SpectraLink announces its next-generation Wi-Fi telephony handsets, the NetLink 8000 Series Wireless Telephones. The new NetLink 8000 Series handsets are the first commercially available enterprise-grade handsets to support the IEEE 802.11a, b and g radio standards, allowing businesses to choose the most appropriate Wi-Fi implementation for application segmentation, interference mitigation and user density.

Lingo and American Telecom Services announce the launch of a program to sell Lingo's broadband phone service bundled with American Telecom Services' Digital Clear Internet phones through office superstores and mass market retail channels.

Lingo offers several competitive and high quality Internet phone service rates plans for consumers and small businesses. The first bundle to be offered through leading national retailers will be the new and recently Lingo certified ATS X10001P Digital Clear DECT 6.0 Internet phones and the X10002P extensions. The combination of ATS' Digital Clear Internet phone and Lingo's broadband phone service plans offer consumers the ability to save hundreds of dollars a year on their total phone expense using interference-free cordless technology. Lingo and ATS intend to expand their service offerings and Digital Clear telephones to provide consumers and small businesses with a wide selection of offers and savings.

Linksys unveiles its iPhone family of Voice over IP (VoIP) solutions. The iPhone family of handheld devices harnesses the power of the Internet to enhance voice communications, integrate compelling information services, and deliver access to multimedia. In short, Linksys iPhones voice solutions and products give consumers the ability to do more with their phone than talk.

"As the next generation of handheld devices, Linksys iPhone voice solutions and products are changing the way people communicate with their friends, family and colleagues. They enable compelling internet services, allow consumers to know when their contacts are available for calls, and offer access to personal content like music, movies and live video cameras." said Mike Pocock, Linksys senior vice president and general manager. "The development of the iPhone family demonstrates our flexibility in selecting the right partnerships, feature sets, and product designs to exceed the demands of even our most connected customers to whom the Internet is no longer a destination, but an inextricable part of their lives."

Zoom Technologies has reportedly begun shipping the Model 5800 Zoom VoIP Freedom, a nifty little analog telephone adapter (ATA) that lets a user choose which VoIP service they want to use based on their needs.

As the company so observantly points out, most VoIP providers tend to hold their customers hostage by furnishing hardware which only works with their service. Zoom’s new VoIP Freedom, though, lets them choose from up to 25 SIP-based providers using a Web-based chooser. Using the chooser (which allows for very quick and easy change in service provider) a user can choose VoIP services from providers in the Americas, Europe and Asia. The chooser’s menus are available in several languages including English, Spanish, German and Vietnamese. Once a user selects a service, the Zoom VoIP Freedom device automatically configures itself for that service. Best of all, there is no charge for registration – and the device itself costs only $59.

Great review by Arik Hesseldahl over at BusinessWeek.com entitled, "Netgear's Phone in the Rough." I enjoyed reading his article because, it's nice to hear personal opinion about the latest VoIP gadgets on the market.

His review of the NETGEAR SPH101 Skype Wi-Fi phone is a good one. He begins with his skepticism of internet calling services and asks himself, "What exactly, aside from cost, is so wrong with either conventional land-line phones or wireless phones that we really need a third option—especially one that typically has to go through a personal computer." However after watching the popularity of Skype and The Gizmo Project take off he seems to warm to the idea of VoIP. Throughout the article he talks about the Netgear's phone complex setup, password bugs, and sound quality from both stateside to dialing Hong Kong.

You'll just have to read his article to see for yourself.

Plantronics expanded its family of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) headset solutions with the new Plantronics SupraPlus Wideband headset and Vista M22 amplifier with Clearline audio technology. Used together or separately, the new products utilize wideband networks to offer professionals optimal voice quality and business-critical reliability and comfort.

"Today, businesses are unwilling to compromise on the sound quality of their IP phones," said Nora Freedman, research analyst, IDC. "In fact, global desktop IP phone shipments are expected to grow at an average of 29 percent each year between now and 2010, with shipments increasing from approximately 7 million in 2005 to 25 million in 2010."

