Gear You Don’t Yet Know You Can’t Live Without: Super Skype Phones

Want a super cool new gadget to brag to your friends about? Who doesn’t? I think you can get your boss to fork out the dough for this one if you play your cards right.

First you have to get your company interested in Skype, if they aren’t already. What’s Skype? It’s an Internet communication service that offers free PC to PC voice calls (you’ll need audio equipment) and video calls (or video equipment) anywhere in the WORLD. You can even have conference calls. Skype also offers a whole host of premium services, such as PC to landline calls, local numbers for people to call in and voicemail at great rates. The BootsnAll crew uses Skype for it’s superior instant messaging capabilities.

So what does this mean for you, the business traveler? It means if you can convince your employer to participate in the network, you might be able to persuade them to let you expense a shiny new Skype phone for your next trip to China. Then, from any wifi-enabled spot, you can talk to work for free. The added benefit is that you can get your wife or boyfriend or aunt Martha hooked up with an account and talk to them as well. And you won’t even have to explain the charges to the boss when you get home.

Choosing a phone model can be difficult, since they’re all brand spanking new. Your best source is going to be Buy.com or through the Skype Store. Many of these phones are on pre-order, so don’t expect to be skyping from Tai Pei next week.

For more technical information, check out the Travel Gear Blog.