For the constant traveller, keeping in touch can be an obsession. But high roaming charges mean a mobile phone isn't always the answer. Voice over Internet Protocol ( VoIP) phones route calls over the internet, rather than through the traditional telephone network. This means, in effect, your geographical location doesn't matter – your phone and number are linked to either your computer or VoIP handset.
However, as with much technology, there is a vast choice of ways to use this facility. The easiest is instant messaging – the chat software that probably already resides on your PC. Both the main players, Microsoft and Yahoo, now offer voice chat as well as text, and it can be a surprisingly effective way of keeping in touch.
For dedicated voice communication, the clear leader is Skype. As well as offering the ability to call other Skype users, it can also call "real" landline and mobile numbers at a much cheaper rate than normal. There are also a few dedicated phones that use Skype, meaning you don't need to keep a PC turned on – they route calls via a wireless internet connection themselves.
The key to choosing what software or system to buy is simply to check what your colleagues use – it will be far easier if you are all on the same system. Other than that, it's a case of finding a provider that fits with your existing company telecoms suppliers – in the majority of cases, your
IT department should be able to point you in the right direction.
INTERNET PHONES
NOKIA N800
£250
nokia.co.uk
Nokia's N800 Internet Tablet is a strange beast. It has a large 10.5cm touchscreen, and its sole purpose is to let you access the internet. It has a web browser built in, and you can also download applications such as the Skype software so you can make internet calls. The case is thin and slightly rounded around the edges, but the first thing you'll notice is the excellent colour screen – it's huge, bright and sharp. There's also a digital camera which pops out when needed. Tucked away from sight the rest of the time, the camera is hidden like a stylus that reveals itself when pressed.
This camera, which can also rotate 180 degrees to capture different views, combined with the stand, means the N800 is now capable of video-messaging at your desk/coffee table. As you would expect, the device comes pre-loaded with Google Talk and Jabber. You're not going to be taking your holiday snaps with it, but for video-conferencing it's fine. When you need to input data, there's a full-screen QWERTY keyboard to make emailing easier, and connectivity via Bluetooth and wifi means you can get online virtually anywhere.
The N800 also handles Windows Media and MP3 files, and the usual array of audio and video formats. In the US, the device is compatible with RealNetworks' Rhapsody service (due to be launched in the UK later in the year). Content can be streamed from the web or downloaded through a USB connection, as well as loaded from two SD card expansion slots: one on the bottom of the unit beneath the fold-out stand and one behind the battery cover. The addition of the SD card readers, which support cards up to 2GB, also means you can store much more information on the device – something you couldn't do with the 770.
Connecting the N800 to the internet when you're out and about is easy. You can either use the device's integrated wifi connection to link up to any hotspot you can find, or use Bluetooth. The Skype software is extremely easy to use, and perfect for chatting if you're stuck in a hotel. For situations where you don't need a full-sized laptop, but want to surf the web and chat, the N800 is a fascinating new type of gadget. This is particularly true if you also use it to watch video. It could be the traveller's best friend.
PROS Innovative design and easy to use with a great screen.
CONS Syncing your data is very hard, and only really useful for regular Skype users.
VONAGE V-PHONE
£29
vonage.co.uk
Billed as the world's smallest phone, Vonage's V-Phone is actually a tiny little USB memory key with a headset adapter built in. The device comes with Vonage Talk software pre-loaded, so all you have to do is insert it into a USB port and then plug in an earpiece. As a bonus, it includes 250MB of memory which can be used to store your important data. The catch? Well, you need to sign up to Vonage's phone service. Current packages include Vonage Residential Unlimited, which allows you to make unlimited calls anywhere in the UK and Ireland for £7.99 a month, or a business plan where you get unlimited calls in the UK and Ireland plus a free fax line with 500 local and national minutes for £18.99 a month. You'll get your own Vonage number, which is used to route calls to your adapter when it's plugged in (and there's voicemail for when it's not). Where the service comes into its own is that you don't need to be on your home wireless network to use the phone. So you could be sitting in an office, or any hotspot for that matter, and still benefit – the V-Phone is small enough to take anywhere. The call quality is surprisingly good, but you'll need to upgrade the headset to get the best from it. With a minimal amount of set-up, this phone is a great idea for users who want to take advantage of wireless networks but don't have a laptop with them all the time. Vonage's approach of getting you to pay a set fee upfront (rather than Skype's pay-as-you-go solution) does mean you are more likely to use this without having to worry about the bill at the end. For the frequent traveller, being able to plug into any PC and have it become "your" phone is a powerful tool.
