Since its launch in late July, 2009 tens of thousands of FREETALK Everyman Headsets for Skype have been distributed around the world. Its unique combination of superwideband audio support, flat-fold design and stereo plug adapter to become an iPod, iPhone and/or Blackberry speaker headset have provided a  superb listening experience whether taking advantage of Skype’s SILK codec on a PC-based call or listening to your iPhone’s iPod player during a flight (as the author is doing as he drafts this post).

As a steady user of both the FREETALK Everyman or FREETALK Freedom Wireless Stereo headset, both set new standards for voice quality on Skype conversations as well as listening to music or podcasts whether at home, in the office or in a mobile environment.

Kevin Tofel at jkontherun, a blog about mobile devices and experiences, sums it up best in his video:

Dave Cryer at UK-based Geekanoids has also provided an excellent video demonstration of the package and many features on You Tube.

In other recent posts Jonathan Jensen at The Really Mobile Project says, in First Look: FREETALK Everyman headset for Skype,

Build quality and comfort are good, considering the price point of the headset. I was amazed how light it is and would happily wear it for a couple of hours at a time.

Jeb Briliant at aBrilliantBlog writes:

The Everyman Skype headset is fantastic.  It’s a basic stereo headset with a boom mic but it’s much more then that.  I’m no audiophile but I know this, it sounds great on every single call I’ve used it for.  It’s light, small and packs easily into a travel bag.  I’ve taken it on a few trips now and it’s treated me quite well.

Check out earlier feedback posted on Voice On The Web at:

• FREETALK® Everyman: The Bloggers Speak Out and
• FREETALK® Everyman: From Twitterville and More Bloggers

Full disclosure: In Store Solutions has become a client of Denali InterConneXions, publisher of Voice On The Web, building on the author’s previous business development experience with establishing partnerships that can assist with the promotion of a primary vendor’s offerings. A more complete statement will follow shortly.

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If I ever had any doubt about the value of Twitter as a commercial social networking tool, it evaporated this weekend as a result of following some Tweets on the subject of smartphones that appeared this weekend. They certainly provide an independent perspective on issues that I’m sure others are wondering about:

Mark Evans acquired an iPod Touch back in August after deciding he did not need an iPhone; as a result of his recent employment status change, he is now debating the merits of having a smartphone – in particular, an iPhone

Luca Filigheddu has just gone through the process of evaluating the BlackBerry Bold and iPhone over the past few weeks. Yesterday he sent me a Twitter direct message to say that he had acquired a BlackBerry Bold; after he had had a few hours experience Saturday I see this on his Twitter feed:

And when I came home yesterday evening I see that my acquaintance Olivier Chaine has put up this Tweet (earlier yesterday I had suggested, in response to his request for smartphone Twitter client recommendations, that he look at Slandr.Net as a mobile platform Twitter client):

First I would suggest that the mini-computer industry died many years ago, to be replaced by the microcomputer era, especially server banks. Trust me, I spent a major part of my career relying on mini-computers. I think I would need a backpack to be mobile with a mini-computer.

So I’ll assume Mark is really looking to have a mobile microcomputer or PC experience on a smartphone. Having had several months’ experience with both an iPhone and a BlackBerry Bold, here are my criteria for a mobile microcomputer or, more aptly, a “Laptop for the Hip or Purse”:

• Minimum 480 x 320 graphics display.
• Full QWERTY keyboard.
• Web browser capable of supporting PC-type browsing.
• Supports “Cut & Paste” (of significant value more often than one would initially imagine until it’s not available)
• View and edit MS Office documents (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) with potential to add document creation.
• Supports video recording and MMS
• Background processing (especially after experiencing both Truphone for BlackBerry and Truphone for iPhone)
• Supports true Instant Messaging in background while running other applications
• A very high speed processor (>500 MHz)
• Runs applications such as Qik.com, SlingPlayer Mobile and iSkoot (for voice and chat conversations with Skype contacts).
• Bluetooth stereo audio support.
• Removable battery
• Equipped for memory upgrades through a removable memory card.
• Supports both Both WiFi and 3G wireless protocols

A nice set of specifications but the key question here is: “How does it change the user experience?”. In particular does it eliminate the “urge” to turn on, or always carry, a laptop to keep up-to-date with real time activities?