American Telecom Services announced the introduction of two new Interference Free DECT 6.0 telephones. The first product is a cordless multi handset phone with an integrated telephone answering system. The second product is an addition to the Digital Clear Internet Phone line which offers an integrated fax port within the platform. These new products expand what is already the nation's largest line of DECT 6.0 cordless multi handset phones using the Pay N' Talk platform for traditional service as well as the Digital Clear Internet Telephone line, the most diverse line of Internet phones in the U.S., which include a built-in adaptor and router platform in all the master base units to allow for a simple plug and talk experience.

The E30025CL is a DECT 6.0 cordless multi handset telephone with an integrated answering system shipped as a master handset with three extensions for less than $100 retail. In addition to ATS' standard phone features (30-name caller ID log, last-10-number redial, 50-number speed-dial phonebook, for example), the product includes a "Money Saving Green Button" for accessing the company's patent-pending "Pay N' Talk" long distance service from every handset. The expansion handsets may be used in any room in the home simply by plugging their bases into AC outlets. The company has already shipped more than 120,000 handsets of the E30025CL for holiday season sales.

Extending its leadership position in delivering award-winning Bluetooth, wireless and corded headset innovation, Plantronics has been honored with five International CES Innovations 2007 Design and Engineering Showcase Awards.

All of Plantronics' Innovations Awards-winning products will be on display during the 2007 International CES, January 8-11, in the Plantronics Booth #30333 in the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Plantronics' recognized products include a chic, inventive Bluetooth headset; a pioneering plug-and-play Bluetooth VoIP system; two corded multimedia headsets; and a wireless office headset system.

"This recognition shows the world that our headsets play an invaluable role in enhancing personal mobility and communication," said Renee Niemi, vice president and general manager of Mobile and Entertainment for Plantronics. "These honored products represent our commitment to combining the highest quality sound with unmatched simplicity and remarkable design -- and clearly differentiate us from the competition."

Plantronics' award-winning products for 2007 include:

Plantronics Discovery 655:
Honored in the Wireless Peripherals category, the Plantronics Discovery 655 expands on the innovative design of previous Discovery headsets, featuring a modern sculpted look to complement the contours of the face, a snug ergonomic fit and cutting-edge technology. With Digital Signal Processing (DSP) the Plantronics Discovery 655 reduces noise levels to provide enhanced sound for clear conversations. It weight only 9 grams and comes with an innovative charging system that provides up to 10 hours of talk time and includes a unique vibrate ring indicator.

Skype announces it will offer the "Skype End-of-Year Bundle Pack” a combination of the VoIP service provider’s products and services right in time for the holiday season.

The VoIP service provider announced that it is also offering the new NETGEAR SPH101 and Belkin WiFi Phone for Skype phones on its online store.

There has been a lot of buzz lately about Skype for its partnership with iSkoot and 3. Originally set to launch on December 15th, the Skype-enabled X-Series handsets from 3 actually launched in UK last Friday, also in time for the holidays. The devices, which use the iSkootMobile software, are currently available in 3’s UK stores, and also in 3’s other markets around the world beginning early 2007.

Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment each week for Engadget.com. This week Ross Rubin writes, "Switched On: Pretty fly for the WiFi" a review comparing Sony's Mylo vs. Nokia's 770 internet tablet.

"Neither Sony nor Nokia have Microsoft at the top of their buddy lists, and their product lines don't contain much overlap; but the Japanese electronics giant enlisted the help of Nokia's longtime Scandinavian rival Ericsson when it made its serious push into the mobile phone space. Hence, it's easy to see how convergence often makes for strange competitors, and this year Sony's latest stab at it came in the form of the Mylo, which entered the WiFi-enabled portable connected media device alongside an updated software suite for Nokia's 770 internet tablet. While, on their surface, the products have many similar capabilities and share a price of $349, their form and philosophy are strikingly different."

You can read the full review at "Switched On: Pretty fly for the WiFi", keep up the great work Ross.

