Pyra as full mobile phone replacement?

[benoitb]

AFAIK, what I really expect from my Pyra is the capacity to process incoming calls according to the caller's number.
Instead of simply make the device ring/vibrate/glow to notify me so I can answer an incoming call, some would be hanged up (like a firewall RECECT) or even better, would be linked to a local answering machine (knowing voicemails are stored at my carrier's annoys me, especially now that they tend to convert them to texts).
Another great feature suggested by my kid: automagically answer and send back received audio with some lag && echo (a kind of firewall DROP), simulating a calling issue in the hope of discouraging telemarketing centers to call me again to try to make me 'buy things I don't need with money I don't have to impress people I don't like'.

Should be doable with Asterisk. I worked with this software back in 2007, haven't touched it since then but I likely will once I get the Pyra

 

[AndiTheBest]

Just to throw in something:
https://asteroidos.org
In theory, it would be possible to connect a smartwatch with the pyra, which notifies you on a call.
With a bluetooth headset, it would be easy to answer a call.

When I get my pyra (preorder ~#970 will take a long time ) I would give this a try, if bluetooth support is already done for the LG Watch urbane then.

 

[ClockworkCoder]

To me, I think it would be ideal simply if I could use a second SIM for the same mobile number, and have a dumb phone for calls and the Pyra for notifications and everything else.

 

[Silent-Hunter]

To me, I think it would be ideal simply if I could use a second SIM for the same mobile number, and have a dumb phone for calls and the Pyra for notifications and everything else.

Is that possible I wonder?

 

[ClockworkCoder]

Is that possible I wonder?

I'm not sure that carriers (in the UK) support multiple SIMs. Hoping I might be wrong...

 

[levi]

Every SIM is associated with a number - unless it's been deactivated. Two active sims = two numbers.

 

[Gon]

In Germany, you get another sim with the same number for 5€ extra per month for most providers. Mobile internet is shared and If a phone call comes in, all your devices will be ringing. Once you answer the call on one device, all devices stop. SMS only goes to one device of your choice, though. According to O2's (my provider) webpage, this also works EU wide as long as the country you are in supports one number for multiple sims.

I actually plan to just get a second SIM with my number for my pyra for mobile internet. And, when it's opened, also for calls.

 

[WizardStan]

Can minicom be made to 'ring' when an incoming call is coming?

It has a scripting language. Should be possible to just get it to loop looking for RING

top:
expect {
  "RING" goto ring
}
goto top
ring:
! "aplay ring.wav"

And that should just loop around and around and around waiting for the modem to send a "RING", at which point it will call "aplay ring.wav" (assuming you have a suitable ring.wav to play) and terminate.
To execute, Ctrl-A, G, C, enter name of script, hit enter.
You'd have to manually type the AT command to answer it (which I can't be bothered to look up right now) and restart the script to wait for the next one, but it's a start.
Expect has a 60 second timeout, hence the "goto top", so don't worry about busy loop hogging CPU.

 

[Silent-Hunter]

It has a scripting language. Should be possible to just get it to loop looking for RING

top:
expect {
  "RING" goto ring
}
goto top
ring:
! "aplay ring.wav"

And that should just loop around and around and around waiting for the modem to send a "RING", at which point it will call "aplay ring.wav" (assuming you have a suitable ring.wav to play) and terminate.
To execute, Ctrl-A, G, C, enter name of script, hit enter.
You'd have to manually type the AT command to answer it (which I can't be bothered to look up right now) and restart the script to wait for the next one, but it's a start.
Expect has a 60 second timeout, hence the "goto top", so don't worry about busy loop hogging CPU.

Thank you! I'm sure the AT command isn't more than 4 or 5 characters, so that's perfectly usable for me.

EDIT: It's ATA.

 

[Grench]

Thank you! I'm sure the AT command isn't more than 4 or 5 characters, so that's perfectly usable for me.

Eventually triggers for this should be able to be inserted into the XFCE keyboard mapping, right?

I.e. Something like:
Ringing - activate inputs then...
If lid closed and ringing then L1+L2 momentary = answer
If lid closed and ringing then L1+L2 long hold = send to voicemail
...

After the Pyra comes out, there will still be a lot of interface development opportunities.

 

[Silent-Hunter]

Eventually triggers for this should be able to be inserted into the XFCE keyboard mapping, right?

I.e. Something like:
Ringing - activate inputs then...
If lid closed and ringing then L1+L2 momentary = answer
If lid closed and ringing then L1+L2 long hold = send to voicemail
...

After the Pyra comes out, there will still be a lot of interface development opportunities.

If that's possible, yes! I'm not sure if keyboard shortcuts can be passed to minicom, but something standalone could eventually be written.

 

[Grench]

If that's possible, yes! I'm not sure if keyboard shortcuts can be passed to minicom, but something standalone could eventually be written.

Those 4 buttons that are exposed while the lid is closed are going to get a workout. Audio controls, phone controls, etc... Whatever gets written for them is going to have to be contextually aware - know if phone is active/not, ringing/not.

I envision the shoulder buttons working very differently with the lid open or closed. Lid open they're modifiers. Lid closed they're more like situational dependent hot keys. That will all still need to be worked out.

 

[WizardStan]

I just had a brain fart.
Even if the phone functionality isn't there, I'm fairly confident that ED won't let it ship without at least data functionality, which means there's going to be a driver for the network stack which in turn will need to open the tty device while it is active.
This will necessarily lock the device and prevent you from simply reading and writing to it to hack around some telephone stuff.
On the other hand, this means that there will already be a driver that is presumably able to send and receive messages over that tty device, including possibly listening for unrequested responses such as "RING". With such a framework in place it may, in fact, be even easier to control the telephone portion than previously thought. Someone still needs to do some work, but it's work within an existing framework rather than trying to invent the whole thing from scratch.

 

[Silent-Hunter]

I would like to see a program that can act like an answering machine, kinda like onboard voice-mail.

 

[Grench]

I would like to see a program that can act like an answering machine, kinda like onboard voice-mail.

Laptops & even desktops with modems used to be able to, so why not?

 

[Silent-Hunter]

Laptops & even desktops with modems used to be able to, so why not?

It should be built into the dialer program, IMO.

 

[levi]

I notice today reading this report that:

The GSM standard also allows the base station to ask for an unencrypted connection, essential in countries where strong encryption isn't allowed, so a man-in-the-middle attack is very feasible. Handsets are supposed to provide an on-screen notification when encryption has been disabled, but conformance to that detail is very rare indeed.

I hope it'll be possible for a Pyra dialler program to display whether it's using an encrypted connection or not.

 

[kuru]

In Germany, you get another sim with the same number for 5€ extra per month for most providers. Mobile internet is shared and If a phone call comes in, all your devices will be ringing. Once you answer the call on one device, all devices stop. SMS only goes to one device of your choice, though. According to O2's (my provider) webpage, this also works EU wide as long as the country you are in supports one number for multiple sims.

I received two or three SIM cards from o2. I've tried multiple times with Note 3 and n900 - alas only one device ever rings. It's always the one switched on last. Am I doing something wrong, would I have to book an option?

BTW @ everyone else, o2 free is a great deal atm. You get 1MBit down with no strings attached, can tether without limit. I used up like 60 GB in the last month, no complaints or throttling. Granted, o2 support sucks, they straight up lie to you on the phone and are often downright insolent. But you can't argue with the deal. I am curious when other carriers will follow suit.