP. At least for me that is. I use my PC with USB Connected Skype phone by Linksys (CIT100). The voice quality is just choppy calling Asia and Europe.
As for MeritCall, I’ve used it for three years, since MeritCall allow their users to pay as you go. I usually just put $20 and it could go for months at a time unless if I use it more often in one month than usual, then it varies on your usage. The quality was superb until they switched their network and I have stop using them about 3 months ago. I might want to give them a try again, or maybe you could have a better luck. You need an adapter to purchase from Meritcall, and that’s yours to keep.
Vonage has an overall better voice quality. Since Vonage, I have cancelled my home phone lines. I am definitely keeping Vonage. The monthly cost is cheaper than a phone line and it gives me free calls to some European countries and unlimited calling anywhere in the U.S and Canada. So it’s a good deal.
So what’s a good VOIP for you?
Vonage has monthly cost plus adapter, that’s $9.99 for the adapter and $25 a month.
Meritcall needs an adapter to buy, and it’s expensive. But if you have a relative in another country and that person has the MeritCall adapter as well, then your call is free from MeritCall to MeritCall.
Skype also requires an adapter if you don’t want to make calls with your PC. That also could be expensive and quality is more towards the bad side. Sometimes it has it’s good days. But I don’t have that good of experience.
Packet8 is another choice if you don’t want a monthly thing, but you need an adapter as well unless if you would like the PC version. But the rate is more expensive for international calls. Skype has better international rates. Packet8 quality is ok, not as good as MeritCall or Vonage, but better than Skype.
That’s my take on choices of VOIP. There might be others VOIP services out there, but I used the above services in a two year average.
