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]

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]

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]

Well, goodness, try saying that five times fast. T-Mobile has officially unveiled its rather longwinded "HotSpot @Home Talk Forever Home Phone" plan add-on for folks that aren't quite ready to put their landlines out to pasture quite yet, though there's a catch: much like the original, it's beginning life as a trial in just a couple of test markets. Lucky folks in Seattle and Dallas will be able to march into their local T-Mobile outlet and pick up the long-rumored WRTU54G for $49.99 on contract, at which point $10 a month tacked onto their T-Mobile bill will allow them to jack in their old-school landline phones and get unlimited domestic calling. In the event they need a landline phone (o rly?) or are looking to upgrade their 70's vintage AT&T Slimline, stores will also be offering this lovely DECT system from VTech to complete the package. There's no word just yet on when we might see the hardware outside the test markets, but with landline popularity waning the way it is, we'd suggest they get a move on.

Panasonic's Link to Cell KX-TH1211 is quite the interesting piece. Hailed as a "mobile phone accessory that seamlessly connects a Bluetooth enabled cell phone to cordless handsets in the home," this device simply enables users to make and receive cell calls from a home-based phone. Panny talks up its ability to preserve battery life and offer up "better reception," but the real heat comes from the included talking caller ID. Additionally, the Link to Cell is expandable to up to six handsets, and if you've just got to have this little gem, you can snag it in two months for $99.95. Another pic awaits you after the jump.

We've certainly seen some fairly interesting dedicated handset buttons before, but it's hard to argue with the functionality of a standalone GOOG-411 key. Apparently, Thomson has teamed up with Google to integrate the "first ever one-touch, auto-dial GOOG-411 button" into over a dozen of its GE-branded DECT 6.0 phones. In case you've been chilling under a stone of late, GOOG-411 is the search giant's "free, voice-activated, business directory assistance service," and it will be within reach on a slew of April-bound home phones. For more details on specific models as well as pricing information, head on down to the read link.

Sure, there's less than 24 hours before everyone and their grandmother can hop online and grab 'hold of the SIP-VoIP application, but if you won't be bothered with it unless there's proof that it works, you're in the right place. The crafty folks over at touch mods have videoed "the first VoIP call" made with an iPod touch, the aforementioned software and their own microphone appendage. Granted, the dialogue is about as uninteresting as it gets, but trust us, that's not what's important here. Check out a couple of in-action videos after the jump.

[Thanks, Tyler]

Wow, talk about being on a roll. Not even a week after unleashing the awfully-titled TLKR walkie-talkie, Motorola is gettin' even more platitudinal with its new duo of MOTOLIVN landline phones. Both units tout location-free bases, "eco-mode" for saving energy, ten ringer melodies, a built-in speakerphone, and up to ten-hours of talk time (100-hours in standby). The D7 is said to be available in silver with a blue-backlit screen, while the D8 range can be picked up in black or white and comes Skype-enabled for those interested. Both handsets look to be available right now in Germany, and while the D7 starts at €49.99 ($70), the D8 gets going at €69.99 ($97).

[Via Pocket-Lint]

When MIT, Intel and Xerox put their collective heads together, the results have got to be good, right? The trio most definitely hopes so, as they have reportedly developed "subtle sensors that are enriching our understanding of teams and organizations and that are helping call centers improve telephone sales pitches by 20-percent or more." Interestingly, not a whole lot of details are available just yet, but apparently members of the super-team are already envisioning "networks of social sensors" that could seemingly help managers place their subordinates with the most suitable colleagues. As Jemaine Clement would say, "It's business time."

[Image courtesy of 6dtech]

If you can reach back into the archives of your brain, you may be able to recall an elusive Netgear WiFi Skype phone that was previewed in May. Unless our eyes are seriously deceiving us, that very handset has now been launched, and it's been titled the SPH200W. Sporting 802.11b/g compatibility, around four hours of talk time (or 48 hours in standby), WEP / WPA / WPA2 support, and most importantly, the ability to take and make Skype calls wherever there's an open WiFi signal, this device also allows you to manage up to 500 contacts and touts a built-in speakerphone. Unfortunately, there's no word on how much this unit will cost you just yet, but feel free to indulge in a few extra photos waiting after the jump.

