I’m sure you’ve googled. Who hasn’t. Well, based of course on the popularity of what others across our great world are searching, Google often “suggests” what you might want to search for; based on what you’ve typed in that google search box. Well… what others are searching for doesn’t just scare me, it scares the bejesus out of me. But now I understand exactly where we may be heading.

Today I made the mistake of typing why does in the google search… and well, I was presented with:

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Don’t get me wrong. I love poop questions as much as the next guy… but really? So then I started to see what others were looking for and well, here’s a few examples:  

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Also check out: http://mashable.com/2009/08/11/funniest-google-suggest-results/

]]> http://www.fredposner.com/miscellaneous/738/google-search-scares-me/feed/ 1 http://www.fredposner.com/yeni/734/so-many-boxes/ http://www.fredposner.com/yeni/734/so-many-boxes/#comments Sun, 21 Feb 2010 16:30:08 +0000 Fred Posner http://www.fredposner.com/?p=734

We’re packing away… although “we” is mostly just Yeni; who is packing like a woman possessed. We’re heading out on Wednesday and looking forward to a change of view. We’re trying to spend as much time with family and friends as possible — taking the time to eat at out favorite spots “one more time” as well as try some new places we had neglected.

While working away, managed to post some quick words:

• VoIP Tech Chat: Blackberry desperate? RIM announces FREE Blackberry Enterprise Server Express
• Team Forrest: SIP Response Codes (just for a quick reference)
• Fat Freddy Says: Updated Review for Nick’s Original House of Pancakes, Ann Arbor

Ok, if you use Asterisk (or a Do It Yourself type VoIP service), you sometimes do not receive the CNAM (think Caller ID with Name data) from your carrier. Well, since geeks like information and anything “free,” there’s a simple way to use the internet to do a reverse number lookup query. So, if you’re a technical type, keep reading… otherwise, non-geek posts will return very soon.

So, using a simple Perl script, you can check many resources and attempt to get the calling party’s name. There are tons of caller id lookup scripts out there, but most require the Asterisk Perl AGI module, a localized NPA/NXX database, or a local database query.

Since I don’t like installing the module, don’t want to install a local lookup table, and don’t wish to cache CID names in a database, I’ve modified publicly available scripts as follows (also, check up the write up on Team Forrest, with a little more detail):

Update: AnyWho changed their url and format, the new code is live on Team Forrest but the old code is still below.

#!/usr/bin/perl -w
use strict;
use LWP::UserAgent;
$|=1;
sub trim($);

my %AGI; my $tests = 0; my $fail = 0; my $pass = 0; my $result = ""; my $cidnum = ""; my $cidname = "";
my $npa = ""; my $nxx = ""; my $station = ""; my $name = "";

$cidnum = $ARGV[0];

while(<STDIN>) {
	chomp;
	last unless length($_);
	if (/^agi_(\w+)\:\s+(.*)$/) {
		$AGI{$1} = $2;
	}
}

my $AnyWho = '1' ;
my $Google = '1' ;
my $www411 = '1' ;

if(substr($cidnum,0,1) eq '1'){
$cidnum=substr($cidnum,1);
}

if(substr($cidnum,0,2) eq '+1'){
$cidnum=substr($cidnum,2);
}

if ($cidnum =~ /^(\d{3})(\d{3})(\d{4})$/) {
	$npa = $1;
	$nxx = $2;
	$station = $3;
	}
elsif($cidnum =~/\<(\d{3})(\d{3})(\d{4})\>/){
	$npa = $1;
	$nxx = $2;
	$station = $3;
	}
else {
	print qq(VERBOSE "ERROR: unable to parse caller id" 2\n);
	exit(0);
} 

if ($AnyWho > '0') {
	print qq(VERBOSE "STATUS: checking AnyWho for name lookup" 2\n);
	if ($name = &anywho_lookup ($npa, $nxx, $station)) {
		$cidname = $name;
		print qq(SET VARIABLE CALLERID\(name\) "$cidname"\n);
		print qq(VERBOSE "STATUS: AnyWho said name was $cidname " 2\n);
		exit(0);
		}
	else {
		print qq(VERBOSE "STATUS: unable to find name with AnyWho" 2\n);
		}
	}
else {
	print qq(VERBOSE "STATUS: AnyWho lookup disabled" 2\n);
}

if ($Google > '0') {
	print qq(VERBOSE "STATUS: checking Google for name lookup" 2\n);
	if ($name = &google_lookup ($npa, $nxx, $station)) {
		$cidname = $name;
		print qq(SET VARIABLE CALLERID\(name\) "$cidname"\n);
		print qq(VERBOSE "STATUS: Google said name was $cidname " 2\n);
		exit(0);
		}
	else {
		print qq(VERBOSE "STATUS: unable to find name with Google" 2\n);
		}
	}
else {
	print qq(VERBOSE "STATUS: Google lookup disabled" 2\n);
}

if ($www411 > '0') {
	print qq(VERBOSE "STATUS: checking www411 for name lookup" 2\n);
	if ($name = &www411_lookup ($npa, $nxx, $station)) {
		$cidname = $name;
		print qq(SET VARIABLE CALLERID\(name\) "$cidname"\n);
		print qq(VERBOSE "STATUS: www411 said name was $cidname " 2\n);
		exit(0);
		}
	else {
		print qq(VERBOSE "STATUS: unable to find name with www411" 2\n);
		}
	}
else {
	print qq(VERBOSE "STATUS: www411 lookup disabled" 2\n);
}

