[CentOS] OT: google voice + chat <- Re: finding the right serial port, enabling & configuring it [was: Re: fax software]>

[Les Mikesell]

On 3/29/2011 4:02 PM, ken wrote:
>
>>>> Exactly correct.  It also works the other way; pick up the phone and
>>>> dial a number and asterisk routes it via google chat so you get your
>>>> free US calls and cheap international calls.
>>> Do you know if asterisk (freeswitch, 2600hz, etc.) can do this over
>>> bluetooth?  I've seen some base stations with wireless extensions that
>>> can connect to a landline and/or pair with a bluetooth phone that would
>>> ordinarily be your cell, but it would be kind of neat if it could be
>>> asterisk without the ATA intermediate or even a direct hardware connection.
>>
>> In my mind, it'd be very unlikely that Asterisk would talk bluetooth
>> directly; that's not the Linux way.  Instead you'd probably want to
>> make your BlueTooth phone pair to the Linux server, and create an IP
>> connection between the two, and then use any SIP client on the phone.
>>
>> But I could be wrong :-)   I'm an asterisk newbie.
>
> Les,
>
> This was one feature I was interested in with the "answering machine" I
> spoke of before: I'd want to be able to pick up an incoming call with a
> bluetooth phone so I could walk around and not be tethered by a phone
> line.  A friend of mine got a bluetooth/skype phone which works on PCs
> and Macs, a Qpe.  I'd think if that phone would connect with skype, why
> not with something else like asterisk?  Well, the answer depends on the
> state of development of the bluetooth drivers.  Somebody on
> http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-software-2/bluetooth-headset-and-skype-330929/
> said he got his bluetooth headset working with skype using the
> bluetooth-alsa driver from http://bluetooth-alsa.sourceforge.net/.  That
> site says:
>
> "What we have working now is a scheme with two independent alsa-lib
> plugins and two independent daemons to run things. When you switch to
> the alsa-lib device that provides SCO (headset in the example
> configuration), you can do voice calls and two-way audio. When you
> switch to the device for a2dp (a2dpd in the example), you get one-way
> stereo to the headset."

I haven't kept up with asterisk, partly because they kept changing the 
apis all the time so it was hard to use it for anything, but I thought 
that even a long time ago someone had it connecting the 'other' way 
through a cell phone - that is to use the cell connection as one of its 
lines.  I'm not sure about about using the dialer and audio side, though.

> What tames my enthusiasm about bluetooth though is its maximum range is
> said to be 20'.  Gimme a wifi phone.

That was the point of the base station with wireless handsets.  I've 
seen those with 3 or 4 handsets for well under $100.  They are intended 
to be used as house extensions while your cell phone is charging near 
the base.  And at least some take a landline too.

-- 
   Les Mikesell
     lesmikesell at gmail.com