First Free Mobile-to-Mobile Cross-Platform Calls

bombduck writes "Barablu demonstrates free calling from Nokia Series 60 based phones to Windows Mobile phones and PDAs using a Wi-Fi connection. Both Nokia E Series and N Series Wi-Fi enabled phones tested, showing not only Voice but IM, video and conference calling. "

Comments

Doesn't mention if you can block IMing though..

[Channard]

I wonder how long - if this takes off - it'll take for someone to set up a program on their device to auto-IM spam anyone it can connect to.

Re:Doesn't mention if you can block IMing though..

[British]

But you see, this provides a new innovation in anti-spam technology. If they are in wifi range, thay are within hulk-smash range too. A self-solving problem.

So what

[DJProtoss]

SIP clients are availiable for both the platforms used and will happily communicate with each other. (in fact, since the E-series has sip built in, I wouldn't be surprised if this is simply built on top of it).
from the article:

"It is the first service to bring Instant Messaging directly to a mobile phone."

Really? so the copy of messenger that is built into recent wm2k* based phones, and the aim and jabber clients I have don't count then? pah.

Incoming Video Call

[Anonymous Coward]

Hi--sorry to bug you at Starbucks like this. You don't know me. I'm in the bathroom. Can you tell me - does this look infected to you? It feels infected...

Don't Need Special Software

[Greyfox]

With the Nokia E70 -- it's got a sip dialer already. The problem is finding a wifi network where you want to make a call. If you could get it going at home and office that'd be plenty for a lot of people. I still need to investigate the possibility of connecting to my home asterisk server through T-Mobile's unlimited data service, either directly from the cell or by installing asterisk on the laptop and connecting to the Internet through the phone's bluetooth modem and then running an ad-hoc wifi network on the laptop. That would be sick! I'm not sure their data service provides enough bandwidth to run a voip call, but it's a neat idea.

Not the first

[Simon80]

Some other comments have alluded to this, but to make it explicitly clear, these guys aren't strictly the first to do this. The beauty of SIP (which is the protocol in question) is that it is interoperable with any of these platforms already, as long as the user has a SIP client, they can make voice and video calls to other platforms. I'm not sure about each mobile phone, but PDAs definitely already have this capability using SJPhone. Still, anything to make people aware of SIP is a good thing, cause it is confusing at first, but once you look into it it becomes clear that SIP, or something similarly open, is the future of both fixed and likely mobile communication.

Re:Disabled

[DJProtoss]

Depends on how the access works.
If going over edge / gprs / 3g then I am aware of at least one provider in the uk (which one slips my mind at the moment) that explicitly bans it in their T&C's.
On the other hand, if its going via wifi, well there isn't too much the provider can do (since its not going via them), at least in the UK (In the US, where the telcos seem to have more power to demand specific changes to phones to put in limits/restrict which phones get released, and where it is apparantly harder to get phones direct, they can fight it a bit more).