Yes, it's true. Shockvoice 0.8.0 was finally released and is now entering the beta phase. That means licensing will soon start but bear
in mind, that we'll start the licensing process slowly with only a small amount of hosters until everything runs fine.
Details on the licensing process will be published within the next days, please be patient.

Here is again the complete list of the most important updates since SV v0.7.7 :

  * client:
  * treeview improved. new separate icon for speaking symbol. channel imploding bug fixed.
  * completely new lightweight UI
  * blacklist query has been implemented. blacklisted servers cannot be connected to anymore.
  * speaker/mic mute options added.
  * shortcuts added to all important functions
  * changing sound devices does not require restart anymore.
  * column widths in channel view are now saved.
  * servername is now displayed in the titlebar.
  * tray message balloons added.
  * audio recorder added.
  * client will now minimize correctly without leaving a box in the lower left corner.
  * keys now have proper names in config and virtual channel setup instead of sys164 etc.
  * added voice test to configuration.
  * fixed auto reconnect when initial connect fails.
  * when connecting, the client does not block anymore
  * fixed crashes when connecting/disconnecting USB audio devices.
  * event sounds can now be set for every event type additional to the computer voice.
  * fixed a couple of bugs in the connect dialog when using more than one entry with the same host.

  * server:
  * resource usage optimized. server now uses less threads.
  * register at svnetwork will now also work correctly for servers which use bind-to-ip
  * whisper into moderated channel no longer possible.
  * create channel ban fixed.
  * fixed SU/SUM permissions. without UI permission they did not work.
  * fixed bug when muting user. user could still be heard when several people speak.
  * when deleting servers or users, their complete information is now deleted from the database.
  * sqlserver windows authentication now supported

  * server & client:
  * moderated channels implemented.
  * audio can now be router over UDP & TCP instead of UDP only
  * fixed whispering (key changes were not updated correctly)
  * default codec quality can be configured in each server.
  * a default registered usergroup can now be configured.
  * added sending messages to all users
  * the usual list of small bugfixes.

Another new version of Shockvoice was just released. Some important bugfixes were made in both server and client so
get this update and test it. As far as it looks, the beta might be released very soon now. The server runs now runs stable
and has all the features we want for the beta version. Keep your fingers crossed :)

Getting closer and closer... client 0.8.0 pre6 and server 0.8.0 pre3 are released today.
lots of bugfixes were made:

- fixed empty fields in "manage server instances" in pre5
- fixed server creation with the same name
- switching a server instance to active again will now show server as active
- fixed installation error when installing the client
- fixed error in slot calculation
- fixed a bug in usergroup management
- fixed bug in rights management when using virtual channels
- it's no longer needed to kill the windows server process from the task manager
- fixed too long usernames. They will be stripped now.
- fixed bug in server creation using hoster interface
- it's now possible to mute anonymous user
- Client version is no longer visible in form header
- It's now possible to change directly from one instance to another
- improved server memory management
- added new sounds and option for custom sounds
- added maintenance mode and hard redirection
- added "Message to all" feature (usable with SM right)
- it's now possible to setup a Shockvoice Server on a 64bit machine. Just delete "libsvcodec.so"

We're now also taking bets on how many more prereleases we will do before the 0.8.0 final.
Whoever gets closest wins a cookie :D

These new versions fix a whole range of bugs and issues and are now the default downloads. Hopefully this
will be the last releases before the 0.8.0 final.

Yet another prerelease for your enjoyment. We're getting closer to the real thing :)

- fixed server info form
- fixed "created by" field in channel info form
- column widths in channel view are now saved.
- change in sound devices does not require restart anymore.
- servername is now displayed in the titlebar.

ftp://ftp.shockvoice.org/shockvoice/0.8.x/svclient-0.8.0pre4-win32.zip

Another pre-release of shockvoice is out.

- Added shortcuts to many functions
- Added a new connect dialog and further optimized the menu
- Fixed a bug when opening plugin windows than had been opened before and closed.

Find it here: ftp://ftp.shockvoice.org/shockvoice/0.8.x/svclient-0.8.0pre3-win32.zip

Another new Version of the client was just released with some minor fixes:

- Registering fixed
- Some more german translations added
- New 'reinitialize audio' debug function
- Mute microphone / Mute speakers functions added (Find them in the status menu)

ftp://ftp.shockvoice.org/shockvoice/0.8.x/svclient-0.8.0pre2-win32.zip

We're proud to announce the first pre-release for the 0.8 branch of Shockvoice. This is only
for testing and only the client so far. We have a 0.8.0 server running on shockvoice.org:9000 to test
this new client on. You can find it here:

ftp://ftp.shockvoice.org/shockvoice/0.8.x/svclient-0.8.0pre1-win32.zip

Shockvoice was covered yesterday on the german TV Show GIGA eSports. Although a little short, we did not come off too shabby, so here's the link to it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKfedKcokJ0
Thanks to the GIGA guys :)

We're happy to announce the immediate availability of Shockvoice V0.7.7

ATTENTION: the key codes for push-to-talk have changed. Please set them again in the client before you use it!

