T-Mobile’s ‘Scam Shield’ offers free caller ID and spam call blocking features

T-Mobile completed its purchase of Sprint earlier this year, and with those regulatory hurdles out of the way the company is once again announcing some new features for its expanded customer base. The focus is on spam and robocalls, something that T-...

FCC could require phone companies to authenticate calls

Today, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai proposed new rules that would require phone companies to adopt the STIR/SHAKEN protocol, an increasingly popular method for caller ID authentication. The rules are meant to combat robocalls, specifically those that spoof...

Verizon will automatically opt Android customers into its anti-robocall app

Verizon rolled out a free version of its spam filter earlier this year in a bid to counteract the tiresome robocalls that so often plague our lives. Now, if you're on Android, you'll get it as standard, so you don't need to do anything to avoid the n...

FCC Chairman wants to ban caller ID spoofing for text messages

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is advancing the war against robocalls. Today, he proposed adopting rules that would ban caller ID spoofing of text messages and robocalls originating outside of the US. More than 40 state attorney generals have urged the FCC to...

Don’t Return Calls From These Area Codes. It’s A Scam!


  A scam that repeats itself in modified forms every few years is once again spreading throughout the United Sates. Don’t be a victim! Criminals target people simply by calling them. Intended...

Was the Real Wolf of Wall Street All Wrong?


This article is by Henry Schuck, co-founder and chief revenue officer of the sales intelligence and data firm DiscoverOrg. He can be reached at hschuck@discoverorg.com. Now, I want everyone to look...
    






Current Caller ID app adds social info, weather details, suggests a good time to ring back

Current Caller ID

If staring at the incoming callers' visage just wasn't enough, Current's Caller ID might worth a try. The utility app adds a raft of extra detail to your smartphone when it rings, from recent tweets and status updates through to weather conditions and even location data. After loading up the app, you can connect to your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn profiles, which Current Caller ID combines with your existing contact list. Based on your use history, the app will even offer up a time to return missed calls. There's the nice addition of some metrics between you and your phonebook, visualizing that precarious balance between text messages and calls with your significant other -- or a timegraph of when you call Mom. These stats are possibly more useful than the caller ID features, and while the design does jar a little with the typical Android aesthetic, it's hard to complain when the app's free. If you're willing to forgive those minor visual flaws, the download awaits at the source below.

Continue reading Current Caller ID app adds social info, weather details, suggests a good time to ring back

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Current Caller ID app adds social info, weather details, suggests a good time to ring back originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 19:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Lifehacker  |  sourceCurrent Caller ID (Google Play)  | Email this | Comments

Burner turns your iPhone into a disposable, lets you be faux-shady

DNP Burner

Need a throw-away phone number? It's now available as the Burner iPhone app, from a company called Ad Hoc. There's no explanation for how it works technically, but using it looks easy: you pay $2 for the app, which gives you a new phone number that lasts for 20 minutes, 60 texts or seven days. The new digits become your caller ID, and afterwards, you can hit the "burn" key to permanently wipe it from the company's servers, then score additional credits plus a new number, if needed. The company sees it being used for things like Craigslist transactions and dating, but if you have less above-board purposes in mind, be aware -- the privacy policy says it "may disclose your personal data if required by law." Check the source below or the Apple store to get it.

Continue reading Burner turns your iPhone into a disposable, lets you be faux-shady

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Burner turns your iPhone into a disposable, lets you be faux-shady originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 07:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Verge  |  sourceBurner Blog  | Email this | Comments

Google Voice brings greater control over anonymous and unknown callers

Google Voice brings greater control over anonymous and unknown callersThink about it for a moment: do you recall a single instance when you were actually glad that you answered a telephone call from a blocked number? Unless that bill collector turned out to be your future spouse, the answer is likely no. Now, Google Voice users will find an extra perk in the online settings that should take the edge off of receiving calls from unknown sources. You'll now find the ability to screen anonymous callers, whereby the system will prompt the individual to state their name, and only then will your phone ring. From there, you'll have the option of answering the call, sending it to voicemail, or even listening in as the caller leaves a voice message -- kinda like back in the days of answering machines. Similarly, you'll also find the ability to apply this same screening process to callers who aren't in your address book. As proof that Google isn't a total grouch, it's also thrown in a new option that allows you to customize a warm greeting for those contacts who are, in fact, in your address book. After all, it never hurts to show some love.

Google Voice brings greater control over anonymous and unknown callers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 May 2012 03:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Phone Scoop  |  sourceGoogle Voice Blog  | Email this | Comments