As I have mentioned elsewhere, after a month’s experience with the BlackBerry Bold, I found I had lost that tugging “urge” to turn on my laptop for keeping current with real time (and often mission critical) information. This change did not just involve email and web browsing but also Instant Messaging, Twitter and attached document editing.. RIM would do well to position Bold as a “Laptop for the Hip or Purse”, bypassing all the technical comparisons and moving on to succinctly promoting Bold based on the actual user experience.

I like my iPhone for many of its personal information delivery features; it gives me a feel for what is appealing about the iPhone. I can find Toronto Transit streetcar times, do unit conversions, find the nearest Tim Horton’s or Starbucks; it has lots of great information delivery features. On the media side it’s definitely an extension of the iPod although it does not have the full audio performance of the Bold.

However, a mobile microcomputer the iPhone is NOT! I find myself turning to my Bold much more often than my iPhone for real two way interactivity. And just as important as the keyboard is the ability to track instant messaging sessions, whether on iSkoot (for Skype chat), Palringo or BlackBerry Messenger in background while carrying out other activities. On the subject of low cost international calling I find I can make much more use of Truphone for BlackBerry than Truphone for iPhone (that’s the subject of a future post).

I am encountering more and more acquaintances who have no use for a touch keyboard; certainly my typing error rate is much worse on the iPhone. For this reason alone I consider the iPhone to be a very good one-way information delivery device whereas BlackBerry is a true two-way communications device.

As for applications, suffice it to say that over the next six months, where feasible business savvy developers will publish applications running on both devices. For instance, The Hockey News has just released mobile applications for both the BlackBerry and iPhone. I mentioned Truphone above; Mobile Google apps are another example.

Keeping up with iTunes music via BlackBerry MediaSync is a trivial operation. Frankly from some video and audio streaming experiences I have had, BlackBerry Bold provides superior stereo audio performance even without earbuds or a headset.

Bottom line: when I leave my home office or hotel room with my Bold, I no longer have to take my laptop to keep current.

Yes, at the moment, the iPhone browser a superior user experience but rest assured RIM is not ignoring the issue.At this point the Bold’s browser issues have sometimes been frustrating but they not been an inhibition to my browsing activities in any major way – I still get the information I am seeking. The critical parameter here is the 480 pixel display width, which is sufficient to view most websites and weblogs without the need for horizontal scrolling via a ribbon bar. When RIM releases carrier-specific versions of their upgraded operating system – including browser enhancements, the Bold will live up to its full potential as “A Laptop for the Hip or Purse”.

(As for pricing on Rogers, both the Bold and iPhone are C$199 with a three year contract.)

In future posts I’ll cover in more detail some of the issues mentioned above, including my Truphone evaluation on each device, some very interesting real time video and audio experiences, the range of third party applications available on each device and why both background processing and WiFi is becoming critical to any smartphone.

And, Mark, if you’re looking for a mobile microcomputer, I would suggest serious consideration of the BlackBerry Bold.

In closing, can we expect Skype to include BlackBerry as one of their supported platforms for Skype for Mobile? Or will iSkoot improve on their user interface to take advantage of some new BlackBerry developer tools? (Most Skype executives I meet are sporting a BlackBerry – it’s supported by eBay IT.)

Update: Luca published a post this afternoon, A Bold New Experience, and asks about his Tweet above: “Why Did I Say That?”

1) Always on Experience: the BB is offering me a realtime always-on experience never found in any device I used before
2) Multitasking – It lets you receive IMs while writing an email or making a phone call, for example
3) Stunning display
4) Wide availability of apps
5) Crazy speed
6) Great usability

Update #2: (Dec. 23) ZDNet names BlackBerry Bold as #1 most influential biztech product of 2008; iPhone is #3.

