08/21/2008, 12:35pm, EDT
Thursday, August 21stOpenPeak takes iPhone ethos to landlines
Newcomer American firm OpenPeak is developing a home phone system that would take many of the design principles of the iPhone to fixed lines, according to a scoop at Wired. The OpenFrame would revolve around a large, portrait-style touchscreen display with some phone functionality built-in but which will also have support for extra functions both out of the box and through third-party apps.
The device would have its own built-in calendar, news and digital photo frame functions but could be used for more demanding tasks written by OpenPeak and others: as the OpenFrame is run by an Intel Atom processor and full networking, it could stream Internet radio and otherwise stand in where a computer would be necessary. VoIP is also an option for carriers that don't depend on traditional phone lines.
Separate handsets would provide a traditional phone experience and would have their own smaller touchscreens for handling certain functions away from the OpenFrame.
OpenPeak hasn't slated a release date but says it anticipates pricing the OpenFrame between $200 and $300 depending on final costs and market research; most would sell through existing phone carriers, though the possibility exists of the device being sold as a stand-alone item that can be used with any carrier.
Apart from the iPhone-influenced control scheme, OpenPeak also shares an indirect connection to Apple though key investor John Sculley, who ran Apple as chief executive following Steve Jobs' departure in 1985.
Filed under: iPhone, gadgets, Apple
Other story tags: OpenPeak
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neato
Looks pretty nifty, but I can't find a single scrap of info on what kind of development platform this might make, what the OS and API capabilities are, and how much access the user has to the software. This could be a big breakthrough in computing form factors, or a nifty toy depending on the answer to those questions.
Funky handsets...
You'd think the handsets would have touch screen controls too.
I bet the "touch screen" buttons on the handsets are fixed artwork and not actually a display.
nahh.
Seems like a great way to open up landlines for charging data rate plans by the phone company. It would also probably introduce another "tax" on basic phone service, no?
I think the audience for this device will be limited to those without DSL or Cable.
I've already got cable. Why would I need similar access over my phone line, too? I can make phone calls from my computer, but the phone works a bit better, and it's designed for that purpose. My phone doesn't need OS and/or firmware updates, or AntiVirus software.
I can't see the device replacing either my phone (competent "inexpensive" single purpose device) or computer (complex expensive powerful device).
I vote interesting form factor, yet superfluous device.