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as written back then, the new Skype for mobile competitor is very good in terms of features, customer support, call rates and call quality, however it had serious performance issues on iPhone3Gs.

They recently released a version that fixes all the performance issues!

So now I can recommend it without any minutes! Go ahead and feel free to . The versions for Android and Blackberry are out now as well!

Technorati Tags: GeeVee, iPhone—-Wanna discuss this post? Then do it in my forum! 🙂—-

Hard to believe but the ICQ Team finally did it, first promised in 2006, and then rejected shortly afterwards, all by ICQ workers in the ICQ forums, finally they did it and released an Official ICQ client for Mac and Linux is released now!!!

They only mention it as ICQ for Mac but since they based it on the Adobe Air client, it works perfectly well on Linux and even Windows, too!

So now we can be all equally happy 🙂

Message History and Facebook Chat compatibility found its way into the new client too, of course!

Technorati Tags: ICQ, mac—-Wanna discuss this post? Then do it in my forum! 🙂—-

Thew new ICQ version, ICQ 7.4 was released recently. A new 7 version with some small changes.

All new featues can be read here, which are as follows:

-Messaging History Tool

Means you get the history displayed in a window like a database.

-New Message Window

Also the way the buttons are aligned and placed in the message window is different.

-Email Notifications

The new email notifications also allow notification of new emails in a Mail.ru account now, next to Yahoo and Gmail, of course.

-Visibility Lists

Now you can select the exact status of you while being invisible.

-Advanced Search

Now even the possibility to search friends of friends is there and you can now see the profile photos of people you are searching.

-Take a Picture

Now you can take a photo of yourself in the webcam and use it as your profile picture.

So this time they didn’t do a whole lot changes and new features in the new version but it’s nice to see they introduced and changed a few things for better usability 🙂

It can be downloaded from the ICQ Download Page.

Technorati Tags: ICQ, 7.4—-Wanna discuss this post? Then do it in my forum! 🙂—-

Do you own a netbook or something similar and it only came with a Windows 7 starter license?

Don’t want to spend the bucks for upgrading for a customized look & feel of your Windows 7 installation?

Did you use some tools and they do not work anymore after updating to the Service Pack 1 final?

Then this blog post is for you and you read on!

As we all know Aero isn’t there in the STARTER edition of Windows 7 but we still want a customizable Windows 7 but we are cheap and don’t want to spend any buck!

I have spent hours installing and uninstalling many tools (as some are not intended for Windows 7 or simply got broken in Service Pack 1).

Changing Windows logon screen (source: intowindows blog).

I was tired of being welcomed by the Acer background everytime!

No problem! Just use the Tweaks.com Logon Changer! It works lovely, you can even restore it to the default wallpaper it should usually have!

Flip 3D (Task switching with thumbnails) (source: dailymobile.se blog).

Nothing easier than that! Use the tool WinFlip for that! It works perfect! Just one little disadvantage: The autostart function doesn’t work so be sure to create a shortcut in the Windows startup folder by yourself! Also set the hotkey for the flip 3d function to Windows & TAB so it will override the one coming with Windows 7 starter!

Changing Desktop background / taskbar skin (source: instructables.com blog).

In contrast to most tools who only allow you to change the desktop wallpaper, Stardock MyColors’s theme manager also changes the taskbar’s look! (But you can also use it to let the taskbar remain by its default and only change the desktop wallpaper). On the same page you get the Diamond Theme for it (free!) to make it look more to how Windows 7 usually looks.

Thumbnail previews in taskbar!!!

I found this hint nowhere. I found this possibility by pure accident when fooling around with different dock applications for Windows.

Use Stardock’s ObjectDock 2.0 FREE for this!

You have to set it up this way:

right click on the the ObjectDock –> View –> Show minimized windows. If you minimize an open application widndows then, a screenshot is made and put as thumbnail in the stardock!!!

We learn from this that most cosmetic functions and features they have ripped off, can be put back in using freeware tools!