Other posts:

• Om Malik: Review: BlackBerry Bold is Beautiful
• Web Worker Daily: BlackBerry Bold: Upgrading Your Mobile Experience.

Or maybe this should be called: Steve Jobs Does Not Tolerate even the Contemplation of Failure.

Last week I reported on Rogers’ announcement of new data plans for both the forthcoming iPhone (available in two days) and RIM’s Blackberry. In fact, I had immediately changed my Blackberry plan to a new one where the price per MB had gone down by 96%.

But the blogger and Internet response to the announcements re the iPhone turned into a huge PR fiasco for Rogers. Almost 60,000 signed an online petition; reaction on the Internet through blog posts and comments demonstrated that Apple has a huge fan base that wants to remain loyal to Apple but would not tolerate being overcharged. Rumors had Apple diverting Canadian-designated iPhone shipments to other countries in response to Rogers’ pricing. The story garnered five minute bytes on evening national newscasts on all three Canadian television networks. Comparisons with AT&T and T-Mobile plans demonstrated that either Rogers did not have sufficient infrastructure, including backhaul, to support unlimited data plans or they were simply overcharging due to their GSM monopoly situation in Canada. It became an international story with CNN amongst others covering it.

Mark Evans and I (see link above) both predicted these plans would not garner the sales volumes that Apple was expecting.

Today Rogers announced that, until August 30, any smartphone, including Blackberries on BIS, on the 3G network will be able to get a $30 per month data plan covering 6GB of data until August 31. As predicted last fall, I knew the RIM people had to be onto Rogers as soon as they announced this plan for the iPhone. Now Rogers has to address the inequity of the situation where Blackberries on BES (read “corporate accounts”) are still being charged $60 for 25MB. (When I started this post, the new data plan was only for the iPhone. Talk about “Breaking News”.)

Thanks to the leadership of Steve Jobs at Apple and Jim Balsille at RIM, along with the very passionate Canadian Apple and Blackberry fan base, for demonstrating that it is possible for the smartphone vendors to call the shots. Even in monopoly situations, carriers have limits as to how much the public will tolerate the abuse of a public trust — in this case licenses for wireless communications. Obviously ARPU went out the door in favor of customer recruitment. (Were bonus plans renegotiated at Rogers?) Let’s see if the same happens in Mexico and New Zealand where again, there are some very exorbitant plans offered for the iPhone.

And, in closing, let the real Canadian Smartphone Games begin!

Reaction at Crackberry.com; Rogers initial press release today

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Yesterday’s announcement of new international calling plans available from Skype probably set a record for generating press traffic about Skype. Certainly my “:Skype” keyword feed in FeedDemon has been gone off the end. Most of the reports were simply rehashes of the original two press releases (Global and North America). But some bloggers’ observations are worth mentioning.

Pat Phelan at Cubic Telecomm (MaxRoam) thinks these plans will seriously impact the phone card market:

This a serious blow to the phone card market and with the multicountry plans to launch prepaid Skype cards now starting to ramp up this could spell the end. ….

These packages are certainly going to make me re-examine my Skype usage, couple this with the excellent quality I have been getting on my 3Skypephone lately and its time thr a package change on my Vodafone corporate account

Mark Evans thinks the sexier story is Skype’s growth:

There’s lots of excitement today about Skype unveiling a new plan offering unlimited long-distance calls to 34 countries but the far more interesting story – at least from this corner’s perspective – is Skype’s strong growth, which has been chronically unreported.

Andy Abramson, at VoIP Watch gives his take:

1. Revenue can become more predictable as it will be charged monthly. Unlike the Skype Unlimited plan which was a one time purchase, this allows users to change plans and also drop or add it as they need it. That means students and vacationers are ideal targets.

2. The charges can be to PayPal or any credit card. This opens up the universe of potential users to non-PayPal users.

3. The plan is changeable between hemispheres so if you buy one in say the USA and end up in Europe working, in school or on vacation the Skype users can swap out as needed.

