buddyPhone
2
Release 2.06
All rights reserved. 1998, 1999 © by Henrik Pfluger
Getting Started
1. What is buddyPhone?
BuddyPhone is a fantastic utility that lets you place phone calls over the Internet at no additional charges. It has a slick, simple to use interface and offers high audio quality. You can use buddyPhone in conjunction with Mirabilis' ICQ, and all of your ICQ contacts will automatically appear in your call menu. ICQ is not required, however, and buddyPhone is a full-featured call management system in its own right. It can auto-answer, block calls, and much more - it can even work as an answering machine. You make calls by connecting directly to another user's IP address (buddyPhone includes an amenity that will tell you what your IP address is so other users can contact you). Alternatively, buddyPhone can use an email address, and try to resolve the user's IP from there. The program offers some nice graphical options as well; you can set to stay on top of all open windows, use different "skins" to change the look of the program, and more. BuddyPhone offers some nice graphical options as well; you can set to stay on top of all open windows, use different "skins" to change the look of the program, and more.
Check our website at www.buddyphone.com for any updated information that may not yet be included in this package.
2. System requirements
3. What does it cost?
BuddyPhone is provided as a so-called sponsored software. Usage of buddyPhone is free. If you do not want advertising on your buddyPhone you may pay for removing the advertising on the application. See the buy section of our website at www.buddyphone.com for further details.
4. Installing
Run the bp2setup.exe file. This will unzip the installation files into a temporary directory and run the setup. The setup will then install buddyPhone 2 onto your system and place shortcuts in your start menu. You may also want to let the setup place buddyPhone 2 in the startup folder so that buddyPhone will automatically run in the background when you start your computer.
To uninstall buddyPhone open the control panels folder and open the software control panel. Select buddyPhone 2 and click the remove button.
5. Calling someone
There are several methods for calling someone.
You may call someone by entering his e-mail address. To do so click on the phone button in buddyPhone and select "Connect to". You will have to enter the e-mail address exactly as the person you want to call has entered it in his buddyPone preferences. You may enter the contacts you call regularly in the address book of buddyPhone. By chosing the option 'Include contact in call menu' in the 'Edit contact' window you may place this contact in the menu that appears when clicking the green phone button.
You may call
someone directly by entering his IP address. To do so
click on the green phone button in buddyPhone and select
"Connect to". For this to work you will have to
know the IP address of the one you are going to call.
To include a contact with a fixed IP address in the
address book select the option 'Owns fixed IP/host
address' in the 'Edit contact' window and enter the IP.
You may call someone from inside buddyPhone with the support of ICQ. When you click on the green phone button of buddyPhone everyone who is online at that moment in ICQ will be shown. You may directly select him and your call will be placed.
Or you may call someone from inside ICQ. First of all you and the one you want to call will have to register buddyPhone in the ICQ externals. See below for details. You may then call someone by selecting him in the ICQ contact list and choosing "Internet Telephony/Games" and then "buddyPhone" from the menu.
Using the command 'Random call' from the menu that appears when clicking on the green phone button you may place a call to a randomly chosen user. You can make yourself available for such random calls by going to the preferences and checking the option 'Make me available for random calls' on the 'Contacts' tab.
If you partner does not own buddyPhone or has not started it a message will appear that informs you that "buddyPhone is not running". Send it to him and get ready to talk.
If you want to quit your connection to the other user press the down phone button.
6. Contact
If you have questions or have encountered bugs please
check the support section on our website.