The New York Times'
David Pogue just posted his hands-on review of the $60
VoSky Call Center.
You know, that device which attaches to your PC allowing you to use a plain ol' telephone as your Skype handset. Yeah,
you can still use your phone for traditional landline calls or hit ## to dial Skype speed-dial numbers. What's really
sweet though, is the ability to use the device to route Skype calls to and from your cellphone. Just dial your home
phone, listen for the VoSky to answer, enter your passcode, enter your buddy's Skype speed-dial number and voila,
you're connected (it's easier than it sounds). Yeah, the downside is that everyone that calls your home phone will hear
the same request for your passcode which might get a tad confusing for grandma. The box also features a Skype Forwarding
function so that any Skype calls received while you are away from your computer can be forwarded to any number of your
choice. And a Call Return function alerts you when your Skype buddy comes on-line and then connects you with a single
key press... nice. Be sure to check out the
video review for a full
dose of the effusive Mr. Pogue -- if you've never seen the man in action, then you're in for a, er, treat.
posted April 6th 2006 8:00AM
This is very nice, the one downfall of skype was the fact that you were rooted to your comp or at least your house, this is perfect
Good review, and it sounds like a very interesting product, but by the end of the review I was left wondering why I would want to bother - with cell rates down around $0.05 per minute including long distance and free nights and weekends, I'm wondering why anyone who can get signal in their home still has a landline.
This isn't exactly earth-shattering news - you can get the same thing here http://sewelldirect.com/USB-Telebox-Adapter-for-VoIP.asp for $55 and your grandma doesn't have to deal with an annoying message when she calls on the regular land line...
In answer to weatherman - a lot of skype users use it to keep in touch with friends and family OUTSIDE of the US. As I was reading the engadget write up, immeadiately I was thinking of how wonderful it would be. One of the hard things about skype is that it ties you to your computer and home - my friend in south africa has a hard time getting in touch w/ me because I'm not around skype when she calls.
This way, it'll be forwarded to my cell phone and I can talk w/ her at my convenience. Same thing w/ my brother who's in Hong Kong right now - I can start a skype call, put on my headset and go grocery shopping or keep talking wherever I am - this sounds awesome.
Skype - think outside the box.
It's a shame Pogue and Mossberg have so much clout. It would be better if they stuck to covering things like this skype box and mp3 players and the like. They are both giddy when it comes to Apple, and Mossberg clearly has no concept of issues facing corporate IT departments.
Pogue is a tool. He'll defend virtually anything Apple does. (I like Apple, but they screw people sometimes. Like charging $49 to switch apps from PPC to Intel)
As reporters they lose credibility the way they gush over Jobs. It's embarrassing.
Gee whiz that's a big jumper Mr Pogue is wearing.
I wonder if Pogue's wife knows he's gay.
"I'm wondering why anyone who can get signal in their home still has a landline."
Have you ever dialed "911" from a cellphone ? ANY cellphone ? I'm guessing not as you would STILL be on hold this very minute. Landlines still have their place...
And as for Skype and other wired VOIP services, yeah, kind of inefficient for domestic calling but boy do they shine for international calls. I've been in Japan for 6 of 12 months studying Japanese. I don't call my family regularly, not even weekly..maybe once or twice a month. But I've already saved nearly $1000 dollars in phone charges.
And that only takes into account the charges on the US side if I always had my family call me. The total cost would be more than double if you factor in what the charges would be on my keitai (I actually DON'T have a landline here in my student housing).
#2 you missed the point!
The point of this box is that it can let you call anywhere in the world when you are out and about by just calling home. The obvious thing missing though is that it should only play the message if the caller ID matches your cell phone's number.
I don't even want my computer to be on at all. Is there no adapter that can use Skype ( or other service ), takes a normal phone, and connects either to my router or direct to my phone line.
Hi! sorry i don't know if i am in the right site but i bought an hp i-paq phone and i lost the chager for the phone.i have been to each and every shop that sells chargers but i can't find any. do you know a place where i can go and by another charger?
OK, OK, I'm retiring that shirt! You've made your point. :)
--Pogue