The Price: $10 a month with 2-year contract provided you have a qualifying T-Mobile plan ($39.99 standard plan or $49.99 FamilyTime plan), plus $49 for the T-Mobile @Home HiPort Linksys Wireless Router. There's also a VTech cordless phone you can purchase from them for $59.99, or you can just use your own.

The Verdict: Fantastic. Over our Comcast cable internet connection, voice quality was super clear and the people we talked to all said it sounded like we were talking on a landline. Delay—what little of it there was—was on par with a regular landline.

Setup was easy, and you can use the Linksys router in place of your current one, or on your network behind your existing router. There are two SIM slots in it for two lines (only one is active by default), and contains E911 information. All in all, it's a very good alternative to getting a separate landline if you already have T-Mobile cellphone service, and at $10 it's next to free. The only downside is that it still doesn't work with fax, but their engineers are working on it. [T-Mobile]

It goes without saying that the service won't work over Edge, and will almost certainly not place calls over 3G data, but considering how much of the day many people spend drenched in Wi-Fi, iCall has some serious minute-saving potential. iCall should be available as soon as the official App Store is up and running, and will likely be just as free as the desktop client. The makers sound confident that they will be listed in the app store, which provides additional confirmation that VoIP services won’t be totally barred from the platform. See below for a Starbuckian demo.
[iCall]

With April Fools' just around the corner, this could be a funny prank if done properly. Plus, Maximum PC is offering up three other variants on this trick for those looking to do something even more elaborate—and the best part is that it can be completely anonymous. When the victims glance at their caller ID to find out who the asshole is, they will be frustrated to find that the caller is unknown. That means you can quietly take pride in the fact that you are that asshole—without suffering the consequences. [Maximum PC]

• SIMs used for landlines can't—or rather shouldn't—be used in cellphones, since they may not work, and if they do work they will rack up a la carte charges.

• The reverse is also true: you can't use your cellphone SIM in an @Home router because it won't have the appropriate E911 information, and won't be configured correctly. (The second SIM slot and jack are for a second line, but not your cellphone as originally suspected.)

• People who have a landline just for their fax will be sad to hear, faxes are not compatible with the @Home landline service at this time. Engineers are working on it, but for now it's not an option.

• You need to be spending at least $40 per month to add on the $10-per-month landline replacement.

• One wonders what a DSL provider might think of this setup. If memory serves, some DSL providers require you to pay for landline service anyway, so check with your broadband provider before switching—you may even be able to strike a deal.

Stay tuned for the national rollout, and actual product tests, in the late spring or summer. [T-Mobile Hotspot @Home]

Move Freely: Logitech Unveils First Wireless Stereo Headset Designed for Internet Calling with a PC

Logitech ClearChat PC Wireless Headset Offers 2.4 GHz Wireless Technology, Simple Setup, High-Performance Stereo Audio

HANNOVER, Germany - CEBIT - Mar. 4, 2008 — Today at CeBIT, Logitech (SWX:
LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) unveiled the company's first wireless stereo headset
designed for Internet calling with a PC: the Logitech(R) ClearChat PC
Wireless™ headset. The ClearChat PC Wireless headset combines
high-performance stereo audio with 2.4 GHz wireless technology, allowing
people the freedom to move around when they make VoIP calls - no wires
attached.

"More and more people are making voice calls over the Internet, but until
now, they have had to choose between wired headsets that keep them tethered
to their PCs or wireless headsets that offer poor audio and voice quality,"
said Gina Clark, general manager and vice president of Logitech's Internet
Communications business unit. "With the Logitech ClearChat PC Wireless
headset, people can make a PC call while grabbing a snack, sitting on the
couch or leaning back in their chair - PC calling has never been so
convenient and never sounded so good."

The Logitech ClearChat PC Wireless enables people to move freely up to 33
feet (10 meters) from their computer. With the included USB transmitter,
the headset effortlessly connects to a PC or Mac computer right out of the
box - no software or pairing required. And to help ensure no call gets
interrupted, the ClearChat PC Wireless headset's 2.4 GHz wireless
technology features both crisp, uncompressed stereo audio and an advanced
algorithm that minimizes interference -even in the busiest wireless
environments, such as an airport, office or hotel.

