skypeout
Latest
Jabra's CES 2011 extravaganza: Extreme, Cruiser2, Speak 410, and more (hands-on)
With all the madness going on here at CES 2011, we somehow managed to find Jabra's booth and got a hands-on look at its new gear. As you recall from just yesterday, Jabra debuted its line of Skype-certified Bluetooth headsets and speakers. The Extreme (99.99), Easy Go ($59.99), Speak 410 ($159.99) and Chill for PC headphones all play nicely with Skype -- all that's standing between you and VoIP nirvana is a quick and easy install of software preloaded on the USB dongle. Be warned though, the devices only work with Windows PCs, and we didn't get the impression that said fact is apt to change in the near future. The Cruiser2, for $99.99, is a speakerphone system for your automobile that -- surprise, surprise! -- acts as a Bluetooth speakerphone, allows you to play tunes on your connected device via an FM transmitter and even talks to your smartphone's contacts and tells you who's calling. In addition to all the BT goodness, we got to see its new line of wired headphones; Chill, Rhythm, and Active will be priced at $24.99, $34.99 and $49.99, respectively. All of Jabra's gadgets are available now save for the Speak 410, which'll be here in Q1. Head past the fold for the pics! %Gallery-112886%
Navoto urges you to wait, buy a Skype GSM adapter instead of paying roaming fees
The Qool SkyQube² was apparently an idea ahead of its time. Four years ago, the small, rounded box promised to bridge the worlds of cheap VoIP telephony and pricy GSM roaming by automatically routing international calls through Skype, but after CES 2007, we never saw the device again. Until now, of course. Skype Journal reports that SkyQube has become the Navoto, and its original creator has built a firm called UGI Telecom to introduce it to market quite soon at an undisclosed price. Near as we can tell, the basic functionality is as complex as ever, requiring a SIM card swap and an always-on PC to do the heavy lifting, while the Navoto itself simply directs landline and 3G calls to SkypeOut. When that glorious day comes that all carriers let you do this on a smartphone, this device will quickly become obsolete, but for now we could see some falling for UGI's ludicrous infomercials (videos after the break) to avoid receiving a gigantic roaming bill. Hit our more coverage links for the photos and diagrams required to understand how it all works.
Intel, Skype partner for free international SkypeOut calls on Mother's Day
Haven't picked mom up a special Sansa C250 just yet? Weren't even planning on it? Well now you can stop fretting about where the coinage will come from to buy her a gift, as Intel and Skype have teamed up to offer the Gift of Gab come May 13th. The two firms will be charging the low, low price of nada for unlimited SkypeOut calls to landlines or mobile numbers that originate in the US or Canada for Mother's Day, giving us boys and girls here in the top sections of North America a full 24 hours to concoct and deliver an appropriate speech to that overseas-based mom. Of course, this offering could ensure that the "busiest calling day of the year" remains the champ in 2007, but regardless of what everyone else is doing, make sure you pencil in a phone call of your own a couple Sundays from now -- there's just no excuse left.
Hip-IP's Mobigater Pro routes Skype calls to your mobile
Routing calls every which way has been going on forever (well, almost), and Hip-IP's Mobigater Pro doesn't differ a whole lot from other Skype-to-cellphone channelers that we've seen in the past. Essentially, the device seamlessly "transfers your Skype calls to your mobile phone without the use of SkypeOut credits," as it connects to your mobile via an internal SIM card. As predicted, it interfaces with your PC via plain ole USB, and users can not only ensure that they never miss an incoming Skype call, but they can phone up other Skype users around the globe just by using minutes from their mobile plan. The device can even redirect calls to five different handsets, but considering the £185.99 ($373) pricetag required for such a luxury, only the heaviest of yappers need apply. Click on through for a shot of the rear.[Via Wired]
ASUS' new motherboards convert PSTN to VoIP
If you still haven't pulled the trigger on setting up a VoIP system in your domicile, and you're looking to build a new rig from the ground up anyway, ASUS is handing over the perfect excuse to do both. While the firm has already teamed with Gigabyte for a bit of motherboard collaboration, the M2N/TeleSky and P5B/TeleSky boards will now include a "telecom adapter" to convert your standard PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) lines to VoIP. Moreover, the adapter touts the ability to "to switch the house phone connection between PSTN and VoIP networks" depending on call-to-call preferences. While we aren't certain on how much ASUS plans on charging for the limited edition units, we do know that 60 SkypeOut minutes will be included "while supplies last," so you may want to make haste on picking one up if this combo suits your fancy.
RTX Cordless DualPhone 3088 offers landline / Skype calling
We can all get a bit sensational at times, but RTX Telecom apparently thinks its DualPhone 3088 is a marvel of modern science. Touting its "standalone nature" and "landline / Skype functionality" as quite the awe-inspiring duo, the admittedly average dual-function phone doesn't deviate too far from the path already blazed by other computer-free solutions. The device can make and receive both traditional landline and Skype In / Out calls without the need for your PC to be near or even powered on. Per usual, the phone includes a separate base station that sports inputs for your landline and router connection, and then broadcasts the signals wirelessly "up to 300 meters" to the cordless phone station set up elsewhere. It also features the latest DECT technology, an LCD to skim through your contact list, and claims to play nice with both Macs and PCs -- which makes perfect sense considering no computer is required at all. Nevertheless, British users looking for a matte black option to juggle your landline and VoIP calling duties can pick up the DualPhone 3088 now for £109.99 ($209).
Linksys releases WIP300 and WIP330 802.11g VoIP handsets
Linksys has finally released those 802.11g-capable VoIP phones that we've had our eye on for awhile, although they are going for significantly more than we expected, with the Nokia-esque WIP300 priced at $220 and the high-end WIP330 (pictured) sporting a rather steep $370 tag. As you may remember, both models let you do the Internet calling thing from 802.11b/g-enabled routers and support SIP v2 standards, while the pricier unit adds hotspot support and the ability to browse the web on its 2.2-inch color display. If you're on the fence about throwing down several hundred bucks for a handset when other solutions let you use existing cordless phones on the cheap, the fact that domestic SkypeOut calls are completely free for the rest of the year may help you justify the cost to yourself.
SoonR Talk lets you Skype from your cell
If you've got a lot of friends overseas but no way to call them when you're away from your Skype-enabled PC, then remote services provider SoonR may have just the solution you've been looking for. Soonr, which currently operates a LogMeIn-type VNC service, has just announced a new app called SoonR Talk that allows you to make Skype calls directly from your cellphone. After installing the software on their home PCs, users simply need to dial in to their home machine through their handset's browser and select a buddy from their Skype list to call, after which the program dials their mobile using SkypeOut and serves as a virtual switchboard for routing the audio. As you've probably figured out already, although the software and service are free, you're essentially double paying on SkypeOut calls made using this technique (Skype costs + wireless minutes), so SoonR Talk seems best for international calling or participating in Skype conference calls.