CCB 2.0 老喬流水帳

XING preview

我剛收到IPEVO給我的XING測試機. 這是一台專為skype用戶所設計的會議用電話. 前幾週在Computex大出風頭, 下週一正式上市. 感謝Robert, IPEVO的COO, 讓我先睹為快.

XING的包裝和內盒陳列. 盒子上的字與圖有點醜. 在國外零售點上市時, 應該會被要求修改. 配件和光碟擺設方式倒是蠻乾淨的.

(按圖可放大)

幾張XING特寫. X形的設計與一般會議室用的八爪魚類似. 正面有skype啟動按鍵, 受話發話鈕, 音量調整滾輪, 側面有耳機麥克風插槽和電源開關.使用起來都很方便. 唯一的缺憾是沒有撥號鍵. 另外, 如果能有錄音功能, 內建個20G硬碟或是可以讀卡, 也會是不錯的選擇(會議錄音, 製作podcast...).


XING需要插電的. 變壓器還可以換頭.

和我親愛的小白搭配在一起. 右手邊是暫時一邊涼快去的Free-1. 不過Free-1仍是上路時的首選!

通話時XING的中央會發亮. 這也是賣點之一. 下午測試時我打去香港, speaker音質非常好.

安裝說明內並沒有給Mac user的協助, driver是有附在裡面. 但必須先安裝光碟所附的PCHome-Skype 1.4版, 我原來用的1.3英文版和XING無法co-work.

我國外的工作夥伴對於XING已經躍躍欲試, 我相信很多公司的會議室, 都會擺上一台. 據說零售價大概100~150美金左右, 對於商務人士而言, 價格OK, 但要用skype開會吵架, 倒是方便不少...:-P

(聲明: IPEVO是PCHome投資的一家公司, 我目前和IPEVO之間沒有任何雇傭關係. 身為skype重度使用者, 對XING的誕生感到興奮, 同時將繼續督促PCHome, 面對並處理目前嚴重的spam-mail問題)

Skype, +886

昨天安裝了Skype 2.5版. 除了增加Skype SMS這個我非常需要的功能外, 另外在撥打SkypeOut的時候, 原來還要加上個886, 使用起來比較麻煩, 現在Skype貼心地用國旗做標識. 我想要知道其他語言的版本是不是也這樣做 (內建各國國旗與國碼)?

其實這是令人高興的. 台灣的886國碼, 在國際電信聯盟(ITU)所定義的e.164碼列表上, 僅是一個保留碼, 並不屬於任何一個國家或地區. 就我所知, 這僅是當初ITU和電總口頭上的默契, 之後就沿用至今. 所以實務上來說, 全球電信公司都知道+886是台灣的國碼, 但在國際政治上, ITU並不承認. 由於ITU是聯合國組織, 台灣也無法以正式membet state的身分參加.

在2002年TWNIC有申請+886 ENUM國碼. ENUM是未來數位電信通訊, 利用現行Internet DNS路由的新技術. 不過, ITU將此申請案駁回. 我在2003~2004年也持續地向國際相關組織請求奧援, 但最後也不得其果; 當初我們甚至被告知, 可以透過中國信息產業部來進行申請, 但這政治的後果, 沒有人敢承擔.

現在Skype從善如流, 定義886為台灣國碼. 對世界上大部分人來說, 這根本已經是理所當然, 不須思索的事情. NCC請加把勁, ITU也請你不要再白目了.

Getting Skypeee...XING from IPEVO, Mousetalk from Sony

上禮拜在PCHOME看到IPEVO最新力作XING, 大為驚艷. XING是一隻由polycom八爪魚概念衍生出來的skype conference phone. 預計六月在台北computex期間上市.

這禮拜Sony也發表了一隻Skype-enabled的Mousetalk. 就是USB 2.0 光學滑鼠 + Skype Phone. 要價折合台幣也要約2500元.

我是比較會買XING. 對於我的工作, 真的是非常實用的gadget, 產品更是咱台灣人的驕傲. Mousetalk可以是不錯的贈品, 但是對我來說, 拿一隻光學滑鼠起來講話, 感覺上似乎有點蠢.

Skypecast

Skypecast early preview is now available.

View a brief press release (via digg). Skypecast is also Typepad friendly.

