From bobrankin@MHV.NET Tue Nov 18 13:49:30 1997 Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 01:53:02 -0500 From: Bob Rankin Reply-To: TOURBUS-Request@LISTSERV.AOL.COM To: TOURBUS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM Subject: TOURBUS - 18 Nov 1997 - Net2Phone [For best results, read this with a monospace font such as Courier] / ~~~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~~~~/~~~|\ | People of All Ages Wanted for Worldwide Advisory Panel / | \ |__________|__________/__________|__________|___________/ | \ / /______|----\ | We need your advice on a variety of subjects. |//////| | | Weekly $$$ drawings. For more information, |//////| | | Send e-mail to info@AdvisoryPanel.com |//////| | | Or visit |//////| | \________________________________________________________|______|____| / \ / \ / \ \___/ \___/ T h e I n t e r n e t T o u r B u s \___/ TODAY'S TOURBUS TOPIC: Net2Phone TODAY'S TOURBUS STOP: http://www.Net2Phone.com You've probably heard of those "internet phone" software packages. You know, the ones that let you carry on a voice conversation with another Internet user. It's a nifty way to talk long-distance without paying the phone company a nickel. Up until recently, all this Internet phone stuff was a geek-to-geek thing. It's been a requirement that both parties have a computer equipped with sound capability, microphone, special software and an Internet connection in order to play the game. Today's TOURBUS issue spotlights a new product called Net2Phone that adds a twist to Internet telephony. But first, visit today's sponsors and tell 'em the Bus brought you! /-----------------------/ CHOCLET HOUSE \------------------------\ Santa Says... The most mouthwatering chocolates on the Web and sugar-free chocolates you cannot believe are at ChocletHouse. Order now online or by phone. Sent fresh anywhere in the USA now or in December. Get 10% discount on all chocolates. /---- Visit http://www.ChocletHouse.com OR Dial 1-800-246-2538 ---\ /---------------/ MADE, CAUGHT OR GROWN IN OREGON \---------------\ Unique gifts from Oregon - Blankets, Food, Jewelry, Collectibles. Check out our myrtlewood mousepads and scenic screensavers. /------------------[ http://www.MadeInOregon.com ]------------------\ Net2Phone is a new technology which makes it possible to place domestic or international calls from a PC to any telephone in the world. Unlike traditional internet telephony packages, the person you call does NOT need to have a PC - just a regular telephone. And yes, there's even a Mac version! Calls placed through Net2Phone are not free, but you can save a lot of money, especially if you're calling internationally. According to IDT, the company that provides the service, you can save up to 95% off the rate you'd normally pay. NUMBERS, PLEASE --------------- For example, you can call the U.S. from anywhere in the world for 10 or 15 cents per minute, depending on the time of day. Wanna call Spain from Sri Lanka? 42 cents/minute. Germany from Guam? 26 cents/minute. Or how about calling England from Ethiopia? Just 18 cents per minute! Actually some calls are free. Using Net2Phone, anyone in the world can call toll-free 800 or 888 numbers in the U.S. for free. That's cool, because most people outside the U.S. cannot call 800/888 numbers, and if they can, they must pay an access fee. With Net2Phone the 800/888 numbers become universal toll-free numbers, accessible from anywhere in the world. WHAT'S NEEDED ON BOTH ENDS? --------------------------- The caller does need a sound-equipped computer, a microphone, and the free Net2Phone software to place a call. The recipient needs only an ordinary telephone. Call placed with Net2Phone are sent over the Internet to IDT's central phone switch, which relays the call to any telephone in the world. According to IDT, you get "real time, full duplex voice communication with True Phone quality." Translation: Both parties can talk and listen at the same time, just like you'd expect. With Net2Phone, any phone can be reached from a PC. Gone is the clunky PC-to-PC technology which requires both parties to have multimedia computers and identical telephony software. And both parties don't have to be online at the same time either. Only the caller needs a PC with a direct Internet connection. If you have a standard "SLIP" or "PPP" account with an Internet service provider, you're all set. America Online users with the latest (v3.0) software should have no problem either. If you have older AOL software, you'll need to download a file called "winsock.dll". Use keyword WINSOCK for more information. NetCom users, be sure you have NetCrusier 2.0, which you can get for free from Netcom. CompuServe users should be OK as long as you have the latest dialer software. If you have trouble, download the new dialer from http://www.compuserve.com/software/index.htm/. Users with e-mail or text-based Internet accounts, you're out of luck, sorry. HOW DO I PAY? ------------- You can make free calls to 800 or 888 numbers with Net2Phone all day and all night if you like. For other calls, you need to set up a debit account with IDT first. You can use a secure online form to purchase $25 blocks of phone time using a credit card, send a check by mail, or use wire transfer. When you place a call, Net2Phone will tell you how much money is left in your debit account, and how long you can talk. If you run out of phone time, you can recharge your account at any time. Just for the record, I don't have any business relationship with IDT, except that I've downloaded the Net2Phone software and created my own customer account. They didn't pay me to write about Net2Phone - I just thought it was a cool service that you'd all like to know about. However, if you decide to sign up, enter 4723-0756-6774 in the "Referral Information" field, and I'll get a one-time credit. They don't say what kind of credit, but I'll donate free phone time that results to a worthy non-profit cause. See you next time! --Bob =====================[ Tourbus Rider Information ]=================== The Internet Tourbus - U.S. Library of Congress ISSN #1094-2238 Copyright 1995-97, Rankin & Crispen - All rights reserved Archives on the Web at http://www.TOURBUS.com Join: Send SUBSCRIBE TOURBUS Your Name to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.AOL.COM Leave: Send SIGNOFF TOURBUS to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.AOL.COM =====================================================================