I frequently get calls from people asking me for so-and-so's number, or can I give them the number of a freelance who knows how to do this-or-that. Now that I have finally learnt how to extract a number from my phone without cutting off the caller (I think this is largely to do with phones being better thought out these days) I pull it up on screen and then I go through this little routine:
"So-and-so's number is..."
<looking at screen, holding mouthpiece near mouth>
"Oh seven nine seven six..."
<return phone to ear and wait for response>
"...oh seven nine seven six"
<look at screen again, mouthpiece tilted towards mouth>
"One two three..."
<phone back on ear to find out if they've heard me>
"...one two three"
<back to watching screen again>
"seven eight nine."
<back to ear for the response>
"...seven eight nine"
You can imagine how long this can take if the caller actually does mishear me.
I would like a "Say the number" button where the phone would interrupt the call for a few seconds and clearly dictate the name and number on the screen much in the same way directory services use text-to-speech software to dictate numbers once they have located them. This would also prevent background noise from confusing the dictation when in the pub.-- wagster, Jan 26 2006 Wags - They're onto your game! http://news.bbc.co....ainment/4665254.stmIt's too late! They've already changed it :( [Dub, Feb 01 2006] Tom Baker "Karaoke" courtesy of BT http://www.joebullo...ombake/karaoke.html [Dub, Feb 25 2006] Croissant, yes, but only if you can tell me how to extract a number from my contacts while I'm on the phone.-- calum, Jan 26 2006 or could the phone print it out on a slip of paper.
rizla quality...-- po, Jan 26 2006 What calum said.-- skinflaps, Jan 26 2006 Very good - also needed is the speech-to-text gubbins when someone dictates a number to you over the phone.-- hippo, Jan 26 2006 Taxis have a system whereby information (such as address of next customer) can be sent in digital form over the same radio channel as is used for speech - I think. Since mobile phones are digital, could the number not be sent as text, borrowing a few stray bits from the conversation and maybe marginally degrading the speech quality? Then the reciever would not have to worry about remembering/writing down the number. Good idea though. +-- spidermother, Jan 26 2006 Nokias will do this happily. You can text a phonebook entry from one Nokia to another as an SMS. Only works Nokia to Nokia though, and of course this will never work with landlines. Speech is still the only universal method of communication (and even then...)-- wagster, Jan 26 2006 Baked in the UK. Texting a number to a BT land-line results in the SMS being "read-out" by a voice synthesizer (text to speech). I've not tried it with an address book entry, though.-- Dub, Jan 26 2006 [Dub] - You will be pleased to know that I have extensively tested BT's text-to-speech service and found it incapable of filtering out the most filthy, depraved language I could come up with. There's nothing funnier than having that BBC-accented lady computer call you up and suggest that you are a ***** ****** and that she would like nothing better than for you to *** all over her **** while she ***** you up the *** with a ******* ******. Childish but funny. Go on, text a friend today!-- wagster, Jan 26 2006 wagster, I am giggling at the prospect of trying this out already!-- zen_tom, Jan 26 2006 LOL - That's brillant! I once got my BBC Micro to call someone a pig, in Richard Baker's voice... but what you're suggesting's just kinky!-- Dub, Jan 26 2006 with a "surreal slinky"?-- daseva, Jan 27 2006 Bun !
The converse, number recognition, (where someone tells you a phone number) would also be cool.
Wonder if speech-recognition of just digits is more reliable than full-language ?-- bumhat, Jan 27 2006 Motorola phones can text phonebook entries too.-- Lasko, Jan 28 2006 See, [wagster]? I know nothing about this and many, many other things.-- bristolz, Jan 29 2006 (+) Good stuff.-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jan 29 2006 Thank god for that [bris]. One of the best things about the hb is that collectively we know a lot about just about everything, but it would seem a little unfair if all that knowledge was pooled into just one person.-- wagster, Jan 29 2006 Fantastic [+].-- Mr Phase, Feb 01 2006 //"...seven eight nine"// Why did six cry?
I once saw part of an interview with the woman whose voice was used for the original speaking clock. She tells how another woman, recognising her from the sound of her voice in a shop, asked in genuine consternation, "But what if someone tries to find out the time while you are in here?"-- spidermother, Feb 02 2006 wagster: surely you mean "while she ***** you up the **** with a ******* ******. " This is the BBC after all, none of those dashed Americanisms!-- gtoal, Feb 27 2006 random, halfbakery