Vonage Extends Free Calling to Japan

Posted on March 20, 2011 by VoIP Master

Vonage is continuing their offer of free calls to Japan for their home phone service customers. According to a press release they sent out on the 18th, they said “in light of the continued uncertainty in Japan, [we] will continue to waive per-minute calling charges for customers calling from their Vonage home phones to Japan until 8:30 p.m. on April 10, 2011.”

It needs to be noted for those on the west coast that the press release is in eastern time, so  the free calling will be discontinued at 5:30 pm PDT. Vonage has extended the free calling in the past, but customers should check the Vonage website for news on the special calling program if they are going to be calling Japan after 5:30 pm PDT on the 18th of March.

Visit www.calling-plans.com for news and information on home phone service providers, VoIP phone services and international toll free conference calling.

Posted in Vonage | Tagged | Leave a comment

Vonage Offers Free Calling to Japan

Posted on March 11, 2011 by VoIP Master

Vonage is letting their users call Japan for free for the next week. The free calling started at 5:30 PST tonight, and will continue until 5:30 PDT next Friday night. So, if you’ve got family and friends in Japan, and you have Vonage, you’ll be able to try to call Japan and find out if your people are OK, and you won’t have to worry about the cost of the calls.

Thanks Vonage!

ps. If you’re trying to find someone in Japan, head over to Google’s Crisis Response page for the Japanese Earthquake, and fill out a form. The site is a project of Google’s Think and Do Tank, and it’s a great resource. So far Google’s had Project pages up for Haiti, Christchurch and 14 other disasters.

Posted in Vonage | Tagged | Leave a comment

MagicTalk Beta is Live Get Free International Calling to the United States

Posted on March 7, 2011 by VoIP Master

MagicTalk Beta is live and doing well, but you still need to upgrade to a full MagicJack account to be able to call landline phones or cell phones. With the MagicTalk service, you get a fake phone number that starts with a star and ends with a star, so your number might be *123-456-7890*, and if someone who had MagicTalk wanted to call you, they would use their software to call you by dialing *123-456-7890*.

Currently, anyone who has a MagicTalk account, or a MagicJack account, can call another MagicJack or MagicTalk customer for free, no matter where they are in the world. Also, as a way of getting around the problem of shipping the actual MagicJack devices worldwide, customers in other countries who want to call the US and Canada for free, can upgrade to MagicTalk Premium and get a US phone number. The new phone number will allow them to place and receive all the calls they want, to and from the United States and Canada, for free.

So, if you have friends and family in China, India, Pakistan, or anywhere else in the world, they can now get a MagicTalk premium phone number, and you guys can call back and forth as much as you want for free. But, if you have MagicTalk or MagicJack, and you want to call a cell phone, landline or VoIP phone number that is not in the MagicTalk/Jack system, you will have to pay the international long distance charges that are associated with calling that country. Right now, if you want to make an international call using your Talk or Jack account, you have to make sure their is enough money in your prepaid MagicJack or prepaid MagicTalk account to pay for it.

When I downloaded the MagicTalk software from the MagicJack page, the file was 12.2MB. When I was done, I double clicked on it, and it said it was updating my MagicJack software (I already had the MagicJack software installed, because I have a MagicJack.). After it installed, it popped up the app and said I could have 30 minutes of free calls, or 48 hours, before I had to sign up for my free account.

I chose to sign up for a new account, just so I could check out the process. The first screen asked for my first and last names and my email address. The second screen asked for my full address and my current phone number, which was optional. and the third screen asked me which product I wanted to purchase. I chose the Basic Free Service.

After I chose the MagicTalk Free Basic account, they tried to upsell me on the next screen, which is understandable. I chose not to “lock in the current rate of $19.95 per year“. I then checked the box that said I’d read the Terms of Service and Software License Agreement for magicJack, LP and YMAX Communications Corporation and VocalTec Communications Corp, which of course was a lie, because the thing was like 4 miles long. (MagicJack TOS)

And Finally, this is the text from the last screen.