Technorati Tags: Starter, Windows7—-Wanna discuss this post? Then do it in my forum! 🙂—-

Since Skype kicked fring and Nimbuzz in the back for using their protocol in their multi-protocol clients, more and more competitors are hitting the mobile voIP app market. One of them is GeeVee.

GeeVee started in December 2010 and thanks to Jean Mercier’s reference to my latest Skype decision related post, I was invited to be one of the earliest tester and test their new VoIP application since day 1.

I am using the iPhone version of the GeeVee application on my iPhone3G 8gb.

instant messaging related features

GeeVee offers a broad range of instant messaging features. I will only mention some as many of them I couldn’t test as yet my contact list is very small.

Features that are special compared to other IM apps:

You can see when your message has been seen and read! You can see when somebody is in the middle of typing a reply to you (yep, most applications on the iPhone don’t offer a typing indicator!).

You can share stuff like your current location on a Google Map with your contacts. You can place a call right from the message window and/or leave a voicemail. Contacts get a assigned a GeeVee number you can use to call them.

Very important to me is also how the online status is handled as my iPhone 3G doesn’t offer multi-tasking! If you are online, you are online, your session never times out!
If somebody sends you a message while the app is closed, it will be sent to you as a push notification message! So never miss anything!

Call quality

I generally had two options to place a call: Call-Back or VoIP.

Call-back will call you back to a number you supply and then call the other party you want to speak to! This way you pay both directions of the call as you also have to pay the way back to you.

But more interesting is “VoIP” as this will work in 3G and wifi.

Call quality is outstanding! I have tried many difficult destinations!

Peru e.g. is a very difficult destination as the VoIP infrastructure is very weak.

Calling from GeeVee gives you a new experience in terms of call quality, calls are crystal clear! No more “mickey mouse” voices, no more stutters or low frequency ranges so you can only guess what a person is about to tell you!

I had the exact same experience with calls to mobiles in Vietnam and Syria. All destinations where even PSTN providers fail to provide a decent connection!

Technical support

When you place calls using a normal PSTN or VoiP provider (let’s say e.g. whatever your cable TV provider or phone line provider offers) and you have a connection problem (e.g. routing issues, so the call isn’t routed through at all or call quality is just bad or calls keep dropping!), then you can tell your provider, but it may take weeks and months till it’s fixed, if ever!

This is why Skype was my preferred way of calling to abroad, including to mobiles.

Let me point out how it works for other providers:

Example:

Skype: You describe the problem of your call.
You need to tell them:

-Type of connection problem (one-sided call, stutters, drops, routing errors, etc)
-Date and time of placing the calls
-Phone number of the destination you have tried to call

Now this takes about a week then you may try again and in most cases, the call quality is better.
If it isn’t re-reply to Skype Support and they will place a test call and then you may try again.

In some cases they might tell you that they can’t improve the connection quality to the destination 🙁

Rebtel: The famous free international call-back provider usually fixes routing problems within 2-5 days.

However if a country changes the Number Plan and the way of dialing, then you are with bad luck, e.g. in case of Peru, I am waiting since September for the routing to be fixed as – according to them – their carrier to Peru denies doing so.

Also you are out of luck if your friends have a pre-paid card and tell you “I have no credits”, so they can’t tell you back!

Granted, I didn’t try since November but I was promised I would being told as soon as the routing has been corrected.

O2: I was told on the hotline “I guess you are our only customer trying to reach Peru” and that was about it. Later I was told by email that they indeed didn’t know that the Numbering Plan of Peru has changed and they thank me for this information.

GeeVee: You can contact support by either email or telephone. (one thing I have noticed: Despite pointing it out that a ‘ + ‘ sign is missing in front of the support phone number, this error hasn’t been fixed by the time of writing this review here).

If you want a routing problem to be fixed, you can either tell them directly, or hit the “rate call quality” button inside the GeeVee applications and call quality issues/routing problems are fixed within 24h at latest. GeeVee is placing test call then to assure the call is working.

In some cases you are even just told to “try now” within 2 mins.

Calling rates

The calling rates are awesome!

