Skype is cool. Not only is it the best IM client (God knows why people still use Messenger), but it opens-up the world of free voice calls to other users, and generally cheap calls to people who are technophobes without Skype clients. Still, up until recently it has involved sitting in front of a computer, making it still less than 100% convenient. Not any more though - check out the Netgear Skype phone, a wifi device that sits on a wireless network and runs Skype for you. It's just like a mobile phone really, except much, much cheaper. The downside is that you need to be on a wireless network, but like a lot of people I'm not often away from one these days. When this phone is launched it's goodbye to my mobile (I'll get a cheap PAYG phone for when I'm away from wifi) and hello to cheap Skype calls. Progress!
Another interesting (and currently available) product is the Olympia 9211. This is just like a cordless DECT phone in that it plugs into your normal phone line. However, it also plugs into your PC and from the handset you can choose to make a Skype call or a normal phone call (a display on the handset shows if your contacts are online). It's a great device, but fundamentally flawed in that there are no Mac or Linux drivers, so it's no good to me. Foolish manufacturers! If they opened-up their specs someone would have drivers coded for it in no time - I can't understand why so many companies are so stupid. Ho hum, Netgear phone it is!
