[CoMoDev] Now a truly useful USB device: dual VOIP phone

  • From: David Beers <david@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <comodev@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2005 10:59:16 -0700

This post is slightly off topic, but not at all silly like the last one.

I've been using Skype (http://www.skype.com/) for placing Internet calls for a 
few months now. I am very happy with the reliability and sound quality when 
placing calls to other Skype users--the sound is actually significantly better 
than a regular phone call, to say nothing of the improvement over the other 
VOIP services.  I've been not been happy with calls to regular phone numbers 
since people tell me the audio is sometimes skipping out. And of course Skype 
won't support incoming calls from regular phone numbers until June 2005.  Alas, 
I'm sure the phone companies aren't in any hurry to help VOIP companies make 
reliable connections to their networks, though that's not likely to slow the 
VOIP juggernaut much, IMO.  

Anyway, the following product looks like a great solution for those of you who 
are able to make Skype calls to more and more colleagues and clients but need 
to make and receive regular phone calls as well:

http://www.dualphone.net/

Here's another promising device that adds the ability to make and receive SIP 
calls from providers like Vonage: 

http://www.pcphoneline.com/skype

What I'm really looking for, though, is a product like this that connects to my 
network by WiFi or Ethernet instead of to one of my computers through USB.  
This would make it so calls could be completed without any of my computers 
running.  I've sometimes used my iPAQ h2200 this way with the PPC version of 
Skype and a LinkSys WiFi adapter, but it's awkward since of course it's not 
designed as a phone receiver with a mic at the bottom and an earpiece at the 
top.  I thought about buying a Bluetooth earpiece or headset for it, but I 
really want something that works like a regular phone handset.  If anybody sees 
something like that come on the market, please let me know.

I spend too much for a land line that we use less and less--not at all for my 
business, in fact.  I'm close to ditching Qwest entirely and going completely 
over to IP phoning + wireless.  I'm curious where the rest of you are with 
this, so if you'll forgive a thread that's not specifically about mobile 
software development I'd be glad to hear from others on this topic. 

David



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