The Future of PhoneTray
It's hard to believe but PhoneTray is over 6 years old. PhoneTray Free 1.0 was released on October 18th, 2003. We were working on PhoneTray Free for all those years but other things always had higher priority. A big part of the problem is that PhoneTray Free is free. We get only 3-5 donations per month and we have to work on other projects and do consulting work to make money. That's why new versions of PhoneTray are released not very often lately.
I know that many of you like PhoneTray and a lot of people find it useful: PhoneTray Free was downloaded over 2 million times and has (as far as I can tell) at least 50,000 active users. I want to assure you that we are committed to PhoneTray and want to continue development. I believe it's our mission to save the world from telemarketers or run out of money trying :-) We are working on the new, designed from scratch PhoneTray software that will be much better than PhoneTray Free. Here is what we are planning for the future:
PhoneTray Pro
PhoneTray Pro is a direct successor to PhoneTray Free. It will do everything that PhoneTray Free does and will have improved interface and many new features. Below is the list of major improvements over current PhoneTray:
- Automatic blocking of thousands of known telemarketers and phone scammers. Phone Pro will use our www.phonetray.net online database to block calls from phone numbers that telemarketers and phone scammers use. You will get automatic protection right away without manually adding numbers that you want to block.
- Built-in answering machine. PhoneTray Pro will have built-in voice mail system that you can use instead of your answering machine. PhoneTray Pro will protect its voice mail from robocalls, so you won't get recorded messages left by computer autodialers.
- Network support. PhoneTray Pro will run on the computer that has dial-up modem connected to the phone line, but you will be able to get call notifications on any other computer on your local network.
- Call recording. You will be able to record phone conversation when needed or automatically record all calls from selected numbers.
- Direct modem access. PhoneTray Pro will work with modems directly without using Windows TAPI driver. This will improve caller id decoding and solve many problems with incompatible modem drivers.
We are planning to sell PhoneTray Pro packaged with the Hiro USB voice modem for $45-$55 or software only for $25-$35.
PhoneTray Web
PhoneTray Web will use the same core software as PhoneTray Pro but with the web-based interface. Small client software that uses your dial-up modem to monitor incoming calls will have to be installed on your computer, but everything else will be done on the web. Your data will be safely stored on our server, encrypted and password-protected. You will be able to access call log, voice mail, contacts etc. using your login/password from any computer connected to the internet. PhoneTray Web will automatically block telemarketers and phone scammers like PhoneTray Pro but will offer some additional features:
- Voice mail with web access. As PhoneTray Pro, PhoneTray Web will have built-in voice mail system plus you can check your messages from any computer.
- Web-based phone book/contact list. You can add your contacts to the web-based phone book and the contact info will show up on incoming calls. You will be able to synchronize your contact list with other services like Google Contacts, Yahoo! Contacts and (eventually) with your iPhone, Blackberry or Android phone.
- Web-based privacy management. Like PhoneTray Pro, PhoneTray Web will automatically block thousands of known telemarketers and phone scammers. In addition, you will be able to change all privacy settings, create your own blacklists and whitelists, select zap messages etc. on the web.
- Email and instant messenger notifications. You will be able to get incoming call notifications on your MSN Messenger, ICQ, AIM, Yahoo! Messenger and Google Talk. Also PhoneTray Web will be able to send you an email when a call comes in or when a caller leaves voice mail.
We are planning to offer PhoneTray Web service for $3-$5 per month. We will also offer a starter package with Hiro USB voice modem, client software and 3 months of service for $30-$35.
We need your feedback!
There are only 2 of us who develop PhoneTray and we need to concentrate on one of those projects. What do you want more, PhoneTray Pro or PhoneTray Web? Eventually we want to have both but we have to finish one of them first.
Loading ...Please vote and leave your comments. Tell us what you think about PhoneTray Pro and PhoneTray Web. Tell us what you want to get from PhoneTray in the future. Your comments are always welcome!
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May 14th, 2010 - 16:10
Is there any type of deadline for releasing the new software? I know, I am ready and willing to purchase it.
