Into Tech

We’ve seen our fair share of VoIP phones before, but this might be the first MP3 player we’ve seen that does double duty as a VoIP headset. The Mystic comes in sizes ranging from 512MB to 2GB and plays your typical MP3, WAV, and WMA files. It’ll even play back video on its 1.5-inch OLED screen. But plug it into your computer’s USB port and suddenly it’ll let you take and make VoIP calls (as well as recharge in the process). We like its simple styling and the 512MB model will set you back around $100 bucks.

Rimax Mystic [via Electronista]

The only thing that gives away this retro Bluetooth handset from ThinkGeek is its tiny blue LED on the mouthpiece, peering out when connected, and letting you know that this is not your grandfather’s telephone. And, oh yeah, there’s no curly connecting cord, either. Sync it up with your cellphone and you’re off and running, up to 30 feet away using Bluetooth 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2. Kinda reminds us of that retro Skype phone.

Impress people with your quaint, old-fashioned allure, and hope at the same time they think it’s charming when you talk to yourself on an old-fashioned telephone handset that’s apparently not connected to anything. Yes, they’ll really like you for that. I would. It’s 40 bucks. – Charlie White

Product Page [ThinkGeek]

Similar to the USRobotics USR9630 Skype phone we reviewed yesterday, the Auvi PHIP64 Skype phone uses DECT to connect your handset to the base station, which then connects to your PC via USB to give you wireless Skype calling. Like the USRobotics phone, this has both landline and Skype, along with an LCD display, caller ID, speakerphone, and Skype contact list. In fact, we’re pretty sure the feature set is so similar, that they’ve got more than just a little bit in common.

This Auvi is £70 and will have additional handsets (up to four) available in November for £40 each. All in all, this seems like yet another Skype DECT phone that’s, for better or worse, indistinguishable from the competition. – Jason Chen

Press Release [PR Newswire via Crunchgear]

We post a lot about VoIP, and Skype in particular. But even with all the new phones and gadgets coming out, VoIP still isn’t at the level of landlines where things “just work”™. Here are 11 tips on how to get your VoIP service working like you want it. Some of the good ones are…

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Most mobile phone users will still have to wait some time for Internet telephony company Skype’s mobile service because of technical hurdles and a lack of suitable handsets, Skype’s chief executive was quoted as saying in a Finnish newspaper on Thursday.

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Most mobile phone users will still have to wait some time for Internet telephony company Skype’s mobile service because of technical hurdles and a lack of suitable handsets, Skype’s chief executive was quoted as saying in a Finnish newspaper on Thursday.

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch Philips Electronics said on Thursday it would introduce the world’s first cordless DECT phone that can make Skype Internet calls without being connected to a personal computer.

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch Philips Electronics PHG.AS PHG.N said on Thursday it would introduce the world’s first cordless DECT phone that can make Skype Internet calls without being connected to a personal computer.

This Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) compatible VoIP phone from 3Com is probably not targeted toward a mainstream audience. Sure, SIP is the de-facto open source VoIP protocol used in VoIP projects like Asterisk, but how many “regular people” do you know are willing to go and set up an Asterisk system in their house?…

Phew! And you thought it was just a keyboard. Just how many things can you cram into a keyboard? A lot, according to Logitech, as it takes the wraps off its EasyCall Desktop. The EasyCall is one of three new Cordless Desktop keyboards launched, and also the most interesting to the fellow geeks among…