With home wifi networks being common, the iPod touch could be used as an iPhoneHome.

When the 1st generation touch came out, it lacked any sort of microphone input, there was no external speaker, skype wasn’t available, and there was no such thing as backgrounding an application. This meant that you couldn’t talk to the other person, and your iPod wouldn’t let you know when someone was calling.

The second generation touch offered a mic-in by way of the headphone jack, came with an external speaker, and skype was available at the time too. There was still no non-jailbroken way to get apps to run in the background, but push notifications came around to let inactive apps know that someone was trying to connect. In my experience the push notifications came way too late, and the other person had already hung up. I could always call them back within a few minutes, but that’s not quite acceptable for every day use.

With the 3rd generation and iOS4, we finally got backgrounding. Your VOIP app could sit in the background and let you know instantly that someone was trying to call, just as a regular phone would. Furthermore, iOS4 allowed the wifi to remain connected, even when the device was asleep, which would ensure that your incoming calls got through.

Now, with the 4th generation iPod touch, we finally have an external mic to go along with the external speaker thanks to facetime. So long as you have a wifi connection, you should be able to install a good VOIP client and have your new iPod touch run transparently as a phone. This is a great option for people who live in cities with free public wifi, students who spend most of their time on campus, or for people who want a home-only iPhone.

Of course with other apps, you can use the touch as a remote to control your HTPC through something like Apple’s Remote app, or the new and amazing plex media center app. I could easily see someone spending a few hundred dollars on a single device which can sit in their house, act as their phone, universal remote, music player, and hand-held game system. iPhoneHome indeed.

This also paves the way for very usable, very cheap calling on the iPhone, especially if you use an iPad 3G SIM to get a data-only iPhone plan.

Skype has been under some pressure from its userbase of late to add this functionality, as it has been anticipated for a while now and incorporates some very important usability features. Impatient users have resorted to tying their Skype accounts to Fring, a third-party app that acts as a front-end for many communications programs and protocols and is kept very up to date. Skype and Fring recently got into a battle of words over video chatting over the Skype network on the new iPhone.

In addition, Skype has canceled its plans to begin charging a small monthly fee for 3G calls, instead keeping that functionality free. You will however still have to pay for a Skype-In number and Skype-Out credit, but those can be had for very low rates considering what you can do with them.

First, Fring made a claim that Skype was blocking Fring and in a subsequent blog post, called Skype cowards.

Now that fring expanded capacity to support the huge demand for video calling for all users, Skype has blocked us from doing so.

They are afraid of open mobile communication. Cowards.

Skype has responded, stating that Fring’s mis-use of Skype software was damaging their brand and reputation.

there is no truth to Fring’s claims that Skype has blocked it. Fring made the decision to remove Skype functionality on its own.

The issue revolves around video calling. Fring was very quick to jump on iOS 4′s ability to make video calls, and enabled the feature in their mobile clients, allowing Fring users to video chat with each other on their iPhone 4s. Fring doesn’t provide a VOIP service themselves, but rather they allow connectivity between users on other networks, similar to how trillian, gaim, and adium allow a user to log in to their google talk, msn, AIM, and Yahoo messenger accounts through a single program. One of the networks Fring users can log in to is Skype. Fringsters could talk to their Skype contacts through their Skype account using their Skype number to make and receive VOIP calls.

Now Fring is claiming that Skype is blocking Fring from allowing users to access the Skype network, cutting of Skype functionality in Fring.

However, Skype claims this is untrue and that Fring removed the functionality themselves, furthermore claiming that Fring is mis-using Skype software.

Skype’s client does not offer many of the new iOS4 features that Fring is quick to jump on, namely video calling, background operation, and even push notifications which have been around for a long time. One could argue that Fring’s client allows Skype users to use these features with Skype, which is something that users want. Skype is notoriously slow at adopting new features such as these, and is also slow at their geographical expansion. You still cannot get a Canadian Skype-In number, but there are a host of Canadian VOIP services offering phone numbers for example.

Skype says this is because they want to maintain a high level of quality with their service and client, preferring to leave a feature out as opposed to implementing it at any level below polished. This is similar to how Apple operates (the iPhone was able to handle backgrounding applications via jailbreak, but it did slow things down, so Apple waited until only recently to allow this functionality as it didn’t live up to their usage level requirements).

The problem with this view is that Skype should realize that its users are people who want to try out new features – you wouldn’t be using mobile VOIP if you weren’t. Why go through the trouble of setting up a Skype account, paying for extra phone service, and jailbreaking your phone so you can get Skype running in the background if all you wanted was simple voice calling which your iPhone already provides? It’s because you are willing to go through some effort and hassle to get some cheap long distance. If you were relatively techno-illiterate, you’d be willing to pay the slightly higher long distance rates through your voice plan in order to avoid the extra steps. These are not Skype users. Skype users want features and are willing to put up with some issues to get them. That’s why people use Fring.

