Slashdot Mirror
Desktop As a Cellphone Extension?
spaceman375 writes "Like many slashdotters, I've given up on landlines and have only a cell account. The problem: when I am home I don't want to carry my phone on my person, AND I don't want to have to run (possibly up or down stairs) to answer a call. Landlines solved this with extensions. I could go buy an xlink or other Bluetooth-to-POTS solution, but that takes money for equipment. My desktop has Bluetooth, as do my laptop and cell. All I want is a program that can use my cell's Bluetooth to make and receive calls from my Linux PC. I can do this with asterisk or related programs, but that is like buying UPS when I just need a taxi ride. Yet all I can find are programs that either use 'presence' to shift other-sourced calls to my cell, or ways to use a Bluetooth headset when receiving a call on a PC. Has anyone found a way to use their desktop to make and receive calls through their cell via Bluetooth?"
You don't want to be bothered with carrying the phone with you (the easiest solution), and don't want to be bothered with having to run up or downstairs to answer the phone, so your idea is to what - answer it from your PC, which if you're away from it would STILL necessitate you having to rush to it up or downstairs to answer??? Just pocket the stupid phone and be done with it.
no
then I haven't looked.
I understand you dont want to run for your phone -- Bluetooth won't reach up and down stairs, so linking phone and computer are likely not going to solve your problem. Why not use Grand Central http://www.grandcentral.com/ and a Skype number? Have Grand Central ring your cell and your Skype number at the same time. Then whichever you're closest to, you can answer.
Celphones, at least ones I have seen, do not allow initiating calls from a remotely attached computer or forwarding audio there. It may be possible to make a computer pretend to be a headset, however an easier solution would be to simply wear a Bluetooth headset with sufficient range.
Contrary to the popular belief, there indeed is no God.
The BlueZ code to host the handsfree profile is fairly new and might be immature. And I don't know of a program to actually use it, so you might have to write your own client program.
I just forward my calls to my asterisk instance with *72 on Verizon. *72111-222-3333.
http://tf2.digitaljedi.com
Install an elevator so you don't have to run up and down stairs, or carry your phone with you.
They want their breezeblock-sized phones that run off a car battery back. Apparently you were supposed to go and buy a modern phone that you can carry with you.
How 'bout something like the XLink or one of these similar products?
This isn't what you're asking for, but it might actually be close to what you really want.
(I haven't used anything like these, but a couple people said good things about the XLink one in a previous /. story this was mentioned in.)
Take a look at HFP for Linux: http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/linux/125997-hfp-linux-bluetooth-hands-free.html. I've been able to dial my phone over bluetooth, and use the desktop's mic and speakers for the call.
You probably want to look into the No Hands project. It'll allow you to control your phone remotely over bluetooth from your PC. Aimed primarily at in-car situations, I guess it'll work just as well on the desktop.
Use a skype phone number, and set it to forward calls to your cell if you don't pick or you're not logged in.
Seems much simpler.
1. Carry your cellphone with you. Could be a problem if you like to roam the house naked.
2. Get a landline. Could be a problem if you're allergic to landlines.
3. Let the damn thing ring. Could be a problem if you have some compulsive need to be instantly at everyone's beck and call. In that case see a shrink.
Place your battery charger at a convenient place and when ever you get home plug the phone into the charger and do NOT unplug it untill you leave the house. Then you have the same functionality as you had with a fixed line phone with a cord. You cannot misplace your phone anymore.
On OSX there is BluePhoneElite. http://mirasoftware.com/BPE2/
Your big issue is Bluetooth range.
You want to be able to answer your phone from your computer? That would indicate that you plan on being at/near your computer while you are home. Why not just leave your cell phone sitting on your desk? Since you would have to be there to answer it using the computer anyway you won't have to go any further than you would with your idea.
You're trying to over think this one.
