Quite possibly the next best thing to owning a cell phone.
 

Sony has announced a new firmware update for the PSP-2000 (it's the slimmer and lighter version that recently hit the market for those of you wondering), giving users the ability to make free calls over the Internet via Skype. This new capability is available as a free system software upgrade, giving the existing PSP-2000 userbase the ability to connect with the millions of Skype users around the world.

Today's announcement also revealed that PSP owners looking to contact non-Skype users can also purchase Skype Credit, available for purchase at http://www.skype.com. With Skype Out, calls can be made to any landline or mobile number around the world. 

There are two ways to pay for SkypeOut:

·         Pay As You Go: Place a pre-paid amount of Skype Credit in your account and then refill it as you need it. It’s just 2.1 cents per minute to Skype’s 30 most popular destinations around the world.

·         Pay Monthly: Sign up for the Skype Pro™ premium subscription for just $3.00/month. This gives you free calling to landlines and mobile phones within the U.S. and Canada (with no connection fee**); a discounted rate for a personal online number (SkypeIn) to receive calls; voicemail; and other features, such as the ability to pay nothing per minute for local calls when travelling to 29 other countries (connection fee** applies).

You can also purchase a personal online number so you can receive calls wherever you are in the world with a subscription to SkypeIn for $60.00/year or $18.00/three months (save $36 on this feature with a Skype Pro subscription).

For more details, visit the official Skype website.