The sooner Skype realizes this and at least releases a second version of their app (call it the beta or testing version) – in parallel to their stable client – that enables these features, the better for them.

With VOIP apps such as Skype working over 3G in the US now, this means you can get essentially unlimited calling on your data-only iPhone for roughly $20 USD a month, which includes a $4 unlimited skype calling account and phone number.

And with the upgrade to iOS 4.0 and background running apps, your VOIP apps can be left to run in the background without having to jailbreak. This means you can answer calls when you get them as the app will be running and able to receive the call.

It’s apparently a fairly easy (although not trivial) process. Just activate the iPad SIM (in an iPad 3G), put it in a microSIM -> SIM adapter, pop it into your iPhone, and change your iPhone’s APN settings.

What’s really nice is if you don’t have an iPad 3G, you can get just the SIM from AT&T for $15. Here in Canada, you can get one from Bell for $5, Telus for $10, and Rogers as well. I don’t know how much Rogers sells them for because their website isn’t very clear about it, but they do sell regular SIMs for $10, in case that is any indication.

If you are in the US, then you should also check out another story on the os-x files blog, namely relating to the use of google voice and skype to get virtually unlimited VOIP phone service for about $6 a month. Combine that with a 250MB data-only iPhone plan, and you can browse and talk for a little over $20 a month.

THIS is what wifitalk.ca is about. Data-only smartphone plans for a reasonable rate, with VOIP calling for voice. It’s not quite native in the US, and because Skype and Google Voice don’t yet offer phone numbers in Canada, it’s even farther away here, but this is the goal.

Credit to Kaido of the os-x files blog for the guide.

While this functionality has been available on the iPhone since a January update to the SDK, and while other apps such as Fring have enabled 3G VOIP calling through their apps, Skype has been noticeably absent from the VOIP over 3G landscape. Until today.

One of the reasons may be that VOIP over 3G isn’t 100% perfect yet. The 3G data network isn’t always reliably fast enough to ensure a level of call quality on par with that of standard voice phone calls or VOIP over wifi. Skype wants to ensure that their users enjoy a positive experience every time they use their product, so limiting 3G calls until the technology improved was in line with this strategy.

Why they are allowing 3G calls now seems to be answered in the press release: “The new version features an enhanced call quality indicator, which will help you choose the best moment to call.” Sounds like a 3G signal strength meter to me. Still, it’s nice to have some estimate of how good your call will sound before you make it.

In addition, there are some tweaks to the app. A faster start up time and some UI changes to allow quick access to the dial pad from the home screen will improve usability.

One interesting thing to note is that while Skype-to-Skype calls over wifi are always free, Skype-to-Skype calls over 3G are free for now. Skype-to-Skype over 3G will be free until the end of 2010, and after that, well, pricing options are being considered. It probably won’t be much though, considering how low Skype’s rates are now.

Maybe we will begin to see 3G (or 4G?) data + skype plans coming out with smartphones in 2011 without a standard voice plan.

It only took a few years, but it’s finally here: Multitasking for the iPhone.

The single biggest drawback keeping the iPhone and iPod touch squarely out of the VOIP game was the lack of multitasking, and this summer, it will be coming.

Today, Apple announced OS 4.0 for the iPhone, to be released in the summer with a developer preview available now. Steve Jobs announced over 1500 new APIs and a list of features for the new OS version, with the biggest announcement being the ability to run apps in the background.

The app-switching interface looks well thought out (would you expect anything less?), with a double click of the home button bringing up a list of all the currently running apps, sort of like an alt-tab bar. Switching between apps is just a matter of touching the icon on this task bar.

This is a game-changer for VOIP apps such as Skype.

Originally, in order for you to receive a call through your Skype app on your iPhone, the Skype app had to be actively running – you had to have Skype up and on the screen all the time. This made Skype useful for calling out, but essentially useless for receiving calls.

This was somewhat addressed with the introduction of push notifications in OS 3.0. These notifications allowed messages to be sent to an inactive app on your phone, giving you a signal that something needed your attention. Now when someone called you, your Skype app would be notified even when it wasn’t running.

While this seemed like a good solution, in practice it still wasn’t as seamless as a regular phone conversation. Testing with various VOIP apps led to different results. Depending on how long ago you had logged in to your VOIP app, your ability to receive a push notification could expire. Some push notifications were less than instant – often I would be notified that someone was trying to call me 30 seconds after they actually had. This timeframe wasn’t quick enough to allow me to answer an incoming call. On the occasions when the notification came quickly enough, in the majority of cases, the call couldn’t be connected by accepting the call through the push notification.

The result was more of a pager system. Get a push notification on your VOIP app, call the person back a minute or two later.