Check out the Asterisk software, and specifically the "chan_mobile" extension. It allows you to use a cellphone (with bluetooth) as an "incoming" channel for a phone system, or to use the cellphone as an extension on the phone system. I believe that chan_mobile is included by default in the newest (1.6.x) version of the asterisk software.
Asterisk has a fairly steep learning curve, so it will likely be a time consuming adventure to get it all working, but assuming the bluetooth on your phone supports it, it should allow you to do what you want. You will need to have a Linux computer that has bluetooth, runs the asterisk software, and you will also need an "FXS" port (can be a $15 internal card, or a $30 IP based one) that connects your home phones to the computer.
The voip-info.org site and the asterisk-users mailing list are both invaluable if you are just starting out with asterisk.
If diving into setting up your own asterisk server from scratch is too daunting, it may be easiest to try a prebuilt setup (such as Trixbox CE) and then following one of the guides for adding chan_mobile support to it. I can't personally say how involved this would be, since I've never used any of the pre-setup Asterisk systems.
Good luck!
Whenever Google Voice decides to launch, your problems will be solved.
Seriously, get with the now.
You feel comfortable carrying your laptop with you, but your mobile is too much of a problem?
Fucking wank American.
Maybe change to a Class 1 Bluetooth adapter so you can put the phone anywhere. With the latest Widcomm/Broadcom Bluetooth stacks, you can answer calls on the PC. (Windows)
At least with Sony Ericsson phones, you can make/answer calls with Bluetooth.
I have a solution called a "cell phone belt holster", and it cost me $14 at some store in the local mall. If my phone vibrates, no matter where I am inside or outside my house, I can answer it immediately.
If the phone's NOT on my belt, it means I don't want to answer a call. When I had a landline, if it rang while I was brushing my teeth, it went to voicemail. My cell phone's no different.
We are not near the computer at all times sometimes out side working so not realistic to have the cell phone on you. and have to have it inside pluged in to charge. So I got a house phone with base unit and 3 portable phones. solved all problems karen http://www.iamtheprincess.com/
You neither want to carry your phone with you, nor do you want to have to actually walk somewhere to answer it. Are you really that damn lazy? It's a damn phone. Stick it in your pocket and be done with it. Shit, do you need help tying your shoes, too? Get a helmet and go on about your life.
If you live in France you get a my favorite ISP, (don t have any commercial relation but be one of his customer), free (appears at fbx.proxad.net on irc )who has what they call a freebox (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freebox), which is one of the inventor as what we know now as triple pay for internet, phone, and video, and they offer as a small but good geek bonus an option like a sip account, wifi, and redirections of your phone line linked to your adsl account to that sip account you own. now if you have a phone on which the sip works (bought a n85 a week ago), then you can do what as you want, have a single device. However note that peoples still have 2 numbers to contact you and you still have 2 outgoing choices for phone calls. They got other bonuses like tivo like recoder with HD channels, about 180 channels, and phone to landline to 60 countries for 30â, good news server retention, usualy, 6MB adsl, ipv6, Gb sized mail with zimbra and web account with apache mysql. (note that they had to inovate and redo the dslam infrastructure to do that), hoo too much goodies. I even like their geeky tv ads, and i mean by anyway , long time ago in france when isp were charging us for internet access on top of the phone comunication fee (which was way higher than now), and free was the first to have no charge on top of the phone fees, and that's where they got their name and then their infrastructure and budget to do what they do now. Now also be prepaired to wait for 3 months to get your dsl line, because the historic operator always make a few errors when switching the connecting to their lines.
I thought about these issues and ended up just buying a Panasonic bluetooth capable home phone: http://www.panasonic.com/consumer_electronics/telephones_central/bluetooth_phones/default.asp
I paid about 100 USD.
When the cell phone is in range the base acts just like a headset but relay's the call to any of the three cordless phone handsets around the house. My wife has even grown accustomed to it but there are a couple drawbacks. Weak bluetooth signal drains the battery, fast. No voicemail alert.
