Some days ago our phone calls started to be more unsecure due to the hack of the main code of the GSM encyption algorithm. Karsten Nohl, a german computer engineer, and his crew got this code by brute force technique, that means they tryed enough random keys until they got the password. This information was published in the ‘Chaos Communication Congress’ that took place in Berlin.

The cracked algorithm is called A5/1 and is the one it is used in over 80% phone call connections so this represents a big problem for our voice communications according to our privacy violation. Besides, the discovered code/password has been published via torrent, so anyone can access it and with the proper software could spy our phone calls. Some phone operators have said that changing that code in the operators networks would solve the problem, but it would keep being as vulnerable as the previous one that has been discovered.

The code of A5/1 algorithm, devised in 1988, consists on a 64bit string. Actually there is a newer algorithm based on a 128bit code that is called A5/3, available since 2007, but operators have not introduced this algorithm in their networks yet. This code has not been hacked, at least so far …

The company Cellcrypt, has said that what Karsten Nohl has published will help criminal organizations to listen private conversations. Nowadays this technology was only available for governments and intelligence agencies.

Maybe its time to change our minds, maybe it is time to stop using an old voice technology, maybe it is time to establish our voice communications in other way… Technology has improved in all ways and two facts could help us solve this problem. Nowadays we can use VoIP (Voice over IP) to call a friend wherever he is at really cheap rates using internet connection. In addition personal certificates identify and secure us in the internet when we make important operations such as banking, or administrative tasks. What about joining both? That could solve our impending problem.

At the moment make sure your private conversations are not through a mobile phone call…

Via Engadget | Cellcrypt

There has been a lot of buzz around the new Skype iPhone app blocking calls over 3G networks because of mobile carrier´s pressure. The fact is that most 3G data plan contracts specifically block P2P and VoIP calls… So, given today market rules, it was just a matter of time for someone to break that apparently holy rule at a certain point, and stand out over its competitors.

MÁSmovil (an Spanish MVNO) not only allows VoIP calls, they are actively promoting the use of Skype and Fring over their networks (well, as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator, they don´t have their own licensed frequency allocation, but they use another´s carrier network.. in this case, the service provider is Orange).

I wish this would be the first of a long list of carriers allowing VoIP… but this is simply not the correct time for this to happen. The true convergence of voice and data wireless networks will come with 4G, called LTE (Long Term Evolution) which is still far away from the current market horizon.

Even these are good news and provide an added value for this MVNO (for me a decisive one), I would have appreciated more transparency with their 3G prices comparisions, as they are a bit “tricky”.

For instance, when comparing with their stronger MVNO competitor, SIMYO, the charts show that 25 MB with MÁSmovil costs 0,75 €, which is better than the 0,99 of SIMYO. That´s completely correct, but they seemed to forget that with SIMYO you only pay 0,99 for the first 100 MB. Of course they don´t made a chart showing that you will pay the triple (3 €) for 100MB with them… on the other hand, MÁSmovil computes each single 3G connection as a minimum of 512 KB, in front of the 256KB gap of SIMYO, so forget configuring your mobile mail client for polling every 5 minutes (with both carriers).

Anyway, allowing VoIP over 3G networks is a big step forward for the final users.

Link MÁSmovil 3G prices [eng] | MÁSmovil 3G prices [esp]

Link MÁSmovil promotes VoIP calls [eng] | MÁSmovil promotes VoIP calls [esp]

Link SIMYO 3G prices

Link Skype & Fring reviewed

A few days ago the Skype application for iPhone/iTouch was launched. You can download it from the App Store for free. This let us make calls to other Skype users for free and to mobile and landline phones using the known Skype credit.

We have tested it making some calls between an iPhone and a computer or a Windows Mobile device. These are the results and the devices we have used:

• Test iPhone – Computer (Windows XP sp2):

We have installed the desktop application on a PC running Windows XP sp2, and the voice has been transmitted really fast between the PC and iPhone, just like in a standard call, what has really surprised us.

• Test iPhone – HTC Touch Cruise 2 (Windows Mobile):

This time we have installed the application Fring on a HTC Touch Cruise 2. This app, as we already posted, allows us to use different accounts (MSN, Google Talk, AIM, SIP, Facebook, Twitter, Skype) from our mobile device. But the voice sound did not run fast, it had a lag between one and two seconds. The sound quality decreased but just in Fring, not on Skype iPhone.

About Skype UI on iPhone:

It is simple but clear, just what we need and how we need it, so it is easy-to-use. It takes our contacts from iPhone contacts in case you want to call them using your Skype credit. And it also allows to use the camera to change your user picture. The BIG drawback is that it only runs when using Wi-fi connection, not 3G. We hope this changes…

About Fring UI on Windows Mobile:

The user interface is too simple, some features are not easy to find. And it has an old-fashion look, so that it uses WM square buttons and other resources.

It is great to see these kind of applications come to our mobile devices, so we just don’t need our computer to call for free! =)

Skype and Nokia announced on Tuesday a colaboration agreement to work together in the incorporation of Skype application on Nokia devices. This concerns Nseries devices, having Nokia N97 as first device to incorporate it, which is planned to be released on 3Q 2009. N97 will incorporate Skype as a new feature of the Guide section, where we will be able to check if our contacts are connected to Skype and even use the IM system.