Want some example:

Call to Peru “Claro Mobile”. Skype: 36.2 USD ¢, GeeVee: 17 USD ¢
Call to Syria mobile: SKype: 44.9 USD¢, GeeVee: 18 USD ¢

Now there are no more excuses to NOT call to any mobile phone abroad!

Space for improving

Of course for such a young product , there is always space for improving, despite the outstanding performance that outruns all its competitor!

-Caller ID: This feature isn’t available yet so you get a random caller ID (don’t know how “random” random is but sometimes, I placed calls with a caller ID from USA/Canada and sometimes from Brazil), so your friends wonder why you call from “strange places”.

-Line is busy detection: GeeVee doesn’t have this yet. It will just tell you that the “call didn’t go through”.

-iPhone app stability: Yet the app is slaggish on an iPhone3G at times and sometimes crashes. Occationally I have to evenr restart my iPhone. But I was told the problem has been found and fixed. A new updated version should be in the AppStore anytime soon!

Why it outruns, Rebtel, Skype, your local phone provider and even most instant messaging programs::

-GeeVee-to-GeeVee calls are of very good quality
-You get a feature rich instant messaging function.
-You get working customer support that is quick and decent!
-It pushes mobile connection quality to a new level
-Incredibly low calling rates to any destination out there around the globe. No more expensive calls!

If you are searching for something that just works, has very good customer support, provides a very good call quality and is very cheap, then GeeVee is your new VoIP app on your mobile phone!

Technorati Tags: ICQ, skin—-Wanna discuss this post? Then do it in my forum! 🙂—-

It has happened! Windows 7 Service Pack 1 final has been finally released!
(Download the 32bit and 64bit versions from here).

Now you wonder, how can I reinstall Windows 7 in the future including Service Pack 1? This is described in a very nice manual here.

What if you have a general problem like this?:

E.g. you own an Acer netbook as a backup computer and it didn’t come with an installation DVD for Windows but only an ISO imaging program that creates a customized DVD for factory resetting?

If you happen to know German, then you can find a neat manual for creating your own installation DVD here. Please bear in mind, that RT7Lite will detect the self-created installation DVD but intergrating Service Pack 1 into it will fail for some reason!

Technorati Tags: sp1, win7—-Wanna discuss this post? Then do it in my forum! 🙂—-

After using the the webcam for half a year now, it suddenly stopped working.

Thanks to InStore, who gave me the hint, it works again:

“In order to continue enjoying your Skype video calling, you should update the firmware on your camera” if you are using your Everyman Webcam with Windows.

The update didn’t even take 5 seconds and now it works again 🙂

Technorati Tags: Skype, webcam—-Wanna discuss this post? Then do it in my forum! 🙂—-

Update: Delicious just posted on their blog that the nwws that Delicious will be shut down are false!

3 Years ago I was invited to the beta test of English Mister Wong, the competitor of Delicious, the social online bookmarking service which Yahoo bought a couple of years ago told the masses that it will close soon. A big shock.

But let’s be serious. Yahoo didn’t do good to them. One example was that I had problems with vanishing bookmarks for a couple of days a while ago, I can’t remember that anybody of Yahoo Support ever replied or helped me in the process while Mister Wong Support seems to be more supportive and caring, at least when I beta tested it 3 years ago. I hope they still are as it’s now time to move.

Let’s hope for the best!

Mister Wong made an according announcement on their blog today

Technorati Tags: Delicious, Mister Wong—-Wanna discuss this post? Then do it in my forum! 🙂—-

Creative Labs: won’t fix bugged SoundBlaster X-Fi Xtreme Gamer Windows 7 drivers.

That is what Creative Labs told me in a Twitter message today!

I have been pointing out an issue that even was once in their Vista 64bit drivers back in the days however in Windows 7 64bit there is no workaround! So rear channels play in front speakers on optical output, it is definately a driver issue as in Windows Vista 64bit and Windows XP 32bit and 64bit it’s working perfectly well!

But Creative Support only always replied with the default answer to check out their homepage for possible driver updates. They even replied with the same answer when I sent them the issue in an airmail letter to their headquarter in Singapore.

