Apparently there isn’t enough to do in Washington these days. 20 House of Representatives lawmakers have pressed the FCC to investigate how and why Google decides to block certain phone numbers with its Google Voice service. After numerous complaints were filed by said Representatives, mostly from rural areas, the FCC has sent a formal inquiry to Google and asked for a response by the 28th of this month. Google insists that it is not a “traditional” phone company and should not be regulated as such. Just one more thing to keep the lawyers at the search giant busy, huh?

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Who doesn’t love a little bit of Skype action? If you’re a Mac user, though, Skype 2.8 Gold adds (or improves on if you were using a beta version) some awesome features like screen sharing (you can even share just a part of your screen for privacy reasons), Skype Access, and improved audio and video support. Skype Access is a way to pay for Wi-Fi hotspot access using your Skype account balance which can simplify things for those on the move we guess. Here’s a couple more updated features:

• Improved chat management (sort chats, set priorities)
• Quick add (self explanatory but let’s you add new people to chats)
• Mood message chat (”it’s a bit like Twitter”)
• Support for large profile pictures
• Hidden avatars in incoming contact requests
• Add notes to contacts

Skype 2.8 Gold is available for download immediately from Skype’s website.

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It is officially official,  Skype will be launching an iPhone version of its popular VoIP software on Tuesday and a BlackBerry version in May. Skype for the iPhone will be the standard run of the mill Skype application with an interface consistent with the iPhone’s slick UI. As with the desktop version, Skype to Skype calls will be free, while Skype to traditional numbers will incur a nominal fee. The VoIP service will require access to a Wi-Fi network and will not run over a cellular connection. Additionally, the iPhone version of Skype will also support chatting and, thankfully, this feature will be available via a cellular connection. There’s also several unique features including the ability to use the camera hardware to capture a photo or to pull in a picture from your photo album for use within the Skype application. Incoming conference calls can be accepted but the ability to initiate an outgoing conference call is not yet available. Not surprisingly, video calling will also not be available in these upcoming mobile versions but is reportedly being considered for future releases for the iPhone and other handsets. Best news of all, the Skype app for the iPhone will be available from the App store for free. Sorry BlackBerry users, but no additional information on the BlackBerry version yet. With a launch slated for May, you all may have to wait until WES rolls around. Hit the jump for a few more screen grabs.

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First uncovered well over a year ago, the “Verizon Hub” is finally going to see the light of day. Talk of the Hub, Hub Phone, Ultra-deskphone or whatever else you want to call it, was revived earlier this week when accessories began popping up on the Verizon website. Lo and behold, Big Red has made it official with a press release. So, umm, what is it?

…a new touch screen home phone system designed to replace old-style home phones with a souped-up home communications system, bridging wireline and wireless connectivity in one simple service, that runs on any broadband connection – whether supplied by Verizon FiOS Internet or DSL or any other high-speed service provider.

Well then. Mike Lanman, VP and CMO at Verizon Wireless goes on to say, “The Verizon Hub is going to change the way you think about what you want and need your home phone to do. Whether you’re thinking about getting rid of your home phone or can’t live without it, now is the time to try out the Verizon Hub.” The Verizon Hub will make use of the generously sized touchscreen in a variety of ways – weather info, a variety of calendar and time management functions, movie previews, ticket purchasing and so on. As for pricing, you’re looking at $200 after a $50 mail-in rebate and a monthly $35 subscription that includes unlimited US calling and messaging. The Verizon Hub is set to become available on February 1 – any takers?

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Preliminary info has been floating around the Verizon Hub deskphone but actual release details have been scant at best. It now looks like some images are finally popping up on Verizon’s website where accessories and other bits of info are displayed. The device looks to replace many items that would be found around your phone at home (if you actually still have one of those). Pictures, notes and snippets, weather, messages and many other features will be packed into this device. Essentially, this is your one-stop-shop for everything communications at home. There isn’t much more than can be said about this new phone, but from the looks of things it may be dropping pretty soon – in fact they may already be in stores waiting to be released. If the accessories page is any indication, it’s going to have internet access, a touch screen with stylus and it will require a two-year contract. Anyone excited about one of these?

