Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and BT (the service operator formerly known as British Telecom) have recently struck a deal to basically turn the PlayStation Portable into a phone. The four-year agreement will involve adding video and voice call capabilities, as well as messaging, to the mobile gaming platform.

The question is then, are PSP owners interested in turning their barely portable gaming consoles into a barely portable communications device? The demographics dictate that someone willing to spend money on a sophisticated toy must be a gadget freak. And more often than not, gadget freaks already have their own phones.

Both SCEE and BT have a market of 8 million owners to convert. Will a significant number listen to what they have to say? Maybe, if these souped-up PSPs offer something that your "average" smartphone or PDA can't. Which might be easy as pie, thanks to the gadget's significant hardware capabilities.