Develop Bugs

Contacts / Edit before dialing a phone number

Hi everyone... I am new to the PPC world... being just recently swatch from my Treo600 to a new XDA2s, I am having a little difficulty getting used to the Microsoft way of doing things in PPC2003... I am just wondering is there anyone who can help me or point me to the right direction where I can get some external program that can help me from going insane... here's my problem... I usually keep a huge contact list with all my customer, supplier, co-worker, family and friends contact all in my PDA... so the usual way for me to make a phone call is to search it from the contact list... but here's my problem, I travel alot with my job and depending on my current location, I have to edit the number in my contact before I dial the number... in my old palm, I can simply edit the number before I dial that number (there's a funtion on my palm that allows you to edit before call... so it allows me to edit the number without physically changing the number in my contact list)... I am just wondering can PPC do that? Or is there any program in PPC that will allow me to do that? As far as I can see... in PPC, as soon as I have search for a contact and then I click on his or her number with my stylist... it will automatically dial... I can not edit it before I dial... the only way I can edit it before I dial is to physically edit the contacts... which is very annoying as I sync my contacts with my exchange server, I don't wanna to have to have all my contact get mess up with different area code and dialling code from different country... anyone know how can I solve this problem? Thanks for your help in advance... I very much appriciate all of your advice in advance... Peter

I think the most straightforwards solution here is to store all of your numbers in the international dialling format; that way, wherever you are, your device will place the call correctly
For example - if I had a contact in Glasgow, UK, it would be stored as +44141xxxxxxx (+44 for UK, 141 for Glasgow and the remaining seven digits as the local number)
In my experience whenever I have been abroad, any calls to any of my stored numbers are placed correctly first time by either my SmartPhone or PPC.
If you're problem is regarding a slightly different issue then please expand on your problem by detailing what you mean by "modifying" your contact before you dial.

My problem is a little bit more complicated I think... I already has most number stored in the international dialing format... but my problem is that, depending on my location, I have to dial a certian set of numbers in front of the phone number to be dial in order for me to save on long distance and roaming... for example, while I am roaming in Mainland China if I want to dial home in Hong Kong with my mobile... normally, I will dial 0085226****88 but that will cost me like USD2 per minute... but if I dial with a prefix of 17909 (hence I will type in: 179090085226****88) then my per minute charge will now be something like USD0.10 per minute... which is a huge saving especially when I make roaming and long distance call all the time... the same thing in Hong Kong, if I dial 1666 before I dial long distance, I will get a much higher savings over regular long distance... my problem is that I can not possibly store all of these information for all the locations that I am going to be in, each places that I am going to be in, have a different sets of number... so is there any intellegent way to add additional numbers in front of the number stored in the contacts before it is being dialed in pocket pc? I know on my old palm... I can solve this problem in two ways... 1) I can set a certain dialing prefix before the system dial any number (normally I leave that blank, as I prefer edit before dial function)... I can use this prefix function but it will require me to change the prefix when I am at a different location but it is a workable solutions... is there something like that in PPC? 2) The second way to solve this was the edit before dialing function on the palm... I just click on the number, it allows me to edit the number temporary before it is automatically paste onto the phone software and before the phone dials it...
Anyway, I know this is very complicated and it is a very rare issues thats probably just affecting me or a very small number of users... but it will be great if there's some simple solutions to this... but I think this problem is mainly due to the lack of flexiblilty in the contact list rather then the function of the phone itself! :O) Anyway, thank you very much for your help and suggestions again... very much appriciate it :O) Peter

