Phone bills can quickly carve a big chunk out of a budget, thanks to base rates and unending fees, so ditching the land line is an attractive idea. That’s one of the reasons I like Skype so much (see these postings I’ve tagged with “Skype”). MagicJack is another gizmo that makes nearly free phone calls a possibility.
This little doohickey is about the size of a pack of gum that plugs into your computer and household phone and offers unlimited local and long distance for the US and Canada. It’s $40, which is easily earned back within the first month of use. It also offers free directory assistance, call waiting, voice mail and caller ID.
Installation is easy: you plug in both ends and let the software automatically load itself onto your computer. Register and receive unique phone number (or port your existing numbers), and you can start to begin making calls.