A Smart (Landline) Phone
For the last couple of years, we have seen the paradigm shifted from a regular cellphone to smartphone, from regular TV to IPTV, AM/FM radio to Satellite/IP streaming, etc…However, very little innovation on the traditional landline phones (beside some sporadic ideas such pairing to Bluetooth headset or addition of Skype feature) have been seen.
The new V-Tech ip8000 adds some advanced features leveraging the omnipresence of Internet access in household today. The landline handset is designed to handle many functions that most people reserve for the computer. As Gadgetell says, “The new ip8300 infoPhone uses the Internet to access information directly on the cordless handset’s color LCD screen, including news headlines, weather reports, horoscopes, local directory searches and more”–all according to personalized feeds carried wirelessly through new DECT 6.0 technology (which, as every schoolboy knows, stands for Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications).
In 2007, it makes sense for any phone manufacturer to go in this direction, as we see VTech pioneers here. The company has long tried to make technology friendly to the everyday consumer, starting with its extensive line of toys. But trying to turn the home phone into a household’s main Internet conduit is a risky proposition: Other industries have made similar attempts with TV sets and game consoles, only to lose out to the computer. And if any phone is going to horn in on this turf, a mobile handset would seem to make more sense.
[Source: VTech Communications via Gadgetell]
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