InfoTart

Ever get these inexplicable obsessions?

I tend to get obsessed about gadgets. And for the past month or so, I’ve been totally obsessing over the Nokia E65 in red. Such a gorgeous device…

When I was working at Nokia, I was on a software project that was launching with the E65 and had some features that were optimized to work well on the device. So they also lent me a pre-launch device that I (most unfortunately) had to return when I moved on to iSkoot.

Now I want one again.

Now, my obsession isn’t just because it’s a gorgeous devices. It’s also because a.) it has WiFi; and b) it’s quad-band, so it will work well on American cellular networks.

Why is the WiFi a big deal? Because AT&T has crap cellular coverage in my neighborhood! I can only use cell phones if I stand on my back deck or sit on my bed. How inconvenient is that???

But with WiFi, I can load mobile VOIP software on the device like the Gizmo Project’s to make calls through the Internet — no AT&T at all! The quality isn’t quite as good as Skype’s (yet), and it’s also a hair more expensive than Skype. But otherwise, the Gizmo Project is a great alternative VOIP solution.

If AT&T isn’t going to improve its coverage in my neighborhood, then I’m more than happy to use the alternatives. Rather than installing a landline again (goodness, no!), I see a WiFi-based VOIP solution in my very near future…