By Chris Scott Barr
Finally, over a year after they first announced them, AT&T has put their 3G MicroCells up for sale to anyone in the US. If you’ll recall, they rolled them out in Charlotte, NC last September. Now anyone with an AT&T mobile phone will be able to pick up one of these. The only caveat is that you’ll still need to be in an area where AT&T offers service. They check this via GPS when you complete the initial setup.
So what does the 3G MicroCell get you? Essentially you’ll hook the device into your home internet connection and be provided with 3G service for up to 5,000 square feet. You’ll still be using your own cell minutes when talking on the phone, unfortunately. The only way around this is to have your internet provided by AT&T, or to pay them $20 a month for unlimited talk time. Otherwise, you’ll only need to pay the initial $150 for the device.
This always brings up the old argument of having to pay AT&T more money so that you have better network coverage in your house. Yes, they do need to provide better coverage, which they are supposedly working on. However, there are some areas where I live that have poor coverage on all networks. I lived in one of them for a while and it was just plain frustrating. I’d have much rather paid the $150 for the MicroCell than paying for a landline phone. It would have been cheaper in the long run.
[ AT&T ] VIA [ Dvice ]
By Andrew Liszewski
The fact that a landline phone will continue to work even in the event of a power failure wasn’t enough to stop me from going cellphone only, but it’s nice to know those unused phone jacks dotting my walls aren’t just an eyesore now. The trickle of power they carry is apparently enough to power this 8 LED desk lamp that features an RJ11 connector at the end of the power cord, instead of a plug or USB connector. The pink color scheme is a bit on the hideous side, but for just $4.69 the lamp at least seems like a handy emergency light for your next power outage.
[ 8 LED Telephone RJ11 Powered Table Reading Light Lamp ] VIA [ TechChee ]
By Andrew Liszewski
I know, a lot of you have probably given up your landline phone in favor of just using a cellphone, but those of you who haven’t will be happy to hear that traditional phones are getting a bit more useful. Panasonic’s new KX-TG9382T two-line phone for example comes with Bluetooth which not only allows you to use it with a Bluetooth headset for handsfree operation, but also allows you to wirelessly transfer up to 600 contacts from a Bluetooth equipped cellphone to its own phonebook directory.
It also features a 40-minute digital answering machine so you don’t have to pay for voicemail, three-line conferencing capabilities and a Silent Mode allowing you to turn off the ringer at preset times of day, like when you’re trying to sleep at night. $169.95 for a single handset unit and $229.95 for a double.
[ Panasonic KX-TG9382T ] VIA [ Akihabara News ]
(Credit: Hammacher Schlemmer)Hammacher Schlemmer gets top marks again for coming up with something that hits the Crave spot. The $59.95 Motion Detecting Telephone is a discreet way to maintain home security without clashing with the room decor. I mean, how subtle can a landline phone get in the …
If you’ve been looking for a way to discreetly (and in some states, illegally) record your phone conversations and you have $16 at your disposal, then your ship has come in.
The “Intercep Phone Call System” from Brando is about as simple as it gets. Plug the cord from your telephone system’s wall jack into one side, your landline phone into the other, and run the 3.5mm audio cable out to a voice recorder. Or, hell, run the audio cable out to your stereo system for some ridiculous speakerphone-type action.
While some states require that an audible beep occur while a phone conversation is being recorded, it looks like this thing provides no such feature. So go ahead and skirt the law — what a rush!
Intercep Phone Call System [Brando]
