It’s about time that you can ditch my land line and still have the convenience of having a handset at home for the steep monthly cost of free.   The OBi110 device is perfect for those who have an high speed internet connection and want to get rid of the land line.  The first question I get is “Will I be able to port over my current number”.  The quick answer is maybe.  But first let me explain.

The first thing you need to get is a free Google number by signing up for Google voice.  This number will become your phone number.  You now have a number that you can use from your computer to make phone calls.  The catch is that you have to have Google call your phone first.  This is where the OBi110 comes into play.  After you have your Google number the genius of the device is that you plug it in and then sign up for the OBiTalk service on the  website.  It’s free, it’s easy and it configures your device for you.  That’s right, you plug your Obi110 device numbers into the website, you say your using Google talk and then you can pick up the phone you have hooked up to the OBi110 and call your best bud.  No contracts, no money, just a little white box that’s smaller than your current cable modem. 

If you feeling fancy, you can hard wire the device into your phone line system and then your whole house will be able to use the number.

This device is a wave of goodness  The only cravat that exists is with Google voice you do not get 911 service.  But wait the OBi110 has already thought of that.  While I was doing the review the only flaw that I saw was there was no easy to setup e911 service.   ObiTalk just released a new feature of the product that puts it over the top.   Now you can sign up for an free sip phone line from a provider like sipgate, have all your normal outbound calls go through Google voice but in the event of an emergency if you need 911 services the provider with e911 service will get the call.  Please note.  Before you test your 911 service please call the city to tell them your testing it.  Otherwise I’ll say that it works so quickly that the police will show up at your door.  We signed up for a sip account, setup e911, and configured the OBi110 in about 20 minutes, including the test call.  Also you will probably be charged about 2 dollars a month for e911 services depending on your provider.  I’ll say that’s a small price to pay.

With all this product getting rid of my land line service kicking Vonage to the curb.  The cost of this device is around $50.  That is less than the cost of any cell phone, and most likely your actual physical phone costs more.  I have one in my office just for making long distance phone calls. 

Also as a bonus, you can even install the OBi application on your iPhone or iPad.  This will allow you to make phone calls from that device.  Think of talking to grandma on your iPad.  That’s right, your grandma will thank you for your Obi110.

For many business people the Thinkpad line of laptops, originated by IBM and now continued by Lenovo, has always been the rock solid standard for the road.  Now Lenovo has introduced a new lineup for its X-series, topped by the X1.  The X1 is the successor to the X300, which was one of the best ultraportables in the business. At a starting price of $1300, this is a serious machine.

There’s no flash on the outside, just the standard charcoal Lenovo magnesium case.  But inside is where things have changed.   The X1 boots up faster than most of the laptops I’ve used, thanks to what Lenovo calls its “enhanced experience”.  The 13.3” HD display uses Corning’s Gorilla Glass, making it virtually scratch proof,  but subject to glare.  However, the X1 gets rid of the optical drive, a feature I happen to like, but which frankly is no biggie for many business users.

The X1 has a really nice Dolby speaker system,  making it fun to listen to music or watch movies on the road.  It starts with an Intel i3 processor, but you can upgrade.  I’ve been using the i5.  The machine has decent, but not great battery life – about 4 to 6 hours depending on what you’re doing.  There is an available add-on slice which roughly doubles the battery life, and is not as ugly as some other add-ons.  The X1 has the Lenovo TrackPoint pointing device, as well as a multi-touch touchpad.  It also comes with a rare feature for Lenovo, a backlit keyboard, which is a big deal for me and a big help working in a darkened airplane cabin or meeting room.  Despite a few flaws, this is a solid machine, and lives up to its heritage as one of the best ultraportables for the business user.