I have often found that the problem with my answering machine is that I tend to forget to check for messages when I get home. I might get back from a small trip, have a message on my machine telling me to call someone as soon as I get back, and utterly forget to check the device, thus never hearing the urgent call. This could be solved by attaching a wire from your answering machine to a small device on your door, which would recognize whenever the door was opened. The device would simply tell you that there was a new message, probably in a default A.O.L. type voice. For a more interesting alert, you could always record something out of Monty Python, I suppose.-- Pseudonym #3, Mar 01 2002 Front Door Message Machine http://www.halfbake...20Message_20MachineSon of "Door Activated Answering Machine." It lives. [bristolz, Mar 04 2002] Or, you could rig it so that once you are home the setup won't let you back out of the door until you've checked your answering machine. +-- bristolz, Mar 01 2002 My answering machine is an old tape driven model... when you have received a message it beeps - extremely loudly and in a particularily rank tone, every minute until you answer it. You can hear it in any room in the house, and you can't help but get your messages before it drives you insane. I dont think I'd want it to harangue me with a message as soon as I walk through the door... my cat already attacks me, and I'm normally pushing a bike and carrying a rucksack/shopping bags. It'd be annoying.-- Danzarak, Mar 01 2002 I thought this would be a machine that turned itself on when you went out the door, ensuring you never forgot to turn it on. I like anyhow. I have an answering service from my telephone company, where you need to lift the handset and check for an altered dialling tone, and I never remember to check it.-- pottedstu, Mar 01 2002 I currently use an application on my PC (Supervoice) so I notice as soon as the screensaver is de-activated. I previously used the old Telecom Robin which flashed a little light if there was an un-listened-to message. Do not all hardware TAMs do this?-- angel, Mar 01 2002 I use my telco's voicemail system, which produces a 'broken' dial tone on the phone whenever there's a message waiting. Advantage is it takes messages while I'm online. (I know, modems are so archaic.)
It's interesting how many different 'takes' there are on this idea. I was expecting an answering machine which takes messages from people who knock on your door.
"I'm sorry, no one seems to be answering the door. If you would like to leave a message, say "Yes" now."
"Yes."
"At the tone, please leave your message."
*beep*
"Uh, hey Steve, it's Phil. I came by to pick up those DVDs you borrowed, but uh, I guess you're gone out, or on the can or something..."-- waugsqueke, Mar 01 2002 [waugsqueke] and I had the same idea of what this was going to be...
If you don't mind opening your answering machine and fiddling with the inside bits, this wouldn't be hard to bake. Just have a doorswitch that is wired to short the "play" button on your answering machine, and your messages will play as soon as you walk in.-- mwburden, Mar 01 2002 Alternatively, you could use your PC as an answering machine; my modem came with software for this, but I've never came across anyone actually using it.-- pottedstu, Mar 01 2002 Except me. See above.-- angel, Mar 01 2002 I thought the same as waugs and mwburden when I saw the title....someone really ought to post that. waugs?
My answering machine both beeps and flashes a light when I have a new message. Works for me!-- runforrestrun, Mar 01 2002 A "+" for waugs, too, then.-- bristolz, Mar 01 2002 Well, heck. Alrighty then.-- waugsqueke, Mar 01 2002 The other Pseuds were old buddies of mine over chat, but I haven't seen them in ages.
Anyway, [applause] bravo to waug. I like that idea better than mine. [/applause].-- Pseudonym #3, Mar 03 2002 random, halfbakery