How did old-fashioned mechanical-relay telephone tracing work? [more inside]
posted by jefficator on Sep 20, 2009 - 4 answers

Does anyone know of a voice dial service (like GOOG-411) that works in the US for residential as well as business numbers, on landline phones? It's for a blind person with limited mobility, so the service needs to actually place the call for the user, and not require any dialing or button-pushing beyond the initial call.
posted by blatherbob on Nov 24, 2008 - 9 answers

The phone jack of myth and legend: I'm looking for "A 4-conductor jack with Type 43A mounting bracket attached." In white, not hideous horrible old school beige. [more inside]
posted by Teira on Jun 30, 2008 - 9 answers

My cat often communicates with me through these short vocalizations made while his mouth is closed. They sound like muffled, abbreviated meows and remind me of a broken telephone (old school telephone -- the kind with the bell). [more inside]
posted by christopherious on Jun 14, 2008 - 29 answers

Novel Research Filter: Help me describe phone culture/ etiquette in the 70's prior to the advent of answering machines. [more inside]
posted by Xurando on Jan 13, 2008 - 16 answers

What is this called: A little terminal (not part of the phone) on an executive's desk that says who is on the line. [more inside]
posted by Futurehouse on Jan 11, 2008 - 7 answers

Why does my cell phone number show up as "unknown caller" or "unavailable" to EVERYONE I call? [more inside]
posted by marxchivist on Aug 1, 2007 - 10 answers

Looking for snappy songs about telephones. [more inside]
posted by rachelpapers on Feb 20, 2007 - 69 answers

I've been asked to look into a predictive dialling system for a small team of outbound telesales agents who're bored of listening to the phone ring for 6 hours a day. Does anyone around here have any experience of the different systems available; implementation pitfalls, advantages and disadvantages of each? [more inside]
posted by whoojemaflip on Nov 21, 2006 - 6 answers

Our small US office has four people, growing a bit over the next year to perhaps 8-10, got overequipped with an ATT (nee SBC) office phone system costing several hundred dollars a month based on a different assumption. We'd like to switch to VoIP but Vonage doesn't seem capable of working in our configuration. Is anyone using VoIP in a similar work setup? [more inside]
posted by billsaysthis on Jun 7, 2006 - 5 answers

Is there some model of landline phone available that can be set to ring just once? [more inside]
posted by dilettante on Jan 24, 2006 - 12 answers

This happened to my girlfriend in 1987, and for years she's been telling the story as though it was a genuine mistake. The first time she told me the story, I immediately thought it was a prank. [more inside]
posted by interrobang on Jun 12, 2005 - 7 answers

PhoneFilter: I am thinking of buying a US-sold cordless phone and bringing it back to Europe. Other than voltage and frequency (which I've checked) is there any other reason why an American phone wouldn't work or work less in Europe (different ring-tone signals or Caller ID standards perhaps)?
posted by costas on Feb 1, 2005 - 8 answers

I am trying to find a cell phone suited to someone with osteo arthritis and reduced vision [more inside] [more inside]
posted by tomble on Jan 25, 2005 - 4 answers

I have an irrational aversion to using the telephone, even in the most innocuous and impersonal of situations (like calling to find out if some place is open, if a store sells a certain thing, if a musical venue is selling tickets to a show in advance, etc). I wouldn't go so far as to call it a "fear", though I do get somewhat nervous when forced to use the phone in such circumstances, which makes it inconvenient and somewhat unpleasant for me when I have to use the phone for whatever reason. So how can I overcome my phone aversion?
posted by anonymous on Dec 7, 2004 - 45 answers

I'm renovating a room and I'd like to move a phone jack that was originally placed 5 feet from the floor (for a wall phone), down closer to plug height. We're talkin' standard wood frame construction with gypsum board walls. I know that the box is set against a wall stud but I'm unsure the best way to do this with the least amount of tearing up and patching. Any tips, online resources or warnings? I also don't know jack about phone wiring. Get it? Jack? Har dee har.
posted by jabo on Sep 2, 2004 - 5 answers

Can anyone recommend a good internet/phone/cell provider? Last year, my place of employment signed an all-inclusive contract with Norvergence for a T1 line, local & long distance phone and cell phone service. Service and support has been less than satisfactory and today, it has become apparent that they are going out of business. We are hoping to find a similar service with a reliable company. Any recommendations and experiences are appreciated. [more inside]
posted by deathofme on Jul 6, 2004 - 0 answers

I'm replacing a phone jack. Or rather, I'm trying to replace one. I've done same before, but this time I can't get it working and I think some troubleshooting is required. There are more details, and too many wires, inside. [more inside]
posted by orange swan on Jun 2, 2004 - 5 answers