Convert PDAs Into Free/Cheap Long-Distance Phones

VoIP calling lets computer users make telephone calls over the Internet. All that's needed is a broadband Internet connection -- either wireless or wired -- a microphone, earphones/earbuds, and some free calling software, such as Skype or Stanaphone.

Since a PDA is technically just another computer, the whole setup works like a desktop/laptop scenario -- with one major enhancement: it's highly portable. Your clients can use PDAs as if they were cell phones and make free or low-cost calls wherever they find wireless networks.

Once they're set up, your clients will be able to call other Skype or Stanaphone users for free. They will also be able to call any "regular" phone number in the world for very low rates. For example, a call from the U.S. to Hong Kong would cost just 2 cents a minute. A call from the U.S. to France, just 2 cents a minute. And a call from the U.S. to Argentina, just 3 cents a minute.

Ingredients

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To make this work, your client will need a desktop computer; a PDA with a fast processor and Microsoft's PocketPC OS; a pair of good headphones or earbuds; and an account with either Skype or Stanaphone.

First, let's discuss hardware. Your client will need a PDA with a 400 MHz or better processor. While there are now 520 MHz and 624 MHz models available, in my tests, a slower 400-MHz PDA worked just fine. If your client has a PDA with a processor running slower than 400 MHz, they can still run Skype and Stanaphone. But I've heard from other testers that the processor gets over-taxed, leading to compromised call quality. That's why I recommend sticking with 400 MHz or higher. For example, the following PDAs all work well with both the Skype and Stanaphone services: Dell's AXIM X50, Toshiba's E805 Pocket PC, and HP's iPaq Pocket PC 4155.

For this recipe, I used an HP iPaq Pocket PC 4155. This PDA includes the Microsoft Pocket PC 2003 OS, a 400-MHz Intel X-Scale processor, 64 MB of SDRAM, and 32 MB of ROM. Here's a photo of this PDA:

You'll also need a set of headphones or earbuds with a 3.55-mm. jack. Preference dictates which ones to buy. Some people like the in-ear buds, and others prefer the regular over-ear design with the arch that goes over your head. There are even new designs that plug into your ear canal like ear plugs. They're supposed to block out background noise. I tested an ancient over-ear set from an old Sony Walkman tape player, and they worked fine. I also tried the ear-plug type -- Sony's MDR-EX71SL -- and they sounded just as good. These higher-end plugs provide even better sound quality for MP3s, which you can also play on Pocket PCs.

Next, the operating system. For Skype and Stanaphone to work, the OS on the PDA must be Microsoft Pocket PC 2003. (Though Stanaphone also offers a version of its software that works on the 2002 edition). The PDAs mentioned above all come loaded with Microsoft Pocket PC 2003, so if your client has any of these PDAs, they're set on the OS front.

Getting Started

Now that you have all your ingredients assembled, you will need to get the PDA running, cradle it, and then install the Skype or Stanaphone client software. Here are the steps:

To use Skype and Stanaphone, your client must first have Internet access. Let's take a look at what's involved.

Finding and Connecting to a Wi-Fi Network

Users can find wireless networks in many places: In their own office, of course, but also in Starbucks coffee shops, UPS/Mailboxes Etc. stores, many cyber-cafes, airport lounges, urban hobbyist networks, and home networks -- anywhere, in fact, where an 802.11b or 802.11g network is up and running.

While the Pocket PC OS allows your clients to see wireless networks and their relative strengths, I've found a better product that performs this more comprehensively and with better at-a-glance icons. It's called pocketWinc. This tool's on-screen icons tell you which hotspots are strongest and whether they have Web connectivity.

Like Skype and Stanaphone, the pocketWinc Wi-Fi network manager/finder is free, and it installs via the cradle. When you run pocketWinc on the client PDA, the tool shows a summary of available and preferred wireless access points, their Service Set Identifiers (SSIDs), signal strengths, status, and Internet availability. SSIDs are the unique names given to both public and private wireless networks. Without knowing the SSID, you can't connect to most networks. Also, a "preferred networks" list keeps track of the access points you prefer to connect to automatically.

Here's a shot of pocketWinc's main screen:

pocketWinc also manages the Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) keys you use for access points you commonly visit, as shown next:

Of course, your customers can still find wireless networks using the Microsoft Pocket PC 2003 OS. But the pocketWinc application is more robust and more customizable.

