Landlines are going the way of the dinosaur, so what is a telecommunications company to do? If you are Verizon, your wireless division puts out the Verizon Hub. The desktop phone is a revamped home-phone system that uses Voice over Internet Protocol and high-speed fiber-optic service from Verizon, DSL or another broadband connection to make calls.
The Hub consists of a cordless handset and a 7- inch touch-screen display. Included in the phone are widgets for a calendar, contact lists, movie listings, and traffic and weather information. The Hub is intended to serve as the central home unit, so you can post events to the family calendar and send out appointments and other messages to your contacts’ cellphones. You also can check up on your kids using the Chaperone child location service.
The system requires Verizon Wireless service and costs $200 (after $50 mail-in rebate) with a two-year contract and $35 monthly unlimited Verizon voice plan. Each additional handset costs $80.