While I know road warrior and world traveler Andy immediately signed up for a World plan, PhoneBoy’s selection is more typical of North Americans with no overseas family ties:

This certainly makes it easier for people to justify giving Skype more per-month. If I made a couple of calls to Mexico or to the countries that are supported, I would certainly do it. However, I find the current Skype Pro offering–and the Skype Unlimited U.S./Canada plan–suffciient for my needs.

Dan York, who gets a bird’s eye view of the telecomm world from his work with Voxeo sees it, for the U.S. market, as a step up from “unlimited” domestic calling plans in the U.S. He also comments on telcos’ use of the term “unlimited” (to really mean “lots and lots” but “enough is enough”):

Of course, I had to laugh at Skype joining into the game played by all the major carriers here in NA known as “redefining the word ‘unlimited’”. Several of the carriers here in the USA and also in Canada have at various times trumpeted their “unlimited” data plans… which of course were “unlimited” only according to the carrier’s definition of unlimited… really something more like:

“Unlimited” = “unlimited calling up to a certain point that our finance folks have determined you start to impact our profit”

My thoughts on that issue: if you’re using that many minutes (over five hours of calling per day)

• it’s only fair, and does not hurt, to pay for excessive use if you’re running a (revenue generating) business
• figure out a way to get your contact onto Skype.
• get a life!

Certainly these plans could have a major impact in the Canadian market where we have many families with roots in the overseas countries serviced by the World plans. From my own anecdotal contacts, Skype attracts two major demographics in Canada: (i) family calling back to the “home country” overseas and (ii) small businesses wanting to grow worldwide. Unfortunately Skype’s “World” plans do not cover India, Pakistan and the Philippines where many Canadians have strong family ties. (I’m especially surprised by the lack of India since we know Skype has termination arrangements for both Canada and India through VSNL.).

The consensus in this morning’s Squawk Box call (recording link to follow when available) was that these plans are evolutionary while setting new pricing benchmarks for flat rate calling. It’s more a matter of working out the various terminating carrier agreements as opposed to any major new technology developments. And the biggest challenge is making access to Skype calling easier for the consumer through increased distribution of dedicated Skype-enabled hardware platforms with the familiar telephone touchtone interface in various markets – but especially in Canada and the U.S.

Tags: Skype, Pat Phelan, Mark Evans, MaxRoam, Andy Abramson, VoIP Watch, Dan York, PhoneBoy, VSNL, Skype Calling Plans, Squawk Box

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AOL has a long history of innovation. Initially launched as a proprietary pre-Internet personal communications platform building up to several million users via dialup connections, AOL has evolved its integration into the Internet to the point where it recently broke down its “closed garden” business model and opened up the majority of its content and services to anyone visiting their site. It has certainly gone down a bumpy road with its history of balancing the conflicting needs of innovation against the needs of an operation bureaucracy looking for a profitable business model. At one point it was the poster child for the Bubble 1.0 bust as the business world tried to work out business models to provide a profitable combination of both infrastructure services and (syndicated) content. Breaking down the walled garden is but one example of the direction it is going under new leadership.

Last week there were several posts (Aswath, GigaOm) about the closure of AOL’s TotalTalk, where AOL effectively recognized there is little to gain by playing in the pure legacy telephone replacement game and has decided to abandon it. Earlier this week there were several posts (Jon Arnold, Andy Abramson, Mark Evans) discussing Vonage’s latest quarterly results; the common theme is that Vonage is spending such enormous sums on customer recruitment that there is little hope of profitability in the foreseeable future. Cablecos and legacy telcos offering DSL services have a leg up as they already have a customer base to whom they can market. But Andy at VoIP Watch sums it up best when talking about the demise of AOL Total Talk in his Requiem for the Future of VoIP:

Rather than look at it as a failure, my take on this is AOL really has seen the future sooner than others. Much like the BT announcement earlier this week about their softclient, and like their other online portal player competitors including Yahoo, Google and MSN, AOL’s Voice Team has seen the future of telephony and is moving in that direction with AIM PhoneLine, and the burgeoning ecosystem that already has started to bubble earlier this month at the VoIP Developer’s Conference, and will likely have a big boost at VON in Boston next month.