[Thanks, Dean]

Alright, so maybe "fun" is a stretch, but Plantronics' Calisto Pro sure makes working from the confines of home a lot more plausible. This interesting home phone not only enables users to manage their landline conversations, but the built-in Bluetooth and USB port allows telecommuters to receive and place calls over Skype and through their cellphone, too. "At the touch of a button," at-home workaholics can switch between all three types of calls, and the included earpiece even enables them to chat handsfree. The handset reportedly utilizes DECT 6.0 technology, won't interfere with your WiFi setup, touts an integrated speakerphone, and even comes bundled with a "flip-up waist clip for on-the-go dialing and Caller ID viewing." Cubical dwellers, rejoice, as you can get one step closer to nixing that commute entirely for $279.95 next month.

[Via Web Worker Daily]

We're not sayin' we'd put one of these bad boys in our living room or anything, but adorning the board room table with a four-line VoIP phone that sports a built-in 3.5-inch LCD, webcam, and Zach Morris-style handset wouldn't be a half bad use of resources. The SysMaster Tornado M20 uber-phone does a lot more than hold down IP calls, as it also manages to handle video conferencing, IPTV, video- / audio-on-demand, internet radio, voicemail, email / chat / news, and local weather information. This conglomerate even touts a dual-core processor, 32MB of RAM, and 32MB of flash memory, and the integrated Ethernet jack, WiFi, RCA audio outs, and Linux-powered UI are all welcome additions. Of course, we've no idea if you can rig up Tetris on this thing and use the 4, 8, and 6 keys to control your pieces, but it'll only cost you $260 and a tick of your time to find out.

There's no denying that macros make all of our lives a bit less tedious, and while having a few here and there will suffice for the most of us, the hardcore RTS gamers and graphic designers can certainly appreciate the overkill on this one. PI Engineering's X-keys Stick (full shot after the break) is a programmable, customizable rod sporting no fewer than 16 buttons ready to bow to your commands. Available in PS/2 and USB flavors, the backlit device ships with Macro Works software (or iKey for OS X) and a template for printing out your own key labels. Nah, this won't hold a candle to the tweaking abilities of the Optimus Maximus, but the reasonable $99.95 pricetag also manages to (thankfully) pale in comparison. If you feel like really nerding out, X-keys also has X-keys Professional and X-keys Desktop editions designed to sit next to your keyboard. The X-keys Pro version even comes with a WoW sticker set to push things off the deep end -- as if the macro madness hadn't gone far enough already.

[Via EverythingUSB]

Read - X-keys Stick
Read - X-keys Pro and Desktop

Although the most recent buzz surrounding satellite radio as a whole has focused more on the unexpected outages (and furthermore, the lame excuse for an apology), a mysterious FCC document piqued the interest of those paying close attention to the sat radio realm. A Korean company dubbed i-Sirius Co., Ltd. had somehow snuck onto the scene, and without much to go by aside from the intriguing name, speculators began to run wild with visions of potential partnerships and new radio devices, but it seems that the whole fiasco has ended with a thud. The inspection of a SAR test report has apparently revealed that the company's latest offering has nothing to do with Sirius or the satellite radio industry at all, as the application is for a GSM 850 / 1900 dual-band phone branded as the Motorola FX-850P. Hate to burst any not-yet-popped bubbles out there, but don't count on this being the last time an FCC find doesn't exactly live up to unsubstantiated expectations. [Warning: PDF read link]

[Via Orbitcast]

If you thought that covering your entire Mac mini computing system in aircraft grade aluminum was overkill, both BT and Siemens have somehow reckoned that equipping their latest landline phones with dust, splash, and shock proof enclosures will actually convince folks to pick one up. Granted, Philips has also tried its own hand at sprucing up the PSTN handset of late, but both of these new devices forgo sexy in exchange for sheer toughness. Siemens' Gigaset E455 SIM is a DECT phone which boasts of handsfree operations, SMS capability, an integrated answering machine, room monitoring, a backlit display, caller ID, and an oh-so-limited five choices of polyphonic ringing melodies. The BT Elements (shown after the break) also shares the SMS abilities and illuminated display, but goes above the call of duty by tossing in a reported range of one-kilometer and doubling the amount of ringtones. Of course, both of these handsets would fit right into households that resemble a UFC extravaganza, but we're still not sure that the £59.99 ($120) to £74.99 ($150) that BT and Siemens are respectively charging is worth the upgrade.

Read - Siemens Gigaset E455 SIM, via TechDigest
Read - BT Elements, via CNET