Telephone -- Engadget

Engadget's recession antidote: win an AT&T TL92278 DECT 6.0 phone!

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 23rd 2009 at 12:00PM

This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day (except for weekends) to lucky readers until we run out of stuff or companies stop sending things. Today we've got an AT&T TL92278 Bluetooth-enabled DECT 6.0 home telephone for those of you not quite ready to kick the landline habit. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Hooray for free stuff!

Big thanks to AT&T for providing the gear!

The rules:

Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too.
You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.)
If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine.
Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one (1) AT&T TL92278 Bluetooth-enabled DECT 6.0 home telephone. Approximate retail value is $89.95.
If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
Entries can be submitted until Thursday, April 23rd, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
Full rules can be found here.

Carriers could be forced by EU to support VoIP services

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 13th 2009 at 7:37AM

We've seen it time and time again -- carriers using their power to strong-arm consumers into paying services that could very well be free. Over in Europe, the almighty EU is considering "binding guidelines" that could force wireless operators to allow VoIP services such as Skype to run over their cellular networks. It should be noted that all of this is still very preliminary at the moment, but if the Union can somehow force carriers to support these so-called "innovative services," we could see a very favorable (for consumers, anyway) domino effect. As it stands, each EU country has the ability to decide individually on how they deal with blocked internet services, but obviously an EU-wide mandate would seriously shake things up. Or cause unstoppable riots, one.

[Via Electronista]

Screen Grabs: Verizon Hub tells of Serena's galavanting

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 31st 2009 at 3:56PM

Screen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dt com.

We didn't happen to spot Nelly's shiny new BlackBerry Storm on last night's Gossip Girl, but we did see that cast-wide Verizon contract rubbed in our faces again. Verizon's newest non-cellphone (that'd be the Hub) made a brief appearance at the tail end of the episode to inform Lily van der Woodsen that her dearest Serena had reverted to her old carefree ways and hopped a private jet to Spain. Hope she took a worldphone over there, else making that "I'm here!" call is going to be just a wee bit difficult in GSM world.

Gallery: Screen Grabs: Verizon Hub tells of Serena's galavanting

How would you change Verizon's Hub?

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 21st 2009 at 1:09AM

Ah, the Verizon Hub. A curious beast this day and age, wouldn't you say? For those of you who spent the better part of Super Bowl Sunday setting one of these crazy contraptions up in your domicile, we're eager to hear of your experiences. Has it made you want to throw away your cellphone? Are you already regretting the contract you're now locked into? Are the widgets sufficiently useful? We found ourselves a bit torn as to whether or not the Hub was even a device worth considering given the monthly fee attached, but now that it's sat in your place for well over a month, we're anticipating some better feedback from those who've used it a time or two. Spill your guts below.

iriver WAVE-HOME internet phone thingamajig seen in the wild

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 12th 2009 at 2:02AM

Much like Sony's Rolly, we're still struggling to piece together exactly how iriver's WAVE-HOME device is supposed to revolutionize our lives. And, you know, figure out what exactly it does. Thanks to a unit floating out in South Korea (in black attire, no less), we're given a decent look of the internet phone / do-it-all home appliance getting unboxed and setup for the first time. Aside from phoning people, we're told that the handset can also double as a TV remote or controller for a radio / music player. We're still eager to get our own palms around one of these curious creations, but for now, you can tap the read link to get a few JPEGs closer.

[Via Portable Alliance]

IPEVO's WiFi handset lets you Skype like it's 1999

by Joseph L. Flatley, posted Feb 9th 2009 at 4:34PM

Now, this might not seem as futuristic as a videophone, or your own USB powered Star Trek communicator, but if you're in the mood for some VOIP (feeling frisky, are we?) IPEVO's newest is definitely worth a second look. The S0-20 is a stand-alone Skype handset that boasts a 4 hour talk time, backlit keys, a 1.8-inch color LCD, support for both G711 and G729AB codes, and both WEP and WPA/WPA2-PSK encryption -- all in a package that would look at home next to a ten year old pre-pay cell phone. Available now for $129.

[Via TMC]

Star Trek USB Communicator dials up galactic jetsetters

by Darren Murph, posted Feb 6th 2009 at 7:57AM

Heads-up, Trekkies! We just stumbled upon the perfect complement to your LCARS-esque touchscreen, and chances are that you won't have to sell off too many Spock action figures in order to procure it. Created by Dream Cheeky, this VoIP / Skype phone is powered by USB and looks pretty much exactly like one of those classic Star Trek Communicators. Best of all, there's a velcro backing in order to mount it up for everyone to see. Because you will want everyone checking this out, right?

