Speakal's Phone/PC Hybrid is Just What It Sounds Like

We're already familiar with phone/PC hybrids -- they're called smartphones, and these days nearly everyone has one. But Speakal's just-announced BTS8 is a phone/PC hybrid of a completely different sort. It's an office telephone and miniature computer all rolled into one, and you won't be stuffing this into your pants pocket.

The BTS8 comes with a 5-inch LCD screen above the numerical buttons and runs Windows 7. Speakal says the OS is your gateway to manage and record phone conversations, fire off emails, and even video chat with the integrated webcam using Skype. Other abilities include fax receiving, text messaging, rock out to groovy tunes or load up a video using the media player, contacts management, and a calendar. In other words, all sorts of things to distract you from making an actual phone call be more efficient at work.


"BTS8 completely streamlines business communications and computing for the modern office," said CEO David Solomon. "Users are able to optimize connectivity and empower their phone with the advanced capabilities of Windows 7 while saving up to 90 percent of the power regularly used with a desktop PC."

Pretty nifty, eh? No word yet on price or availability.