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Firefox VoIP Client

libocannici writes "Abbeynet Labs has released the first version of a Firefox VoIP extension which is a full featured SIP user agent plugin for Firefox." The Firefox extension is completely stand-alone, with all VoIP functionality built directly into it. From one-click calling to SMS sending, this promises to be quite handy. All Internet calls are currently free, just requiring an abbyphone account, while PSTN calls have a small charge.

27 of 177 comments (clear)

  1. AMD by celardore · · Score: 5, Funny

    Will it work on my AMD processor?

  2. Err, why? by Poromenos1 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Why does this have to be a Firefox extension? Why can't I just use Skype (or at least make it standalone)?

    I use Opera, damnit!

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    1. Re:Err, why? by misleb · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Good question. It isn't like it is cross platform or anything. So not only is it limited to Firefox, but also Windows. Seems like a silly set of restrictions just to get the "convenience" of clicking on a phone number and calling or whatever it does. How often does that happen, anyway? Calling tech support from a vendor support page?

      -matthew

      --
      "THERE IS NO JUSTICE, THERE IS ONLY ME." -Death
    2. Re:Err, why? by coreyb · · Score: 4, Informative

      RTFA - you click on a phone number in a web page and it calls it. Not that cutting and pasting 10 digits would be that difficult, but there it is.

    3. Re:Err, why? by Bogtha · · Score: 5, Informative

      you click on a phone number in a web page and it calls it.

      You still don't need to build the VOIP into the browser. Just a Greasemonkey script to convert plain-text telephone numbers into <a href="tel:..."> links and a handler to pass off tel: links to an external program just like mailto: links are handled.

      --
      Bogtha Bogtha Bogtha
  3. Ticked Off Ma Bell by neonprimetime · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I betcha if this every caught on ... it could really tick off the big phone companies.

  4. All in One ... Not always Good? by AWhiteFlame · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Firefox Plugins: Why run anything else?

    I'll just run Skype in my tray, thanks..

    --
    "Everything worth innovating today will go to court tomorrow."
  5. Crap stuffed into firefox is not crap anymore ? by file-exists-p · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is a non-free windows VOIP application. There are zillions of similar things already on the market. Why is this one noticeable ? Because it was stuffed into firefox-the-free-software ?

    1. Re:Crap stuffed into firefox is not crap anymore ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      For a Free/free cross-platform Firefox VOIP extension try OpenWengo (http://www.openwengo.org)

    2. Re:Crap stuffed into firefox is not crap anymore ? by Lumpy · · Score: 3, Informative

      Exactly, Its not configurable for use with Asterisk or anything else.

      I find this plugin as useful as the yahoo toolbar that get's shoved down my throat at almost every turn now days.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  6. Remember when Firefox was a web browser? by stratjakt · · Score: 3, Insightful

    How about a FORTRAN compiler plugin or a plugin to catalog the users collection of anal beads?

    Seriously, can we say feature bloat?

    The next firefox news I want to here is the news that firefox 1.5 isn't a memory leaking bloated piece of shit under linux. I'm not joking when I say that running IE under wine is faster and more stable on my machine. FF is leaking memory just sitting there doing nothing -- I can see it happen with top.

    --
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  7. There is already a skype extension for firefox by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://www.skype.com/download/skypewebtoolbar/fire fox.html

    I maintain a salesforce database and this thing is brilliant. Just click the #.

  8. Firefox card games by kkovach · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Been there, done that.

    http://cardgames.mozdev.org/

    - Kevin

    --
    The less confident you are, the more serious you have to act.
  9. Thanks, but no thanks. by Rob+T+Firefly · · Score: 3, Interesting

    With my normally running Skype and/or gaim, I've already got all that functionality. I love Firefox and all, but I really see no need to use my web browser as yet another 3rd-party non-free VOIP app.

  10. <EVERYTHING> extensions. by OverDrive33 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Is it just me, or is it getting more and more possible to do away with Windows completely and just use a plethora of Firefox extensions to accomplish the same goals?
    The more I think about it, there certainly are enough extensions out there to just have Windows boot firefox.exe rather than explorer as a default shell. Forget the start menu! Everything you need is built into your web browser!! As for office apps, there's a good range of "Web 2.0" office suites that you could use.
    I can't decide if this is a good or a bad thing.