[Via OhGizmo]

Verizon Hub goes on sale for $199.99 on contract

by Darren Murph, posted Feb 2nd 2009 at 4:41AM

We had a pretty good idea Verizon's Hub would be loosed on Super Bowl Sunday, and sure enough, the landline killing machine is now available for ordering. The device itself will run you $199.99 on a two-year contract (after all applicable rebates), and if you're still wondering whether or not this thing is even worth your time, why not have a look at our hands-on / impressions?

[Thanks, Carlos]

Hello Kitty lineman's handset fills a niche: Hello Kitty-lovin' linemen

by Joseph L. Flatley, posted Jan 27th 2009 at 10:35AM

What do you give the Hello Kitty fan that has everything? Oh, never mind...

Chumby gets retrofitted into retro telephone, will soon make collect calls

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 19th 2009 at 12:09AM

We've seen the elusive Chumby hidden behind all sorts of facades before, but this one is probably the most heartwarming yet. The brilliant minds at MAKE have figured out a way to retrofit the highly tweakable gizmo into an old school telephone, putting all sorts of web-connected widgets at your fingertips while keeping that blast-from-the-past flair in tact. Sadly, it cannot yet make or receive calls, but what's stopping you from taking this same project on and making sure that functionality remains in tact? Nothing, that's what.

[Thanks, Gerry]

OpenPeak intros Atom-powered ProFrame VoIP phone

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 9th 2009 at 3:48PM

Hey, cube dwellers -- call your manager over and give him / her a look at this, because starting today, conference calling will never be the same. From what we can tell, this is the world's first Atom-powered telephone, and also the first telephone we've seen in years that we would joyously park in our own living rooms. OpenPeak's ProFrame is an all-in-one conglomerate that handles VoIP calling and offers up a 7-inch touchscreen panel and "an intuitive navigation menu for easy access to contacts, instant messaging, voicemail, calendar, call logs, memos, news, stocks, weather, and many other useful services." Sure, this critter was totally designed with the hospitality industry in mind, but don't tell us this couldn't be molded into a wicked widgets portal for the home.

VTech's new DECT 6.0 telephones are too swank for grandma

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 7th 2009 at 5:58AM

VTech's not stopping with just a WiFi radio here at CES -- oh no, it's also introducing a snazzy new DECT line of telephones. Starting with the flagship LS6245, we've got a slim, stylish handset that packs both DECT 6.0 technology and Bluetooth, enabling one person to be on the main handset while a BT-enabled phone taps in as well. The entire lineup features touch sensitive buttons, caller ID, speakerphone, selectable ring tones and a 50-name / number phonebook directory, with the V.Style LS6215 even offering touch tech in the base unit. Each member of the '09 line is priced under $100, and the whole crew should be available for budding seniors in the first half of '09.

Gallery: VTech's new DECT 6.0 telephones are too swank for grandma

TrueCall shall fight telemarketers on the beaches, landing grounds, etc

by Samuel Axon, posted Oct 22nd 2008 at 8:01PM

Telemarketers-turned-inventors from the United Kingdom have started shipping TrueCall (£99.99), a device that acts as an automated secretary on your land line, either forwarding trusted numbers to your phone or answering untrusted numbers with an automated message and shooing them away. When an unrecognized number dials in, TrueCall asks them who they are and then rings you asking whether or not you want to take it. Sure, it's not the most fun way to automatically ditch unscrupulous callers, but we'd like to listen in on the conversation when a robocall reaches this baby -- it'd be like one wall talking to another wall.

[Via Slashdot]

Rotary phone 4-port USB hub is impossible to hate

by Darren Murph, posted Sep 18th 2008 at 1:07AM

At first glance, we figured this heap was a dead-ringer for the next episode of Crapgadget, but after a few delicate moments of gazing at this amazing piece of retro-styled kit, we just had to let it pass. The $15 USB Telephone 4-Port Hub explains itself pretty well -- it's a non-functioning phone that doubles as a 4-port USB 2.0 hub. And it's really cute. And awesome.

[Via Pocket-lint]

Budweiser telephone lets you drunk dial, like, for real

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 4th 2008 at 2:03AM

We can only hope that the makers of this beer bottle phone actually got Budweiser's permission before slapping its logo on there, but regardless of all that, who can deny the awesomeness here? Okay, so you've got to be "that guy" for it to take your breath away, but we know you're out there somewhere, that guy. Aside from looking like a cold one, it pretty much handles everything else a hamburger phone (or similar) would, but at least this one doesn't require prior knowledge of Juno to be appreciated by your tipsy pals. Get your inebriated dialing on now for just $16.99 delivered.

[Via CrunchGear]