A service launched this week unblocks Caller ID information that the caller thinks is blocked, causing concern among those who help abused women.
TrapCall.com lets people rig some AT&T Inc. and T-Mobile USA phones so that if a call comes in with blocked Caller ID and is rejected, it rings again, this time displaying the number of the caller.
The basic service is free. The Web site charges for plans with more advanced services, such as call recording and Caller ID with name.
The Web site said the service can be useful for people who get harassing phone calls.
But Becky Moreno, victim assistance coordinator at the Warsaw, Ind., police department, said TrapCall could be troublesome for victims of abuse. They, or their representatives, often block Caller ID when reaching out to abusers. Victim centers sometimes block their IDs when they call victims as well, so abusive partners won’t know who’s calling.
Calls with blocked Caller ID have never been perfectly anonymous. Calls to 1-800 numbers are unmasked, for instance, because the recipient pays for the call. This appears to be the loophole used by TrapCall. TelTech Systems, the company behind the service, did not return a message for comment Wednesday.
Nintendo to launch upgrade to the DS
Nintendo Co. will launch the latest version of its portable video game system in the United States on April 5, adding two digital cameras and the ability to play with sound recordings.
The DSi, which is already available in Nintendo’s home country of Japan, will cost $170 and come in two colors, black and blue. This is the third iteration of the world’s most popular handheld gaming system. The DS Lite, its predecessor, costs $130.
The new handheld is slimmer than the DS Lite, sports bigger screens and includes two digital cameras — one facing outward and one pointing at the user when the device is flipped open. Nintendo likened them to a set of eyes.
“If the touch screen gave Nintendo DS a sense of feel and the microphone allowed it to hear, the two cameras give Nintendo DSi the sense of sight,” the company said in a statement.
Using the DSi, players can manipulate photos, mix images and share them with friends.
\The DSi also includes a memory card slot for users to store photos, music and games, which players will be able to purchase and download through the device’s Wi-Fi wireless connection. A stereo headphone output on the outside of the DSi lets users listen to music even when the system is flipped shut.
Nokia phones to get Skype software
Skype’s software for making free and cheap phone calls over the Internet will be built in to some Nokia Corp. smart phones.
In a move announced this week at the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona, the companies said Skype will be initially integrated with Nokia’s Nseries devices, which run on Nokia’s Symbian S60 operating system.
The integration will start with the N97, which will be released in June. A U.S. carrier for the phone has not been announced.
The built-in Skype application will be integrated with the phone’s address book.
Associated Press
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