Telnic launches new apps for .tel

Telnic has launched a version of Superbook for Android to complement the existing Superbook apps.

The free .tel Superbook app integrates with your Android address book to give you real-time access to live contact information, location records and other information stored in .tel domains. One-click save functionality also allows users to import all the information into their address book.

.tel Superbook is also available for iPhone, iPod Touch and BlackBerry and brings the power of real-time information, including the time zone the individual is currently in, to contacts saved in your address book with .tel domains.

There are also new versions of My.tel for iPhone and Android, for managing your own .tel addresses.

More info from superbook.tel

If you want to get a .tel address or find out more about them, check out Domainmonster.

Viber - making VoIP calling simpler

Lots of apps do cool stuff but can add a layer of complexity by requiring registration and a username. Viber cuts your call costs by providing free calling between iPhone users with none of the complication of a new number or username - it simply uses your existing mobile number. When you make a call, instead of using the iPhone Contacts app, you use the Viber app which is synced with your contacts. If the person you're calling uses Viber, an icon is displayed next to their name and the call is free (if you pay for 3G data then any usual data charges will apply); if they don't, the call will be routed as usual via your mobile service.

Viber uses WiFi or 3G data depending on what's available and call quality is excellent. If Viber isn't running when you receive a call, you receive a push message on your screen to alert you to the call. Just tap on the message to answer the call.

Setup is simple; just launch the app, enter your iPhone number and you'll be sent a code by SMS to confirm it's your number. When I installed Viber I was impressed to see that several of my contacts were already using Viber. When new friends join, you get an alert.

Any drawbacks? No voicemail so if the person you're calling isn't available you'll need to make a regular call to them to leave a message.

Viber has got more good stuff in the pipeline - free SMS is coming later this month, followed by an Android app and later a BlackBerry app.

You can follow @Viber on Twitter.

Phone.com sets the standard for VoIP over 3G

My friends at Phone.com recently set me up with an account so I could take a look at their latest service. Phone.com's focus is on the US market and the inbound number the account came with is a US number. There is an option to add local phone numbers in other countries for an additional fee. Using Phone.com in the UK is no problem - just remember to prefix every UK call with +44.

I'm using Phone.com on my iPhone 4 and first impressions are excellent. I expected call quality over WiFi to be good but have been very impressed just how good it is over 3G. Last week I made a couple of calls standing in a busy London street; first call using Phone.com over 3G and then using regular 3G cellular. The Phone.com call was easily the clearer of the two calls and this behaviour has been repeated with other calls.

Changing your phone number is always a pain and Phone.com offers full local and cellular number porting to its US customers; so you can have your primary number hosted by them and receive your calls on their service.

Phone.com offers a suite of products to meet all customer requirements - business, consumer, mobile. Pricing is based on the products and packages that meet your requirements. The list of features is huge and my favorites include time of day routing, call forwarding to multiple numbers and call blocking. Also good to see support for iNum (something I'll return to).

You can follow Phone.com on Twitter.

Telephone scammers claiming to be from Microsoft

Telephone scams are nothing new but there's one doing the rounds that could very easily trip up unsuspecting PC users. Several friends have received these calls although fortunately none have been duped.

A caller, who may know your name, claims to be from Microsoft and says they've identified a virus on your PC. Using the Windows Event Viewer they ask you to look at various warnings there and use this as 'evidence' your PC is infected. You're then asked to download some software to allow remote access to your PC; the scammer uses this to install some malware on your PC.

The scammer then tells you it will cost £300 to remove the virus!

Another reason never to take cold calls.

We sometimes forget the most important thing about phones ... coverage