Category: Gizmo Project
December 25th, 2007
Number 7 Most-Read Post of the Year: softphone GUIs compared
First of all, Merry Christmas.
Checking our server logs, we find that the seventh most-read post on this blog up through December 5 of this year is, rather surprisingly, a holdover post that was the most-read of 2006.
The title of this post is Skype vs. Gizmo UI? Hah! No comparison.
As this post’s name would indicate, I dedicated this entry to the assertion that the Graphical User Interface of the GizmoProject’s softphone is superior in terms of usability, functionality and yes, even eye candy to that of Skype.
I still believe that to be the case.
If there’s such a thing as a “golden oldie” post on this blog, this one sure is. I mean, I first posted this on July 25, 2005, and it still shows up on some of my daily reports as one of the most frequently clicked-on blog entries!
June 30th, 2007
Skype on Nokia N800 is a winner
Mobile device blogger Kevin Tofel is all revved up about seeing Skype running on an Nokia N800.
Kevin spotted this at the Nokia booth, at the Digital Experience show in NYC. We’re told that Skype will be on this device in July.
Hey, wait a minute. Tomorrow IS July. (Gee where did June go?)
For me, the appeal of this sanctioned mash-up isn’t necessarily Skype acquiring yet another mobile platform, but the the attributes of the N800 itself.
Although I wish it had a camera, the N800 is a portable device with many of the features of the iPhone. Camera, multimedia, email, etc. The cost is $399.99, and you know, Skype or Gizmo (which the tablet-like device is already compatible with) is usually cheaper than Wi-Fi.
June 15th, 2007
Gizmo Project log-in delays?
Fellow blogger Andy Abramson writes that some of his Gizmo Project log-in attempts have been taking a rather long time as of late.
He mentions thatJason Droege, who is President of Gizmo Project creator SipPhone, attributes this to growing pains and the increase in users they are seeing.
Andy sees these growing pains delays as a positive aspect that indicates increasing popularity. Still, he warns that too much of this stuff can turn users off as they look for an alternative.
I, for one, have not had any GP log-in issues this week.
Have you?
June 11th, 2007
Gizmo now offers new add Buddy functionality for AIM, MSN, Yahoo!
Just a few minutes ago, I received an email from Gizmo Project noting that it’s now possible and easy to add AOL Instant Messenger and MSN Messenger buddies to Gizmo Project. Say goodbye to the need to start adding contacts one by one.
Here’s how:
Log into Gizmo Project as normal, You’ll notice a new contact called “Add AIM, MSN, Y! buddies”, has been added to the Contacts folder. Start a chat with this new contact.
In the chat window type “Help”, and a list of instructions will automatically pop up. Follow these simple instructions to add your existing AIM and MSN buddies directly to your contact list.
Once added, you can instantly see who’s online and start chatting with them right away.
Yahoo!, iChat and Jabber add buddy functionalities are coming soon.
As a Gizmo user and an IM’er, I can’t wait.
May 17th, 2007
VoIP Expert: Skype degrades my MacBook, so I'm switchin' to Gizmo
This is no newbie. We’re talking Ted Wallingford here. Ted has written VoIP Hacks: Tips & Tools for Internet Telephony and Switching to VoIP .
Ted’s about fed up with Skype. Doesn’t seem to play well with his MacBook- even when Skype isn’t running.
Here’s his story:
At first I really thought it was just me, but I’ve confirmed that my MacBook’s performance suffers significantly when Skype is running, even if it’s just sitting in the background. Many people have complained about this in the past but I wondered how much of the supposed performance degradations were reality versus FUD or old wives’ tales. So I’ve removed Skype from my startup items.
Performance isn’t the only reason, though. Gizmo does just about everything I need from Skype anyway, and a few things it doesn’t (hold music, free custom voicemail, etc.). Plus, very few of the contacts I rely on Skype for daily aren’t also in my Gizmo Project contact list. Plus, Gizmo really provides a value add by being a call target for Grand Central and by allowing my to place SIP-to-PSTN calls on my Gizmo account via a Nokia IP-enabled cell phone. There ya have it. Skype–Hasta la vista, baby.
Are any of you experiencing technical problems with Skype when you run it on your MacBook?
April 6th, 2007
What should be your Plan B if Vonage locks you out or goes away?
March 1st, 2007
Gizmo Project 3.0 released: is this an IRC killer?
Another upgrade to Gizmo-this one's 3.0.
I've just installed it.
Looking forward to the interoperability with Yahoo Messenger, Windows Live, Google Talk and Jabber. If I wanted to, I could call Yahoo! Messenger users for free in France, Spain, and other locations. I know people in France, but I don't speak the language. I've never been to Spain but I kinda like the music.
Actually more than kinda, but that's for another post.
But the real competitive issue here is multi-user chat capabilities, which Gizmo claims makes it easy for groups to communicate in real time.
This capability is enabled via a tabbed chat interface, and complete chat logging, which gives users the ability to autosave save and re-read any number of chat sessions.
Now here's why this is important. Another blog publisher I am affiliated with is insisting that we use Internet Relay Chat for a 20-participant online briefing scheduled for this evening. I've tried to use IRC once and was befuddled. Publisher just pushed through an IRC tutorial earlier this week, but I don't find the instructions too clear.
