Philips announces video VoWiFi phone

Dutch electronics company Philips has announced that it will soon release the VP5500 video VoIP handset—initially in the Netherlands (late 2005) and then the rest of Europe by first quarter this year. What’s great about this nifty little gadget is that it has a VGA camera for videoconferencing, and it runs on Linux!

Running on a WiFi-standard network, the handset will offer users the advantages of inexpensive telephone over the Internet with the freedom of mobility offered by wireless networking. And users will not only be able to experience crisp and clear voice communications, but also video calling. The phone features a swiveling camera for that USS Enterprise-like experience you’ve always wanted.

You can use the camera to stream images of yourself while watching a video of your correspondent (using a similar phone), or you can swivel the camera towards the phone’s back end to give your caller a tour of your surrounding’s sights. The system even features a live preview window so you can see what you’re streaming while in a call—useful for checking if you’re having a bad hair day. What’s more, the phone can likewise be interfaced with any regular television set, making it easy to setup a group videoconference.