service

Two new start-up companies are looking to entice the average consumer to make all of their telephone calls over the Internet and bypass the high-priced local phone and cable television companies. Using the service will may result in free calls, and ... will be compatible with almost all standard-issued phone handsets. But, in a world where most good things come with a catch, the "free calls" are not initially free. The one-time hardware cost and subsequent low annual membership fees have many believing that nationwide calling from a regular home phone is getting really close to eventually ... (view more)

Love to talk? Many of us do. It's one reason Skype has becomes such a popular "telephony" service, although both Skype Ltd. and its customers are pulling out hairs this morning over news that a nasty worm is inching its way through the instant ... messenger service. Skype, which is a Voice over Internet Protocol, or VOIP service, has seen its fair share of threats. In April we reported on a similar issue, whereby a text link led to a JPEG file that in turn presented an executable link. Clicking that meant spyware-central, and a whole lot of headaches for a service developed by former ... (view more)

In an effort to lure thousands of music fans away from Apple, RealNetworks has teamed with MTV Networks and Verizon Wireless to offer a digital music joint venture expected to rival iTunes, the iPod and even the new iPhone. The three companies plan ... to implement their technological takeover by making the MTV "Urge" music downloading service compatible with RealNetworks Rhapsody streaming software programs. While the merger will be made available to all U.S. customers via their PC music players, Verizon Wireless' VCast multimedia service will also be equipped with the new music system on their ... (view more)

For those of us who use Yahoo Mail instead of the stiff competition from Google and Microsoft, we've been waiting on the company's new version for some time. It's now ready, and there are plenty of new features to win over Gmail and Hotmail users. ... Before the Yahoo Mail beta was initiated, the original service was nothing less than an eyesore. To date, it's still used on my parents' old computer, which languishes behind in the ever-changing tech environment. However, I've personally been using Yahoo's beta since it started, and will be amongst the first who can use its many new features. So, ... (view more)

EMusic, the second-largest online music distributor after Apple's iTunes, is expected to announce a deal with AT ... (view more)

Softpedia.com released a nice article regarding the plethora of Windows Vista "features and services" that collect, maintain and transmit your personal data to Microsoft and/or their "controlled subsidiaries and affiliates." If you're going to use ... Vista, you really don't have much say in the matter. Microsoft makes it crystal-clear that they're gathering information. The Vista Privacy Statement and the End User License Agreement (EULA) references most of these "features and services", but not all of them. "This disclosure focuses on features that communicate with the Internet and is not ... (view more)

AT ... (view more)

Are you always too busy to complete certain chores? Is there a particular task that you've been neglecting to do for quite awhile? What if you could sell off all of those pesky chores...for the lowest asking price? Many service-based companies are ... now launching websites that hope to attract a wider and more diverse customer base. These websites allow users to simply describe the domestic duty that needs to be done and those who hope to provide the service leave their asking price attached to the description. (Source: technology.canoe.ca ) Think of it as the classified section of the local ... (view more)

The Bank of America and Citibank are now offering nationwide services that allow their customers to do routine banking tasks using only their cell phones. As "smart" cell phones continue to revolutionize the market for mobile devices, so too will ... more banks look to remove the hassles of physically being inside of a financial institution in order to make simple transactions. The two social functions are merging as never before, combining work and play. The service provided by Bank of America allows customers who have cell phones with Internet access to check balances, pay bills and transfer ... (view more)

IAC has recently announced the release of Ask Mobile GPS. The company says that the service is the first to merge local content, social networking, and GPS navigation. (Source: tomshardware.com ) Users can use Ask Mobile GPS in a variety of ways. ... For example: users can broadcast their current GPS location (along with directions) to anyone in their contact list, get real-time directions, search for businesses through Citysearch, and view event invitations through Evite. (Source: arstechnica.com ) It almost sounds too Orwellian -- and certainly raises questions with respect to a new era in ... (view more)