I west so far as to port my land number to wireless and just leave the extra cell phone plugged in the charger near the base-station. I can't even see the cell or the base-station, just have the threee handset strategically placed around the house.
I have been using FreeSWITCH, it does much more things than Asterisk and it's a lot more stable and flexible, check it out: http://www.freeswitch.org/
Most VoIP providers such as Teliax Inc, Bandwidth.com, iCall, etc, are switching from Asterisk to FreeSWITCH because of it's flexibility, stability and features.
"How does FreeSWITCH compare to Asterisk?"
http://www.freeswitch.org/node/117
You have a free solution -- putting your phone in your pocket, which is actually easier than leaving it somewhere.
You have a convenient solution -- you've listed a system that gives you the pots.
You have an extravagent solution -- you can go ups.
And you still aren't happy?!
Write your own, and stop whining. I'd kill to have those three solutions for any of my problems: do little, spend money, or get a lot. You aren't happy with any of them?!
I find it amazing that you're asking for a solution that requires no effort to set up, lets you answer the phone everywhere and does not require any investment. It looks like you're asking for the impossible. However the solution is very simple:
CARRY THE DAMN PHONE WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES
If you don't want to carry it, that's what extensions are for. You're asking how to convert your PC in an extension. Also, you'll need to rush to the extension (or your PC, and let me tell you that buying an extension is cheaper than buying a PC) every time it rings.
You're asking for the ultimate solution in telecommunications. It doesn't exist yet.
GPG 0x1B479C78
this would require that you either have a landline or voip setup in your house, but check out google talk
http://www.google.com/talk/
It's not very imaginative to conclude that the ultimate goal of these technologies is to achieve convergence between the various devices, to seamlessly use them all from either one of them.
My own short-term wishlist is:
This is what I think I need, YMMV. Much of these points are very very near of being done already. The major thing that's holding the whole concept back is that the cell-phone manufacturers (or probably more probably, the telcos) insist that the phones don't run a general purpose OS that would make it all possible with custom applications.
-- Sig down
For Windows, most of the Bluetooth dongles I've tried come with the profile and drivers to use the PC as a Bluetooth speakerphone for a paired PC.
Is there such a possibility for Linux?
-Patrick
"They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."
If you are interested you can try HFP for linux ( http://nohands.sourceforge.net/ ) ./ers who are just discussing why you want that solution instead of giving hints, maybe because they don't know the solution i've to say... grow up!
I seem to have some problem with hearing my mobile while i'm at computer with headphones... so it's always nice to have
an On Screen Display to show me of incoming calls at least.
And for all those
good luck with it!
I don't know where the OP has been shopping around, but Panasonic makes a Bluetooth based DECT home phone system. Just place the cell phone next to the main unit. And all incoming/outgoing calls go through the handsets. And you can add more handsets for each room of the house. Last time I checked, Fry's Electronics (brick and mortar stores) were selling these for around USD$75 for a starter kit.
Go buy a flipping magic jack, and call forward your cell. Plug your old pots phones into the magic jack and done. for 20$ a year or so. That cheep enough??? Unlimited long distance too.
I have a low-cost, public-domain solution I use. It's called "not answering my phone". If I'm working at home or anticipating a call, I keep my phone nearby. Otherwise, I feel no special obligation to answer it. If you have to worry about emergency work/family calls, assign special ringtones to potential callers-with-emergencies. If you are the sort of person that absolutely must answer it regardless, then simply smoke lots of pot until you're no longer that sort of person. Easy!
http://www.phonelabs.com/prd05.asp
http://www.inspectmygadget.com/2007/04/30/use-your-computer-to-receive-your-mobile-phone-calls-via-the-hands-freeheadset-profile-using-bluetooth-wm5/
Ok theres a windows solution for windows mobile phones (it looks like it should work for other mobiles).
now who can find a linux solution.
Blarney Quality Restaurant, Plants
In a number of houses, if you go in the basement the cell signal may die off. Just having it with you doesn't mean you'll always get calls... that's why something like a cell phone docking station that can stay up where signal is strongest makes sense.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Kids less than ~12 yrs old. It goes like this.. GET ME MY PHONE :)
Under the entry "educated idiot".
