• Painting, painting, painting. (4 parents, lots of paint, bottom line: house looks great)
• Met Sebastian
• Renewed the annual pass at Disney and got Yeni her Florida pass.
• Took the in-laws to St. Augustine.
• Posted about Spam on VoIP Tech Chat
• Actually posted a chat on VoIP Tech Chat
• Getting ready for the Voipathon
• and posted a few pics on Picasa

Thanks for stopping by.

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

• Ann Arbor Chronicle
• HD Teeter Talk
• Ann Arbor News
• Arbor Update

Anyway, we’re back online and I’d love to share a new geeky blog post I wrote: Diff’rent VoIP for Diff’rent Folks. Oh, and I was interviewed by the Ann Arbor Chronicle about the parking lot application. The preliminary video is on YouTube… But I also have a version below

Update — apparently the site was down due to a denial of service attack.

(You should also take a look at Homeless Dave‘s site for more interviews)

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.

Yeni Weather Script

I have a new phone on my desk (or as Yeni calls it, the mesk). Why mesk? Combines messy and desk… but I digress (as usual).

As I was saying, I recently purchased a Polycom Soundpoint IP 450 phone. The phone is great — small foot print, clean, great speakerphone, and enables HD Voice. HD Voice is going to change the way we think of how phone calls sound. I admit, I was reluctant at first, but then I got to know Michael Graves; and after listening to him praise the benefits of HD Voice for many, many months, I decided it was time to embrace the technology.

Let me say this — HD Voice is amazing. I won’t say too much more, because I’m planning to write about it big time on VoIP Tech Chat and Team Forrest; but bottom line: HD Voice = amazing.

So the other nice thing about the phone? It has a little micro-mini browser. Which means what you ask? It means that know whenever Yeni asks me the weather… I can answer. A nice little Perl script checks the local Ann Arbor weather and gives me the temp (in F and C), current condition, and quick day’s forecast. The phone reads the website every 5 minutes and constantly displays the results. It’s nice.

Fred with family at Thanksgiving

Good morning world and welcome to the snowed in Monday morning edition of Fred Posner dot com. Let’s discuss the weekend…

Not much happened. Let’s see, in random order:

• Yeni and I had Pizza so good I reactivated Fat Freddy Says
• The Gators beat Alabama and are headed to Miami for the Championship Game
• My Harley is back from the dealer… and is pretty much packed away until March (but sounds GREAT with my new pipes)
• Thanksgiving Pictures were posted
• Blogged about an idiotic FBI Warning
• Yeni and I started on the Holiday Vegitation
• and the Chicago Tribune filed for bankruptcy.

And how’s your day? Feel free to comment

Like most “budget conscious” couples, Yeni and I try to save money when possible. When leaving for our extended trip, we lowered the thermostat to a brisk 65 degrees. After a very snow filled journey home, we raised the temperature up to 74, relaxed for an hour or so, and went to bed early.

Around 4am or so, I heard what I thought was the fire alarm; and not used to using natural gas in the home, I quickly got out of bed to investigate. You see, I like to avoid gas fueled explosions when possible, and assumed that the alarm would be followed by some sort of Bruce Willis / Jerry Bruckheimer fireball explosion. Well, no fire, but this alarm was so, so very loud.

When my eyes gained focus, I looked up high and noticed this wasn’t the smoke detector, but rather the Carbon Monoxide alarm. Well, we shut off the heater, got some warm clothes, tried to call 911 from the VoIP phone (and then had to use the mobile), and got out of the house. The fire department showed up and Yeni and I enjoyed the reflections of the emergency lights on the snow (I told Yeni they were her Christmas lights). We stood outside and let the fresh air remove our nausea and headaches. After 45 minutes (or so) of talking with the Fire Department, the levels had lowered enough for us to return inside.

In the morning, a furnace repairman could not find any levels of carbon monoxide. Our neighbor told us he had recently closed a vent when spraying for wasps and thinks that this action may have been the cause. Although we would have liked to have found a definite source of the carbon monoxide, it’s good to know that the alarm is loud enough to wake me from a deep sleep.

We woke up real early this morning and picked up Yeni’s mother who will be visiting us for a few weeks. I was hoping to sleep on the plane but my neighbor is a seat hog who moves in a violent jerking motion; it’s lovely.

Have I mentioned how much I love flying?

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.