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Your advert here!!! Technical Editors:
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Truphone - brave new VoIP clientThe future of mobile communications very definitely lies in the direction of applications like Truphone from SCN (Software Cellular Network). If a cellular handset can support WiFi, then why not offer a VoIP client to provide access to Internet telephony? Why not, indeed. So SCN has launched Truphone onto the market as a premier supplier of VoIP telephony for mobile phones with WiFi access. The enormous attraction is that it's quite possible to make regular calls to landlines for absolutely nothing – that's depending on whether you live in North America or Europe, of course. The snag is that Mobile Insight found the software - which admittedly is still in Beta - was extremely flakey. Getting Truphone to connect to a public WiFi access point proved to be something of an art, for example. But, in the end, Mobile Insight mastered how to connect to the numerous access points operated by The Cloud in the UK. Another disappointment is that Truphone currently only works on a very small number of Nokia handsets. The list includes the E60, E61, E70 and N80i, although Mobile Insight successfully tried it out on both the E61 and the (presently unlisted) E65. Thus it's well worth checking the Web site before setting out to install the Truphone app. Our review of Truphone kicked off very smoothly indeed. Send the word 'TRU ' as a text message to 60030 in the UK or +447624000000 from abroad and Truphone will send you the appropriate URL. Simply go online using the URL and then download the relevant app. SCN must be praised because the entire download and setup procedure can be completed via the mobile phone's screen. No need for a PC at all. Indeed Mobile Insight achieved a successful installation of Truphone via 3G while travelling home on a train. Once the installation is complete, it's a jolly good idea to follow the instructions and create a shortcut to the Truphone wizard on the handset's screen. That will help enormously. By default, Truphone comes with three standard settings: - one for the home; office; and travelling. SCN has done various deals so that calls are free via the Cloud and in Europe via free-hotspot.com at the time of writing. Naturally the emphasis with Truphone is on low cost voice calls, but this hides the fact that web surfing on the handset can be blindingly fast thanks to the WiFi connexion. It's most impressive when accessing mobile friendly or WAP based sites. With some handsets, Truphone can still provide high speed access to email even though the VoIP client isn't available. Mobile Insight spoke to Truphone about the heavy drain constantly accessing WiFi points places on the battery. Truphone says it's software isn't to blame but Mobile Insight found the E65 was lucky to last a mere 12 hours when accessing WiFi regularly. Truphone piggybacks on existing facilities built into Nokia's handsets so the user experience is far from perfectly right now. However, once the average consumer appreciates how much can be saved by making Internet calls – particularly when roaming – usage will simply explode.
Supplier: SCN The full Inquirer story ... We see the future and it's flakey |
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