It looks like iPhone users are very interested in making VoIP calls over 3G networks, as Skype said its 2.0 version of the iPhone app has been well received.

“We’ve had millions of downloads to date,” Russ Shaw, Skype’s general manager for mobile, told Reuters. “That’s really positive.”

The latest version enables iPhone users to use AT&T (NYSE: T)’s mobile data network to make free Skype-to-Skype calls, while the previous version only allowed the VoIP calling over WiFi networks. One of the reasons AT&T users are eager to get this product now is that Skype said it will start charging users a monthly fee, starting in August, to make VoIP calls over cellular data networks.

Shaw didn’t dive into specifics about how much the fee will be but he did say the company doesn’t want to “price ourselves out of the market,” particularly because consumers currently use it for free. The calling service works well, offers near CD-quality audio and it should only become more useful once the iPhone OS 4.0 software enables it to run in the background. But it’s going to be difficult to get a large number of users to pay extra per month, especially now that AT&T is ditching its unlimited plans for data.

There’s a method behind Skype’s madness though, as the company recently inked a deal with Verizon (NYSE: VZ) Wireless. This deal brings the calling service to Big Red’s Android and BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) smartphones and it will even utilize Verizon’s voice network, free of charge, to ensure a higher level of audio quality. This service is expected to be free for the foreseeable future and it could be an important difference between the two carriers – heck, the Skype app is featured prominently in one of the “Droid Does” commercials.

So, what do you think readers? Will you pay a monthly fee for Skype on the iPhone?

– Skype 2.0 for iPhone (FREE) [iTunes link]

Brightkite made some waves by being the first to offer augmented reality advertisements late last year but these were actually kind of lame, banner-style ads overlaid on your screen. The company has boosted its ads but some of you may not like them.

Before, the ads were at the bottom of the page and pretty much stayed out of the way. Now, the company has teamed with big-name brands like Starbucks and McDonalds to create a larger branding presence. The Starbucks ad, for example, will show off a bigger Via logo when you’re facing your device at an applicable location. This eats up screen space, which may not please the user. Clicking on the icon will give you more information like pricing and directions to the nearest location.

I’m not trying to be an apologist for advertisers but this may be the sort of boost augmented reality needs to become more mainstream. There needs to be a monetization model that makes the big guys invest in this still-new technology and being able to create a stronger connection with the user is a perfect reason. Granted, these ads don’t look like it adds much to the experience (and it could annoy some users) but there is something very powerful about augmented-reality ads done well.

I think the big gorilla in the AR world is Google (NSDQ: GOOG) and its Goggles applications. As you can see from this video, the visual search engine doesn’t always get things right but the search giant continues to add new features to make it incredibly useful. It recently added translation abilities that could be very handy if you’re trying to order food in a foreign country, for example. It also plans to open up Googles to other developers and I think it could really take off once it’s a platform.

[Via TechCrunch]

The LG Gossip is now available on Fido. Available for free on a 2-year contract, or $90 outright (you can also run a $90 prepaid or month-to-month), the ‘quick messaging device’ packs quite a few features for a lower-end smartphone. Key features include:

• Full QWERTY keyboard
• 2.0 MP camera with video
• SMS, MMS and IM
• Send and receive email via an embedded Fidoemail app
• Quad Band World Phone – EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
• 3.5mm audio jack
• Bluetooth 2.1
• FM Tuner
• expandable memory to 4 GB via microSD

I still can’t get past the design of the Gossip… Those middle navigation controls remind me so much of the gauge cluster on a Porsche Boxster. Oh well

For more on the LG Gossip, hit up Fido.

We’ll be honest — before today, we had never heard of Simon Aldous, but it sure seems as if he’s trying hard to get his name out there. Mr. Aldous, a group manager at Microsoft, recently sat down for a rather lengthy talk with PCR. Most of the back-and-forth revolved around receiving input from partners and other mildly boring topics, but one particular Q&A was pointed directly at the outfit’s newest operating system. When asked if Windows 7 was “really a much more agile operating system,” Simon made a deliberate decision to say the following:

“One of the things that people say an awful lot about the Apple Mac is that the OS is fantastic, that it’s very graphical and easy to use. What we’ve tried to do with Windows 7 – whether it’s traditional format or in a touch format – is create a Mac look and feel in terms of graphics.”

Of course, he followed that up by slamming OS X’s general stability, noting that Vista’s core technology — on which Win7 is built — is “far more stable than the current Mac platform.” We know we’re opening up a giant can here, but… um, thoughts?

[Via AppleInsider]

The folks at NewspaperDirect Inc. have launched 2 new versions of their very popular PressReader app. The new apps are for the iPhone and BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM), and bring more than 1,300 full-content digital replicas of newspapers, magazines and more right to your device. Very cool.

Once installed, users can browse newspapers and magazines from around the world available from PressDisplay.com, the world’s biggest online newspaper kiosk. Download the publication, and read it offline whenever you want. You can zoom and pan around the document, access on-demand audio, navigate each publication via jump links, and much more.

Alex Kroogman, CEO of NewspaperDirect commented on the new apps:

“While other news applications offer limited website access or a reduced version of the publisher’s content, PressReader delivers the publication in its original layout with all of the content from its print edition, including advertising… As the mobile and handheld market evolves, we plan to offer PressReader on additional, new smartphones, e-readers or tablets, as they are announced. This includes the highly anticipated Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) tablet.”

Oooooh, Apple Tablet you say, huh? Interesting

You can pick up the PressReader app for free right now in BlackBerry App World and the Apple App Store (iTunes link).

[Via: PitchEngine]

Google already knows too much about me, yet Google Latitude’s Location History and Location Alerts features are still creepy. But they’re useful, because together they learn your usual hangouts and know when you don’t need notifications of who’s nearby.

The Location History feature does just what you think it would by allowing you to view your previous Latitude locations. And the Location Alerts are little notifications when a friend is nearby and spare you from constantly checking Latitude. Since it’d be pretty annoying to get a notification that your boss is in fact in his office every time you go to work, you can use both features together and let Latitude learn your frequently visited places. It’ll keep track of patterns and skip sending unneeded alerts. Creepy, yet oh-so-useful. [Google Mobile Blog]