But unlike Yahoo and MSN who have so many internal battles to fight, AOL as part of Time Warner has leadership that is smart enough to not fight a marketer (Time Warner Cable) who wants to sell a phone 1.0 replacement, and instead is focusing on Phone 2.0 and where it can be.

Today AOL issued a press release outlining their execution on the Voice 2.0 Manifesto through building an ecosystem around their AIM Triton IM client and its AIM PhoneLine service called the Open AIM PhoneLine initiative. AOL will introduce three API’s this fall that will give developers and hardware partners the ability to:

• Personalize the AIM Phoneline service by adding ringback tones and unique ring tones for frequent callers.
• Enable a wide variety of USB devices such as speakerphones and phone adapters that will allow standard cordless phones to initiate and receive calls with the AIM Phoneline service.
• Build new call management functionality into the AIM Phoneline service such as context and relevance-based call handling that could treat each call on the basis of rules that use Caller ID, online presence, calendar activities and more.

AIM PhoneLine provides free inbound numbers and, for a $9.95 per month charge, provides calling out both within North America and internationally on their Unlimited Plan. This is all tied into AIM’s Triton client to provide presence and chat functionality. Using the Open AIM PhoneLine API’s, AOL will be providing demonstrations next week of:

• MyNuMo, an online content community demonstrating ringtones that allow personalization by caller, and
• MVox Technologies, demonstrating their versatile speakerphone technology linked into AIM PhoneLine
• Iotum’s Voice 2.0 call management service using the iotum Relevance Engine

By combining the AOL PhoneLine API’s with iotum’s Relevance Engine, inbound AOL PhoneLine calls can be directed to voice mail or AIM’s Triton client or, if the user has the Unlimited Plan, to the user’s wireless phone. Potential applications include using the service as a second line to home-based businesses to triage incoming calls such that the existing customer base gets priority attention.

This is a break through for iotum in that

1. it becomes their first platform that makes their Relevance Engine available to a broad consumer audience, namely, AIM’s 43 million registered users.
2. they can focus on their core expertise and incorporate it into AOL’s platform that manages the infrastructure issues such as providing phone numbers, call termination and switching.
3. For iotum, it is the first agreement where users can simply extend their current setup to incorporate and experience their Relevance Engine. There is no need to purchase additional equipment, subscribe to an additional service and/or write interfacing software (such as with their PhoneGnome or Asterisk implementations).
4. AOL will promote its partners’ applications and devices at an on online store that users can access by simply clicking the “Shop” link off of the AIM Phoneline dashboard.

In an interview with Alec Saunders, iotum’s CEO and author of the Voice 2.0 Manifesto, he made the following points:

• AOL wants to create a community of innovation by opening up appropriate API’s to developers. For instance, opening up API”s to PhoneLine’s switching infrastructure allows iotum to handle call transfers. This is a feature that Skype has said will only be available in Q1 of 2007.
• Development of call transfer functionality requires not simply creation of an appropriate API but iterative co-operation between the platform vendor (AOL in this case) and the technology team at the partner (iotum) to develop an API specification such that the logistics of call transfer functionality operate in a user friendly manner while meeting the general business process rules for handling call transfer.. In this case iotum worked over the past few months with an AOL developer team in Halifax, Nova Scotia to come up with the relevant API. How this happened will be the subject of a separate post.
• The demonstrations at Fall VON next week are the launch of a startup phase with the final service becoming available by year end.
• While details of a launch marketing plan still need to be worked out, users will be able to subscribe to the service via AOL’s store front; the business model involves revenue sharing with AOL as the conduit responsible for recruiting customers..
• The AOL PhoneLine team has been “a superb partner to work with; they have been responsive; they provide promotional opportunities and they’ve delivered”.

At Fall VON next week I will be looking for examples of execution on the Voice 2.0 Manifesto as it provides the route to sustainable and growing profitability for Telco 2.0. The demonstration of iotum running on AOL Phone Line is certainly one stop I will be making and reporting on.

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