Digital Boomerang Singapore 

Free software out on the web allows you to save money on long distance calls

I still remember those days, when talking over the Internet was impossible. My attempts at doing so led to hours of choppy, broken and disjointed sounds. Modem speeds were still 9,600 kbps and at best 14,400 kbps. There was no way voice data could be transferred through modems of those speeds.

Today, I can just plug in my microphone and yak away to my friends across the globe and to strangers who may care for the Singaporean accent. Voice technology has advanced alongside with modem speeds and new ways of connecting to the Internet have made voice communication over the Internet a breeze.

Before launching into a debate as to the impact of voice technologies on traditional telephone companies that charge for long distance calls, let me first demonstrate to you how simple it is to get into all this yakky cyberworld.

Here is how to start:

1. Make sure you have a computer. (Look under your bed or in the bathroom if you can’t locate it, I usually find my computer there.)

2. Check to see if your computer has a sound card. (Basically check to see if you computer plays music.)

3. Go and buy a microphone for your computer if you don’t already have one. (Get whatever type you like, doesn’t really matter as long as it works.)

4. Plug your microphone into your computer. (There are little holes behind your computer where you can stick your microphone in. There is usually a little microphone icon etched next to the correct hole. If not, then why not just try every hole?)

5. Test to see if your microphone is working.
Start up your sound recorder program. This program comes as a standard feature in windows. You can find it by clicking on “Start” on your taskbar and then by clicking on “Accessories” and then looking through the programs there. Once the sound recorder program has started, try recording your voice and playing back.

6. Make sure you have Internet access. If you are connecting through a modem, make sure your modem speed is at least 33,600 kbps. (Usually these numbers are splashed on the modem itself). If you are connecting through a cable modem (i.e. a ADSL connection) then you don’t have to worry about speed at all!

7. Get ready to download some software over the internet

There are so many voice chat software programs out there that it would be impossible to list them all. For starters, I will list some of my favorites. Keep in mind that the current state of technology requires parties of an online chat to be using the same chat software.

a. BuddyPhone
The most extraordinary feature of BuddyPhone is that it is extremely simple to install and use. The quality of sound is also extremely high. To get buddy phone, simply visit the download site at http://www.buddyphone.com. Follow the download instructions and install BuddyPhone. Once you have done that, you can call your friends who are also on buddy phone. If they don’t have a copy, ask them to install one! To call your friends, simply key in their email address! You may also call anyone randomly that is connected to BuddyPhone for a chat. For those who are after the full functionality of a telephone, BuddyPhone has features like auto-answer, call blocking and an answering machine service!

Another feature worth mentioning is its seamless integration with Mirabilis’ ICQ, which is a messaging and chat program, that is hugely popular with web users.

Any glitches or black holes you may experience using this program? Yes. This program automatically logs you onto its own server to transmit, route and transfer your voice data. If the server is down then you can’t use it!

b. Microsoft NetMeeting
Microsoft NetMeeting’s sound quality is only dependable. However, it is more than just a voice communication program. It offers application sharing and file transfer capabilities and offers a white board, text chat, email client and video conferencing i.e. what is now termed as a collaboration tool.

Microsoft NetMeeting comes with a nifty directory listing which consists of an online community you can log into to chat with others who are logged into the same directory. Because of the huge following this program has, Microsoft NetMeeting has many directories or communities where you can log in to chat.

The really good part of Microsoft NetMeeting is that it comes with Windows 98. And isn’t really a big hassle to download as the software is only 1.8M.

Glitches and black holes? Logging on to the directory listings can be difficult and frustrating as you can never be too sure why you cannot be logged onto the directory. The error messages don’t help much and Microsoft’s online support pages fail to give some insight as the problem.

c. Hearme.com
The final software on my list is from hearme.com. Unlike the predecessors, it is not an Internet telephony device per se. It is really a software program tailored for voice chatrooms. This software is not only easy to install but extremely easy to understand. If you have been in a text chatroom before, than this software is no mystery to you.

The software can be downloaded from its site at Hearme.com and installed in a flash. It should be noted that the software is Internet Explorer dependant, so it is best to have your Internet Explorer installed and configured first.

Once installed, you will be presented with a list of interest-based chatrooms. You can swing by one of MTV’s rooms to chat about music and take a swig at karaoke; or find love and romance in the age delimited rooms. Upon entering one of these rooms, you can chat with one or more persons at the same time! That is why I stated earlier that Hearme.com is a technology tailored towards chatrooms vis-Ã -vis other Internet telephony software like BuddyPhone that are geared towards 1-to-1 conversations.

Glitches and black holes? Woefully, yes. This software can only be used without the divine intervention of proxy servers and firewalls. All public Internet access is filtered through a proxy server in Singapore, which means most Singaporeans will not be able to make use of this wonderful software. The bright side is that this shortcoming is “fixable” by Internet Service Providers. One just has to persuade them to do so.

My next column promises to be more analytical as I will delve into the impact of current voice technologies on traditional telephone companies that charge for long distance calls. In the meantime, why not try yakking over the Internet? After all, it’s free!

- First published on IT AsiaOne, This is IT

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