You're lucky I'm not in charge, because if I was you'd be taken away in the night for a few years of
hard labor, after which I am willing to bet you'd quit worrying about problems you don't even have.
Now excuse me while I PUKE at the thought of your existence.
http://john.mcclumpha.org/linux/Build_your_own_SMS_gateway_with_Ubuntu_Linux_and_Gammu/
no voice calls but that might be interesting an ubuntu sms gateway.
Blarney Quality Restaurant, Plants
use ooma..one time hardware purchase..
I have an old Uniden ELBT595- it pairs to a cellphone as a handsfree and you can use it like normal after that. Still on Uniden's site, but I don't see it at BestBuy's anymore- and its only single extension. Going to Telephones/Cordless/Bluetooth on Bestbuy's site came up with a couple DECT expandable setups - AT&T TL92278 and Panasonic KX-TH1212B as examples. Seems like what you are after to me.
LTGTFY - http://tinyurl.com/lq3pml
Congratulations you answered your own question in the very same post you posed it in.
There is no "buying" asterisk, it's open source. At most you will need an FXS card/box. The FXS card allows you to ring your house phones. If you want to deal with a real land line you need an FXO card.
Using the FollowMe feature in Asterisk will give you exactly what you ask for. In all you shouldn't have to spend more then $300 on the card and computer. Best part is you can keep using the same house phones you've had all along. (SIP phones cost $90+)
Your ideal setup would be a cellphone with a friends and family package where you pick a number you get unlimited calls to. Setup a SIP account through one of the many services. This will give you a callable number. Pick this as your number in your friends and family package. Connect the asterisk box to the sip account. You can now call home to your asterisk box over the internet for free, you can then call out again using your asterisk box to any other sip user for free or to any other landline for a small charge depending on the service (typically $0.01/min).
IMAGE VERIFICATION IS EVIL!
So I want all the functionality of turning the phone into a demarc point to the cell service - so I can call out, answer, ignore or whatever - but through the AI (penguin powered) in my home.
There's a product in there somewhere!
Been there, done that, paid for the T-shirt
and didn't get it
Solution 1:
Wear clothes
Wear cellphone
Solution 2, if you don't want to wear clothes.
Acquire velcro cable ties
Attach above to cell
Set cell to vibrate
Call friends, leave messages.
Use velcro to attach cell to proper body part
enjoy.
Take your cell phone and put it on your computer desk. This is the most retarded question I've ever seen.
"Those who would sacrifice essential liberties for a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - BenF
Bluephone Elite for the Mac kind of does what you are asking for. But why? A cell phone is actually better at making phone calls than a desktop PC, desktop microphone, and desktop speakers.
In all seriousness... it shouldn't be, "can I share my cell phone with other devices?", it should be "may I use several devices with my phone number?" Notice, it is the phone number that is at issue here, not the "talkie" part.
The simple answer is yes, but not the way you want to. And no, because the cell phone company will likely not participate... yet. The cell phone companies don't want to provide just "data service" since they wouldn't be able to severely bill you for the extra features on your phone.
I see that in an ideal world, i.e. the one we don't live in, we would have data access on our phones and that's it... thus voice communication would be just something that your "cell" device can do.
Today, the easiest way to accomplish what you want here is to use VoIP.
Duct tape.
Just tape the damn phone to you, like under an arm. Then you won't be bothered with having to keep the phone with you. Just position it so that the charging jack is accessible, plug it in while you sleep.
Now wasn't that easy, quick and simple?
On a less sarcastic note: You do know that nearly all cell phones use low power BT and that the 30m range is for absolutely perfect conditions? That in the real world of walls / wiring, metal clad big appliances and ambient noise that range can be as low as scant (single digit) meters?
