Fring Blog

You wanted it, immediately after Apple allowed it, fring launches its 3G-friendly VoIP app.

With fring on 3G, users get unrestricted, mobile communication. Now iPhone fring users can call, video call, chat and more for FREE over 3G and wifi!

And the best thing? You don’t have to do anything to turn the feature on!

How do I get this update?

You don’t need to do anything to get this update. Just open fring on your iPhone and you are good to go!

This is an interesting option because it allows the use of VOIP apps such as skype, truphone, fring, etc to use the 3G network without any workarounds or jailbreaking as the 3G hotspot creates a wifi network which the iPod connects to. As far as the iPod is concerned, it is connecting via wifi, and it doesn’t know that this wifi signal is then flipped over to the 3G network on the other side of the device. This is also the first instance of a mobile company actually marketing the iPod touch as a phone for use with 3G.

The device is the Novatel Mifi, the same device offered in the US with Sprint and Verizon, and here in Canada now with the Bell and Telus HSPA+ networks. A wifitalk.ca summary of these options is in the works so stay tuned.

Competition in the cellular phone market is always good and is why I have included this story. A good option for VOIP users could be to get an iPhone on a “cheap” minutes plan (ideally pay-as-you-go), and get a good data add-on. One could then use Fring/Skype or some other VOIP service through the data plan for cheap calling and long distance, perhaps even using it on a wifi network if/when available.

Exciting times.

UPDATE: Youtube video introduction.

It has now been approved.

Fring has just released a new version of their iPod Touch/iPhone client that includes push notification support. I thought I’d try it out using my 1st gen iPod touch (no mic so no talking, but I can receive and hear calls), and my array of VOIP programs. They’ve made some nice progress, but it’s not quite there yet.

Test Setup:

Test Methodology:

I used my cell phone to call various combinations of my SIP number, SkypeIn, and Google Voice with skype and fring in various states to test push notifications and the ability to receive calls.

Results:

SkypeIn

SkypeIn Comments

Push notifications seem to work: However, Skype had to be running on my PC with my account logged in or else the call would go straight to skype voicemail. The notification would still come in, and I could launch Fring (or Skype) to take the call, but it would be too late. Having Skype running on my PC seemed to let the Skype servers think there was some chance someone would pick up the call. This would let me launch Fring, but Fring never connected the call and I was just brought to the history screen: At this point my cell phone was still receiving a ringing tone, PC Skype was still indicating a call, and Fring was doing nothing. If Fring or Skype were already running on the iPod (defeating the point of push notifications), the push notification would still come in, I could ignore it, and then each client could connect to the call properly. If Fring or Skype were not running, the push notification was ignored, and then the client application started manually after the call had been placed, neither app could connect to the call. It seems push notifications will let you know someone is calling, but calls can only be connected if the app is running when the call is placed.

Fring Push Notification Pops Up Fring Launches, Does Nothing

Google Voice

Google Voice Comments

There are a few advantages to using Google Voice for this, and a few disadvantages. First, when calling through Google Voice, the call never goes straight to voicemail, and skype is not required to be running on the PC. The notifications still come in, and I can launch Fring, but it still fails to connect. My cell phone keeps getting a ring signal until the Google Voice voicemail picks up.

If Skype is running on the iPod, a Fring push notification still comes in. If it is ignored Skype still fails to pick up on the call and it eventually goes to voicemail.

The disadvantage to using Google Voice is when you answer the phone you are presented with a menu of options for how to interact with the call. You can either answer it, let it go to voicemail and listen in, ignore it, etc, and you make your choice via the touch-tone dial pad. If Fring is running on the iPod, the call to Google Voice comes through, is connected and the call goes to the menu. The Fring client right now does not support in-call touch-tone tones so none of the options are selectable and the call just goes to voicemail.

SIP

SIP Comments

The SIP results are somewhat interesting. If Fring is running everything works as advertised. I can receive the call and talk normally. If however, Fring is not running, nothing happens. There is no push notification and the call goes straight to voicemail.

Conclusion:

The Fring devs have been great about being active and up to date with adding features, and push notifications is one of them. While Fring may work well with push notifications for non-voice applications, all they did for me was notify me (instantly mind you) that someone was calling. I was never able to connect to a call for which I received a push notification. It seems some work still needs to be done on this front, but progress is being made.

