Link: http://www.pr-inside.com/free-iphone-app-provides-10-million-r1673784.htm

Summary:
This international calling service is giving away $10 million of free international calls to iPhone users who download a free app to use the service.

Plant City, FL – A new iPhone app is available from www.CallGlobalApp.com as a free download, and the company is giving away $10 million in international calling.

“The app is free to download and the first 5 million people to download the app will receive $2 in free international calls. We do this to prove the quality of our service and application without the consumer spending a dime,” said John Gill, chief operating officer.

The Call Global iPhone app will soon be available for other smartphones, such as the Blackberry and Android as well. Customers who have compared the Call Global app to Skype, Truphone, and others say that Call Global has the highest HD call quality. International calls are crystal clear, according to consumer online comments and reviews.

An innovative feature lets users have a virtual phone number in any country they wish. People in that country can call the local virtual number and it will ring on the cell phone, wherever that phone is located in any other country.

“iPhone users can have international phone lines for their iPhones in countries all across the world. So now your family, friends, or customers in Argentina, for example, can dial your Argentina phone line and connect directly to your iPhone wherever you are in the world. Calls made to your virtual phone number ring directly to your iPhone,” said Gill.

Call Global also makes it easy to know in advance what each call will cost.

“We take away the mystery of how much an International call costs. Our app displays the cost per minute to call any country. After you make a call the app not only displays the length of the call in minutes, it also displays the exact total cost of that call,” explained Gill.

Other iPhone apps only work inside a WI-FI zone. The Call Global app offers the ability to make calls from inside and outside of WI-FI zones with HD quality.

Full details of the many features of the Call Global app are provided on the company web site at http://www.CallGlobalApp.com where anyone can download that app at no charge and begin making free calls immediately to try the service at no cost.

Some international calls are free, and many cost as little as $0.01 per minute, so the $2 credit can provide two hours of international calling, or even more. Gill believes that once people use the free calls they will continue to use the app because of the HD quality and the other features.

Press Contact:
Sean Gill
813-240-2923

Enjoy Free Text Messaging to Any iPhone or iPod with the Call Global Messenger

The Call Global Messenger is the latest feature added to the Call Global App. It allows Call Global users to text message other Call Global users free.

It does not matter whether you text messaging an iphone user or iPod user, if they have the Call Global App you can send and receive unlimited text messages free!

How does the Call Global Messenger Work?

The Call Global Messenger sends and receives text messages very similarly to the iPhone text messenger. Below is an overview of the Call Global Messenger, which also includes tips on how to use it.

Receiving Messages:

When a Call Global user sends you a text message, it will appear on the iPhones screen like a normal text message. If push notification is deactivated you will receive the message when you open the application.

To respond simply tap on the message and the conversation will be opened within the Call Global App. Now simply type your message and select send.

Sending Messages:

When you open the messenger you will be taken to the main screen of the Messenger, which has all of your Call Global contacts. When you select the contact you would like to message the conversation with that person will be opened.

Simply type your message and select send.

Adding Call Global Messaging Contacts:

To add a Call Global contact to the messenger you will need the persons Call Global ID.

The Call Global ID can be found by going to the “My Account” page and then selecting the “Info” tab in the top right corner of the screen.

Now go to the “New Contact” tab, which can be found in the top right corner of the Messenger’s main page. Enter the contacts information.

The contact you entered will now be sent a confirmation message. As soon as they confirm the message you can begin messaging them. The contact will appear in red, on the main screen of the Messenger, until they confirm you as a contact.

Sharing the Call Global App and Your Call Global ID with Friends:

On the main page of the Call Global Messenger you will find a “Share” tab in the top left corner.

With the “Share” tab you can send friends an email inviting them to download the app so you can begin messaging them free. The email also includes your Call Global ID, so they can immediately add you as a contact.

Once you open the “Share” tab simply enter their email and we will take care of the rest.

If you have any questions about the Call Global Messenger please contact us.

By: Brian X. Chen
Wired.com

Video entertainment was “the one that got away” from Apple, but recent moves reveal the company is taking a second stab at the category, and that streaming video will play a major role.

