landline

CNET to the Rescue: New tech for old phones

Today, we're going to spend some time on a topic that doesn't get much coverage but that affects pretty much all of us: Our home phones. You can just get phone service from your local telco and buy a phone from the local Best Buy without giving it much thought, but there really are a lot of interesting and cost-saving options for consumers, and we're going to talk about them today. We have a special guest to help out, as well: CNET News senior writer Maggie Reardon, dialing in today via phone alternative Skype, from New York.

If you have a tech question for CNET to the Rescue, call us with your questions to get on the next show: 877-438-6688. No question is too basic, so if you've got a tech problem that's been getting under your skin, please call us and we'll try our best to help you out. The next Rescue after this will will air January 12, so if you have a critical problem, ask a 14-year-old geek, and then drop a line to let us know what your problem was and how it was fixed.

If you have a tech question for CNET to the Rescue, e-mail rescue@cnet.com or call us to get on the next show: 877-438-6688. No question is too basic.

Episode 29: New tech for old phones

Verizon service to let home phones use cell minutes

Verizon is testing a new service that could eliminate the need for a dedicated landline account.

Known as Home Phone Connect, the service would let Verizon Wireless subscribers make calls from their landline phones using Verizon's cellular network, allowing them to share minutes between their cell phones and home phones.

Customers would be able to keep their existing landline phones through the use of a base station that taps into Verizon's wireless network and then connects calls to the home phone handset, according to Network World. A battery backup would provide power to the base should the electricity … Read more

Buy one NetTalk Duo landline replacement, get one free

Happy Black Friday! Hit the comments and share the great deals you scored today--and how long you had to stand in line for them.

Tired of paying a monthly bill for home phone service? Of course you are! So ditch it. If you have broadband Internet, you can switch to a voice-over-IP service and save a small fortune.

The NetTalk Duo is one such option. You buy the little gizmo for $69.95, connect it to your router, plug in any corded or cordless phone, and presto: you've got unlimited local and long-distance calling for one year. Each additional … Read more

Skype 5 beta for Mac adds group video calls

Skype's VoIP calling is by now well known to most Mac users, and the ability to make computer-to-computer calls anywhere in the world for free is already extremely popular to international users. Skype's official version on the Mac is 2.8 and is still a bit behind its Windows counterpart (Skype 5 for Windows). But a beta release today brings the software to version 5.0 on the Mac, and the Skype team has added some great new features to get excited about.

Sporting a familiar, more iTunes-like interface, Skype makes it easy to search through contacts and … Read more

Get an Ooma Telo phone system for $199.99

A few months ago, when I asked if it was time to pull the plug on home phone service, many commenters spoke highly of Ooma, a voice-over-IP service with a twist: buy the hardware and you're done. You get unlimited long-distance calling in the U.S., cheap overseas rates--and no monthly bill.

Since then, I've had the chance to review the Ooma Telo for myself. After just a few days using the service, I was sold on its better-than-Vonage sound quality and huge potential savings. So I dumped Vonage and have been using Ooma for the last couple … Read more

Replace your landline with $199 Ooma Telo

Last month, when I asked about pulling the plug on home phone service, many commenters spoke highly of Ooma, a voice-over-IP service with a twist: buy the hardware and you're done. You get unlimited long-distance calling in the U.S. and cheap overseas rates, but no monthly bill.

It's like MagicJack in that respect, except it doesn't require you to leave a computer running 24-7: the hardware plugs directly into your router, no PC required.

It's normally $249.99, but right now Buy.com has the Ooma Telo for $199.99 shipped. Even if your current … Read more

Make free Skype calls for a month

Thinking of pulling the plug on home phone service? One popular alternative is Skype, which offers free PC-to-PC calling and dirt-cheap calls to cell phones and landlines.

In honor of the World Cup, Skype is offering one month of unlimited free calls to the U.S., Mexico, and loads of other countries. (OK, unlimited to a point--there is a fair-usage policy.)

Basically, you pick a country where you have friends or relatives, then sign up for a Skype subscription. Depending on the country, you'll either get the first month free, or get a fixed number of free minutes. (Brazil, … Read more

Verizon selling landline operations in 14 states

Verizon Communications is casting off its plain, old telephone service in 14 states.

In its ongoing effort to focus on wireless and broadband, Verizon announced on Wednesday plans to sell 4.5 million landlines and related assets to Frontier Communications. The operations are based across 14 states, mostly tied to residential and small-business customers in rural areas.

"This transaction is part of our multiyear effort to transform our growth profile and asset base to focus on wireless, FiOS fiber-optic services and other broadband development, and global IP," said Ivan Seidenberg, chief executive officer of Verizon. "All of … Read more

Why I worry that landlines are endangered

What I'm about to say may make me seem like a Luddite or curmudgeon, but I'm disturbed by the news that an increasing number of Americans are reachable only by wireless phones.

A new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that more than 20 percent of American homes have only cell phones and another 14.5 percent of homes received all or almost all calls via cell phones even though they had a landline. The CDC says that it's the largest six-month increase in reliance on cell phones since it started the survey … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 876: A year without lawsuits, how did you know?

The RIAA has given us the greatest gift of all this holiday season, a promise not to sue you. However they are enlisting the ISPs into their fight against piracy. We also talk about how Universal is making bank, Apple fans are planning protests (Shah), and wish a fond farewell to Majel Barrett. Listen now: Download today's podcast Episode 876

In these troubled times, RIAA can’t afford to sue you http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10127003-93.html http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122966038836021137.html http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-recording-industry-moves-away-from-lawsuits-enlists-isps-in-piracy-figh/

Universal Music seeing ‘tens of millions’ from YouTube http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10126439-93.html… Read more