Pierow’s Prattle

Whether you’re posting an item for sale on Craigslist or trying to avoid stalkers while dating online, sometimes you need a telephone number that you can use for a temporary time period and then throw away.  Enter inumbr.  You choose a telephone number from a list of major cities and have that number forward to another telephone number or to voicemail.  After a pre-set period of time, the number disconnects and (allegedly) is never reused.

[Link]

FettesPS has posted an article detailing a technique to extract the SIP credentials used with a Vonage account for use with the FRING iPhone application.  Naturally, this could also be used for other SIP applications as well.  Essentially the technique boils down to downloading your configuration settings via a specially crafted URL:

https://im-config.vonagenetworks.net/config?&login=USERNAME&password=PASSWORD&type=1003

Keep in mind that this definitely violates your terms of service and could result in the suspension of your Vonage account.

[Original Article]

After you’ve added the CTU Ringtone to your 7960, you might want to consider sending the phone to Colorware for a custom paint job.  I’m fond of Commissioner James Gordon Red (ala The Batphone) but they will let you choose any combination of colors that you like.  Prices start at about $250.

[LINK]

The Mesh Potato project hopes to build an 802.11bg mesh router with a single FXS port. It is designed to provide telephony via VOIP while simultaneously facilitating a mesh cloud. It is an open hardware and open software design. It will run off a nominal 12VDC, from either a mains supply or solar PV system, and be priced in the range of currently available Wifi routers (sub US$100).

The target application is mesh routed VOIP networks, in particular (but not limited to) developing communities. An analog phone connects to the potato via the FXS port. When you make a call you potato talks to the potato down the street which talks to the next potato, and eventually to the destination. The mesh network can be augmented via backbone links and connected to the rest of the world via VOIP gateways.

[More]

Vitelity PBX in a Flash Offer

Vitelity Communications has apparently been offering their inbound SIP service at a discounted rate for PBX in a Flash users for a while now.  Their offering includes a Tier A ratecenter DID, 2 simul. channels + 100 free outbound U.S. minutes for $3.99/month.  Their customer service thus far has been top notch and it’s easy to see why they’re listed as one of the few Editor’s Choice providers.

To qualify for the special offer, you have to sign up from the provider’s page on the PBX in a Flash site.  (Note that the coupon says the offer expires in October of 2008 but we were able to sign up and get the rate in March 2009 with no problems)

[PBX in a Flash Provider Listing]   [Vitelity Website]