Incoming Call Monitors

Introduction
Dialectic can monitor incoming calls from your Bluetooth mobile phone or your landline if it is connected to your modem. However, Dialectic also provides some interfaces to allow other devices or services to alert it to an incoming call. This can be accomplished through AppleScript or the Dialectic Remote HTTP server (Dialectic can be contacted via either of these methods to be alerted to an incoming call on a device or service Dialectic isn’t monitoring itself). 

While Dialectic provides these interfaces to allow other devices & services to alert it to an incoming call, most devices & services don't have the capability of launching an AppleScript or opening an URL when an incoming call is received. To make Dialectic even more versatile, we have developed some scripts & applications that can be used with other devices & services to alert Dialectic to incoming calls from these external sources.

Note: Using any of the following scripts or monitor applications will not properly notify Dialectic to an incoming call if Dialectic is not configured to accept external scripts. To allow this, enable (check) “Allow External AppleScript Access to Logging and Status Features” in the Miscellaneous section of the Dialectic preferences.

Asterisk Server
Using an Asterisk server with the Asterisk Gateway Interface (AGI) module installed, you can use an AGI script to send the incoming caller ID details to Dialectic using either AppleScript, or, more simply, by enabling the Dialectic Remote HTTP Server. A base AGI script for you to edit & use along with basic instructions are provided for your convenience.

BluePhoneElite 2, Phlink, Phone Amego, & PhoneValet
Mira Software’s BluePhoneElite 2, OVOLab’s Phlink, Sustainable Softworks’s Phone Amego, and Parliant’s PhoneValet can all launch AppleScripts when an incoming call is received. With this in mind, there are scripts included in the Incoming Call Monitors section of the resources page that you can use in conjunction with these software packages to alert Dialectic of incoming calls. There are two scripts for each supported software package, one for simply adding the incoming call to Dialectic’s call log and one for triggering a full incoming call notification (which will automatically add a call log entry for the call). For information on triggering these scripts when the respective software packages receive a call, please consult the documentation provided by the software developers.

Skype
If you have Skype installed on your system and you have a Skype In phone number to receive incoming calls from phones outside of the Skype system, you can use the Dialectic Skype Monitor application to connect to the Skype application and listen for incoming calls (the first time you connect, you may be prompted to allow Dialectic skype Monitor to access Skype; choose to always allow this). When an incoming call is detected, the information will be passed to Dialectic as if it had detected the call itself. If you close the Dialectic Skype Monitor window, the application will quit so you should keep the window open but hide the application if you don’t want the log window visible.

FRITZ!Box
If you have a FRITZ!Box device on your network, you can use the Dialectic FRITZ!Box Monitor application to connect to the FRITZ!Box device and listen for incoming calls. When an incoming call is detected, the information will be passed to Dialectic as if it had detected the call itself. If you close the Dialectic FRITZ!Box Monitor window, the application will quit so you should keep the window open but hide the application if you don’t want the log window visible.

SIP-Based Device or Softphone
If you are using a SIP-based softphone, you can use the Dialectic SIP Monitor application to listen for incoming SIP calls. When an incoming call is detected, the information will be passed to Dialectic as if it had detected the call itself. If you close the Dialectic SIP Monitor window, the application will quit so you should keep the window open but hide the application if you don’t want the log window visible.

Requirements
Mac OS X 10.4 or later & Dialectic

Warranty
This software is provided on an “AS IS” basis, without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including, without limitation, warranties that the subject software is free of defects, merchantable, fit for a particular purpose or non-infringing. JNSoftware LLC assumes no risk as to the quality and performance of the software. Should the software prove defective in any respect, JNSoftware LLC assumes no cost or liability for any servicing, repair or correction. This disclaimer of warranty constitutes an essential part of this license. No use of any subject software is authorized hereunder except under this disclaimer.

Under no circumstances and under no legal theory, whether tort (including, without limitation, negligence or strict liability), contract, or otherwise, shall JNSoftware LLC be liable for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages of any character with respect to the software including, without limitation, damages for loss of goodwill, work stoppage, loss of data, computer failure or malfunction, or any and all other commercial damages or losses, even if JNSoftware LLC shall have been informed of the possibility of such damages. This limitation of liability shall not apply to liability resulting from JNSoftware LLC’s negligence to the extent applicable law prohibits such limitation. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so that exclusion and limitation may not apply to you.

You may distribute this software so long as you distribute the complete package including this Read Me document.

Copyright © 2011 JNSoftware LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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