Try if this works
http://www.handango.com/Platform ... sp?productId=152403

Can you please post the link again? It doesn't work :O) Thanks for your help :O) What kind of program is it? :O)

here's the link
[url]http://www.handango.com/Plat...Type=2&catalog=0&sectionId=0&productId=152403
[/url]

you got it all wrong
... if you ask me: your approach is wrong. Here are the basics. Windows XP, for instance and Outlook, that is the source of the contacts (and phone numbers and other details that are entered), stores phone numbers in this 'international' format:
country code (MS has a list of countries and codes of its own)
are code (another, separate field) and
number
If you respect the fields provided by Outlook then you get a number generated by Outlook that looks like this:
+381 (064) 6185250
THIS is the 'correct' international format recognised by Microsoft Phone Dialer (well not actually MS but Active Voice, but that is a completely different issue)
My point is that +448704364673 is NOT a correct international phormat, because MS cannot differentiate between the international country code and long distance (area code) and therefore the phone dialer cannot parse the numbers correctly.
NOW, how to get the system to know WHERE you are and should it use the area code when dialing or you are in the area your friend is, or you want to call a toll free number that is in 'another' area, or you are dialing a client abroad etc. Well, there is the 'Dialing Rules' settings! THERE you create a profile (home, office, abroad etc.) and provide the area code for the dialer to differentiate...
This is all well with the Windows XP/Outlook 2002+ I know well, BUT when it comes to PPC... sorry, I have the same problem...>
FACTS:
fact no. 1: Outlook separates phone numbers in groups of>
country code
long distance code (area code)
number
fact no. 2: phone numbers entered this way are stored in a format>
+381 (064) 6185250
fact no. 2: Microsoft Phone Dialer recognises this number and dials correctly
via a voice modem... (headset or speaker/mike required)
Question: what hapens when contacts entered this way into Outlook are sunchronized with the
Pocket PC (Windows Mobile 5.0)?
Answer : all contact's numbers are entered into the Contacts list in the 'correct' format.
(the same format with the bracket, as is noted in PC Outlook)
My findings: the problem arrises when you use your mobile capable Pocket PC
(i.e. the super cool Qtek 9000) and try to dial someone on to his mobile or office phone that are on another
area code...
the Pocket PC, or Windows Mobile 'Phone dialer' dials EXACTLY
as the number is entered in the above mentioned format
(the mobile operator recognises the + at the beggining of the number, but
does not understand the spaces and the brackets!!! and offcourse
the mobile operator returns an error voice message that a wrong number has been dialed!
What am I to do?
Can I find/download/install a proper phone dialer (i.e. MS Phone Dialer) that comes with Windows?
Phone Dialer 1.5
Developed for Microsoft by Active Voice
http://www.activevoice.com/dialer
bottom line is that CISCO systems aquired this Phone Dialer in 2001 and Active Voice discontinued developing/supporting whit app. (link on the Active Voice site is outdated and no support on MS site, as well)
(please do not post solutions as: "you should reformat your number entries etc. because I have 800+ contacts and counting...)
P.S. what I gathered is that this is not device related it is just OS and app related. I had the same problem with my previous Nokia phone... (I did not solve. Actually I thought I will solve with this device...)
I've set the Dialing Rules with my country code and area code (Mobile etc.) So, I don't have a clue what am I doung wrong

Forwarding calls

Is there any way of setting up a short cut button to forward your incoming calls to another number? The reason I ask is because the way you have to do it is to go menu>options>services>call forwarding>get settings>forward all incoming phone calls to>. It would be much easier to just press two buttons one to forward and one to reset back again.
Thanks
Phrontis

There is a "shortcut" but it's not on the phone and it depends on the carrier.
With my local carriers, they support activating different forwarding options by use of a sequence of key strokes + phone number to their system. I forward calls to my phone in the office when at work so I save the sequence+number to my Contacts and add it to Favorites, and whenever I'm in the office I simply select Favorites to send the instructions to the system to activate. Naturally I also have another entry on Favorites to deactivate.
Check with your carrier to see if they support this.

from the phone screen click menu>options>Services tab>Call Forwarding and click "Get Settings..." this might be different depending upon carrier but it works for me

