Philips

If you've left your Christmas shopping to the last minute (like me) and still need to get presents for people on your list, a Skype gadget (with rush shipping from the Skype shop or elsewhere) could be an excellent choice. Looking back at some of my recent reviews...

For the On the Go Student:

FREETALK Everyman Headset

It's small, inexpensive, sounds great to listen to and use for calls (as it has super wideband audio support), folds up when you throw it in your bag, and has both USB connectivity and a regular headphone jack so you can use it with your iPod or other MP3 player.

For the Collaborative Executive:

Yamaha SoundGadget PSG-01S

This speakerphone is great to use for conference calls (around a table with its 4 microphones) and recording meetings. Music sounds especially good on it too, to provide some background sound in the office.

For the Multitasking Mum:

The FREETALK Wireless Freedom Headset

This wireless headset has a great range, and can be used to have uninterrupted calls at and away from your computer around the house/office.

For the Geek:

Nokia N900

It's hackable, very pretty, and Skype is fully integrated so can sign in and talk even over 3G.

For Your Not-Very-Tech-Savvy Parents/Family

Philips VoIP855 Cordless Skype Phone

As someone who lives in a different country from his parents, I can't fathom how much money my family and I have saved by talking to each other over Skype. With a phone like the Philips VoIP855 that combines Skype calling with their landline, Skype is always on at their house, so I can always give them a call for free.

Have a wonderful holiday season and best wishes for the new year!

Earlier this month Philips announced its latest Skype phone, the VoIP855. This DECT cordless phone combines Skype and regular landline calling without the need for a PC, and is a follow-up to the very popular Philips VoIP 841 Cordless Phone for Skype. It automatically syncs with your Skype contacts, has XHD sound, and is Skype Certified, meaning it's been through the wringer testing-wise and should provide a great user experience.

The Philips VoIP855 will be available for purchase in the next few weeks. For more information you can check out Philips's press release [PDF link] and spec sheet [PDF link], and I'm going to be posting a full review of the device here on the Gear Blog soon. UPDATE: The Philips VoIP855 is now available in the Skype Store in France, Belgium and Germany for €179,00. Still hoping to have a review up soon.

The Philips VOIP 841 is one popular phone--well reviewed here and elsewhere, it's one of the best ways to combine Skype and landline calls in your home or office without the need for a computer. Now Philips is offering a new competition for buyers of the VOIP 841 in the UK and Germany. If you live in the UK or Germany and purchase a VOIP 841 at the Skype Store between now and January 5, you're automatically entered to win one of three snazzy Philips prizes.

Continue reading "Another Philips Competition for UK & Germany" »

Hey UK readers--you may have caught it in Wednesday's Evening Standard, but if not... Skype has been highlighted in the latest 'Really Useful Ideas and Bargains' column by Alison Cork (the item is also on her blog here). Clark mentions the Philips VOIP841--the cordless dual phone for Skype and landlines that we and many others love--and also a contest that the Standard is running in conjunction with Skype. There are 10 Philips VOIP841 phones up for grabs, and it's really easy to enter to win...

Continue reading "UK: Win a Philips VOIP841 cordless dual phone!" »

Laptop Magazine in the US recently published its annual Ultimate Mobility supplement, and sure enough it noted a bunch of Skype products that can help advance your own personal 'ultimate mobility' with Skype. It's not the greatest scan (PDF here), but these pages highlight 5 Skype Certified products and a few other products that aren't Skype Certified.

LAPTOP named the Phillips 8411B (aka VOIP841, review here, store here) its Ultimate Choice 2007 for VOIP phones, saying "VOIP phones don't come any slicker or more versatile." The article also mentions the Netgear SPH200D (my personal fav, review here, store here), the Linksys CIT400 (review here, store here), and the Logitech Cordless Internet Handset, which I haven't had the chance to review yet but looks pretty slick.

The article also names the SanDisk Cruzer Titanium USB stick (store here) as its Ultimate Choice 2007 for USB memory drives. It uses SanDisk's U3 technology to let you run Skype and other programs in a convenient self-contained environment. We've mentioned it on the blog before here. I actually have one of these drives on my keychain, the SanDisk Cruzer Micro (not Titanium, sadly) and I love it especially for its design--it's small and the USB jack slides in and out easily so you don't damage it when it's in your pocket or have a cap to lose.

Check out the full Skype coverage in the Ultimate Mobility section here.

While the majority of recent Skype news has been about a more serious topic, there have been several stories related to Skype Gear in school, work, home and software contexts over the past few days that are worth sharing.

