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July 1, 2005

Profile: Gizmo

Michael Arrington

19 comments »

Company: Gizmo

Launched: June 30, 2005

What is it?

Gizmo is like skype but is built on open source. It’s available for Mac and Windows (3.1 mb download on windows), with a Linux version promised in August.

A problem with Skype is that it is a closed silo - it will not interconnect with other VOIP systems. Gizmo, however, is built on the open source, standards-based net calling program built by SIPphone. According to Gizmo, there are over 100 applications peering with SIPphone technology (link).

Gizmo has nearly every feature that Skype has, plus a few really cool things Skype doesn’t do. It does lack instant messaging, however. Once it has that, it will be superior to what Skype offers today, and at a much lower price. Here is a feature-by-feature comparison:


Link

We tested a call earlier today and the quality was on par or better than Skype. The user interface is slick and very much what people are used to seeing with Skype and IM clients:

There is no set limit to the number of callers, but they recommend only 4 (or more if people are on mute): “Technically, there is no limit to the number of people that can conference call together on the Gizmo Project system. We have found that as a practical limit, the sound quality degrades once you have more than 4 people. You can get around this limitation by having people put thier Gizmo Project’s on mute while they’re not talking. Using this system of putting everyone on mute, we have had successfull conference calls with as many as 28 people in 11 countries.” Link

Key features:

- open source
- works on SIP standard
- works with any WiFi SIP phone
- free voicemail
- call record (awesome)
- Call in from POTS
- Call out to POTS
- map call location

The “map call” feature is really cool. Clicking on it during a call pulls up a map with lines across the globe showing caller locations:

Call In and Call Out Features:

Management:

Michael Robertson

Links:

About
Learn more
Help
Discussion Forum
Michael Robertson
Doc Searls
AroundMyRoom
Om Malik
JKontheRun
Chris Holland’s Gizmo Wishlist

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  • Sphere It

This entry was posted on Friday, July 1st, 2005 at 11:33 am and is filed under Company & Product Profiles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Trackbacks/Pings (Trackback URL)

  1. TechCrunch » Blog Archive » Profile - Skype (Outlook Toolbar)

    July 7th, 2005 at 12:45 am

  2. TechCrunch » Blog Archive » Profile - Connexion (Boeing)

    July 7th, 2005 at 1:08 am

  3. TechCrunch » Google Talk Puts Gun To Skype’s Head

    December 17th, 2005 at 11:25 am

  4. TechCrunch » New VOIP Yahoo Messenger Launches Tomorrow

    March 21st, 2006 at 11:08 pm

  5. oBeattie » VOIP Yahoo Messenger Launches Tomorrow

    March 22nd, 2006 at 12:02 am

  6. TechCrunch en français » Yahoo Messenger lance son service VOIP

    March 22nd, 2006 at 12:55 am

  7. TechCrunch » Blog Archive » Gizmo nukes standard VOIP business model

    July 20th, 2006 at 9:52 am

  8. TechCrunch Japanese アーカイブ » Gizmo、既存のVOIPビジネスモデルに大打撃

    July 20th, 2006 at 4:11 pm

  9. TechCrunch en français » Gizmo défie les standards du business VOIP

    July 24th, 2006 at 9:43 am

  10. Technology News in Vietnamese » Giới thiệu về Gizmo

    January 28th, 2007 at 2:29 am

Comments

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  1. digi

    July 6th, 2005 at 12:50 am

    Nice review of our software.. Very thorough..

    Gizmo Project has more surprises to come.. :)

  2. Pocket Planet Radio

    July 16th, 2005 at 7:51 pm

    I use Skype a lot to do interviews for live and recorded network radio broadcast and podcast (www.pocketplanetradio.com - there’s one up there recorded with an internet cafe in hyderabad) so Gizmo is of great interest.

    Chief concern is call quality - I’ve used skype to do live shows on the radio and it is I think better than a POTS call over a $2000+ Telos Xport codec. BUT it’s still not up there with ISDN. As I understand it Skypes system is at least partially distributed - Gizmo’s server based - so I wonder if once the number of people using Gizmo increases the call quality won’t suffer?

    Secondly much as we hate to acknowledge such things Skype has a good first mover advantage - and their directory is a great resource for broadcasters looking for ordinary folk in hard to reach parts of the world.

    The recording is a nice touch - somebody described it as a podcasters dream - to be honest I think relying on an automated system to balance calls is a bit iffy if you are looking to use them for broadcast. I’d always recommend buying a mixer and throwing the call into a separate recorder - one that isn’t prone to crashes.

    Anyway I’m keen to give Gizmo the benefit of the doubt - if anyone is interesting in doing a few trials for a podcast review drop me a line editor-at-pocketplanetradio.com will reach me.

  3. транÑ?портернаÑ? лента

    August 21st, 2005 at 2:52 pm

    good!

  4. Bayle Shanks

    August 31st, 2005 at 10:54 pm

    According to a comment by a Michael Robertson in this thread, Gizmo is NOT open source:

    http://gigaom.com/2005/07/04/g.....after-all/

  5. Bayle Shanks

    August 31st, 2005 at 10:54 pm

    (although I guess it may be “built on” open source)

  6. Ted Smith

    January 29th, 2006 at 12:21 pm

    Wireless World: Enormous innovation, but big challenges
    A record number of mobile phones were shipped last year, and analysts and investors are now saying that the promises made 10 years ago about the potential for the wireless economy are truly being realized. Still, some of the foremost investors and analysts tell United Press International’s Wireless World that they are nervous that the United States may not maintain its competitive edge in the global information economy unless certain changes are made — by federal policymakers and business leaders — soon.

    “There is enormous innovation in our economy — no doubt,” said James Melcher, founder of the New York City-based hedge fund, Balestra Capital Management, in an interview with Wireless World. “It’s incredible. But there are problems. Why are countries with only 40 percent of the world’s population (e.g., China) graduating ten times as many engineers and scientists as we are? Why are our schools pumping out so many lawyers? There is no value-added in legal work.” By Gene Koprowski

  7. levtdyjdoy

    June 3rd, 2006 at 10:43 am

    I hold Nigella Lawson entirely responsible for making me think that food is sexy. Here I want to emphasize that I am not talking about Nigella herself being sexy, which she most certainly is.

  8. 随笔

    July 13th, 2006 at 11:52 am

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  9. Blue flower

    June 13th, 2007 at 3:26 pm

    Good site.

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