The addition of video cameras to Apple’s latest iPhone and iPod Nano were just the first hints of the company’s new personal-media strategy. The company is also building a 500,000 square-foot data center in North Carolina, which could provide the massive bandwidth required for ubiquitous streaming video. And Apple’s recent acquisition of Lala suggests it’s interested in rebooting iTunes into a streaming service, according to Wall Street Journal. That means music, in Lala’s case, but the same infrastructure could be shared with streaming video.

digg_url = 'here';
The final piece of the puzzle was Apple’s approval this week of iPhone apps with live video-streaming capability. The company previously forbade this functionality, reserving live video as a private API. But a letter from an iPhone developer convinced Steve Jobs to release Apple’s restrictions, and now live video-streaming apps Ustream and Knocking Live Video are available for download in the App Store.

All these recent developments point to a significant new strategic market for Apple: personal broadcasting, or sharing personal experiences. YouTube and Flip are already big players in this young space, and the logical competitive move for Apple is to make personal media deliverable and accessible anytime, anywhere.

That means in the next few years, we’re likely to see video cameras with live-streaming software built into future iPods and iPhones (and the rumored touchscreen tablet, if it ever exists). These features will likely be integrated into iTunes, which Apple would convert into a social experience with real-time sharing services, in addition to being a storage tool.

It’s no wonder Jobs gave the green light on live video-broadcasting apps for the iPhone: He could use app developers to help Apple get started.

In a September iPod event, Jobs made it clear Apple was entering the consumer video market.

“We want to get in on this,” Jobs said when he presented the video-equipped iPod Nano’s main competitor: the Flip camcorder.

Building a data center, putting a video camera on the iPhone and approving iPhone apps with live video-streaming functionality are all precursor steps necessary for Apple to build for an always-connected, share-everything future.

“I would look at it and say, ‘You’re Apple. You can’t just refresh your existing line. What’s your game changer?’” said James McQuivey, a Forrester analyst who focuses on consumer video. “It’s getting into personal broadcasting, which is essentially what this is.”

Live video in its current state is mostly a bunch of niche applications. Satellite trucks enable broadcast journalists to televise live scoops. In the business space, professionals use live video conferencing to communicate remotely. Consumers use live video broadcasting with webcams to video-chat with each other, and a few exhibitionists broadcast themselves over websites like Ustream and Justin.tv.

So what’s the big deal if you put live-video capability in a phone? You can carry it everywhere and broadcast live from anywhere, and that opens a whole new world of applications for the technology. John Ham, co-founder of video-streaming startup Ustream, predicts live video will give birth to a new world of citizen journalists.

“People always have a cellphone on them,” said John Ham, co-founder of Ustream. “You can’t always predict life, and there are going to be moments where you want to share…. We’ve seen people take out devices and streaming earthquakes or planes landing, and now there are going to be all sorts of citizen journalism events now if we have millions with this application over iPhone.”

The developer of Knocking Live Video, an app that broadcasts live video between iPhones, said anywhere-video broadcasting is the evolution of Twitter.

“We are focused on phone-to-phone, not uploading to the web,” Pointy Head developer Brian Meehan explained to Ars Technica. “Who really cares about fleeting moments other than friends and family seeing it as it happens? With Knocking, people share what they are doing right now. Our testers have referred to Knocking as a ‘visual tweet.’”

And then there are those who are already using video cameras in phones and point-and-shoots to capture events like concerts or soccer games, which eventually get e-mailed or posted on Facebook. Sharing his personal experience, McQuivey said he went to a concert with his daughter recently and saw about 100 pocket video cameras shooting the show on the main floor.

“The performers even said, it used to be what goes on tour stays on tour, but now it ends up on Facebook,” McQuivey said. “Apple would be foolish not to try to be the center of that buzz.”

“Google is going to want to go with this, too: They have YouTube,” McQuivey noted. “This could be really interesting.”

And what about Lala? According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple is working with Lala’s engineers to revamp iTunes into a streaming music service that lets users buy and listen to music through a web browser.

“For consumers, such changes could make it far easier to manage and access large libraries of music, which need to be stored, maintained and backed up on computer hard drives and portable devices,” The Wall Street Journal wrote.

Why stop with music? Adding video to the mix would turn iTunes into a personal media hub.

In a nearer term, McQuivey says Apple has an easy opportunity to integrate video from the fifth-generation iPod Nano into iTunes, enabling users to share recordings with one another through the software.

“This puts Apple in an important place it hasn’t occupied until now: It makes Apple software the potential hub for personal media, something that is poised to explode in the next 2-3 years,” McQuivey wrote in a blog post when the video-equipped Nano was released in September.

“Even Flip’s success has not guaranteed that people use Flip software to manage the videos they capture,” he added. “But Apple’s iTunes has always been the glue that makes Apple’s ecosystem work. And now it just acquired superadhesive properties.”