Voicemail "Link" in Notifications

Does anybody know where the settings are stored that "tell" the Voicemail button innotifications which number to dial?
Whenever you get voicemail, you get a notification that pops up with an option to call voicemail. On my phone, however, the standard voicemail setup in Settings/Phone does NOT store commas so you cannot have one-click access to voicemail. In fact, when setting up the standard voicemail, you can type the comma, but when you exit and come back in, the comma is automatically deleted, so it doesn't work. So, I had to setup a contact entitled Voicemail and inserted the voicemail telephone number, comma, password and # there. Commas are retained in contact phone numbers, so I call that contact, I indeed get one-click access. I also made that contact Speed Dial 2.
What I want to be able to do is alter the settings for the Voicemail option in notifications so that instead of dialing the via the Settings/Phone setup it will either:
a) dial the contact
b) dial speed dial 2
or
c) allow me to directly enter what I want in the configuration for that option.
Even if I have to edit the Registry, I have no problem. I just don't know where that info is stored.
Anybody got any ideas?
TIA

Does V not allow you to check your voicemail from your phone without the password? I'm with Sprint, and when calling voicemail from my device it doesn't ask, but when calling from another phone it will.
-Drunk

traditionally it is stored in speed dial position 1 so you can press and hold 1 to call voicemail. I know you can edit it on AT&T phones might be able to on Verizon too.

therealdrunk said:
Does V not allow you to check your voicemail from your phone without the password? I'm with Sprint, and when calling voicemail from my device it doesn't ask, but when calling from another phone it will.
-Drunk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No Verizon requires you to enter a password even if you call from your cell phone.

dalavar said:
traditionally it is stored in speed dial position 1 so you can press and hold 1 to call voicemail. I know you can edit it on AT&T phones might be able to on Verizon too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, while the default is Speed Dial 1, that is NOT what I'm looking for because, as I stated above, commas cannot be maintained withing the standard voicemail setup location. Thus, when you press "voicemail" when prompted for messages, you end up having to type your password.
I am looking for a way to "remap" that Voicemail option on notifications.

On AT&T it is P for pause not comma's have you tried that?
Or you could install PhoneAlarm it allows you to change your voicemail number.

dalavar said:
On AT&T it is P for pause not comma's have you tried that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That was the ticket! Thanks so much for the tip!

[Q] Dialing conference call numbers

Does anyone know of a way to dial into a conference call from the calendar entry? I need to be able to tap on a number in the calendar entry and have it dial the number, wait, then dial a passcode and # to enter the conference call. It's something the Blackberry does very well. I know you can store a number in contacts with a pause or wait in it but I get a lot of conference call invites and they all have different passcodes so it would be impossible to store the number ahead of time. I've tried every combination of putting p, w, ";" or "," in the number in both the location line and in the body of the calendar event. I can always select the first number to dial it but it won't dial the passcode. I have to back out of the dial and look at the calendar again and try to memorize it and then go back into the dialer and manually enter the passcode. I'm using the email client on Blazer 4.0 to access my Exchange server calendar. Anyone found a way to do this? Trying to ditch the Blackberry completely but Android does lack some basic productivity functionality. Thanks.

I have same issue. Can't believe there's been no reply to this issue.
I have found a 'kind-of' work around.
1) Installed CopyNPaste
2) installed Go Contacts EX
THEN, when COPYING the 'number...ext' into the copy buffer,
Then using CopyNPaste to dial, and having the default app being the Go Contact EX app,
THIS WORKs and dials the phone number, then (with,,,,, pauses between the phone number and the extension) waits, then dials the bridge extension.
But when attempting to simply select the 'number....ext' from the calendar appt, Android defaults to using the default 'phone' app and only uses the beginning 'phone#' part of the 'phone#,,,,ext' that is displayed\selected in the calendar appt. Tried clearing all defaults against the 'phone' app. still uses the stock phone app to dial a number in a calendar.
This shouldn't be THAT big of a problem. But apparently is.

Entering Pauses in a phone number

On my previous phone I had few numbers saved that call into work conference calls that would auto enter the passcode by using a comma to pause and then enter the required code for the call and then a # to get into the call.
So for example the number would be:
5555550000,996077953#
When I dial the same number using my Robin with the default phone app it connects to the conference number but it doesn't seems to recognize the comma and the numbers after it since they never get entered. Possibly the comma is recognized since it's a pause but the numbers after don't get entered.
Has anyone had success doing this? Or know of a another way to do this on the Robin?