Hub-bub
Verizon is reinventing the home phone with its new Hub. The new system nixes the traditional landline phone for a Internet-connected display that links with Verizon cell phones and other content to bring information and technology together.
It uses similar VoIP technology to Skype and Vonage but with some Verizon add-ons like Chaparone ($10) which helps track your kids through GPS-enabled phones. The display posts info like weather forecasts or movie listings.
BusinessWeek criticizes Verizon for not being more open. For example you can text message from the display but only to Verizon-enabled phones. Also the Internet options are limited and features like its calendar don’t synch with popular web-based calendars.
The HUB runs $200 after rebate and $35 for unlimited calling/month. This may not be the answer but it’s the future of the home phone.
Free calls to Mexico
A dear friend of mine moved to Monterrey, Mexico earlier this year. I miss her a lot, but I am so excited that she has VoIP .
Because she has Internet phone, I can still call her old number like always and chat with her for more than hour without paying a single long-distance bill. It’s great! Even though she is half a continent away, she feels so much closer.
VoIP is also great if you are moving across town or across the country, too. With many plans you can have multiple phone numbers for the same line. This way you can have one for your friends in your old town and another for your new pals.
What’s your favorite thing about VoIP?
