PhoneFusion Questions

[tspnews]

FYI. It looks like Verizons Visual Voicemail works the same way. Same set of registry keys in use for intercepting a special txt message. I am going to play with them later to see about stopping it from loading on its own.

I kind of stumbled on this thread for another reason as I am trying to disable all of the today screen left softkey notifications all together but visual voicemail notification was/is part of it so hopefully fixing this will help me figure blocking the rest. .... I check back in if I get anywhere myself.

-T

[p-slim]

Originally Posted by PhoneFusion

there are a number of reasons that the application functions that way that it does.

First a notificatiion, run, sync operation is a very expensive operation on our side as well as on the phone side. In addition to that, you then have to manually download any message that you want to hear/view so there is a wait for that.

The idea behind the application is to get notified on just new messages and then download them in the background.


Please don't create an automated script to force manual syncs. If we see accounts that are doing that frequently we may have to take action to deal with it. Keep in mind that we have hundreds of thousands of users and we watch performace stats like a hawk.


I know where/how to set the number of new messages but without better intergration it doesn't have a lot of value.

We have codes to change audio on a few different devices but the manuafacturers do not give this information freeley and in order to properly mange audio we would have to write our own player or risk interfereing with proper phone operation. It's on or list.


What really is the issue here? Leaving the app running in the background? It doesn't do anyting if it's not active, but if you get a message it does exactly what it's supposed to.

to help expand your market if i were on phonefusions team i would try to take this product to sprint and try and try to become their visual voicemail provider for smartphones because they obviously dont have one. you guys are in a strong position to make that bid but this app just needs to be perfected 1st. with some of the suggestions you guys can do this and help out the sprint community that would pay for this feature like the vz customers. 1st a today screen notification needs to implemented and also the program shouldnt have to be running in the backround to download messages. im sorry i dont have technical advice because i went to school for business and marketing, so my techincal isnt as advanced as vne147, but he is headed in the right direction.

[vne147]

Originally Posted by PhoneFusion

there are a number of reasons that the application functions that way that it does.

First a notificatiion, run, sync operation is a very expensive operation on our side as well as on the phone side. In addition to that, you then have to manually download any message that you want to hear/view so there is a wait for that.

The idea behind the application is to get notified on just new messages and then download them in the background.


Please don't create an automated script to force manual syncs. If we see accounts that are doing that frequently we may have to take action to deal with it. Keep in mind that we have hundreds of thousands of users and we watch performace stats like a hawk.


I know where/how to set the number of new messages but without better intergration it doesn't have a lot of value.

We have codes to change audio on a few different devices but the manuafacturers do not give this information freeley and in order to properly mange audio we would have to write our own player or risk interfereing with proper phone operation. It's on or list.


What really is the issue here? Leaving the app running in the background? It doesn't do anyting if it's not active, but if you get a message it does exactly what it's supposed to.

The issue is that I don't want PhoneFusion to pop up when I get a new message in the middle of whatever I'm doing. If I simply stop the app from launching, then I have no way of know that I have a new message unless I periodically launch and manually sync. That's the only thing that's motivating me to find a work around. I'm not planning to write any script to force periodoc syncs of the application. All I want to do is:

1. Stop PhoneFusion from automatically launching when a message is received - That's done.
2. Make the new voicemail notification show up on the Today screen - That's done.
3. Launch the PhoneFusion app when and only when I want to by tapping the the notification - Not done.
4. Stop the PFMA formatted text from showing up in my inbox - Not done.

Once I start the app by tapping the notification, I'll manually sync to see my new messages. If there is an argument I can pass to FVMPlus.exe to automatically sync when I start the app to read new messages, that would be ideal.

Are any of these things going to cause a problem on your end?

[Austin808]

Originally Posted by vne147

1. Stop PhoneFusion from automatically launching when a message is received - That's done.
2. Make the new voicemail notification show up on the Today screen - That's done.
3. Launch the PhoneFusion app when and only when I want to by tapping the the notification - Not done.
4. Stop the PFMA formatted text from showing up in my inbox - Not done.

While testing this I found that if you do #1, then you will always get the SMS message in your inbox. I think the rule works by launching FVM and passing it the SMS message to process, then FVM deletes the message so you never see it.

I decided its best to just minimize FVM since it does not take much resources.

#2 was easy to do, but the problem is I have not found a way to make clicking on it do anything, but dial a number.

