Skype Phones

Here are three different Skype/Internet/USB phones I have tried out over the last few months. For all these you need to plug them into the USB port and set the them as your microphone and headphones in the Skype/MSN Messenger settings/preferences.

The first is the Buffalo BSKP-U201 Skype phone. This is the smallest of the three and is the best if travelling. The mike works fine, but the speaker is a bit weak on the one I have. Comes in black and gray, with a red design on the face. Works on Windows XP, but not Mac.

Second up is the Sanwa Supply MM-HSUSB2 USB Hand Phone. I like it because it feels like a real phone receiver! No technological intimidation here. Just plug and play. Good gift for someone who hates the "Madonna" look of a headset. Mac or Windows. I use this at home with my Mac.

Third is a Pioneer cordless phone set (TF-FS22M-R), which is both a feature-packed standard phone (in Japanese) and an Internet phone. Just press a button on the handset to switch. Even if just used for internet calls, the wireless feature is a strong pull.

This video features the song "Push" by Brother Love, provided by the Podshow Podsafe Music Network. Check it out!

iDog Demo

I got this about 2 months ago.

It has a speaker and a line-in jack where you can hook it up to an MP3 player, and also has a built in mike so it can pick up sounds and react to them. It is an emotion similator like a tamagochi or an aibo, using its own sounds, lights, ears and head to express its excitement, sadness etc. It also has touch or movement sensors so it can tell if you are touching it.

The speaker is not the greatest and it makes a lot of noise when it is moving, but it looks good in the dark. Probably make a good gift.