Wouldn’t it be useful if your telephone shouted out the name of the caller when it rang? And if the phone announced the name of the person you were trying to call, it could save you money on misdialled numbers, because you could ring off before it’s answered. AT&T claims to kill both birds with one stone (WO 03/005685). Many phone networks already provide “caller ID” – sending a caller’s number down the line ahead of a call. AT&T is combining this with a central database that links subscribers’ names to their numbers. Its new generation of phones will then use a voice synthesiser to speak the names of people calling you – and the names of those you’re calling as you dial.
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