So i'm just perusing (read: catching up on) blogs I frequent, when I come across this:

TinyScreenfuls.com » Blog Archive » SkypeOut calling now free to US and Canada

If you hadn't, read through and check it out. I'll be here when you finish.....


Alright, i'm a little slow, but this is cool. I've been meaning to do a voice over internet protocol primer (VoIP) for a while now. It's not gonna happen now either, but here's the skinny. There are programs out there that will let you place phone calls on the internet for literally little to nothing. This is basically like Instant messaging, but with voice (and nowadays video in cases). If you've seen those commercials for Vonage or the "Digital Phone" deal from cable companies like Time Warner, then you have seen one side of it. These basically take your landline phone service out of the equation (unless you have DSL broadband) and run your calls, as i've said, through the internet. My best friend has Vonage and the voice quality is great. You would not know that the call was going through the 'net. You also get voicemail and the option to check your voicemail over the web as an MP3 attachment(at least Vonage as I know it). However the drawback is, no power, no phone. Unless you keep a generator handy. And you NEED Broadband internet service. Dial up WILL not work with this!

That's one way. The other way to do VoIP is calling computer to computer. This is usually free and all you would need is your computer, a headset (or microphone and speakers) plugged into said computer, and a program like Skype, Project Gizmo, Google Talk (now integrated with Gmail), MSN, Yahoo messenger, AOHELL(probably or soon), and others. They all allow you to talk to others on the individual programs, but not each other. And I don't expect that to change anytime soon, either. And they usually have a way that you can also call from your computer to someone's house or cellphone. This usually entails buying minutes (think Calling Card or Prepaid phone like) from whichever program's provider you choose to use, assuming they offer that. In a couple of cases, you can even get a full fledged phone number that people can use to call on, with voicemail. The minutes are really cheap if you are calling inside the US and Canada. They do have rates for other countries that are fairly reasonable if comparing to the phone companies.

Anyway, you have no doubt seen the nice little "Call me" button, which I have to change, near the bottom left of the site. I've been toying with it off and on since it came out. And I would love to try the others, if there are any volunteers. Shoot me an email. I encourage you to try at least one of them and tell your friends. The sound quality (for skype anyway) is also pretty good. This will more than likely tie you to a computer unless you opt to buy some accessories like a VoIP enabled cordless phone. Be warned, just like with Vonage and the like, Broadband internet is prefered. Dial up will probably work, but not so well. You are pushing a lot of data through your connection. Also, no power, no worky. Unless you have Gen...HEY!!

Well, let me reign this in. The reason I was excited about the above post is because I use Skype sometimes when I call long distance. Which means I use what they call SkypeOut minutes for this. Now, with the above announcement, I don't have to use any of my minutes to call anyone in the US or Canada. And since I don't know anyone in Canada, I can pretty much relegate it to the US. This is SWEET! So if you get a call from some crazy looking number (because apparently Skype calls don't show up like regular numbers), and you aren't hiding from bill collectors...Don't act like i'm the ONLY one...it might be me.

Now would be a great time to try this stuff out. DO IT! DO IT! In case you want to try out a PC to PC VoIP solution and you haven't clicked the links above, you can go here:

Skype

Project Gizmo

Yahoo Messenger

Google Talk - If you already have a Gmail account, you already have it and it's quite possibly
already activated. Just check the bottom of your inbox page.

MSN Messenger

P.S. - Hey What you know? I guess I did do kind of a primer after all. Holla or Email me.

P.P.S. - Oh, and if you have webcam, you can use some of these for video chat. I love
technology.

Technorati Tags: VoIP, Skype, Project Gizmo

     Earlier today (Monday), I decided to call my Internet Service Provider (ISP), Bellsouth, to ask a question or two about bumping up my DSL speed. Keep in mind, I did say question only. Also keep in mind that Bellsouth's website is not exactly forthcoming with a lot of pertinent info so don't think I didn't try it. That said, I've done about as much legwork as I felt that I could could have about this on occaision, so I just felt like calling to check a thing or two. Mainly whether or not I would have to get a new modem or schedule an appointment for them to come out. Actually, I wanted to know if Bellsouth had laid down some Fiber optic cable preparing to roll out really High speed DSL like some other company is sporadically doing. I know that they have been right off of my street digging and what not, but I didn't ask what was going on. If Fiber had been put down, and was available,  they would have to come out and install it. I wish I could do it, but that calls for some new equipment like a new box next to my power meter and possible drilling and whatnot.

