Say a Name, and the PC Dials a Phone Number

This tiny device helps you import phone numbers and dials them for you--but your PC must be on so it's best for an office.

Frank Thorsberg

Don't feel like looking up phone numbers? If you install Mindmaker's Tell A Phone system, you won't have to.

The $100 Tell A Phone turns your phone book into a voice-enabled dialer for all phones on a single line--with help from a box about the size of a desk stapler. I looked at a preproduction unit. You connect the box to any phone jack and then to your PC's USB port with the included cable.

After you install the software from a CD-ROM, you either type in the names and phone numbers you want to use or let the program's wizard assist you in importing existing phone listings from a Palm PDA or from Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Organizer, GoldMine 4, or Symantec Act database files. You can also import listings from other applications, using comma-separated value files. Installation took only a few minutes.

You can identify your contacts by first name (Bob), last name (Smith), full name (Bob Smith), nickname (Babe), or name of business (Pizza Hut).

Once setup was completed, I simply picked up any phone on that line and spoke the name clearly--Tell A Phone did the dialing. However, your computer must be on for the system to work, which makes this product more feasible for a small or home office than for personal use.

Tell A Phone requires a PC with Windows 98 or later, a USB port, and a minimum of 32MB of RAM. Linux and Mac users are out of luck. The program works on any normal analog phone.

Buying Information

Mindmaker: Tell A Phone Could be useful in a small or home office, but the price and the PC power requirement make it less convenient for home use. (Preproduction unit, not rated) List: $100