Reports are emerging that claim that fast tracked merger discussions are on the way to bring Yahoo! and AOL together. Yahoo! may actually be acquiring AOL (content, services and advertising), minus their subscription dial up business.

With Microsoft spending their cash on their own stock’s buy back this may spell the end of Microsoft’s take over of Yahoo!

Packet8 has launched MobileTalk for iPhone users (as well as other cellphones) that claims to save over 90% on international calls for mobile phone calls. This is not actually a VoIP application. What it does is offer a compelling service for mobile phone users that make a lot of international calls that does not require a data plan.

MobileTalk for the iPhone is a web app that allows you to use service without a monthly fee. MobileTalk claims to intelligently redirect your international calls to an access number in the same area code as your mobile phone number, and connects the call over the Packet8 VoIP phone service network. This way you pay for a local cell phone call (using your minutes) and pay the much lower Packet 8 rate per minute for the international call.

Continue reading Save on iPhone International Calls with MobileTalk…

I have just updated My Favorite iPhone Apps list. With more and more apps showing up everyday I have been like a kid in a candy store. I have updated the list that reflects some of the newest apps.

Fring is now available in the App Store at the amazing price of free. It allows iPhone users the ability to use Skype IM and Skype Out calling to landline phones as well as SIP support for VoIP calls over WiFi using Gizmo and others.

Fring also supports multiple IM for MSN Messenger, ICQ, Google Talk, Twitter, AIM & Yahoo!

VoIP on the iPhone is just another reason to leave my laptop home when I am on the road. Additional information of Fring on their website.

Sling Media has released an updated SlingPlayer 1.0.6 for Mac users. This is NOT the 2.0 SlingPlayer Mac users may be waiting for as that is supposedly still in development. This update is still worthwhile however, especially if you own the new Slingbox Pro-HD.

Good news for Verizon FiOS users as this version actually contains the FiOS remote skin!

Release Highlights:

• Improved video quality
• Online Slingbox registration added; plus users can store their Slingbox ID online for easy access
• Improved Slingbox Setup Assistant: New setup and configuration screens are streamlined and easier to use
• Users can rapidly cycle between Fullscreen (4:3), Widescreen (16:9), Letterbox, Windowbox, Pillarbox modes
• Show / Hide player controls with one-click toggle

It is a sad day for me as two of my favorite Mac apps and the company behind them are gone. Techspansion has shut down while VisualHub, AudialHub, and iSquint have been discontinued. I have used VisualHub everyday since it was released.

Tyler Loch the founder has closed down as a personal choice, and will be readjusting his priorities to focus on other things. Good luck, these apps will be missed in the Mac community.

Sling Media has about to launch a beta of its upcoming online TV portal to include full-length television content through various partnerships. Sign up for the beta here.

Is this the Joost and Hulu killer? I have no idea, but it does look compelling especially since I have a SlingCatcher on pre-order.

Slingbox owners get to watch your home cable, FiOS, satellite, off-air, DVRs, Apple TV and DVDs players on their computers and mobile devices. Add a SlingCatcher and you can watch in HD on remote TVs. With SlingCatcher you will be able to watch Hulu, YouTube and Sling.com content as well!

Apple has released updates for iTunes and Apple TV. Fire up your software update to get these updates.

Continue reading iTunes 8.01 and Apple TV 2.2 Updates Available – UPDATED…

It is clear to me that Microsoft simply does not get it as exampled by their newest “I’m a PC ad.” My Mac has long been a PC. Why choose when running Windows on a Mac is so easy and convenient.

Walt Mossberg, WSJ tech guru weights in on the latest version of VMware Fusion. I could not agree more with his assessment as I run Parallels 3.0 and Fusion 2.0.

Macs really “have no walls” as Mac users have the ability to run and manage Windows and any Windows app easily without issues. Fact is running Windows on a Mac is actually safer.

Want to run Linux? Want to run Windows Server 2003? How about Solaris? No problem. This is truly “Life without Walls.”

In an email sent to developers Apple has informed it has dropped the NDA (non disclosure agreement). I heard the developers cheering from here.

To Our Developers

We have decided to drop the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) for released iPhone software.

We put the NDA in place because the iPhone OS includes many Apple inventions and innovations that we would like to protect, so that others don’t steal our work. It has happened before. While we have filed for hundreds of patents on iPhone technology, the NDA added yet another level of protection. We put it in place as one more way to help protect the iPhone from being ripped off by others.

However, the NDA has created too much of a burden on developers, authors and others interested in helping further the iPhone’s success, so we are dropping it for released software. Developers will receive a new agreement without an NDA covering released software within a week or so. Please note that unreleased software and features will remain under NDA until they are released.

Thanks to everyone who provided us constructive feedback on this matter.

This seems to be the right move for Apple to further move the iPhone/iPod touch platform forward.