Talk:MagicJack

Note, this article was a redirect to Dan Borislow. I've created a stub article here based on an earlier version because the article Dan Borislow does not seem to be the right venue for information on this topic, and the redirect seemed to be causing some confusion. --Zippy (talk) 10:49, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

We need more info about the history of when the devices became for sale, info on the versions of the software upgrades, such as the fix for windows Vista and most recently the "Mac Upgrade Beta". Also info on changes on the hardware since it's initial release, link to popular magicjack forums and hack sites, where innovation and alternate uses of the hardware is being discussed. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.106.176.232 (talk) 13:26, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

Possible spyware

Because of advertising and word of mouth I decided to purchase this product. Since then I have several concerns about it in regards to spyware. Much of the remarks on the net are in reviews and comments and therefore difficult to source. I am concerned that this product may mine telephone numbers, email addresses, and other information on one's computer. This could result in spam and liability issues. From the user screen there is an obvious association with Google. This probably explains the very low price. It is probably advertising supported acting as a form of spyware on one's computer.

Other aspects concern me. There is no way to stop the program from running except with a control-alt-del and ending the process. There is no way to stop it from loading on start-up along with an advertising splash screen and other messages. Hopefully others can contribute an alert to readers about the possible downsides of this product.

Do you have any evidence of existence of spyware or just concerns?--Rtphokie (talk) 19:28, 17 December 2008 (UTC)

My edit was made in good faith and clearly was *NOT* vandalism:

"Vandalism is any addition, removal, or change of content made in a deliberate attempt to compromise the integrity of Wikipedia; vandalism cannot and will not be tolerated. The most common types of vandalism include the addition of obscenities or crude humor, page blanking, or the insertion of nonsense into articles.

Any good-faith effort to improve the encyclopedia, even if misguided or ill-considered, is not vandalism. Even harmful edits that are not explicitly made in bad faith are not considered vandalism."

The title of the article "MagicJack's EULA says it will spy on you and force you into arbitration" and the EULA seem clear that it acts as spyware. The question is the extent. Any help anyone can give would be a benefit for the reader as it is clearly a concern.—Who123 02:40, 18 December 2008 (UTC)

I am still very concerned about the spyware and invasion of privacy aspects of this product. Because of their association with Google, I am concerned that the device data-mines computers for information, not only just gathering data on phone calls. I am also concerned about the privacy of the information I provided to the company when I purchased the product (name, address, email, credit card information). The annual usage price of this device is so low compared to other products that it seems that it must be advertising supported.—Who123 18:00, 24 December 2008 (UTC)

Other concerns about this product

I am raising these additional issues as I am having them and cannot find any in-depth independent reviews of the product. Unlike all my other programs, this software starts running automatically when I start my computer and I have no choice about it. I cannot choose for it to auto-start or not. Once my computer is running, there is no way to stop the software other than using control-alt-delete and ending the process. If I block it access to the internet with my firewall then I get a message center screen that says it cannot connect to the internet. The only way to get rid of it is to end the program.

If I do start the software then my processor begins running at about 70% of maximum and has stayed there for at least 30 minutes. The Windows Task Manager shows magicJack using about 50% of the CPU cycles. What is it doing with all of this processing power???

I think this product has some serious flaws. If anyone can find an in-depth independent review of the product addressing the issues raised here, it would be an excellent addition to the article.—Who123 18:28, 18 December 2008 (UTC)

Criticism?

Sorry I'm not a Wikipedia expert but the Criticism section of this article seems very strange to me. A large section of it reads like a cut and pasted FAQ entry written by MagicJack. Shouldn't most of the Criticism section be devoted to actual criticisms and possibly a brief summarized rebuttal rather than vice versa? Drew Blood (talk) 14:52, 23 December 2008 (UTC)

That text looks to have been copied directly from http://uninstallmagicjack.com, a possible copyright violation. It's been removed and that site added as a link in the external link.--Rtphokie (talk) 15:42, 23 December 2008 (UTC)

This article needs development. I have bought the product but am not using it because of multiple serious problems I have found with it. Unfortunately, I can not find much information about it to cite.—Who123 16:59, 23 December 2008 (UTC)

Power drawn from USB port excessive?

Another concern that I have about this product is that it runs hot (not just warm). It is drawing a lot of power from the USB port. I am concerned that it could damage my computer by excessive power draw from the USB port causing motherboard failure.

The following was removed from the article because it was not well cited. Where did this information com from?

• “Most users that are having “trouble” with their magicJack® dongel are usually having connection problems with their computer's USB ports and its power supply to those ports!”

"How many USB devices are currently plugged in?

Power-Hungry USB Ports

The number of USB devices that the users can plug into the computer these days, with cameras, scanners, printers, keyboards, pointing devices, PDAs, hard disks and many more peripherals using the USB interface that often runs off the computer's power through the USB bus. This is more of a convenience since the users don't have to plug in a separate electrical cord, but it's also easy to overload the USB ports if the users plug a number of devices into many of the available ports.