9:27am UK, Wednesday December 09, 2009
Ruth Barnett, Sky News Online

Apple is understood to have pulled 1,000 iPhone applications amid claims they were used to peddle bogus reviews for a company's products.

The Apple App Store sells thousands of iPhone applications made by third parties
The apps under scrutiny were all produced by a developer called Molinker and included several travel guides, photography tools and currency converters.

A British blogger contacted the phone and computer giant after being alerted by a reader.
Research by the pair found many of the reviews of Molinker applications were written by users who only commented on Molinker products and rated all of them five-star reviews.

The technique of publishing fake reviews online is often referred to as "astroturfing" by bloggers.

Glyn Evans, who blogs at iPhoneography, claims 42 out of 44 reviews for an application called NightCam Pro were overwhelmingly positive and badly spelled.

Molinker applications appear to have been removed from the App Store. Apple has not publicly responded but Mr Evans says he received a reply from senior vice president Phil Schiller confirming their removal.

The Molinker Inc website appears to have been taken down.

iPhone apps are paid-for or free applications built by third-party developers. Once they have been approved by Apple, they are sold through the brand's online store.

Link: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/10-Things-Were-Still-Missing-from-the-iPhone-357206/

By: Don Reisinger, eWeek.com

News Analysis: The iPhone might be a great device that appeals to many, but the smartphone still lacks several key features that could make it perfect for any user. There is still much that Apple could do to improve its appeal to business users and to greatly expand the application developer community.

Apple is at it again. After spending so much of its time railing against Windows, the company is protecting AT&T in its battle with Verizon Wireless. In a new set of ads, Apple has highlighted all the features that its iPhone has that the Motorola Droid doesn't. It's a war of words that so far, doesn't have a victor.

But as much as Apple wants the world to believe that the iPhone has all the features they want, it doesn't. The device, while great in its own right, is lacking on many fronts. Simply put, it doesn't have the full feature set that makes it the ideal platform for any user. And the chances of that changing anytime soon aren't all that great. The iPhone is a fine device, but it's lacking in some areas. Even Apple can admit that. So let's take a look at some of the features that the iPhone needs.

1. No Go, Enterprise
The iPhone is a great consumer device. But when it comes to the corporate world's unique needs, the iPhone, so far, doesn't stack up to the devices from RIM. In recent releases, the iPhone has done a better job of appealing to business users and, admittedly, more firms are considering the iPhone. But until tethering is made simple and the device is available on multiple carriers, the iPhone won't be ready for the enterprise.

2. Multitasking?

One of the biggest complaints users have about the iPhone is its inability to allow users to multitask. For now, users can only open one application at a time; they can't simply sift through several applications as they can on the Palm Pre or Motorola's Droid. It's a problem that limits productivity. Hopefully Apple will address it in the next iteration of the iPhone.

3. Where's the Physical Keyboard?

A virtual keyboard might be the go-to "futuristic" device, but a physical keyboard is far more practical and reliable. As someone who has owned both the first-gen iPhone and the iPhone 3G, I can say without any reservation that the device's keyboard can't quite stack up to a physical keyboard on other smartphones. It's certainly different and at times, it's nice. But it's not ideal.

4. We Need Open Source

Android has done a fine job of making waves in the mobile industry, thanks to open source. The platform allows vendors to decide how they will use and adapt the software for their own phones. More importantly, it helps Google address potential issues much sooner than it could on a closed platform. With millions of developerswatching for trouble rather than a handful of developers, problems can be solved much sooner. Apple should consider it.

5. Some Friendly Developer Rules

Apple isn't nice to developers. The company's draconian approval policies have stopped some viable apps from entering its store. It has also pushed some developers away. Granted, Apple's App Store is growing at a rapid rate and it's the biggest store in the space, but the company needs to do a better job of making developers understand what is and is not allowed.

6. Interchangeable Batteries
One of the biggest complaints any corporate customer will have for the iPhone is that it doesn't have interchangeable batteries. Instead, users are required to recharge the single battery encased in the device. After a long day of phone calls, that might be inefficient for the average businessperson. Interchangeable batteries is a must in the next iPhone.

7. VOIP over 3G

When Apple rejected Google's Voice application from entering its App Store, it unleashed a firestorm of controversy. But what it brought to light was AT&T's requirement that no app in Apple's store be allowed to run VOIP over 3G. That's unfortunate. Users would find far more value in the device with that option allowed. It would also increase AT&T's subscriber base. Rethink that one, AT&T.

