A simple idea, already baked in few cell phones (especially those with a symbian OS) Have a software on the cell phone, that will pick up your calls after a predetermined number of calls and record a voice mail. The one simple advantage of this is that. - since the voice mail is recorded and stored on your cell phone, you wouldn't have to waste your minutes dialing your voicemail box number and going through all the various prompts to retrieve them. Various other advantages do surface. - Some service providers charge additional for voicemail facilities. - Most voice mail boxes have limited capacity, storing them on your cell makes this virtually unlimited (limited by the space of your cell's memory) - Faster accessing your voicemails. - Can access voicemails when on flight/other places with no signal. - Can program the software to let pre selected numbers to directly go to the voicemail. (remember that annoying boss of yours?) As i said this idea is already baked and there were few softwares which already did that. My idea is to have all phone manufactures put this as a pre installed feature.
-- mrsarcasm, Dec 06 2008

In-mobile-phone voice mail In-mobile-phone_20voice_20mail#1088787600
[xaviergisz, Dec 07 2008]

// My idea is to have all phone manufactures put this as a pre installed feature. //

It's a great idea, and it won't happen, for - as you point out - the service providers make money from the voicemail service.

If a handset manufacturer offered this, the networks wouldn't offer those handsets to their clients, which is a primary route for handset sales.

What a cynical and exploitative world it is ....
-- 8th of 7, Dec 06 2008


so, will open handsets platforms like android let people release software like this independent of the handset manufacturers or network operators?

i'm pretty sure java phones wouldn't let you write stuff like that? or with some hacking could you?
-- conskeptical, Dec 07 2008


I'm fairly sure that the way phones are going, you will be able to install plugins like this to most platforms soon. And in an easy, user friendly, you-don't-need-to-be-a-geek sort of a way. Letting phones run software will pretty much take the OS design out of the manufacturers hands.

[Jinbish] will know if I'm talking out of my arse or not.
-- wagster, Dec 07 2008


"My idea is to have all phone manufactures put this as a pre installed feature."
Advocacy?
-- phoenix, Dec 07 2008


Well most cell platforms have API's people can program for. Apple, RIM, Android phones. I had a great software which ran on my Nokia 7610 (Symbian OS) which did all the tasks i mentioned above and more.

I am quite surprised why the app stores don't have such programs.
-- mrsarcasm, Jan 24 2009



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