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Creative now offers a PC-less Skype phone

January 5, 2006

Just yesterday, NETGEAR was first to launch a PC-less Skype phone, I still haven't figured out if Philips' Skype phone is also PC-less. Now Creative, most popular for their sound cards also now offers a PC-less Skype phone. Amazing what Skype was wrought - a whole Skype economy of third-party products!

Check out the news:

Creative (NASDAQ: CREAF), a worldwide leader in digital entertainment products, today announced the Skype Internet PhonePLUS, a phone for the home or office that enables users to connect directly to a router to make free Skype calls. The Creative Skype Internet PhonePLUS functions just like a traditional phone and provides a new way to experience Skype without requiring a PC.

Posted in Skype

Philips VoIP321 Skype phone

January 4, 2006

Philips is also launching a Skype phone at CES. I don't have a photo or more information (yet) - just the news release. But wanted to share this news ASAP and then update this post when I find out more. Sounds more similar to the Linksys CIT200 (requires USB connectivity to a PC) than the launch today of the NETGEAR standalone Skype phone I blogged today.Though, I'm not sure. I read somewhere that the Philips Skype phone is PC-less but cannot confirm.

Posted in Skype

Netgear offers PC-less Skype product

January 4, 2006

According to NETGEAR, this is the first mobile WiFi internet calling phone announced on the market - unlike other Internet calling devices, you do not need to connect to a PC. In fact, unlike the Linksys CIT 200 Skype phone that I reviewed which connects to the PC's USB port, the NETGEAR phone simply needs Internet access. Apparently, they've embedded the Skype software into the phone itself.

NETGEAR, a worldwide provider of technologically advanced, branded networking products, and Skype, the global Internet communications company, today announced they are working on a family of innovative new products, including the world's first Skype wireless mobile telephone and a router equipped to optimize Skype.

The NETGEAR WiFi phone will make mobile Internet telephony a reality for Skype users.

Posted in Skype

IPEVO launches two new Skype products

January 3, 2006

IPEVO, a US subsidiary of PChome Online, makers if the first Skype certified USB phone for both the Windows and Mac platforms, will launch two new devices at the International CES show in Las Vegas, January 5-8. The new products, FLY.1, a USB cordless handset that compete with the popular 'Linksys CIT 200' cordless 'Skype' handset and Xing, a USB speakerphone, are also designed for both the Windows and Macintosh. Kudos to IPEVO for continuing the trend of supporting both platforms simulataneously and not adding Mac support months after launching a Windows-only version.

Posted in Skype

2006 VoIP Predictions

December 30, 2005

I promised predictions for 2006 and so here they are. Nothing like waiting till the last minute, eh? Let me first start my analyzing my 2005 VoIP predictions. Some I have abbreviated for brevity sake, so if you wish to read my full thoughts on a particular 2005 prediction, go check out the original article. Within my analysis of my 2005 predictions I couldn't help myself but to intertwine some predictions for 2006 -- as opposed to just separating them all out.

Posted in Avaya, Google, Microsoft, Mobile Phones, Skype, VoIP, Wireless

Audio FX Force Feedback Headphones

December 28, 2005

I don't know about you, but when I'm watching a DVD or playing a video game I want full surround sound with the bass cranked way up so I can "feel" the explosions of a frag grenade or feel the footsteps of the T-Rex as he stomps closer. There's only one problem with enjoying lots of bass and high volume - the people around you; husband, wife, neighbors, etc. might not want to hear it or feel the bass reverberating through the floors, especially late at night which is "prime-time" video gaming time! Sound was meant to be felt, especially when immersed in a video game. So what's an bass addict to do?

Well, no worries, just put on the Audio FX Force Feedback Headphones ($49.95) which will let you "feel" every explosion and every impact due to its unique force feedback characteristics - all without disturbing the neighbors or waking up the kids or "significant other".

Posted in Gadgets, Google, Home Entertainment, Skype, Video Games & Gaming, Video Hardware & Software, VoIP

AOL & Google deal a nightmare for Microsoft?

December 21, 2005

The ink isn't even dry from Google's 5% $1 billion stake in AOL and yet some are claiming Bill Gates is still wiping his tears from losing the battle for AOL to Microsoft's arch nemesis, namely Google. America Online parent Time Warner and Eric Schmidt's Google announced some intriguing integrations between these two Internet giants late yesterday leaving Microsoft in the lurch.

Rich Tehrani and I were commenting yesterday how AOL's portal generates generates about 10% ($420 million) of Google's overall Adsense/Adwords pay-per-click dollars. This is amazing to me since I never visit AOL.com since I dumped the AOL client browser and its dial-up Internet access so long ago.

Posted in Google, Microsoft, Skype, VoIP

Block Skype

December 21, 2005

There are two camps when it comes to Skype. The "I love Skype so much I'm going to name my first born child 'Skype'" and the "Blasted 'Skype application' is penetrating my security measures at every turn. Damn you Skype! Damn you to hell!" From the user's perspective, the ease-of-use of Skype and its "just plain works anywhere" capabilities are quite attractive.

Posted in Skype

Mandriva Linux to support Skype

December 19, 2005

Skype and Mandriva (publisher of Mandriva Linux operating system) today announced that Skype will come included with the Mandriva Linux distro. According to Candace Locklear over at SparkPR, "Mandriva's Linux 2006 is the first and only Linux operating system to offer out-of-the-box use of Skype's popular application." I guess it's nice to have Skype embedded with the Linux distro, but most Linux users can just as easily go download and install Skype themselves. Besides, there might be a newer version. Nevertheless, one of the reasons Internet Explorer succeeded was that it was pre-installed with every shipping copy of Windows.

Posted in Google, Microsoft, Skype

Skype for Pocket PC new version released

December 19, 2005

Skype has just released a new beta of Skype for Pocket PC. Click here to go get it. The last version of Skype for Pocket PC with any new features was released in April this year, making the Pocket PC development far behind the main Skype clients for the Windows, Linux, and Mac operating systems. They've also added support for the new Windows Mobile 5.0 for Pocket PC, though still no support for the Palm-based Treo 650 which I believe has around a million users. With the new Treo 700 for Windows coming out soon, I wonder if Skype will ever support the Palm-based Treo 650. Symbian phone users are also out of luck.

There are two versions to download.

Posted in Gadgets, Microsoft, Skype, Wireless

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