However, that has all changed with multitasking. Skype can now run 24/7 on your iPhone in the background, reacting instantly to incoming calls. You can be in a conversation, put Skype in the background, bring up a web page, and then switch back to Skype.

Add to that the new ability to change the background wallpaper, and it makes me think that Steve just jailbroke the iPhone

Update: “We are releasing it for end users for iPhone and iPod touch for users this summer. For the 3GS and iPod touch 3rd gen. And, for iPhone 3G and iPod touch 2nd gen, they will run many things… but there are some things they won’t run, like multitasking.”

Looks like no multitasking for iPhone 3G and iPod touch 2nd gen users.

List of features in the new iPhone OS 4.0

• creating playlists
• digital zoom
• tap to focus on video
• gift apps
• geotagging
• places in the photo app
• changing the home screen wallpaper
• bluetooth keyboard support
• spell checker

Skype for Symbian enables Nokia smartphone users to:
- Make free Skype-to-Skype calls to other Skype users anywhere in the world*
- Save money on calls and texts (SMS) to phones abroad
- Send and receive instant messages to and from individuals or groups
- Share pictures, videos and other files
- Receive calls to their existing online number
- See when Skype contacts are online and available to call or IM
- Easily import names and numbers from the phone’s address book

This gives Nokia an added boost in the face of decreasing marketshare at the hands of Android and the iPhone. The inclusion of the Skype VOIP app will allow users to make voice calls over their 3G data connection, rather than use up their (relatively) expensive voice minutes.

Mobile VOIP seems to be the way of the future, as data speeds increase, and data plans become (slowly) cheaper. It will be interesting to see how the telcos adapt, as voice plans and all of their additions such as SMS, voicemail, caller ID etc, are their bread and butter right now, and these features are all included for free with a $3/month Skype unlimited calling plan, and/or Google Voice.

Skype CEO Josh Silverman and Russ Shaw, VP and GM of Skype mobile

According to the announcement, several BlackBerry and Android phones will come with Skype pre-installed upon purchase from Verizon. All Skype-to-Skype calls will be free, and Skype’s standard low international long distance calling rates will apply, while standard Skype calls will function over the traditional PSTN network.

Some of the phones available in March will be the BlackBerry Storm 9530, Storm2 9550, Curve 8330, Curve 8530, 8830 World Edition and Tour 9630 smartphones, as well as DROID by Motorola, DROID ERIS by HTC and Motorola DEVOUR.

Perhaps the single biggest factor that will ensure this will be a success is the fact that the Skype apps will always be running, ensuring that you never miss a call – no hoping that you get a push notification in time to close the app you’re working in and start up Skype in time to take the call.

With such a heavyweight in the wireless industry taking such an interest in Skype and putting into good phones which will run Skype to the fullest of its potential, this really makes some noise in the mobile VOIP industry.

Canadian providers will probably be slow to adopt Skype, instead preferring to retain their long-distance voice plan revenue.

The LA Times is reporting on a conversation with an Apple spokesperson who confirmed the recent VOIP over 3G developments in the new iPhone OS 3.2 beta SDK licensing agreement.

“We revised our Program License Agreement in conjunction with our updated Software Development Kit for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad Apps,” wrote an Apple spokesperson.  “Included in this update is the ability for developers to create VoIP apps that utilize cellular networks.” -LA Times

The reason why Skype has not yet updated their client to allow this functionality is because their current app and current iPhone users are still under the licensing terms of the 3.1.2 version of the iPhone OS. This version, which is currently running on most devices, forbids the use of VOIP applications over 3G, instead restricting them to WiFi-only. Skype spokesperson Chaim Haas has said that Skype is waiting on Apple for clarification of this issue. “As soon as we have that clarification, Skype will submit its application for approval.”

What this likely means however is that we will have to wait until iPhone OS 3.2 is released so as to not be bound by the restrictions of version 3.1.2.

It seems as though the integration of gizmo5 into Google Voice is steadily progressing, taking one more step last week. The gizmo5.com domain was transferred to google on 18 January 2010, and now gizmo5.com redirects to google.com/gizmo5.

Gizmo5 was a VOIP company which provided both software and a service which allowed users to make VOIP calls. Similar to the popular skype-in/skype-out service offered by Skype, gizmo5 allowed users to register a phone number to attach to their gizmo5 software or device for the purposes of receiving calls, and allowed users to use the service to make cheap calls out to regular phone numbers.

Back in November of 2009, google acquired gizmo5, adding the missing piece to google’s telecommunications services.

It looks as though google’s intentions are to incorporate gizmo5′s VOIP capabilities with google voice’s services to provide a full VOIP service on its Android devices. This means one could have a fully functioning phone through google on only a data plan – no voice plan would be required. Furthermore, due to google voice’s cheap long distance rates, one could conceivably get unlimited talk and text in North America on just a data plan.