Once Cellphone to Rule Them All
In the last few years, the cellphone has quickly taken over as the home phone of choice for people on the go. Why have a landline when you’ll never use it? In fact, I can’t even remember the last time I had a landline. It’s also no surprise that cellphones will continue to be one of the number one gifts on many wish lists this holiday season.
Although there is no doubt that I will never return to landline service, there are times when I forget to charge my cellphone and it dies somewhere in the house where I can’t find it easily. Other times, I put it somewhere and it rings, and I’m too far away to make the sprint to the handset in time. I also miss being able to cradle a phone under my chin without screwing up my neck. These are all things that this next product can take care of and more.
The XtremeTech XLink BT is a device that allows you to connect your cellphone to a regular corded or cordless landline handset. Instead of using landline service, the XLink BT bridges your regular landline phone and your cellphone together via bluetooth, allowing you to use regular landline phones to answer your cellphone calls. If you have a set of wireless phones in the closet, this allows you to have more than one handset so you no longer have to sprint for your cellphone when a call comes in.
I’ve been testing this device with a set of Philips DECT 6.0 wireless phones and I’m actually quite pleased with the sound quality and the convenience of having a handset within reach. I also like having the peace of mind knowing that my cellphone is always charged and ready to go and I know that it’s sitting beside the XLink BT.
Setup is extremely easy and is as difficult as pairing a Bluetooth Headset to your phone for the first time. Once that’s done, and as long as Bluetooth is activated on your cellphone, it will automatically connect to the XLink BT and then to your regular landline handsets every time you come home. The XLink BT can also pair up to three cellphones, each with a distinct ring, allowing everyone in the household to park their phone. This is also useful if you have a line with evenings and weekends free as you can park both lines and just pick up the one that doesn’t use your daytime minutes.
I’ve really enjoyed using the XLink BT and I recommend it to anyone who has chosen the route of the cellphone only lifestyle. The XLink BT actually comes in two flavours: The BT as tested retails for $79.99 US and works with cellphones only while the available BTTN version allows you to plug in and manage a landline phone or FAX line in addition to three cellphones and will run you $109.99 US.
You Better Get Going!
With only five more shopping days left, you don’t want to end up running around on Xmas Eve when you should be relaxing with Eggnog in hand. I hope these ideas inspire you and put you on the right track to getting that perfect gift for that special someone on your shopping list. If this still doesn’t do it for you, you might want to check out our other guides.
We’ve put guides together for Macbook users, Nintendo Wii owners, Holiday Gamers, Outdoor Techies and even travelling techies. If you’re on a budget, we’ve got a guide for that too and there is no shame in buying refurbished cameras. Happy Holidays!