On occassion I need to call information on my cel phone. I invariably get the voice answering robot, followed by the live robot, who takes my query and provides me with another robot who gives me the number, then dials it for me.
The problem is, once I hang up that call, my “Outgoing Calls” list only has 411 in it. My cel phone bill only shows that I called 411.
If I get disconnected (can you hear me now?), I don’t have the number and I have to call information all over again. Yes, I know I should write it down, but that isn’t always possible. And anyway, if the phone companies would just download the # into my phone, I wouldn’t need to write it down.
It can’t be that hard to do, can it? I mean, they know how to download the ringtones I choose over the internet into my phone. I know they know which phone is making the call. It seems to me that their could just be a subroutine so that whenever the person-bot hits whatever button takes me to the recitation-bot, the phone number is also sent to my phone.
Why don’t they do this? Is it harder than I think it would be? Is it a nefarious plot of some sort to increase 411 profits? Am I treading on dangerous ground by even suggesting this idea?
Sounds like it’s a carrier option, then. Some wireless carriers use their own directory assistance, some forward calls to third party call centers. Some wireless plans charge for each incoming text message, in which case, charging for the message after charging for the 411 service might not go over real well with the subscribers.
FWIW, I use Directory Assistant on my Treo 650. It asks for a city, state, and name or category, and then queries the yp.com site. Returns a list of results, any of which can be automatically dialed by the phone, copied into the address book, or (way cool) forwarded to Mapquest for driving directions. It’s a free application, and since I have unlimited data on my plan, is free to use.
Back when I had Sprint, this wasn’t an option. And now that I’m with T-Mobile, it isn’t an option. My contract with T-Mobile is up in December, tho, and unless they get on the ball and start offering me some bells & whistles (like 411 #s and setting the clock in my phone for me; what a frikkin’ pita it is to have to reset it every time I fly somewhere), I’m gonna be looking for a new cel service.
If you’re with TMobile, you need TZones. It’s six bucks a month for unlimited use. After you add it, log on to your MyTMobile account, go to communication tools and then to edit bookmarks. Add Yellow Pages, White Pages and Reverse lookup, preferably in a folder so it’ll stay on top of the list. You can search by business name or type of business, etc. When you click on the entry you want (and it gives the address, too, which kicks ass because 411 doesn’t–buncha zombies) you can then click on the number, it dials direct, and the actual phone number remains in your call logs.
Now that 411 is up to a buck fifty, if you use it more than four times a month, TZones is cheaper!
As for the time update, it’s handset dependent. Some phones are compliant, some aren’t. Make sure you get a phone that’s NITZ enabled out of the box and you won’t have to change it. Nokias mostly have it, Samsungs mostly don’t. Motorolas are a crap shoot–quelle surprise…