Making a Wireless Connection

Once your client has found a wireless connection, they will need to connect to it. If you're setting this up for your client's own wireless network, you may want to revisit some wireless-security topics and make sure their router and access points are impervious to rogue Wi-Fi surfers. For more detail, see an earlier TechBuilder Recipe, Eight Steps Toward Securing A Wireless Network.

When a network is available that has Internet access, you'll see the following screen on the PDA:

Notice how the two arrows and the X at the top of the screen change to just two arrows. That means the PDA is connected. Next, you'll want to launch Skype or Stanaphone.

Launching the VoIP Software

Once a PDA is wirelessly connected to the Internet, you can proceed to use Skype or Stanaphone. Simply launch either program from Start/Programs.

Here's a look at the Skype launch screen on a PDA:

Once a user is logged in with their User ID and password, they can call Skype users that they know have Skype installed on their client hardware. These Skype-to-Skype calls are completely free -- no matter where the users are on the planet.

Also, by clicking on the contacts tab, users can see who is online at any given time. Skype has a searchable database of users -- as of this writing, 37.5 million people have downloaded the product -- so your customers can find friends and associates there.

Here's a shot of the Skype contacts screen:

Once the PDA has connected to another Skype user, the screen looks like so:

When you use Skype like a regular telephone, the interface looks like a telephone keypad:

Though the connection looks a little different:

When a Skype user dials regular -- that is, non-Skype -- phone numbers, the call is subject to the rates discussed earlier. There are special rates for hundreds of countries. The Skype site lists them all here. When you dial out, this is known as SkypeOut.

But Skype has one serious limitation. Currently, while Skype users can call non-Skype phones, they cannot receive calls from non-Skype phones. Skype is working on this, however, and the feature already has a name: SkypeIn.

Stanaphone essentially follows the same protocol, though they have solved the call-receiving problem. Stanaphone gives subscribers an actual phone number rather than a user name, so users can receive calls to that number. When someone calls you, your PDA rings -- so long as you're running Stanaphone. This means Stanaphone users can accept calls from any mobile, land-line, or VoIP phone.

Laptop and Desktop Configurations with Bluetooth Headsets

It's also easy to set up Skype or Stanaphone on your customers' laptops and desktops. There's a nifty Bluetooth set-up that will allow them to wander up to 30 feet away from their desktop or laptop with a wireless headset.

To set this up, first buy a D-link DBT-120 wireless USB Bluetooth adapter (or similar model). This adapter Bluetooth-enables desktops or notebooks via the USB port. It looks like one of those flash memory jump drives for portable memory. The suggested retail price is $45.

Once this little gizmo is installed, you can pair it with any Bluetooth device -- including headsets such as Jabra's BT110. Pairing takes only a few seconds. Then the headset acts as both a telephone microphone and earpiece.

I've tested the BT110, and while the sound quality isn't as good as speakers or high-quality, wired earbuds, it's at least as clear as a cell phone. This model also gives you up to 15 hours of talk time on one AAA battery; it retails for roughly $70. Jabra also makes a nice hands-free speakerphone with built-in Bluetooth wireless, the Jabra SP100. It retails for about $150 and delivers 12 hours of talk time on one charge. Skype has conference-calling capability that works quite well, so this makes sense for the laptop/desktop configuration.

Unfortunately, most PDAs do not support these Bluetooth headsets in combination with Skype and Stanaphone. True, many PDAs do support Bluetooth connectivity. But they don't support the headset profile that makes it possible to set-up a wire-free configuration. This is changing, however. Dell's AXIM X50 PDA, for example, now has the Bluetooth headset profile built in, so it should work well with a Bluetooth headset like the Jabra BT110.

As you can see, the VoIP space is converging rapidly. The solutions discussed above work great, and the in-bound and out-bound sound quality is superb. With the right PDA and software combination, you can save your customers big money on long-distance telephone charges. For traditional telephone companies, this marks the beginning of the end for their traditional business models. But for smart system builders, it's only the beginning of what should emerge as a lucrative new market.

PHIL DUNN is a technology journalist and independent communications consultant for high-tech companies. He's been reviewing, testing, and reporting on products since 1995.

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