Thanks, matrix2004!

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If you’re reading this, we hope you’re sitting down because this news is gonna blow you away. HTC recently announced its plans to launch the HTC MAX 4G, the world’s first GSM / WiMax integrated handset! Judging from the looks of that picture along with others floating around the net, it looks like it’s going to be a hell of a gorgeous phone. Of course, HTC rarely disappoints but this is definitely going to be high up on the “want list” for us. The only problem? Well, here it is straight from HTC PR:

While the HTC MAX 4G is being announced with Russia’s Scartel on their ‘Yota’ brand WiMAX network, and is not slated for introduction in the US market, the HTC MAX 4G represents the commitment to cutting edge innovation that HTC is bringing to consumers around the world.

Not slated for introduction in the States? Come on, HTC! First the Touch HD and now this? We’re sure that for those of you desperate enough (and who can blame you?), you’ll find a way to snag one unlocked and use it here where WiMax is available. So, just to continue with the tease, here are some specs for the new device:

• 3.8″ TFT-LCD flat touchscreen with WVGA 800 x 480 resolution
• Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
• TouchFlo 3D
• 528MHz Processor
• GPS
• WiFi
• 5 megapixel auto-focus camera
• Secondary VGA camera for Video Calling
• VoIP
• Accelerometer for portrait/landscape modes

Is anyone frustrated beyond belief yet that this isn’t hitting the US? Not only does it have video calling but when two users are on Russia’s Yota Mobile WiMax network, calls are automatically routed as VoIP – how cool is that? Anyway, before you start turning green with envy, just remember how much you’ll have to sacrifice in Mother Russia when snagging the latest and greatest devices.

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Open up your iTunes and get this app now! Fring is a pre-release app free on iTunes which allows you to contact your friends on AIM, MSN, Yahoo, Twitter, Skype, and more. VoIP is available over WiFi and the availability of your friends are displayed in real time. The only thing is, and this is hardly a downside, they would like for you to offer your feedback, hence the pre-release offer and test. We just had some friends call and while you can tell you’re on VoIP, the call quality is amazing! It’s pretty much just as good as the Fring call quality is on any other platform. Though a little “tinny,” we had no problems whatsoever understanding each other – even outdoors where the traffic noise was substantial. Also, logging onto the instant messaging clients was a breeze and they work perfectly. You don’t need Skype in order to make VoIP calls either if your friends also have Fring. All you have to do is exchange your Fring usernames and call them through GoogleTalk or any of the other messaging clients that don’t say “Chat Only”! The one thing you may want to take note of is that Apple has been just weird lately with what apps they decide to pull from the app store, so you might want to jump on this one while you can.

Thanks, Steph and Gil!

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Well, the girl above seems to be enjoying JAJAH Concierge – a little too much perhaps. Is that a Von Dutch hat by the way?! Ahem. MOBIVOX and JAJAH have just announced a new partnership that has resulted in a pretty cool new service offering call Concierge. The MOBIVOX-powered service allows users to place a call into the Concierge beta service with a free access number. Once the call is connected, users can issue voice commands to call contacts (or any number with digital dialing), send text messages and even set up conference calls. JAJAH CEO Trevor Healy’s press blurb:

This is a great partnership between two companies at the forefront of the development of voice 2.0 services. MOBIVOX customers benefit from enhanced voice quality, while continuing to use the service they know and love. At the same time, we are delighted to offer JAJAH customers a new service developed on MOBIVOX’s voice application platform.

Beyond the cool-factor, the service is pretty useful in a time where disobeying hands-free mobile phone laws has become a very expensive endeavor. Pricing details are not yet available but for the time being it looks like the service is in closed beta and will open up in the coming months. MOBIVOX’s standard offering should tide you over in the meantime.