The problem is that in many quarters, there is an institutional bias toward using instant messaging programs in lieu of IRC chats. The bias, I believe, comes from the potential conversational interruptiness (channeling Colbert here) of IM clients, and the perception that IRC is so much more orderly. But if Gizmo really has solved this problem, well, I am here to preach the word.
But are you?
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February 21st, 2007
When in roam..think about Gizmo over GrandCentral
Users of GrandCentral Communications often rave on to me about what a great solution it is for tying all phones and voicemail boxes into one number. I mean your VoIP, cell(s), landline, pretty much every phone number you have. Free, too.
Today GrandCentral announced interoperability with Gizmo Project. I've always found Gizmo one of the most efficient such services to use.
To get this up and running, Gizmo Project users would designate their Gizmo Project profile ID. The ID appears as a "747" area code number.
Then, when a call comes in, it will ring into your GrandCentral number. Works with PCs, Macs, Nokia Nseries mobile phones or Internet Tablets.
And did I say that when you use Gizmo over GrandCentral there's no roaming minutes to worry about?
January 29th, 2007
GizmoCall will allow calls from any browser
Mike Robertson of SIPphone just wrote to tell me that his company will introduce Gizmo Call tomorrow.
Gizmo Call will be an online service that will enable Internet calls from any browser. This will be accomplished via a Flash plug-in gthat will enable calls by typing a number into a field that will live on the browser.
"We're trying to lower the bar for consumers to get engaged with VOIP," Mike writes. This new technology removes the need to download a big client and run a traditional installer and setup an account. Instead a small 900k flash plugin is loaded and users can immediately make calls.
More details from Mike:
"Users get 5 minutes of calling per day to just about any phone number and can double that if they register with an email address," he notes. "If they want to make more calls, they can purchase Call Out minutes. Besides PSTN phones they can call for free google talk users, Windows Live users, Gizmo Project users and of course any SIP address/device."
You can even customize your CallerID customizing your CallerID so that it can appear to come from your office or home phone.
Some so called "full" Internet voice services don't even let you do that.
I'm on the road but when I get home tomorrow night, I'll load Gizmo Call and let you know what I think.
December 27th, 2006
Here's our most-read post of the year!
Over the last couple of weeks I have been counting down the ten most-read posts on this blog during 2006.
We're down to #1.
Drum roll please..
Checking our server logs I see that our top-ranked post of the year is Skype vs. Gizmo UI? Hah! No comparison.
Despite the fact that this post was published "eons" ago on July 25, 2005- it garnered enough views in 2006 to rank #1. Maybe that's because I took the stance that the Gizmo Project softphone's user interface is more functional, intuitive and easy on the eyes than Skype's is.
More than 17 months have passed. Lots of changes, both in the worlds we cover here, as well as in the larger world. But although Skype has made some incremental interface improvements, well, I still find Gizmo more appealing to look at. Maybe to call with as well.
What do you think?
November 17th, 2006
Alexa mashup site alexaholic lets you compare VoIP provider site traffic over time
I've been having a little fun with alexaholic, a type of Alexa mash-up that lets you compare estimated page view totals and traffic patterns for several websites over specific lengths of time.
Let's compare relative page view rankings for Skype, Vonage, Packet 8, Gizmo Project and SunRocket site views over a six month period, and then over the most recently computed seven days. These Alexa projections - which are far from definitive but are often cited as a good general barometer of site traffic patterns- rank these sites along with all other sites in Alexa's index.
First, a caveat: these are estimates of visits to each provider's site, not estimates of how often each provider's service is used. Nevertheless, this info is useful because spikes in web site visits often accompany consumer excitement about new features or downloads.
First, a sixth-month view for the sites I have mentioned:
We can see that Skype's site was especially hot six months ago, leveled off gradually since then, but shows signs of picking up. Vonage peaked in late June but has come back in the last month. And Gizmo's site was especially popular in lat July, but has been trailing off since that time.
But how about for the most recently charted seven days?
Unquestionably more of a steady-state view, but some definite upward movement for Packet 8, SunRocket and Gizmo's sites as this week went on.
October 22nd, 2006
What I'd change about Gizmo Project's Login screen
Martin Geddes of the independently-run Skype Journal is not what you would call a huge fan of the Gizmo Project Login screen.
While I love and use Gizmo, I tend to agree with Martin's assertions that the screen layout can be confusing, with what he calls a "high cognitive load."
Martin doesn't like the placement of the "Login using my current account name" and "Register a new account name" radio buttons above the Account Name pull-down menu.
I agree. The radio buttons should be below the Account Name and Password boxes, or better yet, should disappear from the Login screen if and only appear as a default if you don't have an account name, or if you've entered the wrong account name and password.
"The drop-down text entry box is the wrong cue for creating an account name," Martin writes," because it implies a selection of existing data."
In other words, the user is going to see an Account Name pull-down menu regardless of whether or not he has created one.
Plus, may I add, the average user will probably only have one account name. Why present an account name pull-down menu, with its implication that more than one user name does- or at least should, exist?
And then I am wondering why the huge Gizmo Project logo and wheel. Seems to me that Gizmo is taking up valuable screen space by hitting users over the head with yes, sir, we're the utility you've just called up.
Russell Shaw is an enterprise computing journalist, analyst and author based in Portland, Oregon. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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