No. No chance. You have to be connected to a wi-fi network to even possibly make voip calls. Nobody would replace their phone with this.
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How to Get a Microphone Working through your Headphone Jack!
- Thread starter pismodude2
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No. No chance. You have to be connected to a wi-fi network to even possibly make voip calls. Nobody would replace their phone with this.
I would. I hate my cell phone but thats for a different forum. I would love to pick and choose when I connect to the network. Im sure voip services have something like voicemail. I could connect when I want to, check my voicemail, and disconnect. The rest of the time, I would just enjoy my music, movies and such.
So let's say you are driving down a road and witness (or are involved in) a car accident and need to call 911...oops... no wifi available. There are an innumerable number of times where someone would need to call for an emergency or semi-emergency and not be able to because they are not connected to a wifi network. Replacing a cell phone with an iPod touch would be a decision most if not all people would regret unless you live in a city with 100% wifi coverage.
Has anybody tried this mic and headphone on iPod Touch solution with the skype for iphone web application?
www.s4iphone.com
Everything would be solved if it worked...
I have no 4 prong mic to try it with.
www.s4iphone.com
Everything would be solved if it worked...
I have no 4 prong mic to try it with.
That's not what you think it is- it calls your cell number (or whatever number you enter) from the number you want to call and uses skype minutes instead of those on your plan. Good for iPhone users trying to lower their bill, but not ever going to work for iPT.
No, what we need is a native VoIP app that allows us to send and maybe even receive calls just like the Skype app for mac. Hurry up you slowpokes!
ummm... and when you are in an area with no cell service? or what about those people who don't own cell phones? OMG they just continue on and get help or like happened in the world prior to cell phones you try and go to get help or if not in a position to go anywhere you stay where you are and hope you are found soon.
Sick of hearing about this "rumor"
Seriously, it's been 4 frigging days since Tuesday. *Someone* should have noticed this besides me. Go to 44:45 (really 45:08, but just to make sure Steve's talking about the iPod Touch go a few seconds back) in the keynote stream. Steve explicitly says the new Touch works with the new headphones with microphone.
Arn, this isn't a rumor supported by the Apple Store. This is a god damned stated fact in the keynote. Stop posting it like it's iffy. It's supported. Enough already.
Seriously, it's been 4 frigging days since Tuesday. *Someone* should have noticed this besides me. Go to 44:45 (really 45:08, but just to make sure Steve's talking about the iPod Touch go a few seconds back) in the keynote stream. Steve explicitly says the new Touch works with the new headphones with microphone.
Arn, this isn't a rumor supported by the Apple Store. This is a god damned stated fact in the keynote. Stop posting it like it's iffy. It's supported. Enough already.
So basically you want to go from a world with cell phones to a world without. Your call. Pun intended... I think.
I know, I watched it and saw that, and I also saw it on a liveblog.
I posted this to say that ANY headset (four rung) works, and to show everyone the one app out that they works with it. Everyone should have known it could support the Apple mic/headphones earlier though, you are correct.
OK, what if we use Skype for long calls at home, and a prepaid phone when we are on the go?
Win-win, no contracts, save lots of $$$, and get rid of your home phone. Sounds good to me!
Or they didn't want to. I can see it now:
"New iPod Touch Microphone firmware update = $5.99"
"Want Bluetooth? $7.99 for headset update"
"File transfer over bluetooth: a mere $11.99 for the update"
"FM Radio, built right into your new iPod Touch. Update only $9.99"
Don't you mean a sad year for customers?
I would have a VOIP app (not Skype) on the Touch, but I'm also keeping my prepaid cell phone for emergencies. If I could do prepaid with iPhone, I would get the iPhone instead of Touch, but for now, I just have to keep two separate devices for phone and playing media.
I bought a cordless phone for home last year, I think it cost $100. If the iPod Touch had a built in microphone and speaker it'd be a contender to replace my home cordless phone (but not my mobile phone).
Of course - it CAN'T be used like an iPhone, it has to have the handsfree headphones.
My office, my home, my parents, my wife's parents - they all have wifi. VoIP voicemail can be sent straight to email. There's potential for wifi phone to really work, especially if you get free wifi when out and about. Also an app like Wifinder can help you find wifi hotspots, wouldn't it be great if it connected automatically to open hotspots and downloaded your voicemail in the background.
The majority of my calls could use wifi instead of mobile networks.
HOWEVER... again, the iPod Touch doesn't have a mic & phone, only cordless. And most wifi routers haven't worked out QoS on the wifi side (the DSL side is fine). And WiFinder can't run in the background or instruct email to download. There are possibilities... but they're not happening yet.
The absolute bare minimum price for a prepaid iPhone would be $500 for 8GB. Would you pay $500 and get prepaid?
id be happy to replace my 1st gen iphone with a brand new touch if something like truphone or skype worked on it. then i could get totally away from contracts and all that garbage and use a touch for the majority of my calling via wifi and just grab a virgin mobile or net10 from walmart whenever i wanted to for when i have to have a cell.