PROS Tiny and extremely convenient.
CONS Monthly subscription fees.
BT HOME HUB PHONE
£80 with BT Home Hub broadband
bt.com
Essentially, the BT Home Hub is a wireless router. It connects to the phone line and a PC, as well as providing a wireless network for the home. But there are a plethora of wireless phone options you can now bolt on. The Hub Phone is the first of these, and it's a basic wireless DECT phone that can also be used for VoIP. When in VoIP mode, it uses BT's Broadband Talk internet telephone service. This is similar to Skype, although calls are charged at set BT rates. International calls are cheap, but not as cheap as with some call providers. The Total Broadband package also includes free evening and weekend calls, but only if you use the Hub Phone or PC to make the calls.
The Hub Phone is likewise easy to set up – the included guide is simple to follow, and it is only a matter of pressing a few buttons. Call quality is excellent, although it diminishes as you move away from the Hub. For heavy BT Broadband Talk users, or those who can see themselves using
it a lot, this is an excellent option – and it's free with some of BT's broadband packages. For everyone else, it might be easier to stick with separate gadgets until the technology becomes more seamless.
PROS Simple to use.
CONS Calls are cheaper, but not free.
BELKIN WI-FI PHONE
£99
belkin.co.uk
One of the first wifi handsets, this latest version of Belkin's phone is a dedicated handset. It looks pretty much like an ordinary phone, but instead of routing calls normally, it simply connects to a nearby wifi network and sends calls that way.
To use the handset you need a free Skype account, but be warned, setting it up with a secured network can be a bit of a nightmare. While set-up should be a case of the phone finding your wireless network and you typing in your secure pass phrase, this will depend on the type of security being used. You may find that you need to open your router software and type in the elaborate 26-digit key number; hardly practical if you're out and about, and moving between networks.
The handset looks good in its black casing, but the plastic keys wobble a lot, and there is no key lock on the handset, which can be annoying. Once up and running, it's an easy phone to operate. You can search for new contacts, set your online Skype status, and easily make calls. Call clarity was OK – we experienced some voice break-up, but this will also depend on the quality of broadband connection.
Despite being a wireless phone, it doesn't give you much freedom from your PC. You can't use Skype's instant messaging tool, or make a conference call. If you often use a webcam when on Skype, you'll have to ditch that as well, as the handset does not have a camera.
But our biggest criticism is that you can't use this phone with a wireless hotspot which requires you to sign on via an internet browser, such as those available at Starbucks or many hotels. Belkin has signed a deal with The Cloud, allowing you to use its 8,500 European wireless hotspots for £6.99 a month, but in the UK the majority of these are in pubs. However, if it finds an unsecured, free hotspot, then it will join that network.
Overall, it's a decent all-round handset for Skype addicts, but if the setup could just be made a little easier it would really become an invaluable piece of equipment.
PROS Stylish and simple to operate.
CONS Can be difficult to set up.
FIREBOX VoIP CYBERPHONE
£30
firebox.com
A very basic handset, but incredibly easy to use. Just connect it to a PC through the computer's USB port and it interacts nicely with the Skype software. If someone calls you, the phone will ring. Pick it up and the phone will launch the software, just as dialling the number on the phone controls the software on screen. There is also a speakerphone option, and it'll function as a computer speaker – although quite why we're not sure. It's an incredibly simple approach, but does work well. If you don't mind having to have a PC switched on all the time, it may be the perfect solution.
PROS Cheap, simple to use.
CONS You'll need to keep your PC switched on.
THE SOFTWARE OPTIONS
WINDOWS LIVE MESSENGER
Free
messenger.live.com
Microsoft recently overhauled it's flagship instant-messaging software, and there is now a full complement of voice chat features as well. There are several excellent new tools, not to mention long-awaited inter-operability with Yahoo. This means you can enjoy text (but not voice or video) conversations with friends on Yahoo Messenger, a major step forward for these two big guns which will hopefully extend to include other services in the near future.
