By Sarmad Ali
All over the world, people are increasingly using the Web to make phone calls, if not free, then for a few pennies a minute. One of the most common ways of doing so is with Skype, the free software whose parent company was bought last year by eBay.
In fact, Skype has become so popular that electronics makers have begun selling cordless or lightweight phones specifically designed for making Skype calls without having to be chained to a computer. But only for Skype calls; these models don't work on regular phone networks.
I tested three of these new Skype-compatible phones: Belkin's Wi-Fi Phone from Belkin, Free-1 Skype USB phone from Ipevo, and SkyTone RST501 cordless USB Internet phone from Radian Technologies. Overall, the three phones worked well, though often the sound quality on domestic calls to cellphones could have been better.