Am I alone in noticing a large section of replies in this thread are... insane?
There is some odd reaction to this news, as if modern Luddites swarmed out of the catacombs.
If voice can get into the iPT, and there is a headphone/mic set from Apple, it is a small jump to voip - software. Before the new iPT came out there were stacks of people screeching about how Apple would never allow a mic/speaker addition to the iPT and yet here it is.
The world changes. Things improve and expand capabilities to accommodate the consumer. Apple is primarily focused on communication, and has been for a decade. It's exciting to see these early steps in greater interconnectivity, allowing people to have less expensive voice communication spanning greater distances.
In another thread someone made the point that the iPT now allows information browsing and communication to anyone with $229. Think about that. There has been some low level activism for years about getting such connectivity to people with very little income, and here it is! This device is pretty amazing, and the direction it is going has purpose and sense in social and economic scope.
Be prepared for Apple to start up their own voice communication/internet phone company soon.
I wouldn't be at all surprised if their near immediate goals would be to conquer Skype and to a lesser degree cell companies by having a strong hold on voip users with some kind of MacMoshiMoshi type website, allowing voice boxes for calls, rate plans, and data preservation.
There is some odd reaction to this news, as if modern Luddites swarmed out of the catacombs.
If voice can get into the iPT, and there is a headphone/mic set from Apple, it is a small jump to voip - software. Before the new iPT came out there were stacks of people screeching about how Apple would never allow a mic/speaker addition to the iPT and yet here it is.
The world changes. Things improve and expand capabilities to accommodate the consumer. Apple is primarily focused on communication, and has been for a decade. It's exciting to see these early steps in greater interconnectivity, allowing people to have less expensive voice communication spanning greater distances.
In another thread someone made the point that the iPT now allows information browsing and communication to anyone with $229. Think about that. There has been some low level activism for years about getting such connectivity to people with very little income, and here it is! This device is pretty amazing, and the direction it is going has purpose and sense in social and economic scope.
Be prepared for Apple to start up their own voice communication/internet phone company soon.
I wouldn't be at all surprised if their near immediate goals would be to conquer Skype and to a lesser degree cell companies by having a strong hold on voip users with some kind of MacMoshiMoshi type website, allowing voice boxes for calls, rate plans, and data preservation.
Not really, all up to what the consumer wants/needs. Personally my cell phone is my only phone, therefore I am willing to pay more for the service than I would if I had say a land line at home.
On the other hand, for say a college student who is not in a position to be consistantly flush with cash, then phone cards or pay as you go plans are quite good, but a Skype account could be of additional use for calling friends/family without using up minutes.
I was thinking after I post this, for the folks who love to travel the world, instead of using your cell phone and paying roaming charges to call home (can easily be $1.50 a minute), a Touch with Skype installed can be a very valid solution. Maybe not something to cover you for every day of your life but a viable alternative as you only need wireless internet access to contact people using Skype out etc.
I am extrapolating a further possibility - Apple will create an interent phone service to bypass all that satellite dancing with expensive phone companies. People could now use wi-fi areas to communicate easily anywhere in the world and avoid all the little kingdoms of cost.
Hooray.
I was hoping for this. The ability to take voice-notes (dictation) alone (I've found that I have my brightest ideas when I've no place to write them down) is worth the wait. Us evil-genius types are notoriously absent-minded, Being able to dictate my ideas & play them back later is a boon. Added with the rest of the functionality of the iPod Touch makes it a must-have for me now.
I was hoping for this. The ability to take voice-notes (dictation) alone (I've found that I have my brightest ideas when I've no place to write them down) is worth the wait. Us evil-genius types are notoriously absent-minded, Being able to dictate my ideas & play them back later is a boon. Added with the rest of the functionality of the iPod Touch makes it a must-have for me now.
Or they didn't want to. I can see it now:
"New iPod Touch Microphone firmware update = $5.99"
"Want Bluetooth? $7.99 for headset update"
"File transfer over bluetooth: a mere $11.99 for the update"
"FM Radio, built right into your new iPod Touch. Update only $9.99"
Don't you mean a sad year for customers?
This would only happen if Verizon bought Apple.
I'd like to see Apple do this, but unfortunately I don't think they are.
Apple is in an ideal position if they decide to. Bring together iPod Touch & iPhone technologies, iChat, and add QoS to the Airport Extreme for VoIP quality. Create indial numbers so the device can replace a regular phone connection, and add a cheaper wired/desktop VoIP phone to fill out the product range. Add video for Video-phones.
I don't think it's in their plans because:
1) The iPod Touch v2 isn't made to be a phone - sure, we can MAKE it work, but Apple would have put the Mic in the phone if becoming a phone company was their goal.
2) They've also done nothing to offer QoS on their Airport and it's not that hard a thing for the wired component (though wireless is more complex).
3) They haven't implemented any way of calling a regular phone from iChat, or a way to be called
Sorry, wish you were right. Hopefully they've realised the possibilities and will work on them!