calling

Skype breaks records, traffic grows by 44 percent

Microsoft's Skype is making some serious headway into the international phone traffic scene. New data (PDF) from telecom market research firm TeleGeography shows that Skype broke records in 2012 by hosting the same amount of calls as one third of the world's phone traffic.

International phone traffic typically grows slowly, for example in 2012 it increased by 5 percent to 490 billion minutes. However, voice and messaging call apps are growing at a breakneck pace. Skype voice and video traffic grew 44 percent to 167 billion minutes in 2012. This increase is more than twice that of all … Read more

App to start fresh on Valentines day

Face it dude, what's done is done. Get over your ex by purging your collections and recollections so that you can get back in the game with a fresh state of body, mind, and wallet.

Now for some precautionary measures. I'm not one to doubt you guys as those who lack self control and willpower, but hey, it's that time of year so why risk it? Use Stupid Phone Calls Blocker to stop yourself from 'accidentally' dialing that ex boyfriend/girlfriend of yours. You can also use this to stop incoming calls and texts from he/she-who-must-not-be-named. … Read more

Don't let phone calls stop your game

Imagine you're surfing the Web or playing Temple Run 2 for the umpteenth time. Sometimes in life there are things that deserve full concentration without the needless distractions of phone calls and text messages or anything of that sort. Unfortunately for Android users, a disruptive phone call can mean the difference between life and death (in a game).

Small Call by Apps Falyf thinks it has the solution. The app displays incoming phone calls and texts in a small pop-up widget on your phone instead of interrupting your current activity.

Having a feature like this while using GPS, for … Read more

Don't let phone calls stop your game

Imagine you're surfing the Web or playing Temple Run 2 for the umpteenth time. Sometimes in life there are things that deserve full concentration without the needless distractions of phone calls and text messages or anything of that sort. Unfortunately for Android users, a disruptive phone call can mean the difference between life and death (in a game).

Small Call by Apps Falyf thinks it has the solution. The app displays incoming phone calls and texts in a small pop-up widget on your phone instead of interrupting your current activity.

Having a feature like this while using GPS, for … Read more

How to screen unwanted calls on iPhones and Android phones

Robocalling telemarketers ignored the Federal Trade Commission's Do Not Call Registry in record numbers in fiscal year 2012. According to the FTC's National Do Not Call Registry Data Book for FY 2012 (PDF), the agency received 3,840,502 consumer complaints about unwanted telemarketing calls in the period, up substantially from the 2,273,516 complaints it fielded in fiscal year 2011.

Telemarketing robocalls are reaching epidemic proportions: complaints to the FTC about robocalls increased from just under 150,000 in October 2011 to 216,338 in March 2012 and remain near that level: 201,699 robocall complaints … Read more

The 404 1,198: Where we captcha your mace face (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- This man will take your picture while macing you.

- Ticketmaster does one thing right, dumps captchas.

- PornHub's rejected SFW Super Bowl ad is brilliant marketing.

- Swedish police raid teenagers playing Call of Duty.… Read more

Call of Duty player screams 'Help!'; police arrive

Gamers are emotional.

They live in the moment. And sometimes they die in the moment -- which leads to self-expression, occasionally involving shouts, screams, and the rending of garments.

One Call of Duty player in Sweden though, may not have been prepared for the result of his pained outburst.

Kotaku directs me toward the reporting of Sweden's the Local, which describes how a group of teens were playing Call Of Duty and quite naturally became vocal.

You know how it is with Call Of Duty. Sometimes, you die. In this particular case, after an especially galling death, one of … Read more

Five great Android Wi-Fi calling apps

There are many reasons to enjoy Wi-Fi calling, from starting video chats with family far and wide, to giving your old phone a new lease on life as a Wi-Fi-only device in little Johnny's hands. However you want to use it, you still need to know which apps are best.

There are quite a few companies battling it out in the data-calling space, each of which has its own benefits and drawbacks. Some offer voice-only calling, while others allow for video calls, photo transfer, and group chat.

Select apps share the love with other services, but others prefer to … Read more

Make free calls with magicJack

A favorite of RadioShacks nationwide, now this household name offers its very own app. Sadly, FREE Calls with magicJack on your smartphone doesn't work nearly as well as replacing your home phone. Call quality is spotty and some calls aren't delivered at all. It could save you if you're really short on minutes, but it's not terribly reliable.

The app gives you a nice, big keypad to dial on, which makes sense considering the service is especially popular with an older crowd. You can also choose to pull numbers from your phone's contact list. If … Read more