I'll second all of Dubai Stu's suggestions.

One thing to add: assuming you can get a reasonably-priced data package (the one-year one is $64.99/mo for unlimited data, versus the other option of $200/mo for 200MB [and yes, I chewed through a touch more than 200MB/mo when in Asia and Australia in 2008 because, like you, I am a major computer geek and love my Internet ), now that many VoIP apps work over 3G and not just wifi, check into perhaps signing up for a full, paid account with incoming call capabilities. With push notification, some of the apps actually make for acceptable (though far from perfect!) telephone replacement solutions.

I did a review in October of the four major VoIP apps (this was before any of them enabled calling over 3G):

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...t12619797.html

Some things may have changed since then, but perhaps that will help you look into this option.

Edit: according to http://forums.wireless.att.com/cng/b...hread.id=87133 and other reports here, note that one restriction of the $64.99/mo unlimited data plan is that the phone must register activity in the U.S. at least once a month (it is not intended for people living/traveling full-time overseas). Therefore, that option may not be right for you (if you could even get access to it), so you might need to go for something else instead.