This is a sponsored post, all opinions here-in are mine.

Make Calls, Save Money

As crazy as it sounds, there are still people in the world who use their iPhones and Android handsets to …  make voice calls. I know, Crazy! Right? If you are one of them, and, especially, if you travel internationally, the cost of those calls can add up quickly. Vonage has been around for quite some time, but they’ve just released a new iPhone and Android calling application that is pretty impressive.  I’m already using it for calls when I’m in a WiFi network; although the app works over 3G, over WiFi the calls are fantastic and they don’t use any of my data plan. I had a chance to speak with the Vonage mobile app team yesterday, and as soon as the call was over I downloaded the app.

I’m impressed. The app is easy to use, loads quickly, and the quality of the calls is excellent.

Let’s run down what stands out in this app, and then walk through the process of actually setting it up so you can see just how easy it is to use …… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

I tried Line2 when it first came out and didn’t continue after my trial period. Then Line2 came out with a fantastic iPad app and I tried it again. This time I immediately signed up for the upper lever service for a year. Ever since I have been using it to turn my iPad into a speaker phone. It works great and is one of those apps I use daily. I had a chance to stop by the Line2 table and meet one of their representatives. She asked if I wanted a trial and I explained that I was already a loyal customer. She then asked me what I do and when I told her she replied, “We need to talk… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Point 1: As much as I love my iPhone using it as a phone isn’t all that comfortable. As a result, even when I’m not on the go, I will often use a headset, wired or Bluetooth, when using my iPhone for a call. In other words, if I use my iPhone a headset is a must.

Point 2: iOS 5 .0 isn’t giving me the battery life that I am used to and need. That may change with the next iOS update but for the time being it is an issue with which I need to deal. That means I need to charge my phone more often than ever. In other words, if… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

We reviewed the Andrea SuperBeam phones last week and were impressed. (You can read the review here.) The headphones have an MSRP of $149.95, but we found them discounted to just $117.96. That’s a great price on headphones that make VOiP and voice recognition a pleasure.  Buy it here. [affiliate link]… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

This one is for all our friends across the Atlantic . . .

I don’t know what the traditions are in your family, but in mine, Thanksgiving weekend is the “Call all those relatives that you usually don’t talk to” day.  Not just Granny and Grandpa, but Cousin Bill and Uncle Harold and all the other folks that you don’t see nearly often enough.  Which, of course, runs up the old phone bill something ‘oriole.

Well, Localphone wants to help you out.  Here’s what they have to say:

For four days (from 5am GMT Thurs 24th to 5am GMT Mon 28th) we’re giving away completely free calls to the US, no strings attached.

From the Editorial Staff of Gear Diary: If you don’t want to give your loved one something tangible this year, why not give them a subscription to a service that will enhance their life? Here are a few suggestions for subscriptions services we love and use on a regular basis …

Tripit: Judie loves it and uses it all the time. Judie turned Dan on to it, and he’s now an evangelist for it as well. Tripit is a great way to monitor your travels, keep all in your information in one place, and, with a pro subscription, get real-time updates when your travel plans change. In fact, you may even know about a gate change before it’s announced at the airport! We find the service invaluable and especially love the new Pro feature that constantly scans your email for reservations and trip updates so you don’t even have to send the documents to the service.

TripIt Pro is just $49 a year.

 … Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Sarah and I didn’t have a landline for a long time. If people needed to reach us, they could call our cell phones. However, when we switched cable providers this summer, we found it was one of those “it’s cheaper to get the phone+WiFi+cable” bundle. Great, but we weren’t about to give away the new phone number to anyone, since people knew to reach us on our cell phone numbers or my Google Voice number. But it was handy to have a dedicated handset…that’s where the ObiTalk Obi110 comes in.

First, the ObiTalk service does a great deal more than just Google Voice. A LOT more. But let’s start with my primary use, and… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

One of the standout piece of consumer electronics I have discovered over the past few years is the Ooma phone system. The system brings an unusual business model to the business of phone service. Instead of charging a monthly fee Ooma sells the hardware that connects to your high-speed internet service and then lets you have your phone service for free. Sure they sell a number of useful accessories and there are some value-adding services to which you can subscribe (Ooma Premier is one of them and is totally worth the price) but you don’t HAVE to do so to get the value out of an Ooma system. Here’s our review of the Ooma

We have a winner in our Vonage Time-to-Call iPad 2 Giveaway. And the iPad 2 goes to…

Audrey, aka audsweep!!

Audrey has been notified, and she has replied, so our prize is claimed! =)

Our thanks to Vonage for the contest and to Time to Call for being a great way to make calls without using your cell minutes. Check out our review, here.

There are also a bunch of other sites that are just now kicking off or who have kicked off their iPad giveaways; there are three sites with giveaways ending today, and there are three sites who kick off today. There are also a bunch of… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

We are getting to the end of our Vonage Time to Call iPad 2 Giveaway. The contest ends tomorrow, Thursday the 18th, so there is still time to enter …  But not much.

Want a chance to win an iPad 2? Jump over to the initial post, read the rules and enter. It’s that simple. 

We are half way through our Vonage Time to Call iPad 2 giveaway. The contest ends Thursday the 18th so there is still time to enter …  But not much.

Want a chance to win an iPad 2? Jump over to the initial post, read the rules and enter. It’s that simple. Click here and you’ll be on your way! Good luck to all!… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

UPDATE: The Contest is now closed. We will announce the winner shortly.

We told you about Vonage’s massive iPad 2 giveaway in a post entitled “Vonage Kicks off Massive ‘Time to Call’ Promotion by Giving Away 75 iPad 2s on 75 Sites!” We then reviewed the new Vonage Time to Call iOS app and… We were impressed. Now the time has come to… give one of those iPad 2s away!! So we want to know… Is it your time to win??

Yes, we are one of three sites that, starting today, is giving away an iPad 2. (One from each site.) This round starts right now (August… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

I used Vonage as my main home phone service for a bit of time a number of years ago. I’ve since moved on to other solutions (Ooma), but I took note when the company released their new iOS app the other day. I know what you are thinking, “Another phone app for iOS? Who needs it?”

Well think again, because I just made a call to Coach using my iPod touch and a headset, and here is what he had to say:

“Sounds better than when my wife calls me on her iPhone and you are… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Vonage is introducing their Time To Call app for Apple iPhone and iPad mobile devices, which allows you to make affordable phone calls that can be charged to your iTunes account. As part of the roll-out, they are giving away a 32GB WiFi iPad 2 on participating blogs, and Gear Diary happens to be one of them!

There will be three blogs per day giving away an iPad, and each blog will have their own rules to enter. Our giveaway starts on August 14th, but these are the sites starting off today …

http://geekdad.daddyforever.com/
http://www.geekzone.co.nz/
http://smallbiztrends.com/

I’m working on a review of an Obihai Voice Over iP system. The system lets you use Google Voice, OBiTALK or other VOiP services and replace your landline. The Amazon product page explains the unit this way:

From the Manufacturer:

The OBi100 has one phone port. It supports Google Voice, SIP & OBiTALK VoIP services. Use the OBi100 when you do not need an analog line to a traditional telephone network or service. The OBi100 is perfect for customers who do not have a traditional telco phone service and want the savings and simplicity of using a VoIP service for all their calls.

Product Description:

The OBi100 has one phone port. It supports