*See update and video below*
UPDATE 12:51PM ET 3/26/2010: CSMonitor reports that the Line2 app was pulled from the app store by its creator after it suffered a denial-of-service attack.
CSMonitor writes, 'Mr. Sisson told Henry McCracken of Technologizer that he made the executive decision to take Line2 offline -- that way thousands of consumers won't have a bad first experience with the much-buzzed-about app.'
However, as New York Times tech writer David Pogue confirmed over Twitter, the app has returned to the App Store and is once again available for purchase.
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Are you sick and tired of AT&T's shoddy service?
A game-changing third-party iPhone application, now available for iPhone and iPod touch, can help.
It's called Line2, and it can make phone calls over 3G, Wi-Fi or cellular networks. Toktumi, the company that launched the app in 2009, claims it can save money on your monthly cell phone bill and improve overall cell reception.
Here's what it does: First, Line2 enables two separate phone lines on your iPhone, each line with its own number. Tech Crunch explains Line2's features as being similar to the banned-by-Apple Google Voice app and goes on to say:
Line2 would allow users to use two different numbers with their iPhones -- one which they could hand out for business calls, and the other for personal. This setup would allow employees to keep their personal numbers private, and also allows businesses to set up professional features on the business line, with features like an phone directory ("Press 1 for sales...") and a single support number that calls the mobile phones of multiple employees.
AT&T's 3G data network is the iPhone standard, but its service can be spotty, particularly indoors. That's when Line2 can be used to pick up the slack.
'Any time you're in a wireless hot spot, Line2 places its calls over Wi-Fi instead of AT&T's network,' the New York Times reports. It can seamless switch from 3G to Wi-Fi if you exit your 3G service area and enter a Wi-Fi hotspot--even if you're on a call at the time. And if two Line2 users call each other, they automatically experience high-quality audio.
What's more, an iPod Touch running Line2 becomes a cell phone when it enters a Wi-Fi hotspot. According to the New York Times, 'you don't owe AT&T a penny' for this perk.
This app, available at Apple's App Store, costs $1 to download and is free for 30 days. After the trial period, it's $14.95 per month (in addition to AT&T's monthly fees). Since Internet calls don't use up AT&T minutes, this could mean big savings, The Times notes. 'If you're in a Wi-Fi hot spot most of the time (at work, for example), that's an awful lot of calling you can do in Wi-Fi -- probably enough to downgrade your AT&T plan to one that gives you fewer minutes.'
Because the iPhone does not offer multitasking for third-party apps, Line2 won't function unless you keep it running. That is, of course, unless you choose to jailbreak your iPhone.
See an introduction to Line2 below. You can check it out on the iTunes app store here