So I decided to contact Creative Labs over Twitter instead and make the issue public this way.

(read the full issue description here, it can happen that you maybe much click on the “old server” link if available to read the message).

So here is their reply which I received over Twitter today:

” Hi Joerg, not sure if you have received a reply from us. I’ve checked out your case, and i was told that due to the ‘age’ of the (…)of your soundcard, it’s unlikely that the Product Group will continue releasing drivers beyond 2.18.0015. I know it’s a less than (…)satisfactory reply, and we have provided your feedback to the Product Group. Please accept our sincere apologies for this.”

So that means in the end I will have to sell my soundcard and buy a new one! 🙁 or constantly boot up to Windows Vista if I want to watch BlueRay in surround sound.

Technorati Tags: X-Fi, hardware—-Wanna discuss this post? Then do it in my forum! 🙂—-

In the 2nd part of the series about really bad decisions that cut user experiences I will shed a light on the recent topic Skype was involved into: Kicking competitors:

First they kicked the multi-protocol fring in a way that they had to remove Skype support for their clients. SkypeJournal recently explained the _why_..

Still bad for the users. E.g. for people like myself who still use an iPhone3G that doesn’t support multitasking.

fring not only offered voice and video support for Skype, but they also offered a promptly replying customer support, sometimes quicker than Skype itself.

SkypeJournal states fring violated their ToS. This is true, but they didn’t do it since just yesterday but since years and Skype didn’t bother.
What nobody mentions: Skype even supported fring and sent people their way as soon as somebody asked Skype “When is Skype for iPhone coming out?” or “is there any Skype for iPhone planned?”.

Even weeks after Skype officially offered Skype for iPhone in the AppStore, I was still sent to to fring when asking about certain things regarding Skype for iPhone.

Conclusion: It was perfectly fine for Skype to send people to fring for using Skype on their iPhone because despite the violation of SKype’s ToS, it still meant money for Skype: People e.g. could do SkypeOut calls on their iPhone using fring which means Skype earns money here this way.

When Skype forced fring to stop supporting SKype, people like me moved to Nimbuzz, the competitor of fring. The client for the iPhone is way slower and the customer support takes a week or two to reply on emails and fix issues sometimes but hey it was multi-protocol supporting Skype, and it worked.

Then a month ago, Nimbuzz got kicked by Skype as well.

A huge let down for Skype lovers like me who want multi-presence in the IM world (which would mean in my case, being available on ICQ/AIM, Skype and Facebook Chat at the same time) who still have a non-multi-tasking mobile phone like the iPhone3G.

We learned from the past, that the fact that newer iPhones have been relased doesn’t mean the older ones will suddenly disappear. If you check the markets there are still tons of old iPhones around. Just because there are old doesn’t mean they are not worth using it anymore. Even Apple saw this and still includes the IPhone3G in their newest iOS updates (even though not supporting some features the 3GS and the 4 have).

Skype is going to lose a huge mobile user market here. Just because Skype is available for iPhone and Android doesn’t mean people are going to use them.

So what are the alternatives?

Well, another alternative is imo.im. You will notice the tons os positive user reviews regarding this application. But there is one big problem: They cannot handle strong passwords so in many cases you have to change your password into a less secure one to be able to login to any network they support. I have emailed them a couple of times about this and even wrote it in the forum on their official Facebook page (in which they sometimes reply to people) but well, they never replied to me and even bothered fixing this pretty important issue.

Looking for alternatives, I was finally forced to buy IM+ (the lite version doesn’t feature Skype support).

MY experience with Shape was always a good one (hey offered Skype on iPhone long before many other companies).

If multi-protocol IM (especially on mobiles) is the future what did Skype about this?!

They went with supporting MySpace IM, which failed so horribly that they simply removed it recently.
(Quote: “Important: This feature is not available in Skype 5 and above.“).

Anybody to prove me wrong?

Technorati Tags: Skype, iPhone—-Wanna discuss this post? Then do it in my forum! 🙂—-