Just what everyone's been waiting for... right... We'll lets atleast give this voip mouse a chance seeing as how it is the holiday season. No reason to be a holiday grinch so soon right? So here's the run down.

Genius Navigator 380 is a new mouse with integration of mouse and Internet phone functions. The Navigator 380 software supports up to six Instant Messengers (Skype, GoogleTalk, Yahoo!, MSN, AIM, and QQ) and combines the IMs into one window. There are seven buttons within the Navigator 380, the phone functions include: Phone on/off, List up/down, Volume up/down, and OK button for IM window.

The Genius Navigator 380 can be carried along with your notebook and utilized anytime, anywhere. If you are outside of the office or home and using the Navigator 380 it features a 1200 dpi optical engine. This allows you to do your paper work, browse the Internet, and take phone calls. The LED blinks to tell you that your friend just gave you a call through Instant Messenger. Or if the PC speaker is on, the ringing will alert you for the incoming call. The mouse opens like a clamshell mobile phone allowing you to talk via Navigator 380 VoIP mouse.

Dan Nystedt writes, 'Sales of PC-free Wi-Fi Skype handsets taking off'. "The Wi-Fi mobile phones are rousing interest for two reasons: the low cost of using Skype services to make calls, and because people can use them more like a traditional mobile phone, without the aid of a PC. Skype, for example, is offering the WSKP100 by SMC Networks Inc. in a package on its Web site that includes the handset, a Wi-Fi router, 500 minutes of calls to regular mobile phones and landlines (SkypeOut) and 12 months of Skype voicemail for just £99 (US$196)."

The nXZEN VoIP combines a very good noise canceling headset with Skype as an added accessory to use this same headset for telephony. Earlier versions of this headset were found to have second-to-none noise canceling features. For a user who normally tries to use their cell phone in a typically noisy environment, this model is a must. This year Gennum tries hard to make the nXZEN a holiday stocking stuffer by allowing users to listen to music or chat with friends. Released this month with a street price around $125.

You may not have heard of Gennum yet, but in the past their products have been top notch. Like their previous model the new 5000 model is supposed to improve on their noise canceling ability. Featuring a new digital signal processor which Gennum calls their 'FrontWave Technology', is supposed to shield your voice from extraneous noise using twin microphones and something called the 'FrontWave Extreme' patented algorithm.

The Bluetooth VoIP Kit HBV-100 is the perfect way to stay in touch with friends and family over the Internet. Comprising a Bluetooth headset HBH-PV705 and a Bluetooth USB Adaptor, you can get all the normal benefits of using a Sony Ericsson Bluetooth headset – freeing your hands while you talk, long talk and stand by times, excellent sound quality and comfort among others - while making low cost internet calls.

Nokia announces that users of the Nokia N80 Internet Edition will have easy access to low-cost calls over the Internet with SIPphone's Gizmo Voice over IP (VoIP) services. The Nokia N80 Internet Edition is optimized for SIP-based Internet calls, and now Nokia and SIPphone have worked together to create an easy way to configure and make calls using Gizmo VoIP directly from your multimedia computer.

"Mobilizing the Internet is a key focus for Nokia and I'm excited to see how a multimedia computer like the Nokia N80 Internet Edition can provide people with the convenience of Internet calling," said Ralph Eric Kunz, Vice President, Multimedia, at Nokia. "Our collaboration with SIPphone makes Internet calling easy, plus our open VoIP platform allows for any SIP-based VoIP provider to incorporate their services in our device architecture, giving consumers the best of the Internet world."

Nokia N80 Internet Edition users download the free Gizmo VoIP settings from the Download! folder in their device, automatically beginning the installation process. During installation, users go through a simple two-step process for creating a free account that they'll use to make Internet calls. Other capabilities, such as customizing voicemail greetings, purchasing Gizmo Call Out credit for dialing landlines and mobile devices and managing Gizmo account settings are available by using the Nokia N80 Internet Edition to browse the www.gizmovoip.com web site.