Kendall's Online blog

Thursday, May 31, 2007

A2billing releases version 1.3

Asterisk2billing just released version 1.3 of its popular Asterisk billing/calling card application made popular because it comes bundled with Trixbox.

Most of its modules have been rewritten and some of the new features include:
  • Invoicing,
  • Template management with Smarty
  • New online payment modules for Moneybookers and Authorize.net in addition to the existing Paypal module
  • The rate engine now supports unlimited calling packages.
  • Additional reporting functions for High or Low ASR (Answer Seize Ratio), ALOC (Average Length of Call) and CIC (Consecutive Incomplete Calls) and many other new features.
The admin and customer demo can be found at demo.asterisk2billing.org and remember to create a customer in the admin demo to be able to log on to the customer demo.

One feature that is still conspicuously missing is a reseller module but with more contributions from other developers with the source code has been provided by Public SVN many more features are sure to be added. The code can be checked out at trac.asterisk2billing.org

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Microsoft's Surface Computing

Microsoft just launched its new "Surface" technology which is a touch sensitive table that responds to hand movements and displays anything from pictures, videos and maps.
The UI is really great and from the Microsoft surface site you see various possibilities:

  • Transfer music, videos and business cards between phones, pda's and the tables or even between electronics devices placed on the table.
  • View pictures and watch videos.
  • Pay for goods with your credit card placed on the table.
  • Order items from a menu.
  • Get directions and search for local businesses on the maps and transfer these directions to your handheld.
  • Make paintings on the table tops.

Its pretty much extending your computer desktop to your physical desktop. The only drawback is having to lean over the table top which could become a problem after leaning over the table for extended periods, I am sure in the future the table tops wold be able to tilt to about 30 degrees to ease the strain on the back. It isn't cheap at all as early adopters would be sure to cough out between $5k to $10K and one of the first users will be Caesar's palace in Vegas and their order is expected to arrive in the last quarter of '07.

Once again the site is www.surface.com