Hi, On Sun, Nov 04, 2007 at 07:24:44PM +0100, manuel wrote: *snip* > But I do have one question: is it possible to operate an modem > (miniPCI or USB; it might be off-list, but: can anybody recommend > one?) as an answering machine? Probably not, PCI and recent USB modems tend to involve binary blobs. However, I have an external modem (from TeleWell, a Finnish brand of modems and other telecom devices) that has RS232, USB (which is just an USB-RS232 bridge) and mic/headset connectors - finding an external one with those would probably allow you to connect a sound card and end up with a blob free answering machine. At least on Windows the modems show up as sound cards, so I'd guess *nix software should be able to speak to a sound card hooked up to the modem, too. Just beware of software modems, ones with a serial port (and maybe a USB-serial dongle) are the best bet. Used 56k modems should be available cheaply, anyway...
-- Jussi Peltola
