[gui-talk] Caller ID

[Curtis Chong]

Greetings:

On February 25, 2010, David Wermuth, www.atozadaptiveaidz.com, posted a
message on this list indicating that a talking caller ID was available that
would speak the number of the incoming caller, the name of the incoming
caller, the date of the incoming call, and the time of the incoming call.
Specifically, the message read:

"We have one that announces the phone number, name of caller, date and
time."

Readers of this list may recall that some people raised the question as to
whether or not the caller ID unit in question used text-to-speech technology
to verbalize the name of the incoming caller or whether the name of the
incoming caller needed to be recorded.  To these questions, Mr. Wermuth
responded, "It has a speech to text engine within the unit."

Based on this information, I ordered a caller ID from
www.atozadaptiveaidz.com.  I just opened the box today, and here is what I
have discovered:

The caller ID that is being sold by www.atozadaptiveaidz.com is a ClassCo
VoiceAnnounce Caller ID 9900CW.  Contrary to what I was led to believe, this
particular unit does not speak the name of an incoming caller unless that
name has been recorded into the unit by the user.  If text-to-speech
technology does exist in the unit, it is not being used to read the text of
the caller ID information received.  I am very disappointed--mostly in
myself for being so easily misled.  Clearly, I should have asked more
probative questions before committing to spend the funds.

Cordially,

Curtis Chong