The company behind the magicJack, the cheap Internet phone gadget that’s been heavily promoted on TV, has made a new version of the device that allows free calls from cellphones in the home, in a fashion that’s sure to draw protest from cellular carriers.
The new magicJack uses, without permission, radio frequencies for which cellular carriers have paid billions of dollars for exclusive licenses.
YMax, which is based in Palm Beach, Fla., said this week at the International Consumers Electronics Show that it plans to start selling the device in about four months for US$40, the same price as the original magicJack . As before, it will provide free calls to the U.S. and Canada for one year.
The device is, in essence, a very small cellular tower for the home.
Hello lawsuits.
Why can’t / don’t I own the airwaves that pass within the boundry of my property?
Do the airwaves really “belong to the people?”
There are power limits beyond which regulations do not apply (or many devices would unintentionally violate the regulations just because of design/engineering consequences). If MagicJack have managed to make their hardware operational within those limits – they are legal. Wish them luck.
I think I need a bath. If I have to buy a magicjack, I’ll do it.
I don’t know about the US, but in New Zealand (where I am now) and Australia, you are entitled to run almost any kind of transmitter on your property, so long as it cannot be received beyond your boundary line. There is a maximum field strength, something like 3mV/m on a 1/4 wave antenna at 100 ft beyond your property.
[Comment deleted – Violation of Posting Guidelines. – ed.]
Sounds like they made a cell phone version of a microwave oven without a door or safety latch.
People own congress, freeways, airwaves, they are all subject to governing by the people’s representatives through discussion, debate, litigation.
Sounds like they made a cell phone version of a microwave oven without a door or safety latch.
People own congress, freeways, airwaves, they are all subject to governing by the people’s representatives through discussion, debate, litigation.
Does the magic jack actually work? And if the answer is YES then why isn’t everyone using it?
No sarcasm here, I’m honestly inquiring…
the Tiki
I don’t care how much I pay (Too much Magic Jack)
I wanna talk to my baby every day (Too much Magic Jack)
I want it, I want it, I want it…(You can’t have it!)
Think how much you’ll save…(You can’t have it!)]
I want it, I want it, I want it, I want it … (You can’t have it!)
Might as well market it that way, they already sold out to CSI.
Cursor_
I read some of the comments over at the Consumerist this morning (http://tinyurl.com/ybcq7o9). The feedback seems to be mixed.
But there are some incredibly negative and unsubstantiated comments there about spyware. It smells of paid character assassination to me. Are the Telco’s paying some bloggers to post negative reviews of this product? My gut tells me “Yes”. Read the comments and see what you think.
IS THIS THE GIRL THAT ELECTROCUTED HERSELF?? by using a charger connected cellphone in the tub??
Nightline had a segment featuring items bought on TV and online. ABC used Consumer Reports and they said MagicJack works better than they thought it would.
I’ve always wondered when someone was going to create firmware for all these wireless routers so they could create a freenet and screw the ISPs. These wireless routers do operate very well using the free spectrum after all. Wouldn’t it be nice to get 54 Mbps up/down for free?
I don’t understand? I thought the FCC had to approve any transmitter? If this is not FCC approved then is it in violation? How do you get your cell phone not to dial into a cell tower and use only Magic Jack? Do you have to cancel your cell service? What good is a cell phone if you have to have internet access to use Magic Jack? This just sounds like something only squeaky cheap people would try.
[RTFA! – ed.]
If your cellphone is calling AT&T on the bandwidth they bought and paid for and somebody runs in between and redirects you through magic jack?
I’d think you might even need a different chip in the phone to make this work and if that’s true things are really limited. If it isn’t true Magic Jack is most likely breaking couple of hundred patents as well as you and Magic Jack using stolen bandwidth.
My money is on the bandwidth and patent owner. They paid billions for the right to use that bandwidth. Anybody else is a trespasser.
What Magic Jack was doing in the past was legal. I think this could put them out of business. Time will see. I don’t own any shares in the company and now looks like a bad time to buy any.
So it only works when you have their device connected to the internet, which means it only works at home or anywhere else you drag their device around to. How is this any better than the original magicJack using an ordinary cordless phone?
How does it bridge the IP/telephone service network barrier at the service end?
#12, coming soon… real soon ——- think google
This is good news for me. Waiting to get one of these and save money. All this for 40 dollars and also for 1 year free calls to u.s and Canada is awesome.
The FCC owns the electomagnetic emissions in my brain!
My heart bleeds for the carriers … because, you know, they are such nice people. Frak’m, frak’m hard.
#13 so the FCC are the ones who have to go after Magneto?
I droped my landline and bought a MajicJack last spring. I am very satisfied with the way it operates and the voice quality. My experience suggests that the voice quality is comperable to landline and better than cel service. I plan to move the MagicJack to a 24/7 computer, however the majicJack system will E-mail you if a call is missed and if the caller leaves a voice mail. MajicJack attaches the voice mail as an mp3 to the E-mail. I thought that was downright cute.
I am just guessing that the new cel phone configured MajicJack will include a simplified cel tower type tranciever maybe with just a few cel channels and say 100yd operating range. If they allow you to leave several of those cel channels open for drive by guests, there could be some very interesting impacts om the big celco’s buisiness model.
nunyac
>> hhopper said, on January 9th, 2010 at 1:13 pm
>> Do the airwaves really “belong to the people?”
Owned by the public, regulated by the government is the technical status… like roads and parks.
So, you can’t to ANYTHING you want with radio waves — however I think the company can make a good argument that _non interfering_ use should be legal.
This is like the fact that you are allowed to broadcast on AM and FM commercial frequencies if it is only on your property. I do this constantly to extend my computer music to my FM radios around the house.
Is this device any different than the Femtocell devices that AT&T already provides to customers (and then charges the user extra for using his own bandwidth to make the call) ?
Ah AT&T can buy a zillion of these and use it to fill up the gaps in their “map!” Assuming this gives 3G coverage and capabilities.
Now if this goes to a lawsuit, this could set a president regarding low powered short ranged devices that don’t really disrupt cell tower services (though i can see how this could be used to do so). Cuz if they go down, then those little FM transmitters that you use to let your ipod play over your car stereo could be next!
now this can’t be completely free. you have to buy the device and pay at least an annual fee like magic jack already has (still super cheap).
So…why would anyone care to jump through all these hoops when Skype works on the iPhone/ipod touch over wi-fi now? Skype to Skype is free and Skype to phone is almost free. I don’t see any feature phone user plugging in this device and setting it all up, just to get free calls. People are lazy, and would want this to work everywhere. Dragging a device from place to place is not the answer. Maybe 10 years ago this would have been a winner, but not now.
I just used the majicJack, and it only raised my car 1 cm.
BTW, that picture looks a lot like my wife, when I met her 35 years ago. Now at 56, she still doesn’t look over 37… that was what a 25 year old (male acquaintance) thought her age was last week. (Sigh) Me… I look every bit my age of 56.
I bought a Magic Jack a year ago and use it everyday.The reason everyone isn’t using one are many.A broad band connection is needed.Your computer must be left on 24/7 for it to send and receive calls.One half of our country don’t have a clue about the electronics they use every day.The other half doesn’t use computers.I just paid 20 dollars for another year of service and recommend it to everyone who has broadband.I will buy a cellphone version if it works with my Tracfone.This is another bargain that has been overlooked by consumers.