Belkin

Hardware

• As Peter mentioned, British comedian and ubergeek Stephen Fry had some nice words for the 3 Skypephone S2 earlier this month.
• Computer Act!ve gave the Belkin Desktop Internet Phone for Skype a spin and liked what it found--I reviewed it here and also found it pretty slick.
• The Panasonic KX-WP1050 made Computerworld's list of 10 great Wi-Fi gadgets for work and play.

In Other News...

• Skyping the election--the US presidential election is certainly heating up following Friday's first debate between the candidates. It's been really interesting to watch how the candidates have been using technology as a part of their campaigns; this article in Forbes discusses Skype's role
• Using Skype to run a language tutoring business.
• Keeping in touch with a girlfriend while off on an adventure and keeping up with grandparents via video.
• One for the offbeat file: a Skype song. Is it electronica? Ambient? I'm not sure, but I like it.

Some recent Gear-related news on this fine Tuesday:

A double take on the Belkin Skype WiFi Phone

I just caught this video review of the Belkin WiFi Phone for Skype by Chris Hogg (and Chris Hogg) on Digital Journal TV. We've reviewed it before here. "They" run through what the phone does and say that it kicks derriere. I'm not sure of the camera and computer tricks DJTV used to make the video, but it's pretty neat. Watch it here:

PSP'd

If you've got a Sony PSP Slim & Lite and haven't tried Skype on it yet, have a look at these step-by-step instructions on Instructables. The author also goes into how to rip and convert DVDs for viewing on the PSP.

Webware 100 Winner!

For the second year in a row, Skype is a winner in CNET's Webware 100 Awards in the Communication category. Users (like you! Thanks if you voted!)chose the winners of these awards; no doubt this year more people are using Skype in more ways beyond the computer (like on a Nokia Internet Tablet, 3 Skypephone, a Skype WiFi phone, a Sony Mylo--the list goes on...). Check out the Skype's winning page here, and all the 2008 Webware 100 winners here.

Remember that Belkin Desktop Internet Phone for Skype that was announced at CES in January? It's about to go on sale and I've had the chance to use it around my office for the past week. I think it's one of the most handsome Skype phones yet, and it's (almost) perfect in an office setting. Read on for my review.

Continue reading "Skype Gear Roadtest: Belkin Desktop Internet Phone for Skype" »

Another neat product announced at CES (and becoming available this March in the US, Canada, Europe and Asia) is the Belkin Desktop Internet Phone for Skype--it plugs directly into your router or a live ethernet port so you can make and receive Skype (and SkypeOut/SkypeIn) calls without needing the computer on. It has all the features you'd want in a phone on your desk (like speakerphone, hold, mute, and redial) as well as an LCD screen to view your contact list (making it really easy to reach friends, family and colleagues) and access device settings. See the press release here--more on this one (hopefully with a Roadtest) when it's out in March.

The first round of WiFi phones built for Skype has been out for a few months now. While they all have the same liberating functionality, each different phone tends to have some distinguishing feature that sets it apart. For example, the SMC WSKP100 WiFi phone can connect with FON hotspots, and the Linksys iPhone WIP320 has a great screen and automatically updates its firmware. I recently had the chance to put the Belkin WiFi Phone for Skype through its paces. What can it do that the other Skype WiFi phones can’t? Read on for my review.

Continue reading "Skypegear Roadtest: Belkin WiFi Phone for Skype" »

Have you seen how many different phones there are to make Skype calls now?! This year has seen an explosion in different new models, so I thought it was time for a quick Skypegear overview on the different phones you can use to make calls via Skype.

Cost-wise Skype phones run from around £10 right up to hundreds of pounds, so it's important when you're choosing a phone that you pick one based not just on your budget, but more importantly on your needs. I've divided them up into four categories:

• Phones that you need to have your PC on to use
• Phones that can be used without a PC
• Speakerphones
• Headsets.

Of course there are other ways to make calls such as by plugging in a phone adaptor to your regular phone, or by using the in-built mic in your webcam, but these really are 4 main ways of improving your Skype audio calls with hardware.

There's also a great interactive guide to choosing a phone in the Skype store, but read on for more info...

Continue reading "The 4 main types of Skype phone...or, a beginner's guide to buying a Skype phone" »

As I've already remarked regarding Dabs.com and Amazon.co.uk, sales of the first wave of Wifi Skype phones have been very strong indeed.

We've already seen moves from manufacturers such as SMC to ensure that these phones can be used with more and more Wifi hotspots outside of the home, and Belkin's announcement last week that their new Wifi phone would include Boingo's software allowing users to automatically authenticate with around 60,000 Wifi hotspots worldwide including US outlets of Starbucks and Kinko's for a flat subscription of $7.95 a month is indeed very welcome.

Continue reading "Belkin's new Wifi Skype phone: use it with 60,000+ Boingo hotspots" »

The Belkin Wifi Skype phone: so good that it's worth three photos; and the really good news is that Belkin today announced that it is shipping in the UK and should be available from October 30th.

Continue reading "Belkin's dark horse rides into wifi-ville..." »