Alex Robar has worked in the IT industry for seven years. He is currently the Technical Services Manager for a Canadian Managed Services Provider. He has worked with open source telephony solutions for the past four years, and has collaborated on the development and growth of an international Asterisk-based VoIP peering network.

[audio:http://media.blubrry.com/winelover/recordings.talkshoe.com/TC-22622/TS-264001.mp3]

Digium AA50 VoIP Appliance to grab at Astricon Phoenix next week!

[audio:http://voipusersconference.org/wp-content/uploads/NirSim.mp3|titles=Nir Simionovich on Asterisk AGI programming]

I had the pleasure of meeting one of the more vibrant and outgoing characters at the conference and recorded this interview about his latest PHP AGI book. I only wish I could have shared the stories, jokes and general mirth happening in the traditional German restaurant when Tim Panton, Jason Goeke, Nir and I shared a meal.

Nir’s presentation at AMOOCON was about running Asterisk under EC2 and I hope to get him to talk about this some day as he has an actual large-scale case he deployed in this way rather than just a theoretical one.

Nir’s book, Asterisk Gateway Interface 1.4 and 1.6 Programming is a great introduction to serious programming using the AGI and PHP. The book takes you through some good solid advice for truly professional programmers on how to do stable programming in the Asterisk AGI environment. This is the book you need if you are trying to do anything serious with Asterisk in PHP.

Stefan Wintermeyer wrote The Asterisk Book (Das Asterisk Buch) and is working on a new book now. He’s a jovial guy with a great concept for throwing an entertaining as well as enlightening event. Here’s a little about how and why he does it.

Disclaimer, like the other videos, this was shot in the first experience with the new video tools and there are mistakes in switching. The spirit of these are linked to the fact that they are live (undeited) so please excuse ther warts.

I didn’t know that Nir has also written the book “Asterisk Now“, also for Packt Publishing. I am waiting for a review copy and when I can, I will review the book here. However, having met Nir and watched his presentation on EC2, I’m already recommending you consider the book.

[audio:http://media.blubrry.com/winelover/recordings.talkshoe.com/TC-22622/TS-198844.mp3]

IRC Transcript 2009-03-27

SIP hacking has escalated and there was a wave of it in recent times. John Todd published a simple common sense set of rules that are worth reading. One of the main risk areas is using user names and secrets that are too easy to guess (such as extension 200, username=2000,password=wakeme).

More on SIP for Skype etc. That looks like it will be an ongiung discussion. See the session with Michael Robertson above.

We briefly reviewed a new book called Asterisk Gateway Interface 1.4 and 1.6 Programming. John Todd and /me have both been looking at it and we both think it looks good. Since the discussion, I’ve read more of it and I will talk more about it in a future session.

Amazon link (beer money!)
Asterisk Gateway Interface 1.4 and 1.6 Programming

We also mentioned AMOOCON where we can meet up for those of you who will be in Europe or are already there. I will be presenting two papers, one on VoicePHP and one on the VoIP community and various social networking tools.

[audio:http://media.blubrry.com/winelover/recordings.talkshoe.com/TC-22622/TS-23423.mp3]

Practical Asterisk 1.4 & 1.6: From Beginner to Expert

Stefan and his translator Stephen Bosch will be with us to talk about this new book, already a best-seller in German and soon to appear in English. Stefan produced Asterisk Tag in 2008 now called AMOOCON in 2009.