Congratulations, your MagicTalk number is *0100351242*
Your Free MagicTalk Number:

  • Is not a traditional phone number
  • ALWAYS begins with a star * and ALWAYS ends with a star *
  • Does NOT provide any form of 911 service
  • DOES provide FREE International and local calls with all magicTalk/magicJack users
  • Does NOT provide outgoing phone service to landline and cell phones (*FREE UNTIL March 15, 2011)

How to Receive calls on your Free MagicTalk number:

  • From any magicTalk/magicJack account:
    • Dial the magicTalk Number directly, ie: 0100351242 … (including BOTH asterisks)
  • From a cell phone or land line:
    • Dial the access number 305-848-TALK (305-848-8255)
    • After the prompt, dial the Free magicTalk Phone Number, ie: 0100351242 … (including BOTH asterisks)

If you want to place outgoing calls to landlines and cell phones (non-magicTalk numbers), simply upgrade your free Basic membership to a Preferred Membership (includes U.S. Phone Number).

After all this, if it were me, I’d just order a MagicJack for $39.95. It comes with everything you get from MagicTalk, plus the device, so it’s a way better deal. (Just my opinion of course, plus the fact that I get paid if you buy a MagicJack, but not if you just sign up for a free MagicTalk account.)

Posted in MagicJack, MagicTalk | Tagged | 3 Comments

Google Voice Long Distance

Posted on January 30, 2011 by VoIP Master

If you are thinking about using Google Voice for your long distance service, remember that it works like a dial around service, and you will have to dial more than one number to make the call go through. Here are the three options that you have if you want to make a Google Voice call in the United State.

  1. From the Google Voice website, you can double click any number to call it, or use the call button at the top of the page and enter a phone number and then select the phone you want to use.
  2. From the Google Mobile site, use the ‘Quick Call’ field at the bottom of the page to enter any phone number, and then enter the number of your cell phone if this is the first time you’ve used the mobile page. After the first time, the mobile page will remember your cell phone number.
  3. You can call your own Google Voice number, then push 2 and enter the number you want to call.

The main thing to remember about Google Voice is that it is basically a dial around service, so if you’re going to use it as your home phone service to make local and long distance calls, you’ll have to dial extra numbers to make calls.

When getting calls from Google Voice, your Google Voice number works just like any other virtual number that you’d get from a calling service like eFax or RingCentral’s virtual assistant program. The Google Voice number is forwarded to your other telephone numbers, and is treated like an incoming call, not a conference call, since you end up only having one incoming call, not two, because the first call is just passed through to the ring-to-number. Toll free numbers work the same way, they are virtual numbers that have a ring-to-number, and when the call comes in, it shows the caller ID of the person making the call to the toll free number, it doesn’t show the call as coming from the toll free number. Just an FYI for those who get charged extra for 3 way calls…

Posted in Google Voice, Virtual Phone Numbers | Tagged | 1 Comment

Grandstream GXV3175 Multimedia IP Phone

Posted on December 21, 2010 by VoIP Master

Grandstream has released their new multimedia IP phone, and it’s cool. The new GXV3175 IP Phone comes with a built in 7 inch touch screen that gives you access to everything from the internet, to video conferencing, to the ability to become a keyboard for editing documents, sending texts and searching the web. This phone comes pre-installed with software so that you can look at your colleagues while talking to them via the built in video conferencing feature, or shut the camera cover if you’re having a bad hair day. This phone actually looks and works like a tablet, so if you’re used to using something like the Samsung Galaxy Tab, you should have no problems using this VoIP phone system.

Here’s a list of some of the other cool features that come with the new GXV3175 VoIP Phone from Grandsteam.

  • CONTACTS supports total records up to
    500 entries and 20 groups with features such as add/delete/modify contacts, download phone book from
    the TFTP/HTTP server as well as the ability to save the phonebook to the PC.
  • GXV3175 supports call record up to 100 dialed calls, 100 received calls and 100 missed calls.
  • If two GXV3175s are registered on the same SIP server,
    text messages can be sent/received between two parties.
  • The GXV3175 IP Multimedia Phone supports Google Voice to enable the user to enjoy the social
    connections. Google Voice application in GXV3175 enables the users to make calls, send messages,
    manage contacts and account after logging in Google Voice account.
  • The GXV3175 has a full HTML Web Browser for Internet browsing. The touch screen can become a keyboard for typing commands into the web browser.
  • And More!

