Internet and VOIP phones

We have all see then ads on TV or on the Web – VoIP phones are all the rage. Voice over Internet Protocol phones allows phone calls to anywhere from your computer and the pricing policy is aggressive and much cheaper than land lines or cell lines.

Enter the ZyXEL WiFi phone – it is sort of VoIP with a twist. Read on to see if this phone is one that is worth the money.

What if you didn’t need a cell phone? With WiFi just about everywhere – what if you had a WiFi phone that could call anywhere using any WiFi hotspot or connection? The idea sounds like a great one….in theory.

This is the possibility of handsets like the ZyXEL P-2000w. This phone is based on the SIP (version 2) open standard and should allow you to do just what I suggested in the previous paragraph.

Source and more info: gadgetnutz

Skype has become the most popular way of making phone calls over the internet, but unlike rival VoIP (Voice over IP) services which work via a router, Skype has been hindered by the need for a computer to be on.

Where other services have phones that can plug directly into the router to make and receive calls, manufacturers have now followed suit for Skype, making wireless handsets that look very much like cheap mobile phones.

The Netgear SPH101 Skype Wifi phone is one such first generation handset, costing a whopping £170. When you consider that Skype-to-Skype calls are free and SkypeOut calls to landlines or mobiles generally cost from a few pence a minute, depending where in the world you are calling, that’s a big expense for the privilege of making or receiving calls when your PC is switched off.

Source and more info: vnunet

Voice over IP took a few steps away from the computer this week as 3Com released the new 3108 Wireless Phone, an IP-based handset that lets you make Internet calls through wireless networks.

The 3Com 3108, which employs 802.11b/g wireless and the Session Initiation Protocol (a standard used for conferencing across networks), has all the features of a standard cell phone, including address book, call log, speed dialing, and ring tones.

You can configure settings directly on the phone or by connecting it to a PC. Additionally, the 3108 uses WPA2 security Relevant Products/Services and AES encryption to keep calls private.

Source and more info: cio-today

USRobotics has released another cordless VoIP phone in the UK market, the 9630, which comes with a base station and handset and is compatible with the upcoming 9631 handset.

The base station connects to a traditional phone line as well as a USB port on the PC running Skype to make and receive Skype calls as well as ordinary telephone calls. It supports up to 3 more handsets on the same line.

The handset has a 50 meter range indoors and a 300 meter outdoor range, and integrates a speakerphone. An LCD provides calling information as the handset displays both Skype Caller ID and telco provider Caller ID. The battery lasts for 120 hours on standby and 10 hour of talk time.

Source and more info: pocket-lint

How often have you said to yourself, “Self, this iPod is great for watching videos on the train, but I really wish I could plug it into my computer while I’m at home and use it as a VoIP phone.”

Rimax Mystic Well have I got the product for you!

The Rimax Mystic is a portable media player that handles MP3, MP4, and a handful of other audio and video files. It’s got a 1.5-inch OLED screen, and an FM radio with 20 presets.

You can also connect it to your computer via a USB cable and voila, it’ s a VoIP handset.

Source and more info: pvrwire

“We’re integrating Internet telephony into the type of cordless phone that Australians are already so familiar with. Aussies can now make an Internet call on a cordless phone and not even know it – that is, until they get their cheaper phone bill,” said Engin CEO, Ilkka Tales.

The Engin Internet Phone 221 converts normal analogue phone signals to digital and sends them over a broadband Internet connection. Features include hands-free speakerphone, phonebook, 10 ring tones, voicemail, call forwarding, caller ID, call line ID and turbo dialing.

Source and more info: smarthouse

AMEX releases the i-Talk Nano USB VOIP phone that borrows its looks from a first generation iPod nano.

This stylish USB VOIP handset features USB 2.0 support, internal 16 bit USB sound card inside, driverless operation on Win XP, hands-free talking mode, LCD display, echo cancellation, noise reduction, full duplex communication, adjustable volume.

The AMEX i-Talk Nano (just a matter of time until the Apple trademark lawyers call) works with Skype, MSN, net2phone and more.

Source and more info: i4u

We’ve seen our fair share of VoIP phones before, but this might be the first MP3 player we’ve seen that does double duty as a VoIP headset. The Mystic comes in sizes ranging from 512MB to 2GB and plays your typical MP3, WAV, and WMA files. It’ll even play back video on its 1.5-inch OLED screen. But plug it into your computer’s USB port and suddenly it’ll let you take and make VoIP calls (as well as recharge in the process). We like its simple styling and the 512MB model will set you back around $100 bucks.

Source and more info: gizmodo

Netgear, a worldwide provider of technologically advanced, branded networking products, has announced worldwide shipments of its WiFi phone for Skype (model SPH101).

The phone, which has already racked up an impressive number of sales orders from eager Skype users around the world, will be available in the Middle East in October 2006.

“We’re delighted to announce volume shipments of Netgear’s WiFi phone for Skype in the Middle East market, which is seeing a steady increase in the number of Skype users. This is the first publicly announced device certified to make Skype WiFi Internet calling a reality for millions of registered Skype users globally,” said Ahmad Zeidan, channel sales manager, Netgear Middle East.

“Our phone is the ideal solution for die-hard Skype users who are now able to take advantage of Netgear’s innovative wireless networking technology, and experience Skype in a truly mobile fashion, without a PC.”

Source and more info: tradearabia

Networking technology manufacturer D-Link this week introduced V-CLICK, a new line of unlocked, GSM/WiFi (News – Alert) phones. The devices will allow users to switch between cellular and WiFi networks with the click of a button. The company plans to ship the first models during the first quarter of next year.

The devices will feature tri-band GSM (900/1800/1900 Mhz) and 802.11 WiFi (2.4Ghz) access. Users will be able to access GSM by simply sliding a cellular service provider’s SIM Smartcard or chip into the device. The SIM Smartcard or chip can also be used to carry phone numbers and address books.

The V-CLICK also features a button that lets users automatically activate the WiFi connection feature to access Internet telephony via Opera Mobile, a browser for mobile devices to access WiFi hot spots, Web browsing and e-mail.

The device is “unlocked,” which enables customers to purchase it and use their SIMs and pre-paid SIMs from traditional GSM cellular service providers anywhere in the world.

Source and more info: tmcnet