While iPod Touch has the same physical look and functionality as the iPhone, it is still lacking in one thing: the ability to make phone call.

If you can afford the extra $100 plus the $60/month AT&T charge for the next two year, then you can ignore this post and go get yourself an iPhone. However, if you are like me, stuck in a country where iPhone has not yet been launched (received news that it is coming to Singapore in September 2008, bundled with Singtel), then here is a good way to convert your iPod Touch into a phone.

The way to do it is via the application SIP-VoIP (and also a TouchMod mic to transmit and receive voice signal since iPod Touch does not has a microphone and speaker by default).

There is a great tutorial over at Lifehacker on installing and configuring SIP-VoIP on your iPod Touch. Generally, the steps required are summarized below:

1. Jailbreak your iPod Touch
2. Add the touchmod repository to your installer.app
3. Install the SIP-VoIP app via the installer.app (according to Lifehacker, if the application don’t work, you will have to install the older version via OpenSSH)
4. Register a SIP account with third party
5. Configure the SIP-VoIP with the third party details
6. Dial the outbound number and start making the call.

You won’t get a full fledge phone after installing SIP-VoIP, but it does show great promises, and can be a great alternative for those who are not able to get their hand on an iPhone.

via [Lifehacker]