Firefox VoIP Client

libocannici writes "Abbeynet Labs has released the first version of a Firefox VoIP extension which is a full featured SIP user agent plugin for Firefox." The Firefox extension is completely stand-alone, with all VoIP functionality built directly into it. From one-click calling to SMS sending, this promises to be quite handy. All Internet calls are currently free, just requiring an abbyphone account, while PSTN calls have a small charge.

Err, why?

[Poromenos1]

Why does this have to be a Firefox extension? Why can't I just use Skype (or at least make it standalone)?

I use Opera, damnit!

Why use firefox then?

[Anonymous Coward]

So if it's a standalone extension, why is it an extension? Just for the GUI?

Firefox card games

[kkovach]

Been there, done that.

http://cardgames.mozdev.org/ [mozdev.org]

- Kevin

Thanks, but no thanks.

[Rob T Firefly]

With my normally running Skype and/or gaim, I've already got all that functionality. I love Firefox and all, but I really see no need to use my web browser as yet another 3rd-party non-free VOIP app.

An alternate to this VOIP extension

[dmbtech]

A great alternite to this extension is the openwengo firefox extension. Its a little buggy, but gets its job done and looks very nice. Its called openwengo, and you can get it from http://www.openwengo.org/ [openwengo.org] . Its open source, lightweight and also allows free phone line calls, which Abbeynet doesn't do.

Why must everything be a firefox addin, and why...

[CFD339]

...is this /. news? Does anything that happens with firefox by definition make it news? A VoIP client is just a SIP or perhaps an IAX2 stack with a text interface. There are many libraries for doing this now. A java sip library and a few minutes of ui code can build a SIP client. What value is there in having it part of firefox and not a standalone bit of java that runs in your KDE or Windoze desktop? Is there a reason you'd only want to make or receive calls when firefox is loaded?

Re:Can we get an office suite as well?

[baadger]

Somebody should work on getting User Mode Linux entirely encapsulated in a single one-click install Firefox extension...then we could run Firefox on it.

Re: extensions.

[linvir]

I can't decide if this is a good or a bad thing.

Good:

• OS independance
• Mostly open standards and open source
• World peace
• A cure for AIDS

Bad:

• The price of OS independance (in this case) is incredibly high-level programming, with system requirements to match
• PAEDOPHILES CAN USE BROWSERS!!!

My Pentium III can still handle KDE + Firefox + Extensions, so I'm not complaining yet. And at 4 - 2, it's a net win for Good Thing.