In trying times like these, every little bit helps, even if it’s just saving the price of a phone call. is a new ad-supported Web service that lets you make phone calls to any number in the United States from any computer with a Web browser and a broadband connection.
The service, which began Thursday, requires you to view a short ad before you place the call. The audio is played through the browser, and the site uses your computer’s microphone to transmit what you say.
There is a limit to the fun, however. Unregistered users can make calls of up to two minutes; registration — which is also free — gives you unlimited calls of up to 15 minutes.
While it’s not as versatile as other Internet calling services like Skype or Vonage, it is enough to make a few quick calls while on the road without racking up long-distance charges.
Most important, the service works domestically and all over the world. That means you can call the United States free from any cybercafe or Internet-enabled computer virtually anywhere. While it might not be as cozy as a call from a phone booth in London, the service is certainly cheaper.
— John Biggs
A KEYBOARD FOR GAMERS, STRIPPED DOWN TO THE KEYS YOU NEED (JOYSTICK INCLUDED)
In the lexicon of gaming, few letters are as important as A, W, S and D. These four characters, spaced in an approximate cross on a standard qwerty keyboard, are the standard keys used for movement in first-person shooter games like Counter-Strike and Half-Life.
That is why the Logitech G13 Gameboard puts a simulacrum of those keys front and center with special divots in the keys for quick identification.
The keyboard actually consists of 22 programmable keys — the four in the center can be mapped to the standard four needed by most PC games — and a minijoystick with three action buttons. You can create multiple profiles for different games and map different keys to different actions.
The keyboard ($79.99) also has an LCD screen that connects to most games and can display game statistics, system information or even messages from your in-game friends. The keys are backlighted for nighttime play, and the entire board is contoured to soothe a gamer’s tortured grip after too long at the mouse and monitor.
The device works with Windows and Mac computers and will be available next month — just in time for all those post-holiday gaming sessions.
— John Biggs
AN AUSTRALIAN ENTRY IN THE SMARTPHONE WARS
The number of iPhone owners is growing by the minute, and T-Mobile’s G1, well, it won’t score you any pretty points. If you really want a phone no one has seen yet, it may be time to look Down Under.
The Agora Android phone, from the Australian tech company Kogan, comes with a 2.5-inch touch screen, qwerty keyboard, 3G, GPS, a 2-megapixel camera and Wi-Fi. Because the phone uses Google’s new Android operating system, the Agora also comes preloaded with Gmail and Google Search, Calendar, Maps and Talk. And unlike a certain fruit company, the unlocked phone’s quad-band GSM/HSPDA capability lets you choose between AT&T and T-Mobile here in the United States.
The Agora also offers a microSD expansion slot for storage and a rechargeable lithium-ion battery (kogan.com.au/international/checkout/). All that for around $230, including shipping to the United States.
— Azadeh Ensha
A GPS FOR YOUR CAMERA CAN SHOW WHERE YOU WERE
Taking a photo of yourself in front of the Eiffel Tower is no longer proof enough of your travels. Nikon’s GP-1 GPS unit lets you “geotag” your photos by attaching to the hot shoe of your Nikon camera (models D3, D300, D700, D2Xs, D200 and D90 D-SLR) or to the strap, with an adaptor.
The dongle, measuring 2 by 1.8 by 1 inch, records latitude, longitude, altitude and time. You can upload photos using Nikon’s ViewNX software and “my Picturetown” photo storage and sharing Web site, or use third-party sites like Flickr and Google Earth.
The GP-1 acquires a satellite signal in about 45 seconds (after being turned on) or 5 seconds (if already powered). The system’s three-color status indicator flashes red when no recorded GPS satellite data is available. If the indicator blinks green, it has detected three satellites; a solid green signal means it has detected four or more.
The GP-1 will be available this month for the recession-unfriendly price of $240. You may have to make do with that untagged photo of the Eiffel Tower for a while.
— Azadeh Ensha
A WIRELESS MODEM COMES READY FOR WIMAX
Sprint’s new U300 wireless modem does more than hook you up with a cellular-data connection. The USB dongle also signs in to higher-speed WiMax networks that are just coming on the scene.
WiMax offers Wi-Fi-like connection speeds without the need to be close to a base station; it was first introduced in Baltimore this year.
The U300, at $149, will automatically connect to these faster networks (with download speeds averaging 3 megabits per second, and potentially reaching 7 mbps). If none are available, the U300 will switch back to Sprint’s 3G network (where downloads run between 600 kilobits per second and 1.4 mbps).
Outside of Baltimore, WiMax is already partly operational in Washington, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago and Dallas.
The device may be able to operate on other WiMax systems popping up domestically and abroad — and Sprint has 3G data-roaming agreements with Verizon Wireless and other carriers around the world, so globe-trotters with a need for speed are all set.
— Marty Katz