The ClearChat PC Wireless delivers rich, high-quality stereo audio through
proprietary laser-tuned audio drivers. For optimal voice clarity, the
headset features a noise-canceling microphone on a flexible boom that
adjusts to the desired distance from the mouth. Additionally, volume and
microphone mute controls are located on the right earpiece and the
microphone automatically mutes when rotated to an upright position. As an
added convenience, the microphone emits a soft, red glow when muted.

Designed with comfort in mind, the ClearChat PC Wireless headset features a
padded headband and plush ear pads. The headset works with popular Internet
calling applications, including Skype(R), Windows Live™, Yahoo!(R), Google
Talk(R) and AIM(R).

In addition to Internet calling, the ClearChat PC Wireless headset provides
high-performance audio and a comfortable design that make it ideal for
listening to music, watching movies or playing games on the PC.

Pricing and Availability

The Logitech ClearChat PC Wireless headset is expected to be available in
the U.S. and Europe in May for a suggested retail price of $99.99 (U.S.).

The Spin Comcast launched Digital Voice nearly three years ago, making it one of the first cable behemoths to capitalize on the trend toward IP telephony. But don't tell Comcast it's a VoIP provider—it much prefers (nay, insists on) the term "true home phone replacement system." The euphemism is designed to reassure potential customers that their calls won't be traveling along that big, scary internet backbone that's prowled by the most nefarious characters this side of Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Comcast takes advantage of this consumer paranoia by stressing that Digital Voice data doesn't travel over the public internet. The idea here is that you'll be willing to pay a premium over Vonage's lower rates in exchange for peace of mind. And, hey, you're still saving a bundle over what you fork over for copper wire, right?

Counterspin Yeah, you save, but the service still seems a tenner or so overpriced. The $39.95 rate that Comcast usually trumpets is only if you sign up for the company's triple play package. Take away the TV component and rates vary widely, often fluctuating due to introductory promotions. Once those teasers run out, consumers can experience sticker shock. Check out these reviews from DSLReports; a lot of folks once enraptured with Comcast Digital Voice ended up switching away purely for fiscal reasons. My big question is, Why is there such a spread between Comcast Digital Voice and Vonage? Comcast obviously has higher capital costs, but it can also partially subsidize its phone-service offering with TV loot. And keep in mind that Vonage has kept its prices static despite incurring massive costs from various patent disputes. Oh, Vonage customers also don't have to tip the cable guy for installation—though, granted, most consumers would rather stick a fork in a toaster than fiddle with a router.

Mission Accomplished? This ad's humorous (if slightly macabre) all-about-price pitch is just a short-term play. At CES, Comcast bragged ad infinitum that it had become the nation's fourth largest provider of residential phone service, eclipsed only by some Baby Bells (Verizon, AT&T, and Qwest). But Comcast's pricing advantage will rapidly disappear as those companies go large with their own VoIP services—er, sorry, "home phone replacement systems." So Comcast is scrambling with the pricing message now, but seems prepared to replace it with a tech-centric campaign once AT&T's U-verse gets cranking. In the next few months, expect Comcast to start touting its service's up-and-coming features: caller ID that appears on your PC and TV, remote programming of DVRs, and even Comcast-branded cordless phones (watch out, Uniden).

Hype-O-Meter 6 (out of 10). A mildly funny, mildly successful attempt to reach technophobic consumers who've yet to grasp the value of IP telephony. But, man, I feel for that mom—isn't there a chestnut about Ritalin being easier than parenting?

Brendan I. Koerner is a contributing editor at Wired, a columnist for Slate, and author of the forthcoming Now the Hell Will Start. His Hype Sheet column appears every Thursday on Gizmodo.

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First of all, what PC doesn't come with speakers these days? Even the crappiest Wal-Mart special has a cheap speaker bundle or offer of some kind. Microphones are a little harder to come by in the desktop realm, for sure, but no laptop worth a damn has anything short of an integrated VGA cam with noise-canceling microphone and speakers these days.