8. Carrier-Agnosticism

Following that, it's time that Apple ditch AT&T and start offering the iPhone on multiple carriers. The idea has been rumored to be in the works for months now, but so far, the company hasn't made any announcements saying that the iPhone will be carrier-agnostic. Several iPhone competitors offer devices on multiple carriers. It helps them capture market share. Apple should consider it.

9. Removable Storage

Another issue some have with the iPhone is its lack of removable storage. It comes with a hefty hard drive, sure, but it's nice to have the option of taking files and folders out of the device for use elsewhere. Several BlackBerry models provide a removable-storage slot to save content. Users can take that content to computers, their HDTVs and elsewhere. In any smartphone, that should be an option.

10. Shortage of Serious Competition

Perhaps the biggest problem with Apple's iPhone is that, so far, it doesn't have a real competitor. Sure, the Droid is selling well and the BlackBerry Storm2 is a more viable device than its predecessor. But when it comes to touch-enabled devices, the iPhone reigns supreme. And that is limiting Apple's desire to unleash every feature we might want. It can keep releasing iterative updates, knowing all too well that more and more users will keep buying its product. There's little need to innovate beyond what's necessary. It's unfortunate, but it's true. And it's holding the iPhone back.

Link: http://brainstormtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2009/12/03/idc-300000-iphone-apps-by-2011/

A research firm looks into the near future and sees … an Apple "iPad" next year

Apple (AAPL) figures prominently in IDC's top 10 predictions for the coming year, released Thursday and available here (registration required). The relevant bullet points:

The "iPad" will finally arrive. Last year, we predicted that we would not see the then-rumored Apple tablet in 2009. This year, however, we predict that Apple will finally introduce this new device family, which is more of an oversized (8in., 10in.) iPod Touch than a downsized Mac — and if you look at the developer energy around the iPhone/Touch platform, this should be no surprise at all. This prediction is a no-brainer: there's enormous appeal in sizing up the iPhone/Touch for a variety of applications and activities that people already use those devices for but would jump at the chance to have a larger screen — watching videos/movies, reading books/magazines/newspapers (it would take a big bite from the Kindle), surfing the Web, videophone, and online gaming. Look for Apple's "iPad" by year-end 2010. Oh, and don't be surprised to see Microsoft also announce its own device in this space. … One big question for 2010 is which way Apple will go with 3G connectivity for the iPad — private labeling a wireless carrier's network as "AppleNet" or simply merchandising carriers' wireless subscriptions through the iTunes store.

Over 1 billion mobile devices will access the Internet in 2010. IDC predicts that, for the first time, there will be over 1 billion mobile devices accessing the Internet by year-end, gaining quickly on the 1.3 billion PCs accessing the Internet (the former are growing at 2.5 times the rate of the latter). The most strategic portion of these mobile devices are converged mobile devices (aka smartphones), including Apple's iPhone, RIM's BlackBerry, and Nokia's smartphone lineup, as well as the growing number of phones running Microsoft's Windows Mobile, Google's Android, and Symbian^1 (notably Nokia). Over 200 million of these devices — which are distinguished by their ability to run third-party applications — will ship in 2010, representing 16% of the market; we predict that by 2013, they will account for over 20%. Of course, it wouldn't be the IT industry if price points didn't keep coming down: look for more sub-$150 smartphones to come on the scene in 2010, accelerating the market.

Developer — and application — momentum will continue to shift dramatically to mobile devices. At least as important as the number of mobile devices are the frenzied developer energy and application volume building around mobile platforms — most obviously, but by no means exclusively, around the iPhone. There are now over 100,000 iPhone apps listed on Apple's iTunes store, up from 10,000 a year ago — that's an annual growth rate of 900%. As a point of comparison, there are on the order of 10,000 Windows PC applications listed on Microsoft's Windows 7 compatibility Web site. We predict at least 300,000 iPhone applications by the end of 2010, many of the new apps coming from well-known Global 2000 business and consumer brands — and attracting more consumers and businesspeople to these platforms as their most commonly and heavily used clients.

For a summary of the rest of the document, and quotes from an interview with IDC chief analyst Frank Gens, see Steve Lohr's piece in today's New York Times.