print qq(SET VARIABLE CALLERID\(name\) "$cidnum"\n);
print qq(VERBOSE "STATUS: Unknown name for $cidnum " 2\n);
exit(0); 

sub anywho_lookup {
	my ($npa, $nxx, $station) = @_;
	my $ua = LWP::UserAgent->new( timeout => 45);
	my $URL = 'http://www.anywho.com/qry/wp_rl';
	$URL .= '?npa=' . $npa . '&telephone=' . $nxx . $station;
	$ua->agent('AsteriskAGIQuery/1');
	my $req = new HTTP::Request GET => $URL;
	my $res = $ua->request($req);
	if ($res->is_success()) {
		if ($res->content =~ /<!-- listing -->(.*)<!-- \/listing -->/s) {
			my $listing = $1;
			if ($listing =~ /<B>(.*)<\/B>/) {
				my $clidname = $1;
				return $clidname;
			}
		}
	}
	return "";
}

sub google_lookup {
  my ($npa, $nxx, $station) = @_;
  my $ua = LWP::UserAgent->new( timeout => 45);
  my $URL = 'http://www.google.com/search?rls=en&q=phonebook:' .  $npa . $nxx . $station . '&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8';
  $ua->agent('AsteriskAGIQuery/1');
  my $req = new HTTP::Request GET => $URL;
  my $res = $ua->request($req);
  if ($res->is_success()) {
    if ($res->content =~ /<font size=-2><br><\/font><font size=-1>(.+)<font color=green>/) {
      my $temp = $1;
      my $clidname = "";
      if ( $temp =~ /(.+)<font color=green>/o ) {
        $clidname = substr($1, 0, -3);
      } else {
        $clidname = substr($temp, 0, -3);
      }
      if ($clidname =~ /<a href(.+)\//) {
        $clidname = $1 ;
        if ($clidname =~ />(.+)</) {
          $clidname = $1 ;
        }
      }
      return $clidname;
    }
  }
  return "";
} 

sub www411_lookup {
  my ($npa, $nxx, $station) = @_;
  my $ua = LWP::UserAgent->new( timeout => 45);
  my $URL = 'http://www.411.com/search/Reverse_Phone?phone=' .  $npa . $nxx . $station;
  $ua->agent('AsteriskAGIQuery/1');
  my $req = new HTTP::Request GET => $URL;
  my $res = $ua->request($req);
  if ($res->is_success()) {
    if ($res->content =~ /Location: <strong>(.*)<\/strong>/s) {
      my $temp = $1;
      my $clidname = "";
      $temp =~ s/&amp\;/&/g;
      $temp =~ s/%20/ /g;
						$clidname = $temp;
		    return $clidname;
     }
  }
  return "";
}

Basically, what the script does is lookup the cidname from the CID number. I pass the script an argument (the caller id number) and it checks AnyWho, Google, and 411.com (in order). I chose 411 last and just use it to replace an NPA/NXX table. Basically, if AnyWho and Google fail, I’m assuming it’s a cell phone or unlisted number and will assume 411 will only return a location. If all fails, the script sets the callerid name to be the callerid number.

I’ve integrated it into asterisk by first creating a lookup context:

[cidname-lookup]
exten => s,1,NoOp(looking up callerid name)
exten => s,n,GotoIf($["foo${CALLERID(NAME)}" = "foo" ]?getname)
exten => s,n,GotoIf($["${CALLERID(NAME)}" = "${CALLERID(NUM)}" ]?getname)
exten => s,n,NoOp(caller id name exists as ${CALLERID(NAME)})
exten => s,n,Return
exten => s,n(getname),AGI(calleridname.pl,${CALLERID(NUM)})
exten => s,n,NoOp(Caller ID Name is now ${CALLERID(NAME)})
exten => s,n,Return

Basically, if the callerid name is present (and not the phonenumber), run the script. You can then call the script from anywhere in your Asterisk dialplan using a gosub routine. Such as:

exten => s,n,Gosub(cidname-lookup,s,1)
exten => s,n,dial(${FREDPHONE},30,mt)

Are there other ways to do this? Absolutely. And some even better This way works for me… until I see a better way of doing it.

The WB network is relaunching online. While many people may not care, knowing that Buffy the Vampire Slayer can be viewed online is quite exciting for me. In fact, I’m just sitting here saying Woo Hoo.

We all know that I’m quite a fan of the Buffy show and this is good news for people looking to not work on their computers. The WB apparently is relaunching as an online-only network. Neat idea.

Anyway, I signed up for the beta program… so who knows? Maybe Anya will be coming to my desktop in the near future.

So, Patrick and I have been making these chats on voip, called (or as Patrick would say Interestingly enough called) VoipTechChat. We’ve even made a website for it called… wait for it… VoipTechChat.com.

We enjoy it. We talk on regular voip “lines” and record the chat on a regular off the shelf PC I picked up at Wal-mart.

Anyway, we post the chats on the site in mp3 format, or you can even pick it up on iTunes.

Wanna hear the latest chat? Check it out here. This week is mostly movie talk, very little voip.

So I tried another Sunday ride this week… had a great run to Orlando’s house and then was hoping to get to Sonny’s for AYCE Beef Brisket (yum). Well, long story short, as we pulled into the parking lot, the phone started ringing and it was time to go to work.

Saturday was the annual Orlina Cinco de Mayo party and this year will have to be one of the best.

Good drinks, friends, and just a good time away from it all.