British mobile phone provider 3, recently introduced a prepaid cellular phone powered by the popular Skype VoIP service. For a small minimum monthly payment of around £10, you can make unlimited Skype calls. Much to their surprise the phone has been selling out, and nearly impossible to find in most markets.
Here at SlashGear we’ve generally given pretty short shrift to VOIP handsets: all too often they miss the point of their very purpose, to take internet calling out of the realm of the geeky and into the hands of the general public. Common errors include requiring a USB connection to an attached PC rather than a standalone ethernet hookup, or using WiFi but only supporting unsecured networks which usually means hotspots such as found in Starbucks and elsewhere won’t let you log on. So when Philips asked us to try out their VOIP841, a combination DECT and Skype phone, it seemed only fair to not warn them of our harsh standards and instead see how well the sleek black handset lived up to some high expectations.
I’ve never been a fan of videoconferencing. Then again, I’m not really big on talking on the phone either. I’m perfectly content with using an instant messenger for most forms of communication. That’s not to say that I can’t appreciate the uses for the technology. Skype and Logitech have teamed up to make the best-looking picture possible when utilizing new Logitech webcams.
While some cellular carriers do everything they can to lock down what you’re able to use their bandwidth for – VoIP taking top-spot for App Least Wanted – network 3 Italy seems to be taking the opposite route. They’ve partnered with Skype to bring out a co-branded handset that gives easy access to the VoIP giant’s network, and they’re even encouraging customers use it with up to ten hours free Skype talktime until the end of January 2008.
Skype is a great service, there’s no doubt about that. However, the biggest drawback is that it’s not really a very portable service, meaning that for the most part you’ll be using it from home. That will all change later this month when Skype launches their own branded mobile handset.
In their latest high-end motherboard ASUS has slapped a cute little Linux multi-boot distro in there, called Express Gate, to give access to media functionality without needing to load Windows. Now It’s conjured up by DeviceVM and originally called Splashtop, and its unique selling point is that it not only features a media player or even an internet browser, but almost instant access to Skype for VOIP calls. Now there’s a video of the system in action.
Our robot-obsessed friend Robert Oschler pointed out this awesome hack involving Skype, a WowWee Roboquad and internet connection, that lets you call up your robot from anywhere in the world, control it remotely and – thanks to a head-mounted video camera – stream live media back to you. Here’s a clip of the beastie in action:
The robot itself has to two positions it can be in, and upright one, and one more closely resembling a scorpion. It also moves around via tank-like treads and has a light atop its head.
We looked at Netgear’s SPH-101 Skype phone last December, praising it for the convenience of cheap or low-cost VOIP calls and remaining silently critical of the whopping MRSP. Well, my favourite cam-whore Kevin Tofel has grappled with the handset itself and finds it comes up trumps if portability floats your sexy boat.
Skype and Intel are being super duper generous on this coming mother’s day as they partnered up to give Skype users unlimited international and long distance call from US and Canada to any numbers in the world.
SlashGear Japan
