Saturday, October 14, 2006
Skype for mobile phones
Check out Fring, a Skype and Google Talk client for mobile phones. Fring does not require a PC; it runs completely on the phone, and works anywhere there is connectivity.
While the site claims a 3G network is required, it works great on my EDGE connection with Airtel. Installation was painless and usage is straightforward. Open Fring, login if offline, select your contact, and call. That’s it. There was a lag of about a second in the call I made for testing, thereby reducing conversation from dialogue to sequences of monologues, but this is still pretty incredible.
Fring can connect on startup and set your phone up for receiving both regular and VoIP calls (and does so by default), but this isn’t recommended if you care for more than a few hours of battery life. The company says they’re working to fix it.
With the recent announcement of Gizmo Project for LJ Talk, the first new IM network in recent years that I was actually delighted to sign up for, we seem to have passed a notable milestone for VoIP.
Go check out Fringe and give me a call. I’m “jackerhack” on both Skype and Google Talk.