Top 10 High-End Conference, IP & Digital Telephones

A TELEPHONE, or phone, is a telecommunications device that permits two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are not in the same vicinity of each other to be heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most efficiently the human voice, into electronic signals suitable for transmission via cables or other transmission media over long distances, and replays such signals simultaneously in audible form to its user. The word telephone has been adapted into the vocabulary of many languages. It is derived from the Greek, phone, "voice", together meaning "distant voice".

First patented in 1876 by Alexander Graham Bell and further developed by many others, the telephone was the first device in history that enabled people to talk directly with each other across large distances. Telephones rapidly became indispensable to businesses, government, and households, and are today some of the most widely used small appliances.

The essential elements of a telephone are a microphone (transmitter) to speak into and an earphone (receiver) which reproduces the voice of the distant person. In addition, most telephones contain a ringer which produces a sound to announce an incoming telephone call, and a dial used to enter a telephone number when initiating a call to another telephone. Until approximately the 1970s most telephones used a rotary dial, which was superseded by the modern DTMF push-button dial, first introduced by AT&T in 1963. The receiver and transmitter are usually built into a handset which is held up to the ear and mouth during conversation. The dial may be located either on the handset, or on a base unit to which the handset is connected. The transmitter converts the sound waves to electrical signals which are sent through the telephone network to the receiving phone. The receiving telephone converts the signals into audible sound in the receiver, or sometimes a loudspeaker. Telephones are a duplex communications medium, meaning they allow the people on both ends to talk simultaneously.

A landline telephone is connected by a pair of wires to the telephone network, while a mobile phone, such as a cellular phone, is portable and communicates with the telephone network by radio transmissions. The public switched telephone network, consisting of telephone lines, fiberoptic cables, microwave transmission, cellular networks, communications satellites, and undersea telephone cables connected by switching centers, allows telephones around the world to communicate with each other. Each telephone line has an identifying telephone number. To initiate a telephone call the user enters the other telephone's number into a numeric keypad on the phone.

Although originally designed for simple voice communications, most modern telephones have many additional capabilities. They may be able to record spoken messages, send and receive text messages, take and display photographs or video, play music, and surf the Internet. A current trend is phones that integrate all mobile communication and computing needs; these are called smartphones.

Telephone News, Reviews & Resources

• Conference call - Wikipedia.
• Dell’s new USB-C hub is also a speakerphone for conference calls - "Perfect for working from home."
• Fisher-Price launches a working Chatter telephone for adults - "This novelty phone is a throwback from your childhood."
• how do you tell who’s human online? - "Automated ‘voices’ that were supposed to do mundane tasks online also now spread hate speech and polarise opinion. Are they a boon or a threat?"
• How to make phone calls with Google Home - The Verge.
• How to record a phone call on your iPhone - "There might come a time when you need to record a phone call on your iPhone. Here's the simplest way how."
• iOS 17 Lets You Clone Your Voice on Your iPhone - "Personal Voice for the iPhone uses AI to create a replica of your voice and store it on your phone. It lets users with disabilities that affect speech use type-to-speak to communicate with others via your iPhone's speakers, FaceTime and third-party applications (which will eventually support the accessibility feature)."
• Is Google About To Reinvent The Phone Call? - "Google Phone, an app that until now was only pre-installed in the company’s Pixel and Android One terminals, but some of whose functionalities are already being extended to other smartphones with Android Pie installed, such as those made by LG, OnePlus or Samsung, which can download the app from the Play Market and then configure it as the default call application. The idea is to introduce some advanced features, such as caller identification information (that can be verified by Google), a logo or, more interestingly, a short text to specify the reason for the call."
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• Magmo iPhone Call Recorder 32GB Magnetic Snap-On Call Recorder for iPhone - "Quick & Direct Recording, 500 Hours of Recordings, 7 Hours of Battery Life, Magsafe, Built for Calls." Everyday with Magmo: Use Magmo to record ANY phone call. From recording your loved ones' voices to recording important business calls, Magmo always has your back. Just Snap-It On: Magmo is a magnetic call recording device that attaches to the back of your smartphone. Quick & Direct Recording: Simply flip the switch up when you need to record a call. Magmo then immediately starts recording. Recordings are then saved automatically in a sequential order with file names such as 'Rec 0001', 'Rec 0002', and so on.
• PHONE NUMBERS WERE NEVER MEANT AS ID - Wired.
• Republic Wireless is getting into hardware with a smart speakerphone - The Verge.
• SPEAKERPHONE - Wikipedia.
• TELEPHONE - Wikipedia.
• The art & science of being on hold - "Not content to let customers sit back and enjoy some light jazz, companies have turned hold music into a marketing exercise."
• ThÉÂtrophone - (1881/1890-1932). ("The theatre phone") was a telephonic distribution system available in portions of Europe that allowed the subscribers to listen to opera and theatre performances over the telephone lines.
• The Only Living Pay Phones in New York - "At one point in time, you couldn’t walk 30 feet on a New York City block without encountering a pay phone. A look at the last ones."
• There’s a Phone Booth in Japan Where People Can Call the Dead - Travel + Leisure.
• VIDEOPHONE - Wikipedia.
• Why noise pollution is bad for your heart - "The roar of traffic, aircraft and even ringing telephones are linked to negative health effects. Now scientists are starting to unravel what all this noise is doing to our bodies."

Top 10 High-End Conference, IP & Digital Telephones

• AVAYA 9600 Series IP Deskphones - "Desktop Collaboration Devices Built for Speed and Productivity."
• Cisco Unified IP Phone 7900 Series - "Enhance your telephony experience." Take full advantage of high-quality VoIP while retaining the convenience and ease of use you expect from a desktop phone. Improve productivity by meeting voice-communications needs throughout your organization.
• Gigaset - "Home telephone systems."
• Mitel Business Phones - "Cover a range of digital and IP phones, consoles, conference phones, and peripherals suited for business of all sizes and industries."
• NEC - "Empowered by Innovation." The phone: still the hub of business communication—whether on a desk, through a computer, or in the palm of your hand.
• Panasonic - cordless, corded & business phones.
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• PANASONIC KX-PRD262B DECT 6.0 Plus Link-to-Cell Bluetooth(R) Dock-Style System with 2 Handsets for Smartphones - at Amazon.com.
• Philips - "Premium design. Pure connection." Behold the Philips Design Collection of digital cordless and corded phones – stylishly bold yet timelessly iconic in every way.
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• Plantronics Calisto 620 Bluetooth Speakerphone - USB Wireless Speakerphone. The perfectly portable, wireless speakerphone that takes unified communications on the road that instantly transforms your laptop or smartphone into a high-quality conferencing device.
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• POLYCOM - "Remarkable voice conferencing for rooms of any size."
• TOSHIBA - "Business Telephones."
• VTECH - world's leading supplier of corded and cordless phones.