The problem with free calls over the Internet is that you have to be at your computer to make them. You can't be cooking, driving, operating heavy machinery or doing the thousands of other things we do while chatting on the phone.
But a new device called the VoSky Call Center allows you to make free Internet calls from any phone in your house -- even your cellphone.
It uses Skype, an online service based in Luxembourg that became an international phenomenon -- leading to its acquisition last year by EBay Inc. for $2.6 billion -- because it provides free computer-based calls around the world.
The VoSky Call Center is one of several away-from-the-computer Skype devices that have recently arrived on the market. Another one is the Linksys CIT200, which is a cordless Skype phone.
Using these phones doesn't mean the end of your long-distance bills. The calls are free only if the person on the other end is using Skype too.
Also, the quality of Internet audio connections is highly variable. And there are inconveniences -- for example, you can't use the VoSky or Linksys phone unless your computer is turned on.
But if you regularly use Skype, these devices can free you from the computer. That's no small matter in this era of multi-tasking. And for international calls the cost savings can outweigh the hassles.
The innovative VoSky, from Actiontec Electronics Inc., is especially intriguing because of its ability to transform regular phones into Skypers.
The VoSky device, a little black box about the size of a detached answering machine, is easy to install. You wouldn't know that from the instructions, however, which resemble a series of Zen koans. Here's one: "Connect your phone to the phone port with the phone cable from your phone."
I used my phone to call the company for help.
Basically, the VoSky is connected via a USB port to a computer that has broadband access to the Internet. Another set of lines goes from the box to a phone. I hooked mine up to a base unit for the cordless phones in the house.
Some Windows-only software (VoSky doesn't work with Macs) is installed on the computer. And you assign a speed-dial code to everyone you regularly call on your Skype service.
For example, a friend in London can be "1," your sister in Florida "2," a client in Tokyo "3," etc. You can assign codes to non-Skype phone numbers too. They can be reached as SkypeOut calls, for which a fee is charged.
