For links to every topic in this issue, scroll down to the Index

Affordable backup for Windows Servers Need to backup Windows Servers, Exchange Server, SQL-Server? Try Backup for Workgroups. It's easy to install, use and maintain. This client/server solution is designed to backup servers to disk-based media. Download the 30-day trial software now. www.Backup-for-Workgroups.com

PC Pitstop introduces free driver scan Did you know that keeping your computer's drivers current will enhance the functionality and stability of your system? PC Pitstop's Driver Alert makes this easy by matching the latest drivers to your system with one free scan. Scan now! www.driveralert.com

Backup your data with ZipBackup Finally, a backup program that's easy to use. ZipBackup's Wizard makes backups a snap for beginners. Filtering, scheduling, and disk spanning make it a powerful tool for experts. For a limited time, Windows Secrets readers receive 25% off. www.zipbackup.com

See your ad here

His quest, and the technical support he provided to four lucky Windows Secrets readers who were chosen to receive in-person Housecalls, were documented in an eight-week series of columns we published in our paid content Sept. 27 through Nov. 15.

Now Fred (photo, left) is putting his famed Windows knowledge to good use in a new series of articles that we'll publish twice a month. He's devoting his LangaList Plus column to answering questions from you, our readers. Whether it's a simple question on something we've published, or a difficult technical problem that's come up with Windows, Fred will part the veil and reveal the inner workings of the operating system to you.

If you're not receiving our paid content, it's easy to get. There's no set fee! We accept any financial contribution of any amount, whatever it's worth to you. We just want as many people as possible to have our best information. Find out how to upgrade

To send a question to Fred, or to any of us, use the e-mail address or Web form that you'll find on the Windows Secrets contact page.

We hope you enjoy Fred's technical expertise, along with the material from the rest of our contributors. Thanks for your support.

Take a holiday break — next issue Jan. 3

We skip publishing during the last two weeks of December, so our hard-working staff and contributors can be with their families and loved ones for the holidays. (Our readers are too busy playing with their new toys to read much technical information during their week off, anyway.)

Our next regular publication will be on Jan. 3, 2008. Have a Happy New Year!

Contents  Index

Get your product seen by 275,000 readers Does your company offer a product or service? Now you can place an ad in the Windows Secrets Newsletter and be seen by more than 275,000 active buyers of PC hardware and software. Bid as much or as little as you like to get the ideal ad placement. www.WindowsSecrets.com

See your ad here

By Scott Dunn Making phone calls over the Internet is nothing new, thanks to well-known providers like Skype and Vonage. But a simple USB device from an upstart, MagicJack, promises to bring voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to the masses for as little as $20 USD per year.

What is MagicJack and how does it work?

MagicJack is a $40 appliance that's about the size of two USB memory sticks. You plug any analog telephone into one end, and insert the other end into the USB port of a computer with broadband access. After waiting about one minute while the device self-installs, you can make free calls to any phone in the United States and Canada (no matter where in the world you are) — there are no per-minute charges. After the first year, you pay $20 annually for these calls. That's not $20 per month, it's $20 per year.

Figure 1. The MagicJack device (left) is approximately the width of two USB flash drives and takes about 30 seconds to initialize itself each time it's plugged in.

MagicJack rates for calls to phones outside the U.S. and Canada vary from 2 cents per minute to landlines in the U.K., Germany, and France up to $1.21 per minute to Antarctica, according to a list posted by YMax, MagicJack's parent company. Service to these countries at these rates will reportedly begin in early 2008. If the international party you are calling also has a MagicJack, the call is free.

Except for a desktop shortcut, MagicJack installs no software on the host computer. The company says this allows the device to work on PCs at Internet cafés that don't permit the installation of executable files.

One frustration is that you must wait 30 seconds or more for the software to load from the device each time you plug it in. But the great benefit is that you can easily take this pocket-sized product with you to use on a laptop in hotels or wherever you may find broadband access. Currently, only Windows XP and Vista are supported, but a Mac version is in the works.

For home use, the product has an analog phone jack, into which you can plug any ordinary telephone. For travel, MagicJack works with any standard headset and microphone, including any that may be built into your laptop. Bluetooth headsets are also supported.