  11. Asterisk IAX Client too by Albanach · · Score: 4, Informative
    As others have pointed out, it's not the first VoIP extemsion for Firefox.

    There's also an IAX client for Asterisk fans called MozIAX available here.

  12. But does it work in linux? by Se7enLC · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ... No, it doesn't work in linux

    Saying "firefox plugin" is not enough if you don't plan on supporting ALL versions of firefox. You need to specify "windows only" so we can lump it in with the rest of the windows VoIP crap.

  13. Re:Extensions are great. by PFI_Optix · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Home telephone service is dying.

    Home telephone will die when:

    1) Cellular coverage is complete and solid. There are still large chunks of rural areas with no service at all.

    2) Cellular service becomes reliable. I run into "network busy" at least once a month; I've never had such a problem with my land line.

    3) cellular service becomes truly affordable. I can get a land line with unlimited long distance for somewhere around $60-70. If I go with the most basic service, I can get it unlimited local for under $40. My cell phone plan with 600 "any time" minutes costs more than either. First cell company to unlimited minutes for $50 a month wins my cash vote.

    4) DSL is available without telephone service. That's where the phone companies like AT&T are already going: they see a severe decline in landline subscriptions coming and are trying to dig into the cable market. "Fiber to the home" is becoming quite the popular phrase.

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  14. Not the 1st: Wengo beat them to the punch by OlivierB · · Score: 5, Informative
    Wengo's had a Firefox multi-plateform (Mac, PC, Linux) and multi-architecture (x86, PPC) VoIP extension available for about 4 months now. See it here

    Wengo btw is my operator of choice here in Europe with top-notch voice quality and reliability with prices lower than Skype. Only problem is their inbound number is France only atm. Did I mention that they have a working Gaim port?

    --
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  15. Re:Almost makes you feel sorry for IE users by saleenS281 · · Score: 4, Funny

    If only you knew. There's a large community out there that makes "extensions" for IE as well, you've just never bothered to look.

  16. Flock by tecker · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This seems like something that would be better suited for Flock rather then Firefox. Wouldnt it make more sense for You to be able to see who was on and then be able to call them for free. Im guessing that someone will do this.

    --
    Procrastinating life a way at a rapid rate of speed.
  17. Re: extensions. by Bogtha · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yes, Firefox is truly becoming the 21st century EMACS. It's a decent OS, all it needs now is a good web browser ;).

    What really worries me is when the EMACS developers realise that they can replace their built-in web browser with Firefox and when the Firefox developers realise that they can replace their built-in text boxes with EMACS. The resulting bloat will collapse in on itself and the Earth will be sucked into the newly-formed black hole.

    --
    Bogtha Bogtha Bogtha
  18. An alternate to this VOIP extension by dmbtech · · Score: 4, Interesting

    A great alternite to this extension is the openwengo firefox extension. Its a little buggy, but gets its job done and looks very nice. Its called openwengo, and you can get it from http://www.openwengo.org/ . Its open source, lightweight and also allows free phone line calls, which Abbeynet doesn't do.

  19. The New New New Thing by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I hope that the wide deployment of Firefox makes this SIP client catch on fast and replace the proprietary Skype clients that created the market.

    And I hope this SIP client pushes Firefox into even further deployment.

    Simple integration of voice into the Web has the power to be the "new Netscape", combining multiple related functions into a single integrated experience among hundreds of millions of people around the world.

    Calling the PSTN for a charge might become like the mid-1990s paying small dialup prices to access the rest of the Net for "free".

    --

    --
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  20. Isn't it now called VONSA? by freelunch · · Score: 4, Funny

    Voice Over NSA.

  21. Re:Almost makes you feel sorry for IE users by Kadin2048 · · Score: 5, Funny

    He doesn't know. That's the beauty of IE "extensions" ... they just show up on your computer, by magic!

    It's the state-of-the-art in software distribution. They install it on your computer before you even know you want it there. Microsoft has always been ahead of the curve here.

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  22. Re:Standard protocol is needed!! by rodac · · Score: 3, Informative

    There are two standards for VoIP (SIP and H.323) and any application that implements them should interoperate just fine with any other implementation.
    Any SIP VoIP application should interoperate just fine with any other SIP application. same goes for H.323.

    Skype is special and uses a proprietary nonstandard protocol and as such wont interoperate with anything else.
    It would be nice if skype were to be gradually phased out and replaced with proper H.323 or SIP based applications.