Slashdot Mirror
With New SDK, VoIP Over 3G Apps Now Working On iPhone
silverpig writes "Yesterday marked the announcement of the Apple iPad device, and with it came a new version of the SDK. In this new version, Apple has lifted the VoIP over 3G restrictions that limited VoIP traffic to wifi only. This morning, Fring announced that its iPhone app is 3G-capable starting immediately. No update is needed as apparently the app had 3G capability all along, but a server-side block prevented its use. Furthermore, apparently a 3G-capable version of Skype has been ready for some time now, and has been waiting for this restriction to be lifted."
It's nice to have this enabled finally. However, the mention that this is something blocked on the server side makes me wonder if this may only be relevant to specific markets.
One of the best parts about my iPhone being jailbroken was that little hack that let you use VOIP over 3g.
Now where's teathering for us poor AT&T "customers"?
Bluetooth headset, iPad, 3G connection. Ding!
was that there was never a technical problem with this, but it was the face that ATT didn't want people to use VOIP over 3G because it competed with their voice offerings.
"The problem with socialism is eventually you run out of other people's money" - Thatcher.
This could mean the beginning of the end of traditional telephony, ie. mobile carriers will soon simply become ISPs with no one using its voice/SMS/MMS services.
I would imagine it will work once the iPhone OS is updated when the iPad launches (or shortly before launch).
Alternative Bluetooth stacks are in the works for jailbroken phones. They already have file-sending working, and presumably Bluetooth HID are next.
I have developed a truly marvelous proof of this comment, which this signature is too narrow to contain.
When is the iPhone getting that? The iPad can use a bluetooth keyboard, but the iPhone can't? What kind of crap is this?
And while we're at it.... why not bluetooth syncing (with SYNCH, FTP, & OBEX), DUN for the touch and iPad, BPP (printing), and Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP)?
This isn't just an Apple problem, by the way. This is an industry-wide problem right now: "bluetooth" means a lot of things and most of the market doesn't seem to care to specify what. The BSIG ought to require those using the Bluetooth logo to specify which profiles a device supports, for the sake of consumer awareness and market pressure.
Tweet, tweet.
AT&T now allowing iPhone VoIP calls over 3G
AT&T Greenlights VoIP For the iPhone
The Fring blog says you may have to log out of fring, shut down the app and restart.
I assume multitasking is still missing so how's skype/fring going to work? "Call me so I can log in"? "While in a skype call - let me log out, I need to check this links/mail/etc?"
Don't blame the vendor, blame the users that support the lock-in by supporting the vendor. Without them the vendor would be forced to change or go out of business.
Remember to maintain your supply of
Wait!
So, first it's "Apple is evil, it;s so locked down! It sucks! They should open it!", and when they actually do open it up and enable new function that they had previously prevented (for whatever reason) it's "Apple is still evil! They will restrict it again!"
Which is it?
Do you want them to remove restrictions or not?
$0.02/min to China, as opposed to $3/min.
And since users have chosen the iPhone model and made it a success, they're obviously fine with it...so why blame anyone? Apple has chosen the appliance paradigm, and the users agreed with it.
Read the links. Fring works over 3G right now. Also, the skype app might be 3G enabled, just that it's not allowed to be used, similar to the state of the Fring app.
Well, it runs over the 3g data network so it is infinitely more bandwidth intensive than a voice call. Voice calls go over a different path which is why you don't need data service (although those patches of land are quite rare these days) to make a call or send a text message.
Bottles.
I was just pointing out that blaming a company for continuing to use a financially successful model is pointless. Successful businesses do what is good for business.
If someone really wants to blame someone for Apple's behavior, it should be the users that support Apple because they wouldn't be able to continue that behavior without the support they receive.
But I agree with you, if everyone on the inside agrees it is a good thing then the people on the outside need to stay out.
Remember to maintain your supply of
Google Voice never used VoIP, it was just a front-end for viewing your messages and contacts- when you wanted to make a phone call thru the app, it just inititiated a POTS call to a nearby toll-free number, which made the connection to their backhaul.
Don't blame me, I voted for Baltar.
Now don't go getting all biblical on us. Won't work because we understand recursion.
Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
I agree. I was in the hospital recently, and the pretty nurse happened to notice that I had an iPhone. She was very curious about it. I showed her e-mail, and the browser, and google maps, and IHeartRadio, and she decided there and then she'd go and buy one. She came back the next day and waved it at me. Now, she's a nurse, she's reasonably clever, but not computer person. She does have a computer, and knows how to dock the phone with iTunes. Does she want a philosophical discussion about open v. proprietary? No. It's just got to work.
I know this is Slashdot, so I won't even ask if you got her phone number, did you at least get her IPhone's IP or IMEI address? :)
The device fills a gap, and it seems a lot of people were stuck there until this device came along. Why do we have to wave our torches and pitchforks outside the fence when we could simply let these people have the all the tech they will ever need in a sensible form factor (and leave us alone)? We will still have our toys anyway (Android, Nokia N800 et al), and to an extreme, in that same form factor if one is determined enough.
If there ever comes a time when they will need us say, to do some jailbreaking (there is enough documentation -- and warnings against it), just remember to look annoyed, as usual =)
WARNING: Smartphones have side effects--most of them undocumented.
Well, it runs over the 3g data network so it is infinitely more bandwidth intensive than a voice call.
Infinitely more? No wonder AT&T can't build a good enough network for the iPhone.