1. Skype at School: Language Learning
2. Skype at Work: Business Traveller
3. Skype at Home: Video Roundup
4. Skype with Software: Mashable Enhancement Roundup

Continue reading "Skypegear News Roundup" »

It's been quite a week for Skype gadget competitions, and they're still coming! Gadgetcandy ("Because girls love gadgets too") have got their hands on no less than five shiny Philips cordless Skype phones to give away to their readers.

For those not familiar with Philips' VoIP841, it really is a neat device which doesn't need a PC to run, doubles up as a normal landline phone, and just plugs straight into your router or broadband modem. Skypegear reviewed it a little while ago, and we were impressed with its stylish looks, ease of use and sound quality.

Continue reading "Win one of five Philips VoIP841 phones over at Gadgetcandy.com" »

Big news for US Skypers today--Skype and Wal-Mart have announced a partnership that makes Skype-certified products available at 1,800 Wal-Mart stores across the US starting today. What sorts of gear will Wal-Mart be carrying? There's a pretty wide range:

Continue reading "Skype, Wal-Mart; Wal-mart, Skype." »

The VoIP841 is Philips 'one phone does it all' Skype phone. Plug it in to your landline and plug it in to your router, and suddenly you have a phone for making Skype calls from, whether your computer is on or off, as well as making or receiving regular landline calls. Nice.

Continue reading "Philips VoIP841 Skype phone gets good reviews both sides of the Pond" »

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" »

The Philips VoIP841 allows you to make calls both via your regular and line or, if you'd prefer, via Skype, without even needing to switch on your PC.

It's been a a fair while coming, but "digital home" buying advice website Hexus.lifestyle have managed to get their hands on one this week. The timing's great, as from March 8th Skype will be offering a combo of the VoIP841 phone and the VoIP080 phone (a corded phone that you plug into your PC) in the UK and Continental Europe for just £129 / E179.

Hexus' extensive 4-page long benchmarking test really gives the phone a good going over, covering every aspect from setup, through ease of use, to call and build quality. The verdict?

"Our take on the Philips phone is hugely positive-  almost worryingly so because we're thinking we must have missed some flaw or other."

A Hexus Media Recommendation duly comes Philips' way!

Continue reading "Philips VoIP841 receives Hexus Recommended award" »

Life isn't easy being an international firm of architects. Gone are the days of waltzing around in black polo-necks, talking Bauhaus and minimalism and wearing thick black specs to impress the ladies. These days, clients are demanding, deadlines are always imminent, and the boundaries of creativity always ready to be pushed.

It is these kinds of pressures that, with offices across the UK and in Prague, architects  Lewis & Hickey operate under. As you can see from their website, Lewis & Hickey are far from conventional in their approach to office space and working practices, and so Skype were delighted to work with them on the first Skype for Business showcase in the UK.

Continue reading "International Architects get a full Skypeover" »

Estimates suggest that in the UK alone there are around 9 million people with some kind of hearing impairment, and that up to 4 million of those people use hearing aids or have cochlear implants.

For these people, Skype can offer a really useful way of being able to communicate cheaply and easily through multiple channels, be it voice, text, video or some of the extra ways of communicating in Skype 3.

Continue reading "Which Skype phones are Hearing Aid Compatible?" »

Well it appears in the white heat of CES that Skypegear missed out on a few of the Innovations awards that Skype partners had bagged at CES; turns out that it was in fact a grand tally of at least 7 rather than the still 3 that I reported previously.

Continue reading "Correction: Skype bags 7 innovation award winners at CES rather than 3...!" »

I've had quite a few people asking about availability for the Philips VOIP841 cordless Skype/DECT phone.

As I mentioned yesterday, there is at least one US customer who has taken delivery of one, and news reaches Skypegear that Philips are planning on getting the VOIP841 into the EU Skype online store in December, hopefully in time for Christmas.

US shoppers may have to wait a little bit longer as it sounds as if Philips are planning to launch over the pond in early '07.

Continue reading "Philips VOIP841 Planned for December in EU" »

Now there have been suggestions in the past that US President and most powerful man on the planet George W Bush isn't a huge telephone user, but hopefully that's about to change.

During the usual exchanging of gifts during Bush's visit to Estonia yesterday, Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip presented the US Commander-in-chief with the latest in telephonic chic: the Philips VOIP841 Skype/DECT phone.

Continue reading "George Bush gets a Skype phone from the Estonian PM" »

Now Skypegear loves computers, but sometimes getting home after a hard day toiling in front of one, the last thing you want to have to do is power the laptop up just to call the folks back home using Skype.

Step in the Philips VOIP841 (buy one from our online shop), which lets you make Skype calls from home without even touching your PC, as well as plain old landline calls. Brilliant! Read on for more.

Continue reading "Skypegear Roadtest: Philips VOIP841 Cordless Phone for Skype" »