Anyone has a talking caller ID?

[Mac1337]

I looked up a few but they don't announce names, just phone numbers unless you record the names yourself. Not very useful.

[Chupa Chupa]

I've got two different Panasonic models w/ Talking Caller ID. Both will announce whatever information the telco passes on, names, if available, or "cellular caller," "private caller" or "out of area." If no name is available it will say "number available" with the number.

I love the talking caller ID. It's stopped me from unnecessarily having to go to the phone many times.

[Mac1337]

That is more like it. If it can say the numbers why not the name or "out of area". Another option is caller id on TV. Since we have everything with Verizon(phone, internet and TV) they should have something.

[MacMagus]

Yeah, my folks have it. Panasonic phone/fax/answering system.

If the caller ID has a name then it will announce that and if the number is in the phone's directory then it will use the name entered there instead of what name the caller ID reports.

[OWC Jamie]

Yes.
Panasonic.
I rarely understand a word it says.

[onthedownlow]

On my cell phone...love it. LG.

[ho'ard]

My home answering machine, a cheap AT&T. I basically stopped using my home phone and when it rings it's a solicitor 99% of the time. When it rings it's annoying. When it announces the number, it's even more annoying. It does say "unknown caller" when there's no number, but doesn't attempt names.

[Lux Interior]

I have the Panasonic talking phone, too.

Mine also has colored lights on the antenna that can be programmed for certain callers as well as custom ringtones. The voice does sound a bit like she has something in her mouth.

I also have a caller ID globe that I got at Brookstone. It has kept my couch-potatoing sessions uninterrupted many a time.

[rz]

We have two units: The Panasonic is our main phone, and a no-name brand on one of our other extensions. I actually prefer the no-name one. I agree with the above poster who said the Panasonic one sounds like she has something in her mouth. If Caller-ID has the name, it will try to pronounce it and it's rarely even a close pronunciation. It also doesn't start calling out the name/number until the second ring, and the answering machine picks up after 3 rings. The no-name one is an external unit that goes between the phone jack and the phone. It has a much clearer voice, but only calls out the number. But it starts talking as soon as the phone rings, so if I'm sitting in my office where I can hear both, I usually know whether to answer it well before the Panasonic starts talking.

[sscutchen]

I have an AT&T phone with this and a dedicated TCID box in another room. Both announce the numer or out of area or unknown call... and they announce names that I record and associate with numbers. The dedicated box can hold, I think, 50 recorded names. the AT&T phone can hold ten.

I love them both. It REALLY saves from running to the CID to see who is calling. If it doesn't announce a name, I simply let it go. Unless the area code is local. Then I may go see who it is.