I've been looking for something exactly like that, but for my Windows Vista notebook, that way, I can use my notebook mics and speakers as a hands free phone. HFP for Linux would be great, but not being much of a Microsoft code monkey, I doubt I could get it to work.
Patrick (thpdg (519053)), any ideas if the software for those dongles would work with the "HP Integrated Module with Bluetooth 2.0 Wireless Technology" in my notebook?
Anyone?
Anyone?
I had experimented with pairing a PC bluetooth with a cell phone. Mostly though I was experimenting with establishing a ZRTP-like session over bluetooth audio to do secure end-to-end media over the cellular network, rather than the application proposed here.
I bought the AT&T DECT 6.0 from best buy not too long ago once my old land line died. It comes with 2 handsets (a base with answering service, and additional charger and handset). You can add as many more handsets as you want (I'm sure there is an upper limit...like 10 or 12).
http://telephones.att.com/telephones_ui/phone_store/dsp_product.cfm?itemID=3930&parent=23655
Sure I had to put some gaff tape over all the AT&T Logos, but small price to pay. When I walk in my house, my iphone cuts in automagically and all calls ring through to the home handsets. The only downer is that it pulls the caller ID information and compares it to the internal phonebook, and not the phonebook in your cell phone. If a number is in your phone but not in your AT&T phone it will just show you the number on the ID, and not the name. When I walk out of the house, by the time i'm down the block I'm into normal cell operation again. Haven't had any problems with it at all. Looks sleek too.
You are not a Borg. You do not have to be plugged into the collective hive mind at all times. Come home from work, put the phone on your desk / table / kitchen counter, and leave it there. If it rings while you're away, call the person back if you must.
Or just leave the thing in your pocket. I'm "old school" enough to still have a Razr, which is thin enough to keep in my back pocket at all times without my even noticing it's there.
Yes, I realise that wasn't the solution you were seeking, but you are asking for a solution to a "problem" that seems ridiculous to most people, judging from the commentary. If you want to get serious answers you're probably going to have to give us some context or rationale, because otherwise your question seems, well, let's just say "eccentric".
mirrorshades radio -- darkwave, industrial, futurepop, ebm.
Or you could set up a Vonage line and have it simultaneously ring your cell. I worked at home for 4 years and took advantage of this. Any calls to my home number were promptly answered.
Or just wait for Google Voice
1. Get Google Voice.
From the web site: "Google Voice is currently available by invite only." How long did it take Google to get, say, Orkut to the point where invite codes were no longer needed? Google's blog claims that Google began activating accounts on June 25, 2009, but will the invite backlog become cleared before November 2009?
I wrote the question, and I just want to thank everyone who kindly suggested that I just carry the phone with me.
I know it will seem hard to believe, but that never occurred to me! So thank you! Slashdot comes through again!!!
In any case, the fact that bluetooth adds another load to your phone battery besides the usual cell coverage, it occurs to me that any solution involving this might leave the device tied to a charger too much to be useful. I agree with the earlier poster: just carry the phone with you.
On the other hand, while we (may) no longer need a POTS phone, it's usually simple enough to just connect a VOIP phone, with as many extensions as you need. Most people are perfectly capable of coping with you having more than one phone number.
they changed the name. they're sending out invites now.
Ask Me About... The 80's!
The limited range of bluetooth is going to impact just how far the phone can be from your PC. Up and downstairs are exactly the type of barriers that bluetooth struggles to overcome.
Like many others, when i first read it i thought "you lazy cheap SOB". Then it was "wait, he wants to carry around his computer rather then his phone? HOW BIG IS THE F**KING PHONE?"....
But, it is an interesting techo question in the "can it be done" basket. I've tried "nohands" myself previously and wasnt overly excited by it, it would be nice to be able to walk in my home, stick my phone on charge, have it associate with the server at home which can then route my calls in through the ata and out to the pots phones i have (perhaps it could even do the skype ones too). It would be nice for it to figure out the mobiles plugged in and route out-going ones through there as well (given that work pays for my mobile).