Does the user's PC's USB ports supply enough electricity to power all the devices they have attached to them? Plugging too much gear into a bus-powered USB hub (one with no external power adapter) can overwhelm a USB port by demanding more than the 500 mA it can supply. Check the power demands on any USB port in Windows XP by right-clicking My Computer and choosing Properties, Hardware, Device Manager. Double-click Universal Serial Bus controllers, double-click the USB Root Hub entry, choose the Power tab, and add up the amounts in the "Power Required" column. (Below is the advice which many users forget about.) In a few rare instances, the USB port on the user's computer may not have enough electrical power for the magicJack® dongel to work properly. Try using a externally AC powered USB hub to plug the magicJack® dongel into instead of using the computer's USB port if there are 'many' other USB devices connected to the computer or if the magicJack® dongel acts erratically with audio and connection problems.  »(Cost $20.00) magicJack® may or may not work best when plugged directly into a USB port on the computer. Do not plug the magicJack® dongel into a multi port USB hub that is not AC powered. After the user has connected the magicJack® dongel for the first time, registered the device, and has the 'softphone' on the screen, the user should probably run TCP Optimizer to “tune” the computer to work with it in an efficient manner; it can be downloaded from the following website:

http://www.speedguide.net/downloads.php

The program can aid both the novice and the advanced user in tweaking related TCP/IP parameters in the Windows Registry, making it easy to tune your system to the type of Internet connection used. The tool uses advanced algorithms, and the bandwidth delay product to find the best TCP Window for your specific connection speed. It provides for easy tuning of all related TCP/IP parameters, such as MTU, RWIN, and even advanced ones like QoS and ToS/Diffserv prioritization. The program works with all current versions of Windows, and includes additional tools, such as testing average latency over multiple hosts, and finding the largest possible packet size (MTU).

The user can use the TCP Optimizer by following these short instructions:

1. Choose the maximum Connection Speed from the slider bar (the maximum available bandwidth, in kilobits per second) 2. Choose the Network Interface, or check to Modify All Network Adapters 3. Pick "Optimal settings" from the radio-buttons near the bottom of the program 4. Click on the "Apply changes" button and reboot

magicJack® Support

http://www.magic-jack.info/linkpage.htm"

After reading Universal Serial Bus, this may not be an issue. The device is not too hot to touch.

Difficult to remove software

In case the information becomes unavailable I have included it here.

Please see: uninstallmagicjack.com:

"Notice/Disclaimer: FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS AT YOUR OWN RISK. Version Number One instructions were posted as a comment to a blog via an online search, and referenced as instructions provided by MagicJack Tech Support. Version Number Two instructions were obtained directly from MagicJack Tech Support (Tech Chat), and Version Number Three instructions were provided in response to a query on The Unofficial MagicJack Forum. This blog assumes no responsibility, nor liability for the accuracy, source, and validity of these instructions. The instructions are reprinted here for informational purposes only.

Various Instructions for Removing MagicJack Software (Windows Operating System)

Version Number One

Unplug the MagicJack USB Dongle. Go to “Start” in Windows and click on “run” and type (enter) regedit and press Enter. Now Click on + Sign next to HKEY_LOCAL MACHINE. Click on + Sign next to SYSTEM. Click on + Sign next to CurrentControlSet. Click on + Sign next to Enum. Locate the folder called USB. Right Click on the Folder and Click on “Permissions”. In permissions Click on the Check Mark called “Allow” to the right of “Full Control”. Click OK. Next Click on + Sign next to USB and locate two folders called “Vid1307″. Right Click on one at a time and select Delete. Next Click on - Sign next to USB. Right Click on the folder named USBSTOR and Allow permissions. Next Click on + Sign next to USBSTOR. Locate the folders named “CdRom&Ven_YMAX&Prod_MagicJack&Rev” and “Disk&Ven_YMAX&Prod_MagicJack&Rev” Right Click on these Folders one at a time and hit Delete.

Version Number Two

Double Click on your Hard Drive (usually called C:\). Double Click on Documents and Settings. Double Click on the Folder that has the Username you use when logging into Windows. Double Click on Application Data. Double Click on Folder labeled “mjusbsp”. Double Click on Folder labeled “in00000″. Find the Setup File there and Delete.

Version Number Three

Use Device Manager to Uninstall the MagicJack cdrom/disk drive/usb hub. Unplug the MagicJack device. Delete the mjusbsp Directory and all Subdirectories (probably at c:\documents and settings\(your user profile name)\application data\mjusbsp). Use regedit to locate the HKEY Current User Talk4Free entries and Delete the Talk4Free Key and all Subkeys. Delete the MagicJack Directory and all Subdirectores (probably at c:\documents and settings\(your user profile name)\local settings\application data\magicjack). Delete any start menu and desktop Icons. Reboot."

—Who123 19:31, 24 December 2008 (UTC)