Technology Bytes

Archive for the ‘Skype’ Category

Sources at Tech Crunch are reporting that Google has acquired Gizmo5. It looks like talks between Skype and Gizmo5 went to a dead end last month due to Skype litigation issues. Google saw the opportunity and snatched up (though unconfirmed at the moment) the peer-to-peer VoIP startup company for $30 million. Gizmo5 is based on the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and can interoperate with other SIP-based networks directly, including the public switched telephone network (PSTN). Gizmo5 has the service features, CallOut/CallIn, available at a fee. Maybe, when Google integrates Google Voice with Gizmo5, these features will be free. But we all know there is no such thing as free lunch. Google will serve up their ad network in your so-called voice portal like they do with Gmail. Should Skype be worried? I would think so.

Google and Gizmo5 have yet to go public on this news. The news have also brought Gizmo5 website to a crawl as curious internet users wanted to know what Gizmo5 is all about. I’m sure there will be a vast amount of Google Voice users signing up with a Gizmo5 account as well.

Google Acquired Gizmo5

If you find yourself unable to use your cordless phone with Skype after upgrading your operating system to Windows 7, you are not alone. Windows 7 breaks the integration between Skype and DLink DPH-50U VoIP adapter. When Windows 7 detects the DLink voip adapter and installs the default drivers for the Virtual Audio Device (in this case, Zoom Virtual Audio Device). If you look under Device Manager, the DLink adapter will show up as working properly but the adapter icon will show up as “red” on the taskbar.

To fix this, you need to go to device manager, select the Zoom virtual audio device and change the drivers to DLink. For step-by-step instruction, go to the link below.

How to get DLink DPH-50U and Skype working on Windows 7