 

GXV3175 IP Phone

GXV3175 VoIP Phone

Visit Calling-Plans.com for more information on VoIP, Cell Phones, Business and Home Phone Service and More…

Posted in IP Phones, VoIP Phone Systems | Tagged | Leave a comment

MagicTalk Beta: Free International Calls

Posted on December 5, 2010 by VoIP Master

MagicTalk Beta is finally out, and if you want to use it to make free international calls, you can until January 1, 2011, but those calls can only be to other MagicTalk and MagicJack users. If you want to use MagicTalk to call landline or cell phone users, you must upgrade to a $19.95 per year MagicJack account.

The free MagicTalk Beta account comes with a fake phone number that only works within the MagicJack/MagicTalk system, and that number starts and ends with a “*” (star). When you upgrade from the MagicTalk Beta’s Basic Membership, to a Preferred Membership, you then will have the ability to call all phone numbers, but you will be billed for long distance calls outside the United States and Canada. The preferred membership includes a standard United States Phone Number, instead of a Free MagicTalk Number for only $19.95 per year, With Canadian phone numbers  available for an additional $10.00 per year.

The new MagicTalk system will not offer 911 or e911 services of any kind, so keep that in mind when using it.

If you want to call a free MagicTalk number from a landline phone or a cell phone, you will need to dial (305) 848-8255, which is the MagicTalk access number, followed by the “Fake” MagicTalk phone number, which starts and ends with a “star”.  The MagicTalk numbers look like this: *1-234-567-8900*, for those of you who want to try it.

Posted in MagicJack, MagicTalk, VoIP | Tagged | 5 Comments

Android™ Tablets And VoIP

Posted on November 10, 2010 by VoIP Master

Are Android™ Tablets VoIP enabled? That’s one of the questions we’re hearing a lot lately, and the answer is??? Hmmm, I suppose! Any tablet that is running the Android system, in theory, should be able to run VoIP apps, or to download VoIP products like Skype or Google Voice, and those products should work as long as the tablet has access to high speed internet service. But, that of course is up to each carrier.

One of the carriers that look like they might offer some type of VoIP is T-Mobile, who came out with their version of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab™ today. The Galaxy Tab is an Android enabled tablet that has the QIK Video Chat program tied directly into the tablet’s Android Address Book. What’s cool about T-Mobile’s use of QIK’s video app is that it works over both T-Mobile’s network or Wi-Fi. Since T-Mobile Video Chat powered by QIK works over WiFi, wouldn’t that be considered VoIP? (I’m so confused…)

(20 minutes later…)

I kept going around and around trying to find out if Google would give the Galaxy access to it’s app store, since only Android enabled cell phones are supposed to have access, and the Galaxy isn’t a cell phones, but I couldn’t find the answer anywhere. well, T-Mobile answered the question on their site today, with this:

Our Android™-powered tablet loves apps; and with so many available, the sky’s the limit, making the Android Market™ your playground for the Samsung Galaxy Tab™.

So, since the Android store has VoIP Android Apps, I would imagine that you can use a VoIP app on your new Android enabled tablets. (This was the most irritating, worthless, non-flowing, logicless article I’ve ever written. (Is logicless a word, or do I need to write it logic-less?) )

Posted in Mobile VoIP | Tagged | Leave a comment

Ringcentral Office Offers Cloud Based Phone Service

Posted on October 12, 2010 by VoIP Master

RingCentral Office provides business phone users the chance to look and act like a large corporation, even if they aren’t. When you sign up for RingCentral Office, your company gets a toll free phone number and/or a local phone number, as well as phone numbers for all of your users. And, more number can be added each time you add a new user, so your VoIP phone system scales up or down as your business does.

RingCentral Office also lets you keep any current phone numbers you are already using, including any toll free or fax numbers your company is using. Since RingCentral Office is a cloud based, or hosted, phone system, there isn’t any hardware to purchase, nor do you need an in-house telecom expert to keep the system up and running. This type of simplicity and per user cost savings is what makes RingCentral Office one of the fasted growing cloud based telecom providers in the market today.

