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Changing your computer's IP address not only hides your location from marketers but also worse threats. Fast Hide IP makes it easy to mask your IP by routing your traffic through a network of secure servers that are impossible to trace. Fast Hide IP is not only easy to use but also lets you choose which country's address to use. To Internet snoops, it'll look like you're in that country instead of your own. You can also access Web content limited by geographical location, such as TV networks. The trial version is fully functional, but it'… Read more

Webcams are useful for chatting with family, colleagues, or even a client. However, if you want a Webcam right now and don't have an extra $40 to $80 laying around for one, why not use your Android device instead?

You won't need to worry about having a front-facing camera on your device, since this method will employ the use of the rear camera. Though, if you'd like, you can use the front camera if the back one isn't functioning properly (or if you enjoy lower-resolution video?).

Using your Android device as a Webcam will do some … Read more

The Internet Engineering Task Force has standardized the Opus audio compression technology as RFC 6716.

The move paves the way for much broader use of Opus for anything from playing music to online voice chats. Opus is what's called a codec because it defines how to encode and decode a stream of data for more efficient storage or transmission.

"Opus is the first state-of-the-art, free audio codec to be standardized. We think this will help us achieve wider adoption than prior royalty-free codecs," Jean-Marc Valin, a Mozilla employee and author of Opus, said in a blog post today. … Read more

VoIP provider Viber has hit a new milestone.

The company announced today that it now has 100 million worldwide users taking advantage of its free phone calls, texting, and photo-messaging services. It's not clear if those users are actively using the service or have just signed up. Still, the company claims to handle over 2 billion minutes of calls and 6 billion messages every month. An average of 10 million calls are placed each day.

Viber has established itself as a true competitor to Skype, the popular VoIP service now owned by Microsoft. Viber works across iOS, Android, and … Read more

If it looks like an iPhone and walks like an iPhone, it must be an iPhone, right? Yet the iPod Touch isn't quite there.

Sure, you can install a voice-over-IP app like Fring, Line2 (a personal favorite), or Skype and make calls over Wi-Fi, but you still have to plug in a headset or rely on the speakerphone -- you can't hold the iPod up to your head and talk into it like you do an iPhone.

Not yet, anyway. Indiegogo project MorphCase lets you use your iPod Touch like an iPhone, effectively replacing the need for a … Read more

Fring joins the long line of iOS apps using VoIP technology to connect you and your friends through video calls, voice calls, and chat. This free app is a no-brainer to set up, and even beginners will understand how the app works without reading any Help files or watching tutorials. Despite its ease of use, we weren't impressed by the video or voice quality.

Fring's user interface is very intuitive because it's based on our everyday use of the phone. We liked the idea of having video calls with multiple friends simultaneously using Fring's Group Video … Read more

commentary California lawmakers have taken an encouraging step to keep government from tinkering with the mechanics of the Internet. As first reported by CNET in June, SB 1161, which passed last week, prohibits the state's Public Utilities Commission from imposing new regulations on "Voice over Internet Protocol and Internet Protocol enabled services," except when specifically authorized by the legislature or by federal authorities.

SB 1161, which is only four pages long, was approved in May by an overwhelming bipartisan majority of the state's Senate. On August 22, it cleared the state Assembly by a margin of … Read more

If you're looking to make free voice or video calls worldwide, Skype is a great start. Its clean and user-friendly interface makes interaction effortless, so you are ready to go as soon as you launch the app.

During our testing, we were impressed by the video and voice quality of Skype, which uses VoIP (Voice over IP) technology to enable communication worldwide without paying a cent. One of its best features is the chat and mood messages: if you are in the middle of something, you can inform your contacts about it or just type a text message instead … Read more

Have you switched over to a voice-over-IP phone system like MagicJack, NetTalk, or Ooma? Now's the perfect time to replace your crummy old corded phones with a spiffy new wireless system.

Or at least a spiffy refurbished wireless system, like this one: today only, and while supplies last, Tech Woot has the refurbished Panasonic KX-TG4023N cordless phone system for $29.99, plus $5 for shipping.

The KX-TG4023N comes with one base station and two additional handsets that connect to it via DECT 6.0 wireless technology. You can expand the system with up to three additional handsets (for a … Read more