May 15th, 2010 - 16:49
How much longer until we can get our hand on a PhoneTray Pro Beta :)?
May 22nd, 2010 - 21:14
As soon as it’s ready :-) Please subscribe to our blog and you’ll be the first to know.
June 9th, 2010 - 15:10
I have downloaded and try a lot of programs and their are only about 10 that i think are any good and would tell sum one to try. Phone Tray is one i would. i was getting telemarketer and other calls that i wanted to stop Phone Tray Free is the only one that dos what it said it will do and is so ez. one thing i like is my computer doesn’t even have to be on the internet for it to work. i have been running it without any problem at all for about 2 months now. i would like to try Phone Tray pro. Thank for a very good program that works perfect .
June 9th, 2010 - 23:42
Have you perhaps considered Open Source/GPL PhoneTray Free?
June 12th, 2010 - 00:41
I personally canNOT wait until the Pro version comes out! I want it so bad, I can taste it! Well ok, maybe not taste, but the anticipation is off the wall!!!
I registered the free version and it is a part of my everyday life now and the endless call logs are just totally awesome! I have calls going back to 2007 and can look up almost anyone’s number who ever called me since! My line is set up so it doesn’t allow blocked numbers and I haven’t had an “out of area” call for a few years now since CID forwarding is available about anywhere these days.
One suggestion for when you are able to come out with the pro: Can you have a periodic audible tone for all parties to hear when recording conversations so you don’t have to tell someone they are in fact being recorded? I read that if you do not tell a person they are being recorded or they do not agree to be recorded and you do it anyway, you can get in trouble unless there is that beep every few seconds. Of course the person is going to ask what the beep is and will probably hangup anyway, but there is nothing they can do about it. :p Be great for rude people.
Here are the FCC rules on this:
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/recordcalls.html
June 17th, 2010 - 01:39
I believe the work you are doing on behalf of the rest of humanity is essential to the peace and well-being of our society! I say “the rest” of humanity, because I do not include the scum referred to as telemarketers. What those criminals fail to consider, or honor, is the fact that it is MY MONEY that purchased the hardware and service that they are abusing. It is MY PHONE, MY PHONE NUMBER, MY MODEM, MY COMPUTER… If I choose not to hear from them, that is MY BUSINESS!
(I have been receiving debt-collection calls from an outfit called “Conserve” – trying to locate a former tenant of mine for 24 YEARS!!! She apparently is delinquent for $50,000 in tuition loans! I try to explain to them that I have no knowledge that can be helpful to them, nor do I expect to acquire any. Also, that fact does not establish a prior business relationship between us which gives them the right to harass me repeatedly!!!)
If telemarketers were knocking on my front door, or on my windows, to deliver their trash, I could get the police on them pretty quick. (I wish someone would explain the difference to me – why the one is legal, and the other is not!!) But society is almost as considerate of my rights as the telemarketers!!!
Presently I am living on a Social Security Disability fixed-income. I cannot afford to support all the people I would like to. I had hoped to use a “log” showing all the calls I consider intrusive in my complaint to the Attorney General of Connecticut (that wonderful Marine Corps veteran) Richard Blumenthal. That was before a recent computer crash, with subsequent loss of data…
In short, your software is invaluable, and most highly appreciated, but I cannot afford any fees for same. Please carry on!!!
Sincerely,
June 23rd, 2010 - 13:04
Eagerly awaitng the release of PhoneTray Pro!
June 24th, 2010 - 16:06
We’ve been waiting for you Michael. Many of us want to purchase the Pro version including the modem. A time frame, month, year would truly relax the long wait. Thank you.
June 25th, 2010 - 13:57
I purchased phonetray dialup about 4 or 5 years ago. I could not imagine being without it. It allows me to be able to take those important calls while blocking the ones I dont want to have to disconnect for (such as telemarketers). phonetray dialup is AWSOME!!!
July 3rd, 2010 - 10:31
I would love to see an option for “Run external program” added to the Ring selection. This would let me interface PhoneTray into my home automation system. I could then turn on the telephone bells ONLY for those calls designated in PhoneTray. Result – no audible ring at all for calls that are zapped!
