Will Gmail Phone Call Become Skype Killer? | LiewCF.com

Will Gmail Phone Call Become Skype Killer? | LiewCF.com

Will Gmail Phone Call Become Skype Killer?

Posted: 26 Aug 2010 06:43 AM PDT


gmail voice phone call screenshot

Google Gmail announced that now you can call landline and mobile phone numbers using Gmail voice and video chat. Yes, Gmail is now VOIP service provider!

Calls to the U.S. and Canada will be FREE for at least the rest of the year 2010. Calls to other countries will be billed at a very low rates, starting from USD$0.02/minute.

To dial a phone number, you click on the “Call phone” menu in the Gmail sidebar chat list and dial a number or enter a contact’s name. Google call phone works with your Google Voice phone number, if you have one.

Google phone call currently only available for U.S. based Gmail users. You will need to install the Google voice and video plugin. Google Apps users need to wait a little bit longer.

Outside US? Pray harder so that Gmail make it available to you soon.

Skype killer wannabe?

I sense that Google Gmail want to be the next Skype, the current largest Internet telephony provider. Gmail call phone rates are mostly, if not all, cheaper than Skype’s rates.

For example, calling Malysia mobile number is 4 cents/minute using Gmail phone call, but Skype will charge 6.7cent + connection fee.

Plus, Gmail has the competitive registered users. According to BBC, there are 400 million registered Gmail users (Feb 2010). Skype have 560 million users at end of 2009, it should have over 600 million users by now.

It is also very convenient that you can make a call straight from your email inbox (Gmail or Google Apps).

If Gmail call phone would want to kill Skype, then Google need to have native client for desktop and mobile devices, either official developed or 3rd party software.

Skype has done a great job in cross platform support. They have official Skype client for Windows, Mac OS, Linux, iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, even on TV!

Do you agree?

LiewCF.com: “Sorry, I Do NOT Sell Portable Toilet” plus 1 more

LiewCF.com: “Sorry, I Do NOT Sell Portable Toilet” plus 1 more

Sorry, I Do NOT Sell Portable Toilet

Posted: 25 Aug 2010 02:19 PM PDT


portable toilet

I received an interesting email. The sender wanted to order, erm, portable toilet from me. I was like, “What da.. I am a blogger. I don’t sell portable toilet.”

Quote from the email:

…i am sending this email to your business in regards to the order for some Portable Toilet for my clients Warehousing Project and i have attached to this email the pictures of the type of Toilets that i will be needing…

After google my own site, I believe he visited my funny post “the portable toilet” which was published in year 2006.

Thank you, Google. :P

The picture above is the one mentioned in the email. If you happen to supply those portable toilets, I could forward your business contact to the email sender. Free of charge. ;)

I did received couple of business opportunities like this before — wanted to order things I don’t sell. In fact, I don’t sell anything tangible now.

Congratulations! You Won Daniusoft Video Converter Ultimate! (Birthday Giveaway 2010)

Posted: 24 Aug 2010 09:19 PM PDT


birthday-giveaway-2010.png

This post is part of Birthday Giveaway 2010 series. Make sure you follow me on Twitter or subscribe to the site feed to be the first to know when I have a new giveaway!

Congratulations to the winners of my Birthday Giveaway 2010! You won a full license of Daniusoft Video Converter Ultimate worth USD$59.99! 5 copies are giving away (worth USD$300!).

Here are the lucky winners:

  • MurphyReality
  • myimmortalize
  • jimi2061
  • 4GTFLL
  • Max5

Winners will be contacted by twitter or email or anyway I can get to contact them. License would be sent via email by the Daniusoft.

More giveaways are coming very soon! Stay tuned! Follow me on Twitter and subscribe to the site feed NOW!

LiewCF.com: “3 Reasons Why Malaysians Want to Buy Singapore iPhone 4” plus 1 more

LiewCF.com: “3 Reasons Why Malaysians Want to Buy Singapore iPhone 4” plus 1 more

3 Reasons Why Malaysians Want to Buy Singapore iPhone 4

Posted: 23 Aug 2010 01:48 PM PDT


cheap iPhone 4 prices in Singapore

Malaysia: Malaysians have been waiting for iPhone 4 from local telcos, Maxis and DiGi, for months but still no sign of release date. Here are the reasons why Malaysians want to buy iPhone 4 from the neighbor country, Singapore.

1. Malaysia iPhone 4 not available yet

It is now 24 August, a month since both Maxis and DiGi announced their iPhone 4 register of interest pages, Malaysians are still waiting for their iPhone 4.

Maxis teased us that “iPhone 4 is coming very soon” in early August. But still no word about release date.

2. You can buy Singapore iPhone 4 online

Singapore Apple Online Store is selling unlocked, contract free iPhone 4 on its website. Malaysians could ask their relatives or friends in Singapore to help to order iPhone 4 online. Waiting period is 2-3 weeks.

3. Singapore iPhone 4 is CHEAP!

Even IF Malaysia iPhone 4 has been released, you might also want to consider buying a Singapore iPhone 4, because it is the 2nd cheapest iPhone 4 in the World (Hong Kong iPhone 4 is the cheapest)

See the image above.

Singapore iPhone 4 16GB is SGD$888 (around RM2050); iPhone 4 32GB is SGD$1048 (around RM2418). For comparison, the Maxis iPhone-3GS-not-4 32GB without contract is RM2990.

My two cents

Ever since Maxis and DiGi announced to offer iPhone 4, I keep getting questions about the iPhone 4 release date. Too bad, I have no little bird inside the telcos to leak any info.

Here I predict that Malaysians will get iPhone 4 in September 2010.

If Maxis and DiGi do NOT offer iPhone 4 in September, they might lose many customers: some buy iPhone 4 in Singapore; others can’t wait and switch to Android smartphones.

Don’t you agree?

[img via MacStories.net, modified by editor]

1Gbps Broadband Service in Malaysia for $64 a month

Posted: 23 Aug 2010 05:02 AM PDT


high speed internet

Malaysia: Don’t you hungry for fast Internet speed? Unifi 20Mbps broadband is nothing if compared to the 1Gbps broadband service launched by Vasseti Datatech.

The 1Gbps broadband is available at three condominiums in the city — Capital Square in Kuala Lumpur, The Loft in Bangsar and the Suasana Sentral Condominium in KL Sentral. The 1 Gbps broadband will be offered at RM199 per month and does not include any data cap.

1Gbps broadband at only RM199 per month! That’s paying the same money as Unifi VIP10 package but you get 10x faster broadband!

Malaysia average broadband speed is only 2.31 Mbps.

How fast is 1Gbps?

By theory, 1Gbps broadband connection allows you to download 128MB per second, download full disc of DVD video (4.7GB) in 37.6 seconds, fill up your 1TB hard disk in 2 hours and 12 minutes! 1Gbps is 10x faster than your 100Mbps home network!

My two cents

Frankly, I never heard about the Vasseti company. It is not a major ISP in Malaysia. I am doubtful. How trustworthy is the company and their services?

If the service is real.. Hey, any room for rent in the 3 condominiums mentioned? I wanna move in there NOW!

What’s your Internet connection speed now? I am on 1Mbps (hell, that’s 1000x slower than 1Gbps!)

[via the malay mail] [img by roland]

Update: Malaysia businessman Tan Sri Syed Yusof Syed Nasir has bought a 30% stake in Vasseti Bhd. (hat tip: @appsmy)
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