For incoming calls, U.S. customers currently receive a free inbound phone number. You can choose from 116 area codes in 31 cities. That sounds like a lot, but still includes only 23 states. Los Angeles is a major metropolis that's notably absent from MagicJack's service, but a company representative says L.A. area codes should be available by Dec. 25. A list of the currently available area codes is posted on the MagicJack site.


Figure 2. You dial calls using MagicJack's on-screen softphone or the buttons on an ordinary telephone that you plug into the USB device's RJ-11 phone jack.

Eventually, you'll reportedly be able to use MagicJack's site to change your phone number and even port your own, existing landline phone number (for a fee). Those features, however, are not yet available.

In our tests, the sound quality on MagicJack phone calls was very clear, although there was a faint buzzing sound on the caller's end on one call. Windows Secrets editorial director Brian Livingston recently took a MagicJack on a business trip to Florida and reported no problems calling U.S. numbers via a laptop with a hotel Wi-Fi connection. Every call, however, brings up the on-screen softphone window with its built-in advertising pane on the left (see Figure 2), even if you're using a regular phone for dialing rather than clicking the on-screen buttons with your mouse.

Other MagicJack features include:

• Free directory assistance using the Free411 Web site (in our tests, this site performed poorly at finding business phone numbers, so you get what you pay for);

• Free 911 service in the United States (you enter your physical address once, which you can change at any time);

• Free voicemail (even if your computer is off); and

• Free call forwarding to your cell phone or any other phone.

The 911 service requires not only that you enter your current address, but also (as with any MagicJack call) that you have power and a working Internet connection so you can dial the number.

If you use Microsoft Outlook, you can also download a plug-in that adds a toolbar to that program for one-click dialing of a selected contact.

MagicJack costs less than other VoIP services

MagicJack is only the latest entry to a growing number of VoIP service providers, two of the most popular being Skype and Vonage.

Perhaps the most similar product to MagicJack is the V-Phone from Vonage. This USB device is the size of a typical flash drive and includes an audio jack for the included cell-style headset (earphones and microphone). Like MagicJack, you plug a V-Phone into a computer with Internet access and, after about 30 seconds of setup, begin calling. You dial out using the on-screen keypad (which is optional in MagicJack). An incoming phone number is included. Like MagicJack, you get voicemail, a call log, and a contact list.

Compared to MagicJack, however, the V-Phone rates are astronomical. Vonage's cheapest billing plan (see Table 1) costs $180 USD per year for 500 minutes per month. Unlimited calling is available for residential users for $300 per year, while businesses pay $420 per year. The fees include all calls to the U.S., Canada, and a few European countries.

Skype, on the other hand, does not include any hardware. It's free software that you download and install on your computer. The software includes instant messaging and file transfers, but to make VoIP phone calls, you'll also need a Skype-compatible headset.

Skype charges $30 a year for unlimited outgoing (SkypeOut) calls to the U.S. and Canada, plus just over 2 cents a minute for calls to 30 selected countries, more to others.

To get a number for incoming calls, the SkypeIn service costs $18 for three months or $60 per year, a price that includes voicemail and call forwarding. (You can also buy up to 10 phone numbers using most U.S. area codes, as well as those from some other countries.) By contrast, if you have MagicJack service, incoming calls are free.

Table 1. MagicJack is cheaper than similar services. (All amounts in U.S. dollars.)

Contents  Index

• "I would like to point out that there is currently an unresolved data corruption issue related to the recently released Windows Home Server (WHS) and files which have ADS. This has been discussed at length on the Windows Home Server forum. Microsoft has addressed this in Knowledge Base entry 943393.
  
  "Because of this, I would encourage anyone using WHS to avoid files which have ADS, until this issue is resolved by Microsoft."
  

• "Seems to me that is a lot of work to hide files. I use Folder Lock myself. I don't know if you are familiar with it or not, but I like it. It does all that you said and I think a lot more."
  

Contents  Index

Contents  Index

It's a classic story. Boy meets Girl. Boy and Girl spend the night together. Boy has to leave in the morning for a meeting, but asks for Girl's phone number. Girl clogs Boy's toilet and ends up leaving an unexpected present along with her number. In this gritty but hilarious three-minute parody of a Home Depot commercial, we learn a new meaning to the phrase, "No S---, Sherlock!" (Warning: crude humor and rude language.) Play the video

Contents  Index

Contents  Index

• Visit our Unsubscribe page.
  

Contents  Index