Futiro

The Futiro Luna, along with its two siblings the Terra and the Solo, must be the best looking Skype phones going at the moment. And the good design goes beyond the styling; the full telephone keypad has a pleasant key response, the hands-free feature works excellently, and the call quality is second to none.

So it is really good news (especially for the 12.33% of Skypegear readers who read it on a Mac!) that the Luna has now passed certification for use with a Mac. There's not been too many products Mac certified for Skype yet, and hopefully Futiro's other two phones, the Terra and Solo will soon join it. All we need now is a version in white to sit nicely next to the smooth lines of that G5!

The Luna is a corded USB handset, meaning that you just install the driver for the phone, click to allow it to use Skype, and then plug the handset straight into the USB. To make a Skype call, all you need to do is pick up the phone and press the green button. The little up and down buttons allow you to scroll through all of your contacts.

Skypegear reviewed all three phones back in April - see here for the reviews. The Luna retails at £47.95 / E70 from the Skype Store, or is available direct from Futiro for shipping to other parts of the world.

Continue reading "Sexy Futiro Skype phone certified for Mac use" »

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" »

Ooh not one but three phones from Futiro have come Skypegear's way for testing. The Solo, Terra and Luna are Futiro's answer to an all too common problem which plagues some phones (not just Skype ones): they tend to sometimes look like they have fallen out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. Not so these three beauties, who wouldn't look at all out of place in the offices of a designer architects or swanky boutique. Skypegear got all three to have a play with...

Continue reading "Skypegear Roadtest: Futiro Solo, Terra and Luna" »

There is a tendency for phones to be, well, a bit too phone-like: all boxy and eighties-looking. Futiro are an Irish-based company who specialise in making phones that break the mould: curvy lines, minimalist button layouts, shiny surfaces...oooh you could just eat them!

Whilst all of their phones are currently "corded phones" (ie not cordless), that's kind of missing the point. The range currently consists of three phones: the Solo, Terra and Luna. Let's look at them one-by-one:

Continue reading "Futiro's cuuurvy Skype phones now available in the EU & UK Skype store..." »