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Journalists Cover Microsoft, Using Macs

It’s not an easy time for Microsoft — with Steve Ballmer having to field questions about being “buffoons” and an “evil empire”  at the shareholder’s meeting (.doc) — so when they get together “the world’s most influential technology pundits and online writers” (nb: we weren’t invited) for Mobius to discuss super-secret mobile tech you’d think [...]

Guide To Black Friday Apple Bargains: Cheap MacBooks, iPods and Accessories Galore

Here’s a guide for finding the best bargains on Apple-related gear during the infamous Black Friday sales on November 27. We’ve compiled a comprehensive list of gear from leaked photos of sales flyers and descriptions of sales.
The bargains include a 2.26 GHz MacBook + $150 gift card at Best Buy for $999.99 ; a 32GB [...]

Review: Voices Is Today’s Best Thing Ever, Grab It Now While It’s Cheap

New on the App Store is Voices from the clever folk at Tap Tap Tap. You can guess what it does.

Open it up, pick a silly voice. Helium is pretty silly. A microphone appears and the app even clears your throat for you (try it, you’ll see what I mean). Now speak your brains, and [...]

Review: Sony Walkman S540 Series Video MP3 Player

Press releases, you will hardly be surprised to hear, are rarely very interesting. But one arrived in my inbox a couple of weeks ago that made me double-take.
“Sony’s S Series Walkman,” it chattered, “is a serious challenger to the iPod Nano.” Gosh, really? Perhaps the Cult had better have a look at one, then, despite [...]

Did You Know Your iPod Touch is a Phone?

With the arrival, finally, of Apple’s Premium earphones with remote and mic, you can now use your iPod Touch as a telephone through the magic of free software from the VoIP pioneers at TruPhone.

Actually, that’s somewhat inaccurate. You’ve been able to partake of TruPhone’s magic previously using a microphone adapter that plugs into the dock connector, or a headset with built-in mic like the one that ships with iPhones, but now that Apple’s new headsets are on the way, TruPhone’s app seems much more interesting.

Once you’ve installed the software, you can make free calls—no matter where you are in the world—to other iPod touch owners, to customers of Truphone’s Internet telephony service and to users of Google Talk™ instant messaging service. Support for low cost calling to landlines (PSTN) is on the way, according to company reps, as is support for calling and instant messaging to Skype and MSN (free) and free check and set facilities for both Twitter and Facebook.

The software uses the iPod touch’s Wi-Fi connection to carry VoIP calls over the Internet to its destination. There is no monthly line rental, no subscription or other hidden charges, but it should be noted calls are not handed off to the cellular network if you move beyond or lose your WiFi connection.

Still, when you bought that iPod Touch, I bet you didn’t think you were getting a telephone, too.

About the author

Lonnie Lazar

Lonnie Lazar is a writer, musician, web designer attorney. He writes about Apple for Cult of Mac and Mac|Life, and about VoIP and telecommunications for Voxilla. Follow Lonnie on Twitter @LonnieLazar, join the Cult of Mac on Facebook, and find Lonnie's photos on Flickr.

Email the author | Read more posts by Lonnie Lazar.

12 comments

    Well, I can not install TruPhone on my iPod touch…

    had quite a delay on it when I tried

    Does this work with the first generation iPod Touch? It doesn’t have any microphone capabilities that I’m aware of.

    This only works with second gen iPod Touch. With a first gen it would be “Hello,.. Hello.. HELLO !!!” as that don’t support the mic on the premium headphones.

    [...] to makeVoIP calls over the Internet. I am going to try that for sure. It’s awesome! Via: CultOfMac Cell Phone [...]

    I own an ipod touch first generation… Is there any way for me to use truphone??? Please help me out in this regard….

    @Vicky – I think you are out of luck. The Truphone app requires a microphone and if I’m not mistaken the 1stG iPod Touch is without one.

    [...] Did You Know Your iPod Touch is a Phone? [...]

    [...] reported last week on internet voice service provider Truphone’s mobile app that enables Voice over IP phone [...]

    look.. I have a first gen iPod touch and I want to find out abt how to make free phone calls across the world.. the earphones I use are an iPhones so they have a mic too.. please tell me abt wat I can do..

    Actually, you can get a mic for the first gen ipod touch. i have a first gen with a mic and i have a working shazam on it too. you have to have a dock mic ( like the iVoice )
    So is there anyway to get truphone for the 1st gen?

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