Linux answering machine

[Chong Yu Meng]

On Thu, 2006-11-16 at 05:37 -0500, David Bandel wrote:
> On 11/16/06, Chong Yu Meng <chongym at cymulacrum.net> wrote:
> > Hi all,
> >
> > This is probably going to sound like a strange request:
> >
> > I want to setup a Linux system that can receive phone calls through a
> > voice modem and Bluetooth headset, but I have no clue where to start.
> > The reason why I suddenly need to do this is, my wife recently bought a
> > Plantronics Bluetooth phone that cannot work with my current phone --
> > its a mechanical design incompatibility between an American product and
> > a German phone (long story!). Anyway, I've never had much luck with
> > cordless residential phones, having wasted quite a lot of money on 2
> > previous phones: one Philips phone with ridiculously short talk time of
> > 20 minutes, and one with speakers that are so soft that nobody who calls
> > me can hear what I am saying.
> 
> What, exactly, does the Bluetooth headset talk to?
> 

Typically, for a computer to be able to receive and make voice calls,
you'd need a microphone and headphones, in addition to the modem, of
course. The problem is that, with a microphone and headphones, you'd
need to be sitting at or near the computer. My wife has this annoying
habit of wanting to walk around while talking on the phone, so wires are
out. Bluetooth headsets have integrated microphones which are ideal for
this scenario because they are wireless, so she can roam from room to
room while talking, and looking self-important ...

I searched around Google and Tucows for a Windows equivalent (I know, I
know ...) and the options were either expensive or did not have the
features I wanted (Bluetooth). So, that's my situation in a nutshell.

Thanks and Regards,
pascal