The changes are:

  * client:
  * moved svlink registration into the setup so SV does not throw an exception on vista.
  * numpad keys for push-to-talk are now properly supported.
  * push-to-talk key can now be discarded when pressed, so no other application will receive the event
  * whiteboard pen/eraser rate set to 15 samples per second.
  * server:
  * fixed bug in maximum slots check.
  * hoster interface can now listen on any IP instead of only localhost.
  * hoster interface now has new functions to reload a server and clone users.
  * query plugin is now limited to 10 concurrent connections.
  * server & client:
  * maximum codec quality setting implementation finished.
  * channel & server kick messages implemented.

Also, lots of small bugfixes were made that are too numerous to list here.

With this version out, it will probably take just a couple more weeks until the long awaited
Version 0.8.0 is out. Sorry for the repeated delays.

The Shockvoice Team

This is one of the last versions before we enter the beta phase. Lots of small changes
have been made and tons of fixes are among them. Here's the complete list:

  * client & server:
  * a new permission was added to give limited access to server instance editing.
  * unprivileged users now get the userlist when creating/editing vchannels.
  * fixed several bugs in the permissions system.
  * a maximum allowed audio quality can now be configured per server.
  * client:
  * fixed auto-updater.
  * fixed auto-reconnect.
  * the option to view all users or this servers users does now exist in the user administration.
  * fixed media player bug: volume was altered even when people were speaking in other channels.
  * blacklist query implemented. connecting to banned hosts no longer possible.
  * fixed 16 second audio loops under high load.
  * fixed some crashes in the media player.
  * server:
  * limiter added which uses socket lock to prevent more
    than one SV process of the community version to be run.
  * logfiles are separated by server instance and output as text & html.
  * Server can now run on different UIDs than root.
  * Server can now bind to a specific IP address instead of all of them
  * A maximum of pending TCP connections can now be configured.
  * hoster interface added (svctl.exe)

Grab it from the downloads section while it's hot :)

Known bugs:
When starting on vista, you'll get an error stating that the protocol could not be registered. This is non-critical and can be ignored.

The further roadmap of Shockvoice looks as follows:
Version 0.7.7: Will fix more issues and add small new features if necessary. Expected release: End of year
Version 0.8.0: Start of the beta phase and also start of licensing. Expected release: Beginning to mid-January.

The Shockvoice Team

Again over 2 months later we can present a new version of the next generation
gamers voice tool Shockvoice: Version 0.7.5! This time we came up with the following new features.

  * client & server:
  * added virtual channels
  * added channel ordering
  * fixed lots of small bugs
  * client:
  * made the audio peak bar more sensitive in the settings.
  * fixed drag and drop of other users.
  * fixed activating plugins on additional server instances
  * dramatically reduced memory consumption
  * server:
  * most constants are now configurable in the config.xml

We're happy to say that this version is now almost feature complete and we're going
over to improving stability and fixing as many bugs as possible until our projected
december release 0.8.0 which will hit beta and licensing will begin.
Stay tuned and please report bugs :)

After over 2 months of hard work, we're finally happy to present you the next incarnation
of Shockvoice. Version 0.7.0 is done! :D
The changelog is huge in comparison with the previous releases:

  * client & server:
  * added whiteboard plugins
  * implemented channel flags (hidden, moderated, admin-only, no anonymous)
  * anonymous accounts can have a role now.
  * serverside mixing is now optional.
  * removed 8khz audio mode, added 32khz mode
  * bans can now have a reason and an automatic endtime.
  * role scope is not anymore set in the role itself but when assigning the role.
  * users can be created for single-server only, resulting in seperate namespaces for each server.
  * svcodec library optimized to use less memory.
  * speex codec updated to version 1.2beta2.

  * client:
  * added multilinguality (german and english)
  * added silence time parameter
  * fixed audio playback volume
  * fixed normalizing.
  * reworked UI design
  * added icons for locked admin-/temp-channels
  * added auto-updater
  * channel flags/quality settings are now displayed in the channelview.
  * usernames are no longer cut off in the userview
  * fixed warning sound when sending a message in chat.
  * client can now be started even when audio device init fails.
  * users can now be moved by drag and drop in the channelview.
  * G15 plugin fixed to only display people in own channel.