This involves that Nokia users will be able to speak among them for free if they are connected to a WLAN or only paying the cellular operator for the 3G service. In this second case, people who have a plain-rates contract (usual case in mobile-internet users) will never be charged for those additional calls, so it is like they talk “for free”. Even the kind of 3G contracts that decrease the bandwidth to 128kbps doesn’t signify a drawback cause that BW is enough to transmit VoIP calls. Skype also allows to make calls to mobile phones and land lines at low rates.

Skype has 400 million users, since the beginning of the project in 2003. This and the big impact Nokia has on mobile world can make this agreement a real triumph and a new feature for mobile tech users who will take it really glad.

The competitor: Fring

We can say that they have a competitor, Fring, which is not new. The big difference is that its application supports multiple IM accounts (MSN, Google Talk, AIM, SIP, Facebook, Twitter…), including Skype. So it also allows making calls via Skype or any SIP/VoIP account, which opens the functionality of the app to almost any user. So this is also a similar solution, and also free, but multiaccount and which supports the open protocol SIP. So this gives the user Skype functionality and more.

Since its beginning Fring application has increased the supported devices, including WM, iPhone, Symbian, UIQ, Linux and J2ME devices. So they reach any user.

Trend?

All this is not just a new functionality on mobile devices. We are talking about that any person with a mobile device and a Skype account or a free SIP account can talk for free to other mobile users and at really low rates to mobiles and land lines. Just using WLANs or data plans. This means if our mobile telephony contracts just included data plans (3G, GPRS, …), and no calling plans (GSM …) the trend would be to use those data plans to call via SIP/Voip/Skype, which is cheaper than tradiotional calls.

We’ll see…

Link Skype | Nokia

HTC keeps developing good products, and HTC MAX G4 is one more case, which is the first device that supports WiMax technology.

So far, this device is only available in Rusia, by Scartel operator and its Yota service, bad news for us…   Yota provides services like on-demand online movies, videogames, maps, TV programs, free 13 channels, ebooks catalog and 50.000 music tracks for downloading. The service will start on 26th November. Ad official info can be checked here (just in Russian).

Main features are:

• GSM/WiMax: it includes WiMax for internet connection and VoIP telephony calls! If the call destination doesn’t support VoIP, it will use GSM tech. This means 79 Mb/seg speed…
• Screen: it has a 3.8 inches touch screen with 800×480 pixels resolution (like Touch HD).
• Storage: 8GB.
• Connectivity: EDGE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS.
• FM radio
• 2 cameras: frontside camera is for videoconference and has VGA resolution. Backside camera is for taking pictures and has a 5 Megapixels resolution and autofocus.
• O.S.: Windows Mobile 6.1 with TouchFlo3D.

You can find more tech features in the official site of Yota, but just in Russian…

Will this be the new iPhone killer? Let’s see…

Via Xataka | Yota

The aim of Tantug VoIP phone is making internet telephony friendly. VoIP in mobile devices is gaining ground over the years and is going to become great important.

But the truly special feature of this device is its original design. After being been awarded Red Dot and iF Golden award, it has been newly announced as the Golden award winner in US EID award. Its design is clean and sharp, avoiding unnecessary features except for a faux antenna which provides a retro look to the device. Besides, its changeable upper case (with different colors and patterns) allow to personalize its appearance for each user.

Featuring bluetooth, wireless and touch pad design, the Tantung VoIP is a device suitable for everybody.

Vía CellPhoneBeat,
link Nova Design

Skype has announced new ports of its mobile VoIP software. The new versions are JAVA based, and it currently covers devices by Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung and Motorola. Skype also announces that new models will be supported soon, so I you don’t find your mobile, you’ll probably do in the following weeks.

Skype for mobile is beta software. It has limited support for Skype to Mobile calls, only available in certain markets such as Brazil, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Poland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Not that bad.

What’s most surprising for me is the fact that Skype for mobiles is based on Java. I think it’s a great support for the Java platform, as long as it proves that Java is more than games.

Via PressNote

I love Fring (in fact, if you have read my last posts related to it you could have find it out by yourself ). It’s one of the most interesting applications I’ve ever found for my PDA Phone.

Now, Fring announces a great feature: file transfer. The functionality works from mobile to mobile and mobile to pc. It currently supports fring to fring and fring to MSN, and viceversa. More protocols to be supported soon.

Forget about MMS, bluetooth, infrared or cable connections to send your pictures to your PC. Just Fring them!!!!

Link Fring Blog

Fring guys are awesome. This VoIP and Instant Messaging client is little by little turning into a “must-have” application. If you have a Windows Mobile or Symbian based smartphone, you must donwload and install this little miracle.

Some time ago, Fring added support for Yahoo! and AOL AIM, but only for Symbian devices. Now, Windows Mobile versions also include this feature. The number of supported IM services is almost complete with this two additions.

Via Fring Blog
Link Fring

Voice over IP, performed on a mobile phone, is the future of telecommunications as well as the network operators’ biggest threat.

We already wrote about Gizmodo when, in september, a new version for Java-enabled mobile devices was released.

Now, both the Symbian and the Java versions, have been updated to version 1.1.006.  Apart from performance and stability improvements, a new contact search functionality have been included.

Download the new version here (For Nokia N73, N80, N81 N82 & N95).

Read the S60 series User Guide here.