Here’s how RingCentral Office works:
• A call comes into your local or toll free business number and is answered by an auto attendant/receptionist.
• The auto receptionist then gives the caller choices of who or what department they would like to be transferred to.
• You have the choice of requesting the caller’s name, and nature of business if you would like, and then forward them to the person or department they are looking for.
• If the person or department is busy, the system can be set to hunt for someone else in the department, to try to find the person by ringing their cell or home phone if that is what you want, or send them to voicemail if they aren’t available.
• The choices of what you can do with a call, and how you can handle it, are virtually unlimited.
• And, since this is a VoIP based business phone system, your users and their phones can be anywhere in the world.

The beauty of this system is that while your employees can be from Timbuktu in India, to Walla Walla, Washington in the United States, to anyone calling the system, it looks like you’re just another huge multi-national organization sitting on Walla Street in New York City. (This works really well, I know because I used to run my telecom business part time from a bar in San Carlos, Mexico with downtown San Francisco phone numbers… All the new telecom technology is a kick when you use it to its full potential, like between fishing trips for Marlin and Tuna. LOL)

So, if you’ve got a business, and it’s spread out over the city, the state or the world, think about picking up a cloud based phone system like the one provided by RingCentral Office, and move into the 21st century.

Posted in RingCentral, VoIP | Tagged | Leave a comment

The Free Cellular VoIP Battle: Pinger.com vs. Google Voice vs. MagicTalk

Posted on September 29, 2010 by VoIP Master

Google Voice is winning the battle for free VoIP over cell phones, with their mobile Google Voice app, but companies like Pinger.com and Vocaltec’s MagicTalk are sure to try to get into the free-cell-phone-calls-over-VoIP market. (I just hope they don’t wait too long, since giving Google a head start is never a good idea.)

While Google Voice currently has the advantage, because they are actually in the market, Pinger.com is half way there with their free texting app that lests users send and recieve texts through their Pinger iPhone app, which is currently free at the iPhone app store. Pinger has an application in the works that will let iPhone users make free WiFi and G3 VoIP calls, but it’s not available yet, and it will be interesting to see if Apple lets them market it, since it would cut into chargeable cellular minutes from Apple’s customers.

No one has heard from MagicTalk since the Vocaltec and YMAX merger months ago, so people are starting to wonder if things have gone bad for them. The MagicTalk website is still forwarding to MagicJack.com, and there still isn’t any information on Vocaltec’s website. I haven’t spend much time trying to track down anything that might be available from YMAX, and maybe I should, but they haven’t updated their website since the merger announcement in July, and they don’t offer email contact, only snail mail, so I’m not sure it’s worth chasing at the moment.

What I’d really like to see, is Vocaltec starting the MagicJack affiliate program back up. I, and other telecom agents like myself, would love the opportunity to market MagicJack and MagicTalk for them. If anyone has any information on Pinger’s program or MagicTalk’s new service, drop me a line at help@calling-plans.com.

Posted in Google Voice, MagicJack, VoIP | Tagged | Leave a comment

Google Voice, MagicTalk & Skype Fight It Out!

Posted on August 25, 2010 by VoIP Master

Google Voice announced today that it would start letting Google email users, who also had a Google Voice account, start making PC to Landline phone calls in the US and Canada for free. In the past, they have allowed users to make free PC to PC calls, just like Skype does, but now Skype might have a hard time getting users to pay a couple of cents per minute for PC to phone calls, when both Google Voice and MagicTalk are giving that service away for free.

I think it’s interesting that I was complaining yesterday that I could get any info on MagicTalk’s new, free, PC to phone calling service, and low and behold, Google announces today that I can just use theirs. Like I said yesterday, maybe Vocaltec needs to get moving, it’s hard enough bringing a new product to market without having to compete with fricken Google.

It looks like Google will be trying to make a profit off of international PC to phone calls, so look at the free PC to phone calls as a loss leader, like supermarkets use. If you want to see where Google Voice is going to be rolling in the dough, the check out the Google Voice International Phone Call Rate Sheet.

I wonder what I’ll do for a job when all the telecom in the world is free? LOL I guess since everything is moving to VoIP and WiFi, I better get started on my Wideband Internet Service Empire…

Posted in Google Voice, Vocaltec | Tagged | Leave a comment