calls

Verizon iPhone Users Report Far Fewer Dropped Calls, Survey Says

Ina Fried in Mobile on April 5, 2011 at 3:45 pm PT

A new study shows that Verizon and AT&T iPhone customers are both quite satisfied with their smartphone, but that among iPhone owners planning to buy another Apple phone, considerably more want to go with Verizon rather than AT&T.

Verizon Beats AT&T in Voice Calls for iPhones

Walt Mossberg in Personal Technology on February 2, 2011 at 6:01 pm PT

Some major benefits of the new Verizon iPhone service include crisp, clear calls with relatively few drops. But AT&T offers faster data downloads.

Free Gmail Calling Is the New Landline

Liz Gannes in Social on December 20, 2010 at 1:21 pm PT

Because of free Gmail voice calling, I don’t need a landline to back up my crappy AT&T cell service. And Google announced today that free Gmail calls from the U.S. to anywhere in the States and Canada would be extended through all of 2011.

Faxing with magicJack and Reusing the Windows 7 CD

Walt Mossberg in Mossberg’s Mailbox on February 24, 2010 at 1:58 pm PT

Mossberg answers readers’ questions about faxing with the magicJack Internet phone device and re-using a Windows 7 CD with Boot Camp or Parallels on the Mac.

magicJack: Cheap, Way Overhyped, But Really Works

Walt Mossberg in Personal Technology on February 17, 2010 at 6:06 pm PT

Walt reviews magicJack, an Internet-based device for making phone calls from a computer.

Voices

CES: Taser’s Turn at Cellphone Safety

Marisa Taylor, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in News on January 7, 2010 at 11:53 am PT

For parents who want to keep their kids from sexting–or just texting at the dinner table–new cellphone software called Protector keeps them in the loop. Protector, which debuts Thursday at CES, is made by Taser International, a company that’s best known for its series of electronic stun guns.

Lawmakers Ask FCC to Probe Google Voice

John Paczkowski in News on October 8, 2009 at 2:59 pm PT

Should Google be able to offer voice services unfettered by regulations that apply to broadband carriers simply because Google Voice is a free Internet application? AT&T certainly doesn’t think so, and it seems at least a few Congressional representatives agree.

Investors Wary of AT&VoIP

John Paczkowski in News on October 7, 2009 at 2:33 pm PT

A complete reversal of its earlier policy restricting Internet telephone services to Wi-Fi only, AT&T’s decision to allow iPhone owners to use such services on its 3G network has gone over well with consumers and with Apple. But it hasn’t gone over well with AT&T investors. Shares in the company slipped on news of the decision yesterday and they’re falling still further today.

Investors Wary of AT&VoIP

John Paczkowski in News on October 7, 2009 at 2:33 pm PT

A complete reversal of its earlier policy restricting Internet telephone services to Wi-Fi only, AT&T’s decision to allow iPhone owners to use such services on its 3G network has gone over well with consumers and with Apple. But it hasn’t gone over well with AT&T investors. Shares in the company slipped on news of the decision yesterday and they’re falling still further today.

Unlike Google Voice, Vonage Now Available on iPhone

John Paczkowski in News on October 5, 2009 at 8:00 am PT

Apple seems to have gotten over its aversion to apps duplicating core iPhone functions. This morning, Internet telephony company Vonage released an app that allows iPhone users to make calls over Wi-Fi and AT&T’s voice network.