The killer app.!! Turn your Smartphone into a walkie talkie!

[Guest sebset]

I hope this software will come soon for MS Smartphone! :)

http://www.fastchat.com/uk/

[Guest mark_g_james]

I don't see the advantage myself, I can already send sms's around the world (not just between the UK and US), I can already sign into a native msn messenger client (or any other messenger service if I bought the software), theoretically I can send mms pictures around the world, but emailing them is a much better option :)

So the only real difference is push-to-talk which I haven't tried, is it any good? I hear the US raving about it all the time, but I'm yet to really see what's so good about it.

If you signing up for this then do it from the US: it's free for 30 days, then $9.95, or about £6.20. In the UK it's 14 days for £1.95, then £6.99 thereafter.

[Guest Arisme]

I hear the US raving about it all the time, but I'm yet to really see what's so good about it.  

it's free :) (I think, with Motorola/Iden phones if I remember well :wink:)

[Guest Gorskar]

For a moment I thought this was the fabled p2p network avoiding software, where you could avoid the network (and the associated charges) altogether if your phones were close enough. For slightly longer distances the signal would bounce over other phones with the software intalled.

Shame... now for THAT I'd have paid good money!!!!!!

[Guest dbcohen]

Yeah, killer - being able to press a button and talk to somebody on another phone...

Hang on, can't we do that already... using a phone number and the dial button?

OK, so you can group call. Big wow. Anyone with that requirement will have local walkie-talkies already, as they will perform better over short range than GSM cells inside buildings.

Another dotcom with a vertical app...

[Guest nobznss]

To be honest with you it's worthless. (I've had a Nextel as their called here in the states) and if the other person doesn't have it, what's the use? Given, you can make a normal call from it, but just for the service it runs about $30 more than just a normal cell phone plan. Multiply that by 2 just to get it to work and your looking at $60 a month for something that you don't really need. Don't get me wrong, it's a good innovation, just too pricey for my blood.

[Guest Siraris]

Don't get me wrong, it's cool to be able to look like you're on a walkie talkie, but I don't get the point... I can make a call to my friend, and talk to him continuously, without having to have that pause (and the loud beep) and pay less money per month. You need to dial a number to use PTT and you need to have everyone else hear your call, and make all sorts of noise... I just don't see the point. I think it's just the "coolness" factor. I know all the US carriers are implementing it though...

[Guest nickcornaglia]

I agree....that long pause makes it impossible to carry on a conversation. I guess it's good as a replacement for sms...maybe. It reminds me the delays of overseas calls about 10 years ago. MMS could essentially do the same thing right??? To be able to blab a short message and not have to carry on a conversation...but anything longer than that, just call the phone.

My brother-in-law and his brothers use it for their towing service. It's good if you have a team of users...like a family or small business that requires that functionality...but for anyone else, it's just a novelty that will wear off soon!