BusinessWeek Online is just one of many websites that have been getting excited about a new phone from electronics giant Philips, which allows you to use Skype without having a PC at all.

The Philips VOIP841 is the first Skype cordless phone that doesn’t require support from a booted-up home PC. You plug it into your broadband connection and traditional landline, and it's all ready for Skype action. The catch? It's "expected to become available in late 2006". Oh come onnn!

An earlier Skype-compatible Philips phone, the VOIP321, combines Skype and landline calling, though it needs a Skyped-up PC running somewhere in the house. That handset was launched in January, and according to Philips it has been selling incredibly well, so the new model should be a massive hit when it reaches the market. One for the Christmas list - if Philips get their skates on.