[asterisk-users] Nomination for Coolest App in 2007

[Steve Totaro]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: asterisk-users-bounces at lists.digium.com [mailto:asterisk-users-
> bounces at lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of Brad Templeton
> Sent: Monday, March 12, 2007 8:29 PM
> To: Asterisk Users Mailing List - Non-Commercial Discussion
> Subject: Re: [asterisk-users] Nomination for Coolest App in 2007
> 
> On Tue, Mar 06, 2007 at 11:14:15PM -0500, Steve Totaro wrote:
> > Mine goes to chan_bluetooth.  Somewhat of a pain getting it going
but I
> > am totally floored with how cool it is!
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Steve Totaro
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> 
> My, that is a cool app.  I look forward to running it when it's a bit
more
> stable.   While the outgoing call ability seems of limited use since
> cell call quality is not that exciting to even unlimited night and
> weekend minuets are probably not too attractive compared to 1
cent/minute
> SIP terminations, there are a number of interesting possibilities:
> 
>     a) If your target has an unlimited calls to other
> customers/family/etc.
>         plan, you would want to call them this way to save minutes.
>     b) Handy on some carriers for checking cell voice mail.  (I have
>         found that with many US carriers, however, you can call
>         your cell phone with CID set to your cell number, and it goes
>         directly to voice mail  Make sure you have a password!)
>     c) Incoming calls, obviously handy.
>     d) During daytime, program to receive incoming calls and say,
>         "I am at my desk.  Please call me at xxx-yyyy or press 1 to
>         have me call you back at <CID>" so you get
>         better quality and don't bill cell minutes.  In the evening,
>         assuming unlimited weekends, you might forward directly.
> 
> Can it send and receive SMS via bluetooth too?
> 
> 
> I also like a lot the talk of coming softphones with bluetooth
> headset support.   This would allow you to use your bluetooth
> headset as an extension on your Asterisk pbx.   I happen to have
> a bluetooth headset that plugs into my hard phone -- I wish more
> hardphones supported them natively -- and that's handy.  This could
> be just as good.   To really get it right you would want some
> speech recognition so you could place calls from the bluetooth
> headset by saying names and digits, as many cell phones can already
> do.
> 
> Of course, a linux softphone could reside right on the asterisk box.
> You could multi-dial your bluetooth headset and your hard phones and
> answer where you like.

I was part of an onsite USAID project to evaluate and help rebuild the
infrastructure in war torn West Africa (Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea).
A great experience to truly realize what down and out is, but more
importantly, see what real hope and the excitement that a new democracy
is.

Interestingly, when war broke out in these areas, land lines were cut.
Probably partially to prevent communication but I was told it was
actually more the locals that used the copper in the lines to make pots
and pans.

Everything was prepaid cellular.  GSM gateways were the only way to
connect a PBX and they were quite expensive.  With this app, a smaller
NGO with not little funding could setup a nice PBX a few cell phones
doing triple duty as extensions, FXO ports, and an SMS gateway.
Everything is pre-paid there since there is no such thing as credit. 

Another interesting (from an American's perspective anyways) is that
inbound calls on cell phones are free.  Even if you buy a SIM with a
little pre-paid time and use up the time, you can still receive inbound
calls for free for a couple months.  

Thanks,
Steve Totaro
http://www.asteriskhelpdesk.com
KB3OPB