It would be pretty useful if the recording function is available. I think a lot of hosts may wish to save the conversation and then podcast it, but they may not want to deal with audiograbber or stuff like that. The recording function either can be built-in, or it would be great if someone can develope a USB skype-dock, with a built-in speaker phone and a 20GB USB HD to save the skypecast conversation. A playback function could be useful too, obviously a "record" button is necessary.

Accton Skype WiFi Phone

今天(2/22)下午一點半在六福皇宮, 智邦科技將正式發表上次在日本skype day展示的那支wifi phone.

詳情見 智邦SMC無線Skype手機發表會.

Welltech VoIP Wiretap Server

See this link. 台灣VoIP設備大廠偉僑(Welltech)日前推出SIP-based網路電話監聽伺服器 (VoIP Wiretap / Lawful Interception Server). 好驚! 台灣本土ISP的網路電話服務, ㄧ般還沒有升級到SIP~~記憶中seednet目前是H323, 東森是MGCP, TTN好像是SIP, 不確定. 未來我會列出採用SIP架構的ISP, 大家就知道要如何因應了.

我八月初去拜訪偉僑時, 只知道他們還在測這台. 台灣廠商果然厲害, 三個月之內就可把prototype商品化, 拿出來賣...給檢調及電信監理機關.

IETF目前正在制定SIP-P2P架構, 就是說SIP服務不需經過proxy server就可直接與通話方連結 (換句話說就是sip版的skype). 這台未來還有得改!

Taiwan's 070 VoIP number approved

According to local news source, Taiwanese Ministry of Transportation and Communication has decided to allocate 070 pre-fix for future VoIP services. The official announcement is set to be released early next week.

The number will look like "070-BCDE-FGHI", 11 digits numbering format. BCDE would be carrier identifier, FGHI would be user identifier. The minimum allocation is 10,000 numbers (to carriers).

Service providers with a Type II (service-based) license and with minimum capital of 500 million NTD are now eligible to apply for a VoIP operation "permit", which is to be reviewed every 3 years.

There are over 2000 Type II operators in Taiwan and 80+ of them provide VoIP services.

The incumbent teleco CHT said that they have been ready for the VoIP service. Others like Seednet, TFN, TTN, APOL have already promoted their VoIP services as early as in 2004, in their own private network with PSTN outbound service. Some have pre-assigned users with 070 numbers as well.

Skype has been popular in Taiwan and has 2 Million plus users signed up. However the local LEA (Law Enforcement Agency) has concern for skype used in criminal actions. VoIP numbering became something in the air for a while. On September this year a VoIP wiretapping evaluation report was submitted by TWNIC and IPOX. 070 for VoIP once again became possible.

It is known that Skype's partner in Taiwan, PCHome, has just passed the minimum capital requirement. Some said that 070 is a "skype special clause".

This good news came late, given neighborhood countries like Japan, Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong have already assign e.164 number to VoIP services  in 2003~2004. What makes Taiwan different is that Taiwanese VoIP / WiFi  OEM companies have shown great interests in involving VoIP services in Taiwan / China. It means local carriers are not just competing with each other, but with their suppliers, too.

More news to come next week.

SBC sees little threat from Skype, Net calling

今年初買下AT&T的SBC電信, 近日放話認為網路電話仍不成氣候. 見這個 news link (via Richard Statsny)

By Reuters (also see CNET | Visual Tool)

WASHINGTON - SBC Communications Inc. sees little challenge to its traditional telephone business from services such as Skype that offer free phone calls over the Internet, SBC‘s chief financial officer said on Thursday. "I don‘t see it as a significant threat," SBC CFO Rick Lindner said in an interview with Reuters. "The fears of what may happen there are overblown."

>>>這段話是說網路電話目前的熱潮, 包含google talk, "skypebay", 甚至yahoo + msn等, 僅是在膨風. eBay一姐梅格執行長出來說話:

"It is very clear that voice communications is moving on to the Internet," Whitman said. "In the end, the price that anyone can provide for voice transmission on the Net will trend toward zero."

EBay estimates Skype will produce revenues of $60 million in 2005 and more than $200 million in 2006. EBay Chairman and Chief Executive Meg Whitman told analysts on Wednesday that Skype would make its money from add-on services, not phone calls.

>>>以下是SBC Rick Lindner這位財務長可能不經過大腦的發言, 讓人相當不解: