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OT -- Does this gadget exist? (cell phone)
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April
Joined: 13 Dec 2003
Posts: 6593
Location: Westchester/NYC

1/21/13 3:36 PM

OT -- Does this gadget exist? (cell phone)

I don't have a big house. Still, it's got 2 levels, and today I nearly fell off the stair trying to get to a ringing cell phone that's unfortunately downstairs...

Granted, I don't need to rush to the phone every time it rings. But sometimes, I maybe expecting a call...

Pre-cell phone days, houses have multiple phone jacks, even one in the bathroom! So there's never a need to run to the other part of the house to get to the phone. But now my cell phone is my primary phone and that's where almost all my calls come in. I miss being able to answer calls from any room of the house...

I'm looking for a gadget that would allow one to pick up a cell phone call from other part of the house. Say, a bluetooth phone coupling (like some cars have)? Does it exist?

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Steve B.
Joined: 19 Jan 2004
Posts: 769
Location: Long Island, NY

1/21/13 4:57 PM

There's a couple of these devices. V-Tech, Panasonic, and the one I have heard good things about - X-Link

http://www.myxlink.com/index.aspx

The research I did showed easy usage, BlueTooth pairing, distinct ring on the home phone for cell calls, Siri from the home phone, etc... pretty neat. It essentially works by having it plugged into a convenient phone jack, maybe next to where you charge the cell phone ?. The BlueTooth link has a about a 15 ft range. You pair the cell phone to the device, leave it charging and on, and you're good to go.

Do a Google "Cell phone to home phone" and you'll get all kinds of options.

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Dave B
Joined: 10 Jan 2004
Posts: 4511
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

1/21/13 5:24 PM

Carry It?

Cell phones are small light and thin. How about sticking it in your pocket or on a belt/ waist band holder and keeping it with you all the time?

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daddy-o
Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 3307
Location: Springfield

1/21/13 9:55 PM

For people who walk around the house without pockets:

Bluetooth Handset

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April
Joined: 13 Dec 2003
Posts: 6593
Location: Westchester/NYC

1/21/13 11:04 PM

Yeah!

That's perfect!

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ErikS
Joined: 19 May 2005
Posts: 8337
Location: Slowing boiling over in the steamy south, Global Warming is real

1/22/13 3:53 AM

Blue tooth has a limited range. It won't work beyond one room.

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daddy-o
Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 3307
Location: Springfield

1/22/13 6:09 AM

I must have better luck, 10 meters and through multiple walls for the cheap-o's I buy. Some are better than others though.

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greglepore
Joined: 10 Jan 2004
Posts: 1724
Location: SE Pa, USA

1/22/13 9:36 AM

Woot often does the motorola b/t headset for 20 bucks-its pretty cool, allows audio in stereo plus all the call features. Its nice for running or biking as well, phone in back pocket but you have audio or calls as needed.

Last edited by greglepore on 1/22/13 9:38 AM; edited 1 time in total

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sandiway
Joined: 15 Dec 2003
Posts: 4902
Location: back in Tucson

1/22/13 12:25 PM

carry it

Yeah, carry it unless you're fond of walking around your house naked.

Bluetooth range sometimes is good to 10m but I notice the quality deteriorates even before then. Not to mention you'd look very dorky with the pulsing blue light attached to your ear. And if you have an older house, the walls may be thick and cause dropouts.

Having said all that, I think there is a market for a wristwatch bluetooth piece that you could bring up to your ear and talk with.

Sandiway

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Steve B.
Joined: 19 Jan 2004
Posts: 769
Location: Long Island, NY

1/22/13 12:42 PM

As clarification for what I thought April was asking, was a device that allows the cell phone to connect to the house telephone system.

That's what the X-Link and others do. Your cellphone automatically pairs via BlueTooth to the X-Link device. You place device near where you leave the cell phone to charge (so no BT range issues). Device is connected to the house phone lines. You leave cell phone ON when you come home, placing in charging system as desired. The cell phone pairs. If you get an incoming call on your cell phone, the home phones ring with a distinctive tone.

Lot's of other options and functions available.

SB

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Nick Payne
Joined: 10 Jan 2004
Posts: 2625
Location: Canberra, Australia

1/22/13 2:43 PM


quote:
That's what the X-Link and others do.

Are you limited to having a single mobile connected this way, or can it handle multiple mobiles, even if only one at a time can be actively using the interface to receive a call.

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April
Joined: 13 Dec 2003
Posts: 6593
Location: Westchester/NYC

1/22/13 2:56 PM


quote:
As clarification for what I thought April was asking, was a device that allows the cell phone to connect to the house telephone system.

Yes though not exactly. I just want to duplicate the capability of being able to pick up a call in every room of the house.

So the x-link will certainly fit the bill.

Those bluetooth phones might work too, depending on range. In my case, I'm kind of borderline. The house isn't very big and is very "compact" in terms of space. The cell phone, at the moment, is being charged in the master bed room which is in the middle of the house. So there's a chance it'll reach all the rooms I wish to place a blue tooth phone. Or not. I guess I'll have to try it to find out.

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Steve B.
Joined: 19 Jan 2004
Posts: 769
Location: Long Island, NY

1/22/13 4:05 PM

"Yes though not exactly. I just want to duplicate the capability of being able to pick up a call in every room of the house. "

Well you have 3 options:

1) Carry the cell phone room to room.

2) Buy a BlueTooth separate handset that pairs to the cell phone, then carry that room to room.

3) Buy and install an X-Link that pairs the cell phone to the house phone system. Then you have your cell calls incoming and outgoing from your home phone system and every regular phone that you currently have, however many that may be. Your existing landline continues to operate and has it's own ring, with the cell call a distinctive as you choose.

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Dave B
Joined: 10 Jan 2004
Posts: 4511
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

1/22/13 5:21 PM

Land Line?

Do you even have land line service? Many people don't these days (both my kids for example) and rely strictly on cell phones for everthing. So an X-link system that pairs the cell phone to your "house phone' may be moot if the cell phone IS the house phone.

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April
Joined: 13 Dec 2003
Posts: 6593
Location: Westchester/NYC

1/22/13 6:34 PM


quote:
Do you even have land line service? Many people don't these days (both my kids for example) and rely strictly on cell phones for everthing. So an X-link system that pairs the cell phone to your "house phone' may be moot if the cell phone IS the house phone.

That's correct. My cell phone IS my house phone!

So no, not really to "pair with the house phone". Just, STRICTLY, to pick up the cell calls WITHOUT carrying the cell phone (or ANY phone) from room to room.


quote:
2) Buy a BlueTooth separate handset that pairs to the cell phone, then carry that room to room.

Nope, no need to carry ANY phone from room to room. That's the whole point of this quest: phones IN each room, not carried from room to room. ;-)

I would simply buy more than one blue tooth phone!

At $19/each, it's not all that bad. I don't have that many rooms. Besides, one of the room will already have the cell phone itself situated in it.

(realistically, I only need 2, one in the living room -- connected to dinning room, and one in kitchen. I'm NOT putting one in the bathroom! If I have more rooms, might be cheaper to go the X-link route)

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Steve B.
Joined: 19 Jan 2004
Posts: 769
Location: Long Island, NY

1/22/13 8:41 PM

OK, understand this a bit better now.

No landline.

But existing wiring for landline.

I don't think any cell phone will pair with MULTIPLE BT phones all at the same time. So buying multiple BT phones to place in various rooms around the house may not work. What you are essentially doing is attempting to replace the existing house hard wired system with a BT system. I don't think BT phones are designed for that and you may encounter problems. Unless you have a BT "system" that pairs once then routes to multiple BT handsets. Do they make that ?.

Thus an X-Link device may be the only option as it allows one BT pairing (I think maybe 2) and then routes the call to the existing home wiring/phone system, external service or used or not. Thus no dealing with descriptive ringers, one for landline and one for cell. If the hardwired (even if it's a radio phone) rings, it's your cell line.

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April
Joined: 13 Dec 2003
Posts: 6593
Location: Westchester/NYC

1/22/13 9:30 PM


quote:
No landline.

But existing wiring for landline.

If the hardwired (even if it's a radio phone) rings, it's your cell line.

Yep, that's what I have in mind.

In fact, it's not so much the phone itself, just the merely fact it'll ring loudly in both level of the house will be a big improvement. Right now, I sometimes miss a call entirely because it's not loud enough if I have the TV on. And trying to get to it before the call goes to voice mail was a bit borderline in timing.


quote:
I don't think any cell phone will pair with MULTIPLE BT phones all at the same time.

I thought about that too. I also saw offering that has a base with speaker phone and a cordless handset. That would serve my purpose of 2 additional phones. It would probably work better because the kitchen might be out of BT range.

On second thought, if I put the blue tooth phone in the dinning room, it's reachable from both the kitchen and the living room. So that covers the entire downstair living area with just one phone. Upstair, I only need to reach the phone in the bedroom, but that's where the cell itself is being charged at usually, so no need for additional phones.

My number 1 priority is to avoid having to rush upstair/downstair to get to the phone. Though the X-link has other function that might turn out to be appealing: e.g. voice dialing through the cell's contact list. So I'll look into it a bit more before deciding.

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ErikS
Joined: 19 May 2005
Posts: 8337
Location: Slowing boiling over in the steamy south, Global Warming is real

1/23/13 4:01 AM

I am at loss, why you just don't keep your cell near?

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daddy-o
Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 3307
Location: Springfield

1/23/13 6:36 AM

how many years?

[joking]
How long have you been married with children?


quote:
For people who walk around the house without pockets:


quote:
Yeah, carry it unless you're fond of walking around your house naked

[/joking]

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daddy-o
Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 3307
Location: Springfield

1/23/13 7:06 AM

If you've never tried BT, go to the local deep discount store and pick one up for $10. If it works all over the house, it may have solved the problem. If there is only just a sweet spot within range upstairs, meh, not bad then, I'll explain. If it doesn't work at all then at least you have a BT for driving. What i mean is, I'm not professing perfection, but maybe you leave it upstairs, answer it when you hear the phone downstairs ringing (instead of leaving it in your ear all the time,) and then decide if you need to go downstairs to continue the conversation.

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Steve B.
Joined: 19 Jan 2004
Posts: 769
Location: Long Island, NY

1/23/13 7:19 AM

"I am at loss, why you just don't keep your cell near?"

In my case (and my wife's) that's entirely age and habit. We grew up with a single wall phone in the kitchen and maybe one in the parents bedroom.

Then we (over decades) migrated to multiple cordless phones still on a landline system, scattered around the house. That works fine except we can't break into the habit of using our cell phone around the house and for all our calls.

Plus eventually the cell phone has to charge so I tend to pop it on the cable on my kitchen counter when I come in the back door and leave the cellphone there. Or I can buy another charger (which I have) and keep the cell phone with me when I go upstairs for the evening and charge it there. Then I forget it the next day and go to work without it (Gasp !)

I could eliminate my landline and tell everybody I know to use my cell, and/or then and for a period of probably months, automatically route the home number to the cell. then simply eliminate the landline charge and use the cell for everything.

There is however an emotional aspect to the landline number that you've had for 25 years, so it's hard to just say "Don't need that number" and just use the cell.

This is significantly easier (or a non-existent issue) for someone younger and moves more frequently and maybe uses their cell as their only phone. That's pretty typical for anyone under 35 or so.

I'm slowly getting my wife used to the idea of the X-Link system and only using the cells. So maybe in a year.

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April
Joined: 13 Dec 2003
Posts: 6593
Location: Westchester/NYC

1/23/13 8:37 AM


quote:
I'm not professing perfection, but maybe you leave it upstairs, answer it when you hear the phone downstairs ringing (instead of leaving it in your ear all the time,) and then decide if you need to go downstairs to continue the conversation.

I believe you're talking about a BT earphone/headphone piece.

Yes, I thought of that. In fact I have one laying around. I just need to find the charger for it to try it out, primarily to check out which part of the house is within BT range. (bought it for driving years ago, but my car now pairs with the cell phone over the stereo system so I haven't used it for several years)

Still, I like the idea of a "phone" which I can actually talk on it.

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April
Joined: 13 Dec 2003
Posts: 6593
Location: Westchester/NYC

1/23/13 8:58 AM

Sandiway, Erik


quote:
Yeah, carry it unless you're fond of walking around your house naked

I'll pick on Sandiway since I know him a little better. ;-)

You probably haven't paid much attention to women's clothing. Just because she's wearing clothes doesn't mean there's pocket to carry the phone!

Pockets, more so the content that will go in it, obscures the fine line of our body! ;-)

(Not that I care so much about the fine line of my body even at home when no one's watching. But please read on...)

So as a rule, women's clothing have absolute minimum number (and size) of pockets! Haven't you noticed a lot of women walk about with handbags?

I often find myself struggle to find outerwear that have sufficient number and size of pockets for my wallets and phone and keys. I will pick out something in the store only to realize it's got no pocket, or the pocket so small it's useless! So some of the clothing I wear at home are those that doesn't have ANY pockets!

(More over, in the summer, I do wear clothing that are light and airy. Having a 1 pound and half phone in the pocket (even if one exist) really doesn't work too well. )

So no, carrying the phone around the house is not a solution.

Not to mention most smartphone these days often don't last a full day and needs to be on the charger part of the evening. I can't walk about with a charger cord behind me at all times...

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sandiway
Joined: 15 Dec 2003
Posts: 4902
Location: back in Tucson

1/30/13 3:25 PM

re: Haven't you noticed women walk about with handbags?

April,

In the interests of full disclosure, I also own a handbag, let's agree to call it a manbag.

I think pockets are generally overrated, as things get ejected or fall out from them frequently. This is not a problem at home or the office but critical when I'm traveling.

So fashion be damned, I've taken up carrying a man bag and everything that previously went into pockets, e.g. car keys, office keys, cellphone, wallet, coins, passport, glasses for the elderly, all go into my manbag.

Sandiway

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

1/30/13 3:29 PM

"glasses for the elderly"


Sandi, your claiming you are carrying for someone else, or yourself on the glasses? Or are not claiming anything, maybe the 5th?

;)

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