I think alot of people missed the "if tiny a piece of hardware can be a handsfree kit, why cant a laptop" idea behind it all. In all fairness the geeks here on slashdot (i include myself) do alot of things because we can, not because we should and because its intriguing to the simple geekly instincts within us. This kind of question certainly qualifies
just my $0.02
My depressingly cheap and tiny USB dongle comes with a bluetooth stack that allows you to do just that - connect to the phone via BT, dial, and use PC's speaker and mic as the BT headset.
-/elad
The solution to this is very obvious.. just get a small cell phone and carry it with you everywhere. Why would you want to route your calls from a small portable device to a big desktop computer? It makes no sense. You would still have to run around to your computer/laptop when you need to answer a call. Just carry a small cell phone.
And by the way, why would you use a Bluetooth headset to connect to your PC to answer calls, when you can connect the Bluetooth headset directly to your phone?
This is why ENUM was invented. This is roughly how it works: 1. Convert the phone number to a DNS query. 2. The result is the preferred way to connect to the user. And DNS can change quite fast so it's dynamic :)
EC500 on Avaya phones also has some interesting features.
More details:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ENUM
...I think you need to elucidate.
From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."
Since the problem seems to be one of coverage (i.e. his basement gets none) a better solution (that would allow him to keep the phone with him) would be to install a femtocell in his house so he can get coverage. Vodafone are launching them in the UK, people like IP Access (http://www.ipaccess.com/picocells/index.php) produce them.
Goten Xiao
Bluetooth already has profiles for exactly this use case...just about every car out there that has Bluetooth support implements the Hands-free and Remote-SIM profiles.
Those allow the car kit to take over call handling from the phone. Think of the phone as becoming just a Bluetooth voice modem.
Hands-free lets you use the car's mic and speakers and Remote-SIM gives the car kit full address to your address book to access the missed/last-dialled/etc calls list, do address book searches and do calling ID/name lookups.
The down side: Linux has been very slow in embracing Bluetooth, IMHO of course...and support's very patchy. Focus seems to have been on either just phone tethering or OBEX file send/receive. SCO/voice/audio/A2DP and the more advanced profiles seem to be mostly ignored/neglected which is sad. A well-intregrated set of Bluetooth profiles would be really awesome (not that Windows does an amazingly better job on integration)
Andries
Just embed the phone in your brain ..become a Bjorg.
You must live in an awful small space. Doesn't Bluetooth only go 30ft? Put it in your pocket or belt clip (or velcro it to your chest) and quit whining.
You're thinking about the problem in far to conventional way - change the question - what you need is a number that friends, family, colleagues, business, etc can reach you. Your cell phone is just one of many systems designed to carry voice. A great example of reversing this problem is the former "Grand Central" now "Google Voice". (Note: I have it under good authority that if you are on the waiting list an additional one million new subscribers will be added as soon as July) There are dozens of other one number systems - Google Voice is just free. Now you have a single number of which your cell phone is just one of many ways to answer or place calls. PS - For those of you keeping up with the Skype/SIP discussion - Skype has agreed to begin providing interconnection to commercial SIP providers. They have been testing this for about a year and I can attest that the system works very good. I've been able to place calls to and from my Skype account from any phone including my Cell.
Mark Hewitt mark(at)mark-hewitt.com
The problem: when I am home I don't want to carry my phone on my person, AND I don't want to have to run (possibly up or down stairs) to answer a call.
No wonder we are nation of fucking fatsoes and pencilnecks. I don't carry my cell phone with me at home, but that doesn't stop me from running, what, 20-30 feet, to get it when it rings.
Seriously, this was a lame excuse to throw some money @ technology for the hell of it while moving one step closer to be one of those Wall-e space fatties on floating platforms. Amazing that you even call that "a problem" .
Look up Buddhism. Judaeo-based monotheism is not typical of the world's religions, in fact despite its important role in the development of Western civilisation, in some ways it's remarkably backward.