If you do happen to find a good use for this 3-in-1 mouse, keep this in mind, too: it doesn't juggle audio in and out through USB like pricier tech, but rather uses the less elegant but more straightforward 35mm pink and green speaker and mic plugs, as you can see in the helpful explanatory illustration below. [Product Page via SlashGear]

New PSP(R) (PlayStation(R)Portable) Expands Its Entertainment Experience by
Introducing Skype(TM)

TOKYO, Jan. 6 /PRNewswire/ — Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI)
today announced that it would introduce Skype(TM) features to the new slim and
light PSP(R) (PlayStation(R)Portable) handheld entertainment system (PSP-2000
series). More than 246 million members are registered for the use of this
communications software, which enables users to communicate with other Skype
users around the world over the Internet. Calls between Skype users are free
of charge.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020701/SFM066LOGO )
By introducing Skype on PSP, the following features and services will be
made available to PSP users (*1) (*2):

— Free voice calls between Skype users
— Skype contact list management (view existing contacts, add new ones)
— Skype presence (see which friends are online and available to talk)
— SkypeOut(TM) calls to make calls to landlines and mobile phones
anywhere in the world (requires the purchase of Skype credit)
— Optional SkypeIn(TM) number that lets users receive calls on Skype from
landlines and mobiles anywhere in the world (requires the purchase of
Skype credit)
— View and modify Skype settings and account details (including username
creation, SkypeOut settings, voicemail settings and call forwarding)

PSP users worldwide will be able to start using Skype features and
services through a simple system software update scheduled in late January.
After updating the PSP system software, a Skype icon will be added to the
Network category in the home menu. PSP users who do not yet have a Skype
username can register by clicking the icon and following the instructions.
PSP users who already have a Skype username can immediately sign in by
clicking the Skype icon and entering their username and password.
SCEI will deploy various measures to meet users' demand and vigorously
promote the expansion of the PSP platform as a handheld entertainment system
to enjoy a variety of interactive digital entertainment.

* For more information on Skype, please visit www.skype.com

(*1) To enjoy Skype features on PSP, users will need Memory Stick Duo(TM),
a wireless Internet connection and a Skype-compatible audio input
device.
(*2) In order to receive calls, users must be connected to the Internet
and signed in through the Skype screen on PSP.

About Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Recognized as the global leader and company responsible for the
progression of consumer-based computer entertainment, Sony Computer
Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) manufacturers, distributes and markets the
PlayStation(R) game console, the PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment
system, the PSP(R) (PlayStation(R)Portable) handheld entertainment system and
the PLAYSTATION(R)3 (PS3(R)) system. PlayStation has revolutionized home
entertainment by introducing advanced 3D graphic processing, and PlayStation 2
further enhances the PlayStation legacy as the core of home networked
entertainment. PSP is a new handheld entertainment system that allows users
to enjoy 3D games, with high-quality full-motion video, and high-fidelity
stereo audio. PS3 is an advanced computer system, incorporating the state-of-
the-art Cell processor with super computer like power. SCEI, along with its
subsidiary divisions Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc., Sony Computer
Entertainment Europe Ltd., and Sony Computer Entertainment Korea Inc.
develops, publishes, markets and distributes software, and manages the third
party licensing programs for these platforms in the respective markets
worldwide. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. is
an independent business unit of the Sony Group.

In terms of voice chat... certainly our system has the capability for online voice chat, what it comes down to is finalizing the peripheral... I would not be surprised to see that capability come to this system.

What this means is that there's a capability of adding voice chat to the Wii fairly easily by way of Bluetooth headsets (which you probably have loads). And if you think that he's just dork-teasing with his "would not be surprised", execs usually don't even get to that base unless they're actively in development of something. However, the chat will only be available for Wii games and not Virtual Console ones. No multiplayer chat in Double Dragon, unfortunately. [Kotaku]

You hit the person you want, then Jajah calls you back and acts as the middleman, using VoIP to connect you to the other party's landline. You are still using your plan's minutes on top of Jajah's VoIP rates, so it makes no sense to use this for calls within the US. While calling cards provide less expensive options to communicate with people overseas, you don't always have a card. This is more of an option of convenience, letting you worry about things other than calling card PIN numbers.