Among the fresh features on offer is the Skype-rivalling ability to call mobile and landline phones internationally or within the UK, as well as free PC-to-PC calls. The call quality is surprisingly good, although as with all these systems, it depends on the quality of hardware and the speed of your broadband connection. In other features, sending and receiving multiple photos and other files has been made simpler and safer through Sharing Folders, which involves dragging and dropping items into a window, and scanning them for viruses at either end. Another function addresses a frequent MSN complaint by allowing you to leave messages for contacts when they're offline.
PROS Vast user base, voice chat is very good quality.
CONS More of a consumer product.
YAHOO MESSENGER
Free
yahoo.co.uk
Yahoo's flagship messenger is a very impressive piece of software, if a little on the bloated side. It's got all the usual chat functions, but also the ability to add mini applications – it can control iTunes, show you news headlines and even update your status message with songs if you so wish. There's a version of the software integrating BT's internet calling, so if you're a customer it's well worth investigating.
One problem is that there's just too much happening on screen a lot of the time. For corporate use, Skype may well be a better choice, but for keeping in touch with friends and family it's great, and the video-conferencing is particularly good. As you might expect, it's also tied heavily into Yahoo's other services, and can even be accessed from Yahoo Mail. For those stuck behind a corporate firewall, there's also a web-based version available.
PROS Impressive features, and links to BT for phone calls.
CONS A little bloated, with too many features crammed in.
FRING
Free
fring.com
For users of the latest Symbian mobile phones (the majority of top-end Nokia and Sony Ericsson phones), the Fring software brings VoIP calls to your mobile. Fring does have something of an amateurish feel about it, and it seems a little on the clunky side, too. It supports a plethora of services, including Yahoo Messenger, Microsoft, Skype and ICQ. The service is very simple to use, and if used with Skype, for instance, can even call landline and mobile numbers (at Skype's call rates). It is basically an aggregator of all the different standards in one, and as such can be a little confusing at first, but persevere and you'll find you need never be out of touch again.
The trade-off is that it seems to drain battery life quite quickly, and the interface, while simple enough, can be difficult to navigate using just a phone keypad. Overall though, this is the kind of software that will soon come bundled with every phone.
PROS This allows a brilliant mobile phone implementation of VoIP.
CONS Your battery life may take a beating.
SKYPE
Free
skype.com
As well as powering several of the handsets here, it's also, of course, possible to use Skype from your PC, utilising its speaker and microphone (you're guaranteed to make friends in the office...). It's a really slick piece of software and looks fantastic without any of the cartoon-like design of rivals from Yahoo and Microsoft. Setup is easy, and calls to other users are free. The jewel in Skype's crown for the traveller is SkypeOut, which allows you to call any mobile or landline in the world at greatly reduced rates. Call quality is superb and the interface is also very simple. It seems to play nicely with most IT systems and there's also a voicemail service so you won't miss out if your PC is switched off.
PROS Slick, easy to use and can call
any phone.
CONS Only really effective if your entire office uses it.
Tried and tested - the iPhone
The iPhone undoubtedly has the cool factor. With its slick touchscreen and minimalist design, it is by far the best-looking phone we've ever seen. Switch it on (with a flick of the finger), and the menu system is revealed to be just as good looking. It's incredibly easy to navigate around, and the chances are you'll never need to pick up the manual. Viewing photos, for example, is a breeze – simply pinch two fingers on the phone to resize them. Choosing songs to hear is also superb, and you can easily flick through album art using a finger. However, there are problems. In the UK, if the device isn't able to use the high speed 3G network (the US model we tested can't), then download speed could be a problem, though the phone can also connect to wireless internet hotspots. The on-screen keyboard might also cause problems for those with larger fingers, though we found it just as fast as any other phone keypad. The camera is also pretty poor by today's standards – 2 megapixels and no flash. You also can't send pictures to friend, which is a serious problem in the UK where texting photos is big business. There is really nothing the iPhone does that your existing phone doesn't. However, it does it all in a far slicker, more intuitive way. If Apple can fix the problems by the time it launches the phone here, we'll be first in line. But if they don't, it's probably worth waiting for version two.
Mark Prigg is the Science and Technology Correspondent at the London Evening Standard