Link: http://recombu.com/news/coapplition-dreaming-of-universal-apps_M11136.html

By Andrew Lim, Recombu.com

Imagine if an app developed for the iPhone worked on a Palm Pre, or even a phone running Windows Mobile. It might sound like a crazy idea but recently mobile phone manufacturers decided that it made sense to agree on a universal charging solution, which will reduce the number of eco-damaging power adapters and allow people to use one charger for many phones. The same could be done for apps.

Switch on your TV at the moment and you're likely to catch an ad for an iPhone app or a Nokia app -- even Microsoft has started advertising apps. Apps are everywhere, as is the term, but does everyone know that an app advertised for a Nokia N97 won't work on an iPhone, and should that be the case? If there was a universal app store then life would be a lot easier for consumers and developers.

Unlike universal chargers though, app stores are big business, get it right and you'll make a lot more money than the competition. Why would any company want to share its store and profits with another company and who would decide on what the perfect app store was? Then there's the fact that consumers like variety, so a single app store might not work for everyone. But what about a universal app development system? Everyone gets to keep their app store but developers use a single development kit that works on all mobile app stores. We can dream, can't we?

Over the last 6 months millions of iphone users across the globe began using VOiP applications, such as Skype, to make extremely cheap international calls. But as quickly as iphone users flocked to VOiP applications, AT&T quickly decided to block the apps access to the 3G network. So now cheap international calls could only be made from WIFI zones.

But through the spirit of innovation, Call Global created an app that can make cheap international calls from absolutely anywhere. No WIFI zone needed.

The app is able to connect calls outside of WIFI zones, because it uses a voice network instead of the internet to connect calls. On top of that, the Call Global voice network is HD call quality, so users receive crystal clears calls.

Not only is the app providing the best call quality, but also at the lowest rates. As you can see below, if you are not making a Skype-to-Skype call, Call Global is the cheapest calling option.

If you would like learn more about Call Global, and how we are revolutionizing international calling from the iPhone please check out some of the articles below:

iPhoneAppReviews.net Reviews the Call Global App

Add International Phone Lines to Your iPhone with the Call Global App

International Calls From iPhone: Call Global App Vs. AT&T

By: Sean Gill

Last week, while writing a review of our app, Michael from iPhoneAppReview.net asked me the question below:

"Hi Sean,
I was wondering if you could explain the difference between world call and direct call. I know they function differently in terms of how the call is dialed, but why is one cheaper than the other and when would you choose one over the other?

Thanks,
Michael"

This is a very important question, because the calling feature customers use is based on where they are calling from.

The Direct Call calling feature is the primary calling feature to use for international calls, the call rates are slightly cheaper and it is more convenient to use. But Direct Call only works within the following 44 countries. If you were calling from a country that is not listed below, you would use the World Call calling feature instead.

Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahrain
Belgium
Brazil
Bulgaria
Canada
Chile
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Estonia
Finland
France
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Mexico
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Panama
Peru
Puerto Rico
Poland
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
UK
USA

Direct Call does not work in the other countries because the Telecom companies in these countries are able to block outgoing calls from the app. So to satisfy the needs of international callers in these countries we created World Call.

With World Call the international call is now 2 incoming calls. So your phone and the phone of the person you are calling will ring at the exact same moment. When you and the person you are calling answer, the call is then connected.

If you would like to read Michael's review of the Call Global App visit iPhone App Reviews.

Link: http://www.iphoneappreviews.net/2009/08/27/call-global-app/comment-page-1/#comment-36797

Below is a very informative review written by Michael from iPhoneAppReviews.net about the Call Global App. Michael wrote an extremely entertaining review. Definitely give it a read, he will have you laughing quit a few times.

A few months ago I needed to call a friend in Korea from my cell phone and even though I didn’t have an international calling plan I figured it couldn’t cost that much, so I dialed him up and we talked for about 10 minutes. Two weeks later I nearly crapped in my pants when I got the bill and saw that AT&T had charged me over $30 for that phone call! Groan. They literally charged me $3/minute. Bastards!

That’s never gonna happen again, though. AT&T would love for dumbasses like myself to pay them a monthly fee for an international calling plan or get raped on every overseas call I make, but starting now I’m using Call Global App whenever I feel the need to dial another country from my cell.

You’d think there would be cheaper ways to make these calls… I’m sure a lot of people will say “just use Skype” or some virtual calling card deal… but Call Global App’s rates are actually better than Skype’s and waaaayyy better than AT&T’s......

To read the rest of the review go to iPhone App Reviews. Michael will be sure to keep you entertained from beginning to end.