USRobotics Tethered USB Skype Phone

By Geoff Duncan May 8, 2006

USRobotics Tethered USB Skype Phone

USRobotics‘ USR9600 USB Internet Phone may not win ny awards for its form factor or for features which would rival 3G smartphones from major manufacturers, but it may win some kudos for doing one thing right and inexpensively: it carries a retail price of $49.99 but is being sold for $36.97, and the tethered USB Internet phone works seamlessly with VoIP service Skype, enabling users to place calls to other Skype users worldwide, or to standard telephones via the SkypeOut service.

While the USB Internet Phone is tethered to your USB (1.1 or 2.0) port, by not going wireless via Bluetooth or other cordless technology, the phone sits lighter in your pocketbook, coming in $70 to $100 less than cordless Skype handset competitors. The USB Internet Phone features an LCD screen with fixed-height characters (sorry, no backlight), supports Caller ID, full duplex operation, requires no batteries, and works with Windows 2000 and XP, as well as Mac OS X.

If you’re looking for something more suitable to an office or conference room, USRobotics also offers a $49.99 USB Internet Speakerphone which also operates off power from the USB port. Flashy? No. An inexpensive way to get someone using Skype? Certainly.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

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