Background:

What’s the deal with push notifications?
Push notifications are apple’s way of allowing applications to run in the background on the iPhone without actually running. An example might be an instant messaging client. Without push notifications, if you close the IM client, you won’t receive any messages, and won’t have any idea that someone is trying to contact you. With push notifications enabled, when your friend sends you a message, it is “pushed” to your device and you get a notification that someone is trying to IM you. You can choose to ignore or react to the notification.

What do they mean for VOIP applications on the iPhone/iPod touch?
Push notifications will allow a user to receive a VOIP call even when their VOIP client software isn’t actively running on their device. Without them it’s sort of like having your phone on silent; you’ll only know someone is calling you if you have it open and are staring at it. A push notification will ring your VOIP client if you are playing a game, browsing, or just have your device sitting on the desk (if it’s an iPod touch, your screen has to be active and the wifi has to be on).

Update: Check here for invites.

Update 2: No more need for invites! – Skip straight to step 3 below.

Update 3: I made a proxy for you all. Try http://proxy.wifitalk.ca and let me know if it works. -Actually, it seems this proxy doesn’t pass the javascript properly. Can anyone recommend a good php proxy I can host that will do this?

Okay, so I just got my invite and I got Google Voice to work. In Canada. Sorta. Here’s how to get it to work from a non-US location:

1. Getting the Invite:
https://services.google.com/fb/forms/googlevoiceinvite/ in case you haven’t already.

2. Wait
You just have to wait for an email invite… I know of no way to speed this up.

3. What to do with the email:
If you just click on the link in the invite email it’ll tell you that google voice isn’t offered in your country (unless you’re in the US) and won’t let you do anything. You need a US IP address. For this, use hotspot shield. Activate hotspot shield and click on the invite link in your email.

Update: According to a commenter, hotspotshield may contain some malware. The point of this step is to make google think you are in the US, so you need a US IP address. I have enabled a proxy through this site which should work. Please try it out and let me know of any problems: http://proxy.wifitalk.ca Use this link only for the sign up procedure.

4. Account setup:
You’re not quite out of the woods yet. In the setup section you have to provide a phone number that will ring when someone calls your google voice number (ie a real phone). You put your number in the google voice setup page and it will call you. You then have to type a 2-digit code on your phone to activate the link. As google voice isn’t working outside the US right now you need a US number. Trying a Canadian (or other non-US) number will not work. There are a few ways around this:

Method 1: Just get a US number.
I have a SkypeIn number based in Rhode Island so I used that. If you want one it’s $18 for 3 months.

Method 2: Get a temporary US number.
You can get a temporary US number from a service like inumbr (currently down) or tossabledigits ($6.99) that will forward to your non-US phone.

Method 3: Get a US SIP number
This method requires a few steps.

1. Register for a SIP account at IPTel. You will get an address like sip:username@iptel.org.
2. Get a phone number from IPKall. You will have to input your SIP account information from step 1. There will be a bit of a delay before you get your assigned number.
3. Set up a new your VOIP router or softphone with the SIP account information. Your username will be the one from iptel (“username” from step 1), and the proxy will be iptel.org
4. Test it out by calling your US phone number from IPKall. If it works, then you can use your IPKall US number to activate google voice.

Note: This should in theory work with iPod Touch/iPhone if you set up a new SIP account in Fring. I tried activating this way but could not enter the 2 digit activation code using the Fring client. YMMV

UPDATE: Apparently area code 403 (Alberta) works for google voice natively, so if you have access to a 403 number you can skip step 3 and just use your regular number. Please comment back here with your results if it works.

So yeah, I have google voice with a phone number based in NYC. I also have a SkypeIn number based in Rhode Island.

Even if you get a US number now, you can change your google voice number at any time for $10. Get a US number now, change it to a Canadian (or any other) number later for $10, or just wait until it’s offered and grab a non-US number from the get-go. Of course there isn’t really anything stopping you from getting a US number with one email address now and then getting a number from your home country for free later with another email address (and thus new google voice account) except you wouldn’t have all your old voicemails/settings/etc in your new account.

Once your account is set up, please be sure to click on the “Send Feedback” link at the top of your google voice management page and tell them you’d like to see service in Canada ASAP. Of course be stereotypically polite Canadians when you do it, but don’t spare the enthusiasm!