[Via MOBIVOX]

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According to VoIP and IM provider Gizmo, approximately 11% of landline and mobile telephones in the US are connected to a VoIP network somewhere along the carrier path. Thanks to a relatively new addition to Gizmo’s catalog of services, if you’re lucky enough to have any of your numbers fall into that 11% you can be called for free from anywhere in the world. The project page also includes a search box that allows you to quickly and easily determine whether or not a given phone number is eligible for backdoor dialing. Making use of the service is quite easy; just download the Gizmo5 to your PC / Mac / Linux computer and preface backdoor calls with 0101. The call will be absolutely free for both the caller and the recipient, and Gizmo claims that bypassing the PSTN leg of a connection will sometimes result in even better call quality than standard calling. Once you receive a backdoor call, you can also use the number displayed on caller ID to call back the Gizmo user any time for free! Perhaps the best part of the service is that it’s not tethered to the PC application. Users with compatible Nokia handsets can place backdoor calls using the Gizmo S60 app. In fact, Gizmo supports SIP so you should be able to setup your Gizmo account in any mobile or computer-based SIP client and enjoy backdoor calling. Gizmo states that their backdoor dialing program is experimental but good response might coax them into not only maintaining the service, but also broadening the scope. Definitely check it out; there’s no calling like free calling.

[Via atmaspheric endeavors]

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It’s safe to say that this is not Vonage’s year. First, the company gets bopped with lawsuits from Sprint and Verizon. Sounds bad, right? Yeah. Could it get any worse? Yeah. AT&T has just announced that they will be bringing suit against the beleaguered VoIP company. Claiming that Vonage has violated a single patent relating to internet telephony access, the company said that the recent lawsuits by Verizon and Sprint forced their hand. AT&T has apparently been attempting to reach an out of court settlement for the last two years, but has been unable to come to any sort of mutual agreement. Vonage, for their part, has expressed a desire to remain at the bargaining table. Of course they would…it’s unclear exactly how much AT&T is asking for, but we’re guessing it will be on par with the recent demands from Verizon and Sprint. Sorry, Vonage. We used to love you, too.

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It seems that Skype wasn’t too happy with eBay’s recent recent vote of no-confidence. The company’s co-founder has shot back at eBay, defending Skype’s value and market position. The statement comes on the heels of eBay’s recent admission that they were going to down-value Skype by $1.4 million. Niklas Zennstrom, the Skype’s co-founder and current nonexecutive chairman, has stepped up to the plate to defend his brain child, stating clearly that while the company may have been slightly over valued, its relevance and usefulness are still of great value to eBay. He goes on to point out that while eBay may be taking a bit of a hit, there’s no other consumer-level VoIP software that rivals Skype’s market penetration. He did concede, however, that Skype may have tried to monetize a bit too quickly, and could have benefited from waiting just a bit longer to throw their hat in the "for profit" ring.

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Vonage, one of the country’s biggest VoIP companies has been ordered to pay Sprint at least $69.5 million in fines and restitution. The judgement, handed down by a Federal Court judge references 6 major copyright infringements. Sprint, as the original owner of the aforementioned copyrights is entitled to immediate payment for damages already inflicted, as well as 5% of any future revenue that Vonage generates. We’re not accountants over here, but that’s a pretty significant portion of future profits. This settlement comes on the heels of a ruling earlier this year, granting Verizon a similar deal. Things aren’t looking so good for Vonage at the moment, now, are they?

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Remember Skype? In these days of carrier supported UMA calling, it’s easy to forget the software that started craze and brought VoIP to the masses. Sure, it had been done before, and it has since been done better, but Skype will always hold a special place in our docks and Start menus. Buffalo has been one of Skype’s biggest hardware partners, recently releasing a Wi-Fi phone that pairs seamlessly with Skype’s software. It’s a decent looking handset, leaps and bounds ahead of the fugly Skype phones of yore, though it’s no beauty by any stretch of the imagination. Looks aside, however, there are a couple of problems for anyone looking to swoop one of these suckers. First off, this thing is Japan only. Not tight. Second, if you do manage to import a handset or two into our fine country, you might have some trouble configuring to work with domestic hotspots. It’s paired out of the box with Japan’s network of 5,400 FREESPOT public Wi-Fi hot spots. Such a shame. Perhaps we’ll see an American variant at some point, though we certainly wouldn’t hold out breath.

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