Comments on: Call Block mp3 Edition Review

The ubiquity of the cellphone is both a blessing and a curse. Being always connected, all the time is a boon for keeping in touch with friends and family. Unfortunately, it means that your boss, your psycho ex-girlfriend and those horrible little outsourced debt collectors can also catch you whenever they please – and short of keeping your phone turned off or forwarding everything to voicemail, there wasn’t a damn thing you could do about it. Until now. Enter Wish Solutions’ Call Block.

Call Block is like having your own personal secretary to screen your calls. You can’t have a torrid affair with it (at least, not without being somewhat perverted), but you can block specific numbers, no-Caller-ID numbers or even entire categories of contacts in a few quick steps. Is it worth $14.95? Read on for the full review…

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tested on

freakout @ 7/20/2007 7:39:17 PM #

forgot to add: reviewed on an unlocked Treo 680.

Nice article.

VampireLestat @ 7/20/2007 11:23:12 PM #

"...or use the evil Pickup+Hangup option..."
"..(or calling yourself if you have no friends)."

hehehe

Sounds like a useful product. I will look into it.
By the way, little typo in the article:

"as most Palm users knows by bitter experience" should be
"as most Palm users know by bitter experience"

Oh my God, Voldemort WINS!!

freakout @ 7/21/2007 1:56:36 AM #

Ha ha, just kidding, I haven't finished it yet. But already there's a hefty body count. Rowling, you sadist!!!

Ahem. Just had to get that out.

Thanks Vampy. I'm always noticing little typos and mistakes after I hand these things in. I usually leave them as they are so as not to drive Ryan completely insane with edit requests. Think of them as flawed masterpieces. Like The Order of the Phoenix. Now there's a text that could have stood a little editing...

Comparison to Buzz (Toysoft)

DontPanic @ 7/21/2007 12:19:34 PM #

This sounds extremely similar to Buzz (www.toysoft.ca $19.95). Buzz will also block wildcard numbers, e.g. 1-800-xxx-xxxx. I've already purchased it, but any other major differences?

USR Pilot5000 > 3Com PalmPilot Pro > Palm IIIx > Palm 515 > Palm TT3 > Palm Treo 700p

RE: Comparison to Buzz (Toysoft)

freakout @ 7/21/2007 8:10:27 PM #

Not sure, DP. I haven't tried Buzz, and Toysoft's website appears to be down right now so I can't do a feature-by-feature comparison either. But what impressed me most about Call Block was how stable it was. The last Treo call management app I used was CallFilter on my 650, which did similar things, but was always crashing. I'm not sure if that was the 650's fault or CallFilter's, but it certainly led me to have a greater appreciation of CB's stability.

So, if Buzz does the same sort of stuff and doesn't crash your Treo, then it's probably just as good. Except, of course, Call Block is $5 cheaper. ;)

Tim
I apologise for any and all emoticons that appear in my posts. You may shoot them on sight.
Treo 270 ---> Treo 650 ---> Crimson Treo 680

RE: Comparison to Buzz (Toysoft)

Toysoft @ 7/22/2007 7:45:55 PM #

Our site is up. We have Buzz (lite version of lightwav) and Lightwav which does alot more.

Lightwav Features
-----------------

-Includes MP3/WAV/OGG player. No need for 3rd party audio player
-Repeat individual ringtone specifying duration in seconds to repeat
-Set song position to start playing as the ringtone
-Full screen JPG caller ID. Only possible with Lightwav
-GIF and GIF Animation as caller ID
-Live! video caller ID. Required Live www.toysoft.ca/live650.html to record high resolution videos
-Classic and Picture Dial views
-Set custom MP3 ringtones for sms and voicemail notifications
-Assign custom wav/mp3/ogg ringtone to Contact and Categories
-CallerID and SMS blocking. Block unwanted callers and SMS
-North America area code. See where the caller is calling from
-Convert sound files from card to RAM.
-Do not disturb feature. Send friendly SMS message when you are busying or away from the phone or forward the call when DND is active.
-Block any caller or callers not in your Contact database
-VIP feature. Allow VIPs to call you regardless if Do Not Disturb is enabled
-Call notes. Add a journal for the caller into the Calendar application
-Ringtone volume boosting. Ringtone not loud enough. No problem with Lightwav
-Option to always Send SMS to mobile number if exists. No matter it the caller called from Landline
-Announce incoming call. Many different languages
-Send friendly SMS message for missed calls
-Pager. Use Lightwav as a traditional pager for incoming SMS and Missed Calls
-Simple yet powerful Profile Manager. Take control of your Treo.
-Calendar/Agendus/Datebk6 profile integration
-MP3 ringtone safe mode in case the external card becomes ejected
-2Day integration. See all blocked and missed calls on 2Day screen

www.toysoft.ca

Callfilter?

vixensjlin @ 7/22/2007 12:11:01 AM #

How does it compare to Callfilter? Comparing it with peer softwarez would be a fantastic review.

RE: Callfilter?

freakout @ 7/22/2007 12:50:51 AM #

quick 'n dirty comparison:

Call Block
* Much more stable than Callfilter, which crashed my 650 constantly. I'm not sure if that was the 650's fault or Callfilter's, though. I reviewed Call Block on the 680.
* Better, more user-friendly interface (although this is subjective)
* Compatible with more Treos (650, 680, 700p, 755p, although I can't make any claims about stability on anything but the 680.)
* Cheaper than Callfilter ($14.95 vs $29.95)

Call Filter
* Heaps more features than Call Block (call completion screens, SMS scripting, speaks incoming phone numbers etc)
* Integrates with some Treo profile apps for quick filter switches
* More configurable than Call Block
* Hasn't been updated since 2005, I think - only officially compatible with the Treo 600 and 650.

In the end, I'd pick Call Block over Callfilter, simply 'cause Callfilter was too unreliable for me. But as they say, your mileage may vary. Both apps have free trials.

Tim
I apologise for any and all emoticons that appear in my posts. You may shoot them on sight.
Treo 270 ---> Treo 650 ---> Crimson Treo 680