  * server:
  * added query plugin
  * added audio buffer to compensate for network fluctuation.
  * fixed server timing precision problems.
  * channels cannot have themselves as parent anymore.
  * changing someones permissions does not require logging out/in anymore.

  * other:
  * added PHP script to display channels/users on a webpage

The Debian and 64bit packages will follow soon. Keep an eye on the download page :)

The Shockvoice Team

Just to let people know. The ETA for the upcoming release 0.7.0 of Shockvoice will be mid-august. Sorry for delaying this version, but it will be worth it, trust us :)

A new alpha version of Shockvoice is done and includes lots of new features and fixes:

  * client & server:
  * codec quality setting is variable now.
  * voicemail plugins implemented.
  * windows XP x64 Edition now supported.
  * anonymous user registration added.
  * channel passwords are inherited to subchannels.
  * some bugs in the permission system fixed.
  * ping-timeout code rewritten.
  * client:
  * finished audio plugin system. former c++ audio code rewritten in c#
  * logitech g15 plugin added.
  * chat plugin now highlights URLs and has a userlist that displays all active chatters.
  * user interface cleanup.
  * channel and message windows can be set to visible again if closed.
  * fixed occasional error when disconnecting.

Also we're now starting a banner rotation program. If your clan uses Shockvoice and wants
a banner added to shockvoice.org, please contact us and have a 330x60 pixel sized banner ready.

The new version 0.5.1 fixes a couple of bugs and makes some slight adjustments:

* client:
* fixed bug that caused a wrong device to be used for recording.
* fixed bug that prevented you from connecting to standard port 8040 after connecting to any other.
* you can't open a chat window to yourself anymore.
* you cannot open a chat window to a person more than once now.
* if someone chats in a background tab, it will be marked with a '*'.
* server:
* fixed bug that lets you modify a server to run on the same port as another one.
* added reporting of server version to SVNetwork registration.
* server now instantly registers at SVNetwork, if you modify it to do that.
* changed SVNetwork registration interval to 15 minutes.

In other news, we have now an RSS feed, which is available in the panel on the right.

Shockvoice v0.5.0 has been released!
What are the changes you ask? The main change of this version is the
plugin system and the new permission management. These required massive
changes in both the client and server and are the reason for the delay.
But there's a whole range of smaller improvements. Here's the complete list:

* client & server:
* implemented new permission system
* implemented plugin system
* added chat plugin
* samplerate was changed from 11khz to 16khz to improve sound quality.
* client:
* added tool tips to explain certain parameters in some forms
* added normalizing to make adjusting volumes unnecessary
* servers can be deleted from list
* added tray icon context menu.
* server:
* added registration at network.shockvoice.org

The normalizing is still experimental and we welcome feedback on how good or bad it performs :)

There's also some kindof sad news for some of you out there. Shockvoice is no longer licensed
under the GPL. We've been unable to find a way of licensing SV under the GPL and also be able
to charge for commercial usage of the server later on. This does not change the fact that SV is still free
of charge for non-commercial usage and there is a chance we will open parts of the source like
for example the client in the future once we settled on a license.

Anyway, we hope you enjoy this release and please help improve SV further by reporting bugs and
posting to the wishlist. If you have questions, as always feel free to ask in the forum or drop by
on IRC in #shockvoice @ quakenet

The Shockvoice Team

We're currently busy testing the 0.5.0 release and adding some last minute stuff. If everything goes as planned, the new version should be ready by the weekend :)

A new version of Shockvoice has been released with lots of new features and bugfixes:

* client:
* minimize to tray implemented
* status of channel list (expanded/collapsed) is stored for each server.
* fixed bug #24: when viewing multiple channel infos, every dialog gets the correct info now.
* fixed race condition in auto-away timer.
* mouse hook will no longer freeze the client when minimizing or closing the client.
* fixed hanging thread which caused client to stay in the taskmanager sometimes.
* server:
* start & stop scripts for linux corrected.
* fixed exception when user leaves channel while speaking.
* ping timeout will now happen after 35 seconds without response instead of 5,
requiring 3 pings to get lost before kicking people.
* client & server:
* UDP port is now the same as TCP port instead of TCP port +1
* Installer now checks for .NET framework and offers to download and install.
* Deinstalling now removes logfiles and configurations.

Download it, test it and as always please report bugs if you find any. We also encourage you to
visit us in #shockvoice on quakenet in case you have questions or as always, post to the forum.
ATTENTION: note that with this release, the port numbers have been slightely changed. TCP and UDP ports are now the same, so correct those firewall and port forwarding entries if necessary :)

Have fun!

There's an interview about Shockvoice in german over at the Druckwelle website. Check it out