Back in the days when we all had modems we could use the modem to dial numbers directly from a contact database. Point to a name and either press a key combination for "dial" or click on the phone icon. It was a real timesaver on a busy day and cut down on the number of wrong numbers.
Now, with telephone modems almost a thing of the past, or when people use different voice and data lines, that no longer works.
I propose a simple tone dialer that could be addressed by software and would dial any number in a contact database. We need to regain this timesaving capability.
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Great idea. When I went to DSL, my phone solution was to keep my old notebook (with modem) connected to the phone line. That's one of its main functions. I also need that setup if my DSL goes down. (My ISP, SBCYahoo provides dial-up as an alternative.) If I could not use that, I would buy a long phone extension from Radio Shack and connect it to my main computer (which does have a modem).
I would suggest that your objective could be usefully combined with other devices: A music player (like Ipod), a smart phone, or a simple PDA (until those go out of style). Any of these could hold your contacts list and generate tones. Or they could have a short wire available for direct connection.
My thought was much simpler, that a tone generator be built into computers and that you would put your phone in series with the computer, just as you used to do with a modem. Then, in Outlook, or ACT or any other contact manager you could simply instruct it to dial and it would tell the tone generator to create the proper tones. It would cost computer makers about $1 or less -- a simple chip.
Why not a combination phonebook/DTMF generator? Just hold your handset up to your computer speaker.
Well, for a computer-generated DTMF to be held up to a phone might not be practical since DTMF tones have to be a certain volume with a certain amount of clarity, because if you pick up a phone right now, you'll notice that there's only a small difference between the sound of "2" and "5" being dialed versus "2" and "0".
Another solution that I have is to enhance the voice recognition to have your phone physically recognize numbers, instead of the traditional voice dial on cell phones that are only programmed to recognize numbers you already programmed into your phone.
I'm just amazed that you cannot dial a phone from a computer unless you have an unnecessary modem installed. It's hard to even find a modem these days. this thing could be so simple and sell for about $20. A USB with RJ11 in and RJ11 out. You plug in your phone to the this USB gizmo and plug the gizmo into the phone jack in the wall.
Attention entrepreneurs: I give you this idea in perpetuity. Just send me one when you make it.
-wick