I think that it's my right to know who is calling before I bother to pick up the phone. But I've never liked the Caller ID contraptions sold at stores like RadioShack: too clunky, too inconvenient, and, with their two-line LCDs, too limited.
Enter YoYo, a palm-sized device that connects to your phone and your ADB port. YoYo watches your phone line, listening for a ring and the associated Caller ID information, then displays it in a tiny pop-up window on your computer screen.
Each time YoYo sees somebody new call, it will invite you to type in their name and company. You'll soon have a database of your most frequent callers. You can assign each their own sound, or use your Mac's Speech Manager to read names out loud. A custom feature blocks certain callers at certain times of the day. YoYo can even page you, great for when that special someone calls and you're away from the office.
I once thought Caller ID was antiprivacy, but after using it for a while, I've come to rely on it. Considering the problems that phone company yo-yos have had selling Caller ID in some communities, they should be giving this product away for free.
YoYo for Mac: US$149.99. (PC version available by end of 1997.) Big Island: +1 (408) 342 8300, email info@big-island.com, on the Web at www.big-island.com/.
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