      Anyway, when I called I didn't think that I would have to deal with a situation like this or this. I just found one thing completely funny. You would think it would be the "young" lady with the heavy (eastern not Native American) Indian accent going by the name, Erica Gimble(SP). You might think it would be that said woman, upon hearing my telephone number wrong twice, jumps right to the nicely prepared script with her finger on the mute button (that she did use) after I told her that I just wanted to ask a couple of questions, not order anything. Or maybe it was that she stayed right on the script after not really-kinda-sorta answering one out my three questions.  Perhaps it was the background chatter that clearly didn't sound anywhere close to being near where I am locally.  Could have been the realization 0.5 seconds into the conversation that I should have hung up and tried another route (like pressing 2 to try to get someone from the service department before pressing 3 to change or inquire about my existing service).  Oh wait, it could have been the fact that after she kinda sort of did(n't) answer my questions, she broke into the script about changing my  (lack of) Long Distance service. Who knows...

     Well, I am enjoying my new speed (yep, that was it), but it still doesn't seem fast enough. I'm a geek at heart, there may not be a such thing as "fast enough", but I think Fiber will be close if it ever rolls out here, assuming it hasn't. There's one more level up I didn't get. See, if she had been good, she probably would have gotten me to get it.

To all the Mom's, Grandmoms, Aunts that's are like moms, those that are about to be moms, friends that that think they are your moms... well may not them but we love you anyway!

I am very excited about this! (Neo) Soul Goddess (IMHO) Amel Larrieux ("Get Up", "For Real") just dropped a new album! In my opinion, she was due (really overdue for me) for one. If you are wondering who she is, well, you may not have been here before. I know I've at least mentioned her sometime in the past. She is the former voice of the group Groove Theory ("Tell Me" and "Keep Trying") and one of my favorite artists. She has now 3 solo albums and is one of the ONLY people whose album I would buy unheard (and I did too). Come to think of it, she's one of the only people whose album I would actually buy nowadays PERIOD!

Anyway, her new album is called, "Morning" and I believe it just came out this past Tuesday (that's when i saw it, at least). I haven't listened to it, as I said, but will tomorrow. If you want to check out Amel or bits of the album (and past ones), go here and here, respectively. If you are a lover of Soul music, Neo or otherwise, you will NOT be dissapointed.


(UPDATE) Here is a link to a couple of Groove Theory videos and an fairly recent interview with Amel.

Now if anyone didn't know, I am a little bit of a Sci Fi fan. I particularily like the show Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It was a good show. It was also one of the first to hit DVD before the TV on DVD craze broke out. The problem was that it was like $100 a season when it came out. Other shows (of hour long length, especially) are a half or a third of the price. Hell, even the last Star Trek series, Enterprise, is cheap (in more ways than one). That's crazy! Yea, I bought the first season, but that's besides the point. I was thinking that the sales would drive the market and maybe bring the price down. I was dead wrong about the bringing down the price part. I hadn't bought any more of them either, by the way. That might change because I just noticed the prices for this show, and I think other Star Trek shows, have gone down. Yippee. I don't know why they finally did it....well that's a lie, they probably realized that this price wasn't going to fly in today's market. So now I can finish my collection a little easier. Granted, I've gotten ahold most of the seven seasons and have seen then, but now I can have my own copy (WINK). I also just realized that I am probably the only one really caring about this news, but since you all love me, you wan to know anyway. Now, if you all want to chip in, or just buy them (seasons 2 - 7) for me, I won't be upset at all. :)

and i'm kinda tired. Hadn't even made a lot of time for Pandora and that sucks. There is another service that I will soon check out and report back on soon. I also have a couple of other things in the brain pan, but they won't come out to play right now. Plus, i'm working a good bit, like that has ever stopped me. In the meantime, check this out.