From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."
install asterisk 1.6 and configure chan_mobile
If only google voice would allow termination to a SIP number, it would be a great solution.
-- -- Warning. Do not stare directly at the sun.
Pull the battery when you get home.
They're called "pockets", and many articles of clothing have them.
Programmer: an ingenious device that converts caffeine into code.
Hi,
Here in Sweden, there are several landline/mobile operators using VoIP. I have Megaphone as a telephony provider (www.megaphone.se), a VoIP box from Linksys connected to my fiber access at home and a Nokia E51 (has a built-in SIP client, which works with both WiFi and 3G+). From my operator I have 2 SIP accounts linked to the same phone number (a landline numer). So I can pick up all calls from either the cell or one of my landline phones.
Advantages:
- One number, answer from any phone.
- CHEAP calls abroad: about 0.01Euro/min within Europe + the data traffic on 3G if I use the cell (add 0.03E/min). They also have a plan with "unlimited" 3G (up to 1GB I believe) for 20E/month. [Prices are actually in Swedish Crowns, 1E is about 10Kr]
Drawbacks:
- Megaphone does not guarantee that there is enough bandwidth on their 3G+ (HSPA@7.2Mbps) network, so the sound can be terrible. In such cases, I call back using the GSM number.
Stephane
I have a home phone (Vonage), a cell phone (Sprint), a cell phone extender/femto-cell (Samsung Airave), a VoIP phone connected to an Asterisk server, Skype, Adium, and a Mac Pro.
I work from home, so much of my time is spent in front of my computer. My kids are home from time to time taking a nap, and my wife is at home fairly often as well, so I wear headphones almost constantly so I can listen to music and other beeps and boops from my random communication applications without bothering others, and at a low enough level where I don't get hearing loss, but I also don't hear the outside world.
Although the poster asked only about one solution, I can see where they are getting at -- Telecom integration.
It would be convenient to be able to answer all of my various incoming communications -- cell, land line, Skype, SIP and VoIP -- on my desktop. It would also be convenient to be able to place calls from my desktop to others via whichever route I choose -- Skype, Jajah, Google Voice, SIP, cell phone, land line -- or to be able to build a little LCR (Least Cost Routing) db that chooses for me, based on criteria I can set. Having access to all of those pieces in a desktop format would enable me to do some cool stuff, and also allow providers I use to add new features via an API to make communications even easier.
As it is now, in theory this is all possible, but no one has come up with an easy way to integrate it all. Sure, there are hacks like Asterisk, but then you have to run an additional server or Virtual Machine, and it isn't for the feint of heart. A desktop app that could do this would be very slick, but there is still the difficulty of integration. Is it a single device which handles your cell and land lines? Can you transfer a call in Skype through your desktop to your home phone line, so you can take a call in the bathroom? Maybe I need to leave and want to continue talking on Jajah but transfer to my cell.
It just doesn't yet exist, and if it does, it is difficult to do.
TossableDigits.com: Temporary Phone Numb
I've never lived anywhere that I could be in the house but not within ear-shot of/easy walk to my cell phone. Maybe you should consider getting a smaller house. :)
He is ALWAYS with his pc while at home. And his couch. And TV.
What kind of life are YOU having at home?
Clearly your home is too large - find somewhere smaller...
I wanted to have my mobile to come in two sizes. The BIG one for email, websurfing, and all that. The small one that fits in my jeans' front pocket, confortably. - The solution was two phones. Obviously. But I didn't want to swap the SIM-card every time.
MultiSIM to the rescue! - Luckily the operators in Finland finally started to sell this multi SIM-service. Basically I have two lines that share one number. If both phones are on, they both ring. First one to answer gets the call. When I call out, they both are billed as my primary. (I can actually make double billing by calling out with both phones at once, if I really wanted to.)
Only problem is the SMS. They only go to the primary SIM. I can send naturally with both, but only really receive with one.
If all else fails, pull the plug and get out...
The Life is out there...