Another advantage is that Jajah members may also call other Jajah members for free, that is, without paying the VoIP service fee. While Jajah's product is far from perfect, it's a start. Personally, I won't even consider using it until they lower the price of calling Djibouti from $13.77/minute. [Jajah]

It's a SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) based service, meaning that it's compatible with most cellphone service standards already. When I call you through SIP, your number would be converted to an email-like extension automatically and be sent to a central server. That server would then contact us both to establish the connection. And in the case that your service isn't SIP supported, calls can be appropriately routed to standard telephone networks.

We'll keep an eye on the potentially excellent service. But as many of you already know, anything promising to save you money will probably cost you. [challengermobile via informationweek]

Rip-Off Of I immediately thought back to Nike's excellent "Skateboarding is Not a Crime" campaign from a few years back, in which joggers and tennis players were subjected to the various indignities suffered by America's skaters. Same handheld camerawork, same sharp wit, albeit in the service of products that are much easier for Joe Q. Public to process.

The Spin There's a notoriously high level of turnover amongst CIOs, a.k.a. "career is over." This is in part due to burnout issues, but also because CIOs can so easily take the fall for massive hardware investments gone wrong. Microsoft's knows there's less apparent risk in software fixes, a point it's stressing with this whole "VoIP As You Are" campaign. No, Microsoft isn't really suggesting that investing in a host of new PBXs will result in crushed cars or other incidents of hilarious/tragic property destruction. But it's driving home the message that going VoIP needn't be as complicated as it sounds, and that going the software route can be a career-saver. (Check out the flustered IT geek atop the office building at the commercial's end—he is so fired.)

Counterspin A software-only solution to VoIPing a business sounds great, but that means everything is dependent on the quality of the code. As a result, a lot's riding on the industry's initial response to Microsoft's Office Communication Server 2007, slated for its formal, hype-splashed debut in a little under three weeks. Forgive me if this sounds a bit cynical, but there are bound to be some serious growing pains for OCS—there's no reason to expect fewer bugs than in Vista, right? And one can reasonably argue that voice is even more important to a lot of businesses than data. True, old-style telephony ain't perfect, either. But Microsoft is asking for an awful lot of trust here, which those of us who've gone bonkers over driver woes may not be so quick to grant.

Takeaway As this article points out, a lot of enterprise customers recognize that VoIP is the future, but surprisingly few have actually made the switch. Microsoft has been smart to identify why CIOs and their crews are reticent about doing so—namely, that they're loathe to purchase bulky hardware, perhaps because it attracts the unwanted scrutiny of the CEO and his minions. (As this commercial so ably demonstrates, you're a lot likelier to notice a mess o' PBXs coming through the front door than a bunch of CDs.) A pick-it-and-forget-it software solution certainly sounds grand. But as Yankee Group analyst Zeus Kerravala so artfully puts it, "There will be some quality issues as the product matures." I'll bet.

Hype-O-Meter 9 (out of 10). The crane operator high-tailing from the accident is priceless, as is the reaction of the appalled oldster behind the car. (He looks as if someone just spoiled the plot of a Murder, She Wrote episode.) The first funny Microsoft commercial in memory, and an effective—if somewhat information-free—word-spreader for its VoIP gamble.

Brendan I. Koerner is a contributing editor at Wired, a columnist for Slate, and author of the forthcoming Now the Hell Will Start. His Hype Sheet column appears every Thursday on Gizmodo.

Read more Hype Sheet

Although it will offer service, ThePudding isn't trying to claim a piece of the pie that Skype, Vonage and the cable companies have been wrassling over for years. According to the AP, it hopes to "license its speech-recognition service to other companies that use Voice over Internet Protocol." But AP tech writer Peter Svensson had mixed results when testing ThePudding's speech recognition:

"Relevant ads appeared when this reporter talked about restaurants and computers, but the software was oddly insistent that he should seek a career as a social worker, showing multiple ads and links pointing to that field."

There's a folding QWERTY keyboard, a 30GB HDD and a five-inch touch screen, and it runs on Windows XP.[Aving USA]