JKKMobile is expanding his bag of Eee PC tricks. The newest addition to his repertoire is grafting a 3G modem complete with SIM card inside his ASUS Eee PC. Both video and a set of sorta step-by-step images will help guide you through the process. Have you hacked your Eee PC, yet? If so, please post your project in our comments section.—Dave Prochnow

(Image: jkkmobile.blogspot.com)

As with most semi-illegal hardware hacking, the saga to unlock and/or install third party apps on the iPhone unfolds mostly in the scattered forums and wikis that constitute the back alleys of the Web where regular folks (rightfully) fear to tread. As a result, there is no single place to go for easily-digestible instructions on how to carry out the various hacks available.

As expected, Voice Over IP devices had a big presence at this year's CES. As paid services such as Vonage and those offered by cable companies nationwide continue to gain market share, more Americans are getting used to the idea of paying drastically less for long-distance and international calls.

An exciting overlap developing here in Las Vegas is the pairing of VoIP—a service most commonly used in the home—and your everyday mobile phone. One such device which has managed to slip under the radar—likely because it is still without a U.S. distributor—is the Qool SkyCube, a Singaporean import that acts as a bridge between your PC-based Skype service, your landline and your GSM mobile phone (like those from T-Mobile or Cingular) via a SIM card slot. Enough acronyms for you?

Basically, the SkyQube is a device that's built to always ensure you're using the most inexpensive phone service possible. If you're at home, you can pop your SIM card into the 'Qube and redirect your incoming calls through Skype, saving precious cell minutes. If you're traveling internationally, pick up a cheap pay-per-use domestic SIM card and have all your calls forwarded, again saving roaming and long distance charges. The device also supports text messaging, allowing you to send it an SMS instructing it to place a potentially expensive international call via Skype and have it call you back with the connection.

The bigger mobile players also have this overlap in mind. As more high-end phones are equipped with wi-fi, using cheaper VoIP services when a free wireless network is available will undoubtedly become more common. A dual-mode phone from D-Link (left), available in the first quarter of this year, will be able to switch between wi-fi VoIP and GSM calling with a single button click. Skype itself is expected to launch a similar phone later this year, as well as a version of its client available for Nokia's wi-fi equipped Symbian smartphones. Nokia's brand-new N800 Internet Tablet
, while not a phone, will also soon be able to use a freshly-announced Skype client designed for its Linux operating system, on top of its current VoIP capabilities via the Gizmo Project and Google Talk.

Tech jargon aside, what this means for all of us down the road is greater calling freedom and, most exciting of all, a drastically lower cellphone bill. —John Mahoney

Dept: Void Your Warranty
Tech: Cellphone unlocking

Cost: Free to $50

Time: 15 minutes

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