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Posts Tagged ‘voip’

A Sensation Named VoIP

September 14th, 2010

Many people have made overseas calls, and as time passes a lot of development has been made to make this more efficient and cost-effective. Now there is a remarkable new way for us to speak, through VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol. In the standard essence, VoIP converts analog audio signals into digital data, transmits it over the web, and converts it back to whoever the intended receiver is.

You will find several types of VoIP calling methods which are available. The first is the ATA (Analog Telephone Adaptor) which serves as a converter/adaptor for our standard phone. It enables our phones to connect directly into our computers connection to the web. Another one would be the IP phones. These look more like your standard telephone set. The only real difference is that rather than plugging it into your telephone jack, it has Ethernet jacks that can be connected directly into your router. Lastly the most common and popular is definitely the computer to computer call. All you want for this is a voice calling software, microphone, headset, and an Internet connection. It is usually an absolutely free service supplied by popular chat and instant messaging software providers like Skype and Yahoo.

So how does VoIP differ from traditional telephone lines? The response lies in how they transmit voice to and from the calling parties. With the telephone line, voice is transmitted through circuit switching. This circuit is “switched on” whenever all sides are utilizing the phone. This could be very wasteful since it is always open whether or not the speaker is talking. In VoIP, voice is transmitted through packet switching. With this method, voice is transmitted in “packets”. These packets carry data (in this case voice) over the Internet. It doesn’t matter which path these packets take through the Internet because it’s going to end up with the receiver. The receiving computer will reassemble these packets and convert it back to voice. In such cases the connection isn’t always on, it will just come to life if it sends and receives packets. This is very efficient because the packets are transmitted through the least congested and cheapest lines within the network.

Obviously, the glaring advantage of VoIP over traditional telephone service is the cost of setting up a call. This is so because telephone companies need to develop physical infrastructure to support their services. Unlike VoIP which revolves round the connected virtual world which is the net. VoIP offers flexibility as you could literally make a call around the globe so long as you own an Internet connection.

However, VoIP is vulnerable to disruptions with your net connection, which is an ordinary occurrence in our everyday connected lives. Simply put, no connection to the Internet no VoIP. Also voice clarity remains a concern; this really is a result of instability in Internet data transfer. It is additionally susceptible to power outages since it usually draws power from a wall outlet.

VoIP is not going to replace the standard telephone anytime soon. However, if the kinks and hiccups might be addressed it might go mainstream and become our telecommunication standard of the future.

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The Cost Of Calls From Jail- Unaffordable To Nearly Everyone

September 1st, 2010

Undoubtedly, people who have gotten a sentence committed serious crimes and they are dangerous for all of us- the other people. After all, that is why they are isolated from the others, right? However, is just one mistake enough to make us treat the prisoners like they were no humans? You are wondering what I am talking about? Well, you will figure it out in a while…

I would understand everyone who claims that they do not believe me. Anyway, there are plenty of examples which could be given so as to prove what I claim. Perhaps, the cost of calls made from jail is what will give you the most vivid idea of how the US correct institutions seem to develop. Being allowed to keep in touch with your friends and relatives is a sacred right and nobody can take it away from you no matter whether you are a prisoner or a president.

Unfortunately, that is hardly possible since the US correct institutions restricted the inmates’ rights severely. Yes, US seem to be a very democratic country but obviously, when it comes down to prisoners’ rights and desires, the situation changes a little bit. Thousands of words like these can be said or written but they mean nothing unless specific examples are given.

There is no second opinion that one of the most unacceptable and undemocratic restriction which has been is the one concerning the calls from jail. Did you know that the inmates are not allowed to make any calls? Yes, that’s right! They can only receive calls but if they wish to contact with any member of the family, they must have made pre-payment. However, the paradox is that the offenders cannot even make a payment/pre-payment- it should have been made by their relatives. So, the conclusion is that if a prisoner wants to make a call, he needs to have made a pre-payment which he is not allowed to make! Great logic and consideration of prisoners’ rights, don’t you think so?

Anyway, I am sure that most of you will not believe it until they are given information exactly what the rate of costs is for making a phone call from jail. Trust me, the rate of costs is definitely not good affordable, especially for an inmate. Just read carefully. If a prisoner wants to make a phone call directed into a location inside the prison’s state there is a flat rate of $3.50. But if you an inmate wants to call to somebody who is outside the jail’s state, then he will be charged $5.00 as a flat rate plus $0.89 per minute. Pretty affordable for a person in jail, don’t you think so? Let’s make a simple calculation: the inmate’s family is outside the state and he wants to speak to them 5 minutes every day- this makes 150 minutes per month. So the inmate will need $150 (30×5) for the flat rate and $133.5 (150 minutes x $0.89). What is the conclusion? Nearly $300 per month is needed for communicating with your relatives! But even if a person in jail had the money, he would not be able to communicate so often. Why, you may ask? Because there is a limit of the internal and external phone calls: this limit is usually 20 minutes. So, a woman’s voice will gently remind you that your conversation will be ended automatically when the limit is reached.

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