GE is about to be bringing more
good things to life with the launch of its
DECT 6.0 phone / phone service called InfoLink. The premise of the technology is simple: instead of switching on your PC or looking at your PDA or mobile phone for basic info (such as weather, stocks, news, etc.) you'd simply pick up your color-LCD-equipped InfoLink phone (the "fourth screen" as they call it) and scroll through the information. The hybrid phones will deliver the goods over your DSL or cable modem, and will carry RSS feeds from places like MSNBC, the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), and Homeland Security (for all your terror-alert needs). The InfoLink device will also do more boring things as well, like call-waiting and caller ID, HD-sound intercom, speaker phone, and melody ring tones. The sweet package can be yours in November for $179.99, with additional handsets available for $79.99.
posted September 20th 2007 2:23PM
I most definitely see these showing up on Woot for $49.99 in about three months.
Blah. I have a Philips DECT 6.0 phone system w/ caller ID that works flawlessly. (Main phone + answering machine was $30, the expansion handset was $15.) No static from my nearby Linksys router, and I can make/receive calls more than a block from my house.
Having a color screen on your home phone is about as useful as having an LCD in your refrigerator.
First the horrible digital cameras...now this. Not sure what division of GE these ideas are coming out of.
So out of touch with what consumers really want.
How about being able to sync my contacts and configure the speed dial buttons using a web interface?
Uploading MP3 ringtones?
Using my PC for voicemail?
Since it has a color screen, why can't I upload a picture of Mom that displays when she calls?
And No, I don't live in her basement.
They're missing the obvious. Who wants to read news on their phone!? Now, I know several people who'd be into this if it told them they had e-mail with a little info like who from and subject... or some simple filtering to only inform if you get from certain people. Or maybe unique signatures for different people or accounts.
I know all the kids have left e-mail for myspace messages and texting and whatnot ... but lots of people still send the ol' e-mail and we send it to lots of people who aren't actually checking theirs all day long or sitting at a system to do it.
This would be great if it worked for that... of course the price is still way too high.
GE can't make decent 2.4GHz or 5.8GHz cordless phones, and now I'm supposed to trust them to make a decent DECT 6.0 phone with a colour screen? Hah, no thanks. I'll stick to Panasonic, Vtech and Uniden.
GE trying to take advantage of the fact that nobody's doing anything with vista sideshow. ricavision anybody?
Wow. Ok.. People now love to cram just about every single feature into all our simple devices. Hmm. So next they're going to put all this "info" that we consumers seem to crave for on a microwave display panel? or a fridge? Designers.. designers.. where does their research come from?