Becky Stern is a Content Creator at Autodesk/Instructables, and part time faculty at New York’s School of Visual Arts Products of Design grad program. Making and sharing are her two biggest passions, and she's created hundreds of free online DIY tutorials and videos, mostly about technology and its intersection with crafts. Find her @bekathwia on YouTube/Twitter/Instagram.
Aparently there’s a U.S. Special Information Tone signal for a dead phone line, and robot callers (telemarketers, debt collectors, etc.) listen for it, then remove the “dead lines” from their lists. Record it at the beginning of your answering machine messages to make (some) robots stop calling you! [via] Link.
is that a standard headset adapted to the mini plug a phone uses? anyone got a link for that?
Becky Sternsays:
follow the photo credit link for more information.
Ryansays:
Um, or just submit your phone number to https://donotcall.gov/ If you get a telemarketing call you get after that you can get them heavily fined, so they don’t.
I signed up years ago and haven’t gotten a single telemarketing call since.
the stevensays:
I seem to remember buying a device, I believe it was called a “phone zapper”. I plugged it in and havent gotten a telemarketer call since.
Sporkinumsays:
Does that still work? I bought a device to do that about 10 years ago. It runs off the phone line voltage. http://www.sandman.com/tmstop2.html
Theres the link to that handset attached to the phone. Its sweet.
I got a spy remote from the same site that lets me control the tv at the local bar. They wonder how the tv ends up on Comedy Central every time I’m there.
tyler durdensays:
This may be especially useful in an election year!
MadScottsays:
The “Phone Zapper” and similar devices simply respond to calls with the dead-line tone. The unintended consequence of putting this on your answering machine is that people you actually want to talk to may think your line’s out of order and hang up.
Jamessays:
@MadScott: Your friends and family will only hang up if they don’t wait long enough to hear you say “Hello” or your outgoing answering machine message.
Phone Usersays:
Some high schools have an automated phone system that calls parents when their student is absent. Playing hooky just got easier.
Becky Stern is a Content Creator at Autodesk/Instructables, and part time faculty at New York’s School of Visual Arts Products of Design grad program. Making and sharing are her two biggest passions, and she's created hundreds of free online DIY tutorials and videos, mostly about technology and its intersection with crafts. Find her @bekathwia on YouTube/Twitter/Instagram.
Our websites use cookies to improve your browsing experience. Some of these are essential for the basic functionalities of our websites. In addition, we use third-party cookies to help us analyze and understand usage. These will be stored in your browser only with your consent and you have the option to opt-out. Your choice here will be recorded for all Make.co Websites.
Allow Non-Necessary Cookies
Escape to an island of imagination + innovation as Maker Faire Bay Area returns for its 15th iteration!
Buy Tickets today! SAVE 15% and lock-in your preferred date(s).
is that a standard headset adapted to the mini plug a phone uses? anyone got a link for that?
follow the photo credit link for more information.
Um, or just submit your phone number to https://donotcall.gov/ If you get a telemarketing call you get after that you can get them heavily fined, so they don’t.
I signed up years ago and haven’t gotten a single telemarketing call since.
I seem to remember buying a device, I believe it was called a “phone zapper”. I plugged it in and havent gotten a telemarketer call since.
Does that still work? I bought a device to do that about 10 years ago. It runs off the phone line voltage.
http://www.sandman.com/tmstop2.html
Thinkgeek Retro Phone Handset
Theres the link to that handset attached to the phone. Its sweet.
I got a spy remote from the same site that lets me control the tv at the local bar. They wonder how the tv ends up on Comedy Central every time I’m there.
This may be especially useful in an election year!
The “Phone Zapper” and similar devices simply respond to calls with the dead-line tone. The unintended consequence of putting this on your answering machine is that people you actually want to talk to may think your line’s out of order and hang up.
@MadScott: Your friends and family will only hang up if they don’t wait long enough to hear you say “Hello” or your outgoing answering machine message.
Some high schools have an automated phone system that calls parents when their student is absent. Playing hooky just got easier.