home phone

Have you switched over to a voice-over-IP phone system like MagicJack, NetTalk, or Ooma? Now's the perfect time to replace your crummy old corded phones with a spiffy new wireless system.

Or at least a spiffy refurbished wireless system, like this one: today only, and while supplies last, Tech Woot has the refurbished Panasonic KX-TG4023N cordless phone system for $29.99, plus $5 for shipping.

The KX-TG4023N comes with one base station and two additional handsets that connect to it via DECT 6.0 wireless technology. You can expand the system with up to three additional handsets (for a … Read more

Yesterday I wrote about the Ooma Telo phone system, which for $109.99 allowed you to ditch your landline and make nearly free phone calls for life. (Your only obligation: a few bucks' worth of monthly taxes and fees.) Alas, it sold out quickly.

More than a few commenters suggested an alternative: the Obihai OBi100, which can pair with Google Voice (among other services) for totally free calls. And talk about a cosmic coincidence: today the sucker's on sale.

Specifically, Amazon has the Obihai OBi100 VoIP phone adapter for $39.99 shipped. That's $20 off the regular price … Read more

This is an update of a deal I posted last year.

I haven't used a landline for as long as I can remember. It's probably been five or six years since I switched to voice-over-IP service, and although there have been bumps along the way (anyone remember SunRocket?), I can't complain about the thousands (!) of dollars I've saved.

If you're ready to do likewise, I highly recommend the Ooma Telo. This sexy black box plugs into your router and provides unlimited local- and long-distance calling.

It normally sells for $199.99, but for a limited … Read more

It's been years since I cut the cord on my landline phone, and although there have been bumps along the way (anyone remember SunRocket?), I can't complain about the thousands--yes, probably a couple thousand, by my math--of dollars I've saved.

If you're ready to do likewise, I highly recommend the Ooma Telo. This sexy black box plugs into your router and provides unlimited local- and long-distance calling.

It normally sells for $199.99, but today only, and while supplies last, Woot has the refurbished Ooma Telo home phone system for $139.99, plus $5 for shipping.… Read more

Skype just got so easy your great-grandmother could use it without having to know anything about a sound card or any other input/output doohickeys that are more convoluted than President Harding and his confounding Teapot Dome scandal! (Look it up, millennials...)

Actually, there is one doohickey, but once it's all hooked up it looks an awful lot like a regular old cordless phone--with VoIP hidden inside. (No need to tell great-grandma about that last part, it will only confuse her--apologies to all technologically astute great-grandmothers out there, BTW.) It's the Freetalk ConnectMe home phone adapter for Skype, which connects to any regular old home phone.

You'll need to connect your PC to set things up the first time, but after that, Skype says you'll just need to make sure your broadband connection and phone are hooked into the adapter. If you keep your landline, you'll want to hook that in too, because the adapter allows you to switch back and forth between Skype and a regular phone line.… Read more

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

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

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

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