Ralph Tresvant, of the group New Edition IF you didn't know, has a new album floating around. He was recently on Chuck D and Gianna Garel's Air America show, On the Real. you should check it out. They talk about what he's been up to lately. As a matter of fac, check the rest of the show also because it equally good with some great music and discussion thrown in. So yea, i'm still around. never left.And L, i'm finally going to get to your tag. And Nita, I still want that voice email. I'm holding you to it.

Here's where you can download the show: Air America Radio - On the Real 4/09/06

Later

Welcome to what could be a new series on the spot. Its called "Sample moment" and if it's not clear enough, it will be covering sampled songs, mosly rap and Hip Hop, but could be some others. We shall see. As with any other time I bring up some music, I will be using Allmusic.com. I will also probably be using The-Breaks.com and a few other places that might have what I need. I'm kind of lazy so this may or may not be as in depth as I'd like or have the info on.

Today's sample moment came from my perusal of Pandora. I was listening to my Old school Hip Hop station (check on the left of this blog, if you please) when I came across the song "Wild Thang" by 2 Much. This is the first time that I've heard of this group (and song) and i'm fairly proficient in my Hip Hop. Why do you care? You might not, if you do, it's because you've heard this song one way or another(i'm gonna find ya. I'm gonna git ya git ya git ya git ya...sorry about that). The song is best known from the song "Doin' it" from LL Cool J's 1995 album, "Mr. Smith". That's right, folks. you know the song now, don't you?

Now, I have know idea when this the 2 Much track came out because I hadn't found much concrete evidence except for this and this, but I am willing to bet any amount of money that this is the song that sparked LL's. In fact, if I remember correctly, this little piece of info came out around the time that the song did. Plus, the fact that the girl rapping in LL's song is the SAME one in the 2 much version. She's not the same as the one in the video, but that's a different story. One that I think LL went to court about because the rapper from the song, Le shaun, was not in said video because she was, I guess, "not up to specs" or something. Anyway, if you don't believe me, listen to the link from two sentences ago, then pull out or copy of LL' s (I know you have it) song or album to compare. I'll wait.

Well, the story's not done folks because there was more to this. I know a couple of you were thinkng that was it and was about to slip up. Hell to the Naww, Bobby! Well, I see one of you with your hand up thinking, "What about the other song'? Yes, Leshaun and 2 Much were NOT the first ones to use the beat for their song. That honor goes to one the argueably strangest people on earth. Or should I say, Strangé. That's right, Model (I don't know why), Actress(debatable), Singer (I got nothing) Grace Jones of Boomerang fame was the first one that I know to be a slave to that rhythm. Grace laced vocal on that now more famous beat in 1982 on the song, "My Jamaican Guy" from her album, "Living My Life". I bet more than a couple of you know this song, too. You're probably singing it now. And guess what, she wrote it too. Yes folks, this is where it all started. And LL was NOT going to have Grace Jones in the Doin' it video either.... Well, he might, no he really wouldn't.

So that's it for this one. I thought it was going to be short, but the jokes on me. If you want to check out any this, click away on any of the link. Also, check out the album: Hip Hop essentials: Vol. 11. That's where you can find 2 Much's version as well as a couple of other nice ditty's. Oh, and as a bonus, check out these albums:

Fat beats and Bra Straps: Hip Hop Classics and
Fat beats and Bra Straps: Battle Rhymes & Posse Cuts

Both are compilations of classic female Hip Hop artists(speaking of where are they nows). There's some good material on these puppies. And if there are any suggestions for songs I should try to look up, hit me up. Don't give me nothing too crazy and be warned, I know more about rap than say Rock or Country.

(UPDATE) Apparently, LeShaun and LL have possibly traded verses over a track more than once. I'll have to check it out. Also, I would love to do this as a podcast, but there is no way in HELL that i'm fooling with the licenses agreements I would have to fool with to do so.