July 6th, 2010 - 13:23
Phone Tray free is outstanding but phone tray Pro will be amazing even with half the features listed. Software cost factor? $30.00 to $40.00….. hell yes! it would be such a deal, ask anyone who uses Phone Tray Free now and they will say they’ed gladly pony up the money for the Pro version.
PS Thank you so much for the free version!
July 16th, 2010 - 21:44
Phone Tray free is great! Phone Tray Pro sounds even better! Will Phone Tray Pro work with Call Waiting ID? That is the only small difficulty of the free version; that it cannot screen Call Waiting ID calls. But thanks for a great program!
July 17th, 2010 - 00:03
Thank you for my sanity! I have used your software for years. Due to an accident I was left with $350,000 worth of medical bills. This porogram saved my sanity. No more collection calls. NONE. A couple of things I would like:
1) A default setup or selectable setup. IE – I get a new call I don;t want. Click to add it and the settings would already be what I want them to be. Or maybe a saved set that were nameable.
2) a record feature so I could record a custome greeting to each caller before sending them to voicemail. This should be on the settings area for each phone number
3) Have more ZAP recordings. I added a ‘disconnection notice’ and my all time favorite: ‘My Voice Mail Is Full” for those you don’t want to make mad.
4) Package your new software with an .INI file so it could be sold by third parties on a per license basis. In other words, if I buy 10 copies, you would show mw how to edit the .INI file so it would like like my company was selling it.
The voicemail might be good, that you mentioned, but many of us already have a voicemail system. Maybe not?
Thanks again for great software that works!
David
July 21st, 2010 - 03:39
Hi there! The number one and number two features I am looking for are as follows:
1) The networked version which can listen over the LAN should be able to display the caller ID data fullscreen. I am currently using YAC’s listener for this, but it is a teeny-tiney tooltip, not large.
2) When this does show up, it should be able to bring the monitor out of idle/low-power mode. I have been hunting high and low for a program that can do these two things to no avail, and I think the Pro version of PhoneTray would be just the ticket…
July 25th, 2010 - 15:03
Hey Michael,
How about an update on the Phone Tray Pro progress. I think many of us are waiting to purchase this product.
Thanks from a registered user of Phone Tray Free.
July 26th, 2010 - 14:09
Michael,
I have a feature recommendation for either PhoneTray free or the Pro version. If you only see fit to include it in a paid (pro) version I’d be willing to purchase it for this added feature alone, as it’s rarely, if ever, seen in any such computer CID/Blocker software.
Most of these programs, if not all, only block from an exclusion standpoint. That is to say that they: Allow “ALL” except those listed in an “exclusion” database, which is fine and should fill most needs.
However some like myself may believe in a more stringent approach with controlling their personally owned phone equipment and services. I’ve often wondered why we as a society have come to believe that an invasion in someones PRIVATE abode with unwanted/unsolicited sounds and banter which distracts and consumes time is considered right and goes without saying. I mean you don’t walk into my yard, grab my lawn mower and use it to mow your yard; so why do you wire into my house, make noise, grab my attention to sell your selfish needs? To me it’s all thievery!
From my perspective, I’ve subscribed to the idea of telecommunications ONLY for outgoing calls and random incoming calls from friends and business associates that I’ve deemed worthy, as a means to be informed of emergencies or to plan social/business events.
So…
I would like to see a program that has the ability to “either” operate from the above mentioned “Exclusion” perspective “or” from an “inclusion” perspective, that is to say to: Drop “ALL” calls except those that are “included” in a database.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Tom
July 26th, 2010 - 20:55
Thanks Tom, I totally agree. You can do “block all except included” in the current version of PhoneTray Free. Set “Toll Free”, “Local” and “Long Distance” entries in the Privacy Manager to Zap Automatically. Add numbers that you want to go through to the Privacy Manager. Make sure Zap is not selected for the numbers you added. PhoneTray will see full match for the incoming number and apply settings for the number (no zap) instead of Local or Long Distance settings.
July 28th, 2010 - 20:58
I’d love to be able to manage PhoneTray remotely.