I'm surprised nobody has suggested a Skype Phone for those working abroad with broadband access but no international call plan. Buy skype phone for home, Connect skype phone to router (obviously ensuring ruter is on), call skype phone via skype from laptop and hey presto, free call from anywhere on the planet. Obviously you'd have to get a decent skype phone that connects direct to router and doesnt require to be connected to a pc that's on but last time i looked they were circa £70/£80, plugs into the router the same as your phone plugs into the phone socket.
Another alternative, if you're with Vodafone look into "Vodafone Passport", it essentially allows you to use your free minutes to call european landlines and the cost comes at 75p per call and the call length in mins is taken off your free mins allowance. vodafone passport is free to all vodafone customers just call and ask to switch it on. check or ask the exact terms as i can't remember and it's late.
Another alternative is to have skype and buy a skype In number equal to a local rate number near your home.. i.e Manchester is 0161 so get a skype in number of 0161 .... ... and use that for your laptop skype account, then the other half at home uses your free evenings and weekends part of your BT package to call a local rate numebr (i.e your skype 0161 number) which calls your skype on your laptop. That way the other half doesnt have to get used to a new phone and "all this technology", they also get to call you rather than sit and wait for you to call them and you don't get a huge bill, simply say I'll be at the hotel for 9pm each night call me anytime after on my laptop's phone number 0161 ... .... and just log in while you sit watch a movie and wait for the call. Skype account free, skype in number something like £10/£12 last time i looked, that might be per annum.
Finally, spend a bit more money on a laptop webcam that comes with a microphone, that way you dont have to have some 80's microphone positioned near you, simply clip the laptop webcam to the top of the laptop, plu gin the usb and the microphone is good enough to pick up the audio. Assuming you dont have a inbuilt laptop webcam that is. had a linksys or logitech one in the past i think, was v impressed.
If you want more details send me a PM, again it's late and i can't be bothered to search right now, early start tomorrow.
HTH
Chef / aka Uncle Travelling Mac
Another alternative, if you're with Vodafone look into "Vodafone Passport", it essentially allows you to use your free minutes to call european landlines and the cost comes at 75p per call and the call length in mins is taken off your free mins allowance. vodafone passport is free to all vodafone customers just call and ask to switch it on. check or ask the exact terms as i can't remember and it's late.
Another alternative is to have skype and buy a skype In number equal to a local rate number near your home.. i.e Manchester is 0161 so get a skype in number of 0161 .... ... and use that for your laptop skype account, then the other half at home uses your free evenings and weekends part of your BT package to call a local rate numebr (i.e your skype 0161 number) which calls your skype on your laptop. That way the other half doesnt have to get used to a new phone and "all this technology", they also get to call you rather than sit and wait for you to call them and you don't get a huge bill, simply say I'll be at the hotel for 9pm each night call me anytime after on my laptop's phone number 0161 ... .... and just log in while you sit watch a movie and wait for the call. Skype account free, skype in number something like £10/£12 last time i looked, that might be per annum.
Finally, spend a bit more money on a laptop webcam that comes with a microphone, that way you dont have to have some 80's microphone positioned near you, simply clip the laptop webcam to the top of the laptop, plu gin the usb and the microphone is good enough to pick up the audio. Assuming you dont have a inbuilt laptop webcam that is. had a linksys or logitech one in the past i think, was v impressed.
If you want more details send me a PM, again it's late and i can't be bothered to search right now, early start tomorrow.
HTH
Chef / aka Uncle Travelling Mac
Comment