In a world of machine-washable suits, non-stick pans and inflatable cart-horses, it's perhaps unsurprising that the latest "we'll make life easier" gadget to invade our homes and suckle at our electricity supply is a consumer VOIP speaker-phone. After all, there's so much online shopping, online chatting and online general-living to be done, where's the time to actually visit your family and friends? I certainly haven't even got enough time to talk to myself; I'm forced to email quick pangs of conscience and sudden urges to myself, and hope that they don't get swallowed up by the ever-voracious spam filters.

Canyon are hoping to solve that problem, or at least a little part of it, with their VOIP Station - a vaguely conical device that looks a little like an Apple AirPort that has turned to the dark side.  Plug it in via USB, call up your parents via your service-of-choice, and then bask in being able to strut around doing at least four other things while berating them for squandering your inheritance.

The cost of all this ease?  £39.95 ($75.84)

Canyon [via Shiny Shiny]