Dear Colleagues     Something you might be interested in.  I've just set up an account with an Australian internet communications company with which to call people on the phone via VOIP (voice over internet protocol).  This has been around for a few years but with fairly poor audio quality, not good for audio people. With broadband and other enhancements of the web this has improved.  One of the major innovators has been a small company called Freshtel at http://www.freshtel.net/  They've produced a program called Firefly.  This has scared the hell out of our major telco Telstra, which has a major investment in copper technology.  I'm sure you know of this, but I think it might be valuable to be able _link_ up verbally worldwide, just as we have been able to with email.  Obviously there are serious financial savings in communications costs.     Essentially, these are the benefits and issues :   1.. The program is free.   2.. You need a mic and speakers with 3.5mm jacks, or a headset, or USB phone.   3.. You save heaps on international calls, e.g. costs are around USD 0.0273 / minute US to Australia if connecting to a landline, similar US to Europe.   4.. Firefly to Firefly calls are free including international.  So if we all set up a Firefly account there are no costs, apart from internet usage.   5.. Several of our overseas suppliers and professional colleagues have set up Firely accounts since I emailed them the other day.   6.. It enabled me to set up another phone line, which we needed, at no cost.  Incidentally this number is 8593 2000, so that's all you dial from anywhere, assuming you have Firefly.   7.. If your PC is turned off or you are busy messages will be directed to voicemail on your PC.   8.. It won't work on Mac yet, just PC, and possibly not Linux OS.  Mac should be by Xmas, but if we hassle them possibly earlier.     Incidentally, I make nothing out of this, I'm just trying to return something to you as fellow professionals, who have assisted me in the past and many of whom are friends.  Also this may be just as valuable to us in the future as email has been.  I tried this today from Melbourne Australia with a friend / supplier in LA.  He is using a mic and speakers without major feedback issues.  There was some noise and distortion but acceptable for comms via phone, not as good as landline.  I'm using a $2 mic found in a draw with cheap headphones, so maybe there's a problem there.  The Freshtel / Firefly people expressed a lot of surprise and we're looking at it tomorrow, as the N&D issues are probably separate.     The initial digit has to start with 8 and is eight digits, no country or area code.  A couple of our other colleagues have already set up accounts since I emailed them, such as 8593 2xxx, so maybe it's worthwhile attempting to retain at least the first five digits for ramps people, otherwise we'll need a set of New York phone books in Pelican cases to talk to each other. This would provide our industry, being manufacturers, distributors, clients, networks, freelancers with a worldwide virtual network of contacts utilising maybe three or four digits to communicate.  Please let me know what you think.     Best regards. John Rowley Soundequip Pty Ltd ABN 95 006 817 125 27 Lindsay Street Brighton  Vic  3186 Australia T  + 61 3 9593 2000 F  + 61 3 9593 2100 M    0418 100 860 VOIP  8593 2000 E  i...@soundequip.com.au W  www.soundequip.com.au

Dear Colleagues     Something you might be interested in.  I've just set up an account with an Australian internet communications company with which to call people on the phone via VOIP (voice over internet protocol).  This has been around for I have been playing with Skype, also a free VOIP that doesn't use number, just usernames like icq or the other text-_base_d chat engines. The quality is remarkable, about like FM radio, and full duplex. I imagine all the VOIP software will start charging at some point, but its all free for now. The US cable companies are getting into VOIP telephone sets now, too. John

I have been playing with Skype, also a free VOIP that doesn't use number, just usernames like icq or the other text-_base_d chat engines. The quality is remarkable, about like FM radio, and full duplex. I imagine all the VOIP software will start charging at some point, but its all free for now. Hmm, i don't think that. The fact is that it's not using significant bandwidth, nor is it a complicated piece of software means that it can stay free. ( from Internet client to Internet client ) When it will be a hit, I think M$ will put it in the next OS, as a standard option, as always. R ( using it -skype- already for 6 months, and it works fantastic )