Yahoo hasn’t made as large of an impact on the world of VoIP as Skype or Vonage has, but that doesn’t mean it did not try to leave its mark. Using the popular Yahoo! Messenger service one can get pretty simple VoIP service that is also pretty cheap. However, if you don’t have a phone that works with the system you are limited to a microphone and speakers or a headset in terms of actually talking on the phone using the service.
That is where the Linksys CIT310 Yahoo Phone comes into play. It is the only official phone on the market that is designed to work in sync with Yahoo’s internet phone service. And it works with it very well. Installation is pretty simple: it plugs in through a USB port and there are minimal amounts of software you will need to install in order to get the phone to work.
Once it is installed, the Linksys CIT310 phone connects directly with your Yahoo Messenger. You can, for example, see when your friends are online through the handset on the phone (it is cordless, of course), you can set your online status, check the weather and use the Yahoo! yellow pages functionality (meaning you can search for businesses in your area right from the handset).
Calls made over the Linksys CIT310 are crystal-clear, much higher quality than you would get from a headset using the Yahoo! phone services. Unfortunately this clarity somewhat depends on your Internet connection, you’ll definitely need a high quality high-speed internet set-up (DSL, Cable, etc.) in order to use the phone properly. You pretty much need to keep the Internet connection clear, though, no major downloading or anything else heavy on the network going on when you are using the phone.
The handset on the Linksys CIT310 Yahoo phone is pretty powerful in terms of range. The range goes up to 100 feet and offers the same crystal clear clarity all the way for those 100 feet. Walls and buildings can cut up the range a little bit, but for the most part this badboy will go just about anywhere you want to go; it is a lot more powerful than many normal cordless phones.
In fact, the Linksys CIT310 not only has compatibility with Yahoo Messenger phone services, it also works as a cordless phone all of its own. It is a dual-mode phone, meaning that it can work not only through Yahoo Messenger but also just by plugging it into your phoneline.
At about 80 dollars the phone is a little bit expensive, but it offers plenty of functionality for the price. Especially since the Yahoo phone system it works with it pretty cheap: you can get your own phone number through Yahoo Messenger for a minimal $3.00 a month, and long distance services are only $0.02 for anywhere in the US, cheaper to some countries (like Canada, only $0.01 a minute). It is a powerful system and very portable, if you want to use Yahoo phone services the Linksys CIT310 Yahoo phone is an excellent addition.
http://www.nceita.org/linsksys-cit310-yahoo-phone.html
