CES 2006: The coolest VoIP gadget of the show

eBay may have shelled out a an awful lot of money for Skype, but if CES is anything to go by it was cash very well invested. VoIP is everywhere, and Skype is making deals with everyone. One really cool new gadget which may helps to edge VoIP even closer to the mainstream is the VoSKY Call Center from Actiontec. Its big advantage over traditional Skype systems is that you don’t have to be anywhere near a PC to use it. In fact you can use it to make free Skype calls remotely from any phone even your mobile.

The system revolves around a small device the Call Center which you connect to your PC and your phone jack. You can then use any phone anywhere (you don’t need Wi-Fi) to access the Call Center and make free Skype calls. It also has a facility that will forward Skype calls to any number so in theory you could receive Skype calls on your mobile. It sounds like a real innovation to us and we are further cheered by a cheapo price of just $69.95. Given that Actiontec has a reasonable presence in the UK here’s hoping we get it soon.