Remember being a kid and hearing all about video phones, the wave of the future? Didn't you think we'd all have video phones by now? I'm kind of surprised that we don't. Maybe it's not really such a novel idea anymore, since almost everybody has webcams and broadband and instant messengers - particularly the sort of people who would be all over such gadgetry as a video phone. And heck, who even has a landline anymore? Everybody just uses their cell phones! I think broadband phone service is sort of bringing people back to the good ol' landline, though. I'm always surprised when we tell someone about VoIP and they have no idea what we're talking about. If you're one of those folks, let me school you up on the NEW wave of the future! VoIP uses your regular old telephone, except instead of plugging into the wall, it plugs into a router and uses your broadband internet connection - cable or DSL - to make phone calls. With most VoIP services, local and long distance calls are basically "free" - you just pay a monthly flat rate, which is a fraction of what you would pay to the phone company.

I was just checking out this VoIP site, Packet 8, and comparing the prices between plans. Check this out:

Freedom Unlimited now offers unlimited local and long distance calling in the US,Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam, US Virgin Islands, France, Italy, Ireland, Spain and United Kingdom, plus unlimited in-network calling to other Packet8 subscribers worldwide.

Such a deal! They also have, guess what... you CAN get a Video Phone! It's not the clunky old tv attached to a phone, like we used to see in those 80s movies, either. Oooh and Ahhh over this sleek, compact design:

Besides using it to call grandma, you can access it remotely to check up on your house. Great way to see what the dog is really doing while you're at work, huh? I kind of want one of these! I know the enginerd in this house would love it. I could get one for him and one for his dad, and they could flip each other off without leaving the sofa!