#3 I found that with FVM running and minimized that there is an icon in the taskbar that if I click on will bring up FVM.

#4 I was unable to find a way to prevent this without allowing FVM to run from the rule.

I am still looking for a good way to force audioroute to run when the message is played. But so far this does not seem possible without keeping the mortscript running in the background since I can not find a way to make the VM indicator launch anything but the dialer.

I'll see what else I can find, but I don't think a very smooth integration can be made without hacking manilla which I have no idea how to do.

[vne147]

Originally Posted by Austin808

While testing this I found that if you do #1, then you will always get the SMS message in your inbox. I think the rule works by launching FVM and passing it the SMS message to process, then FVM deletes the message so you never see it.

I decided its best to just minimize FVM since it does not take much resources.

#2 was easy to do, but the problem is I have not found a way to make clicking on it do anything, but dial a number.

#3 I found that with FVM running and minimized that there is an icon in the taskbar that if I click on will bring up FVM.

#4 I was unable to find a way to prevent this without allowing FVM to run from the rule.

I am still looking for a good way to force audioroute to run when the message is played. But so far this does not seem possible without keeping the mortscript running in the background since I can not find a way to make the VM indicator launch anything but the dialer.

I'll see what else I can find, but I don't think a very smooth integration can be made without hacking manilla which I have no idea how to do.

I agree with what you're thinking about how FVM works to prevent the PFMA text from showing up in the inbox. Right now I'm exploring API options for deleting it. If I figure it out I could have the first mortscript make that happen.

I also have been unable to figure out how to change the action associated with clicking the notification. I don't know how to hack into Manila either but this could be my oppourtunity to learn. Lots of times I'll spending more effort than necessary doing something simple just so I can learn more about it. I don't necessarily care that there might be easier ways to do it.

I also agree that leaving FVM running is an option. You can also add it to the exception list so it doesn't show up in the task manager menu. It does however use between 5-7% of my available RAM and I like to limit that as much as possible.

So, is it a giant incovienience to just use FVM as it was intended and keep it running all the time...no. But if I make my idea work, that would be much better, IMHO.

[Austin808]

Originally Posted by vne147

So, is it a giant incovienience to just use FVM as it was intended and keep it running all the time...no. But if I make my idea work, that would be much better, IMHO.

I am not thinking of leaving it running all the time. Just until you check your voicemails. Once you check it you can shut down the FVM client.

I am hoping to have something fully working by the end of the weekend. If you find out how to launch an app by clicking on the VM indicator that would make this solution very usable.

[PhoneFusion]

In case you haven't guessed already I'm one of the developers for this so I have intimate knowledge of it.

I have on my list of things to do the following (in no order):
1. build a player so I can control audio output (on certain devices)
2. create a non-sms/cached version
3. modify it so that I know if it was launced from a message or the UI and act differently. non-ui would download, notify and exit.
4. increment/decrement voicemail counter. Launching from existing vm notification is going to be an issue that I don't know we can taclke.
5. today/home screen integration


It's a long list and not a small amount of work. I'm currently working on the Android version as well as other things and we just got done with CTIA in San Diego where we were in MS's booth for the second time in a row. So busy is an understatement.


We have problems with Sprint on every device. They just don't care about subscribers and they want VM that integrates with their old archaic systems and it's just not possible.

When development starts back up on this again I'll add some people to our beta group if they want. Please don't ask me when I'm going to fire up Visual Studio!

[Herbal954]

glad to see you care about our concerns bro, i would love to beta test...let me know

[p-slim]

Originally Posted by PhoneFusion

We have problems with Sprint on every device. They just don't care about subscribers and they want VM that integrates with their old archaic systems and it's just not possible.

When development starts back up on this again I'll add some people to our beta group if they want. Please don't ask me when I'm going to fire up Visual Studio!

Yeah sprint is killing me with this, i really wish they would open their eyes and offer this as a product.

anyways its good to have you in the community, thanks for taking the time to explain everything. Like herbal said if you need beta testers i'm more then willing to help out. I'm probably one of the very few sprint users that actually have this service.

[vne147]

Originally Posted by PhoneFusion

In case you haven't guessed already I'm one of the developers for this so I have intimate knowledge of it.

I figured it out. I think it might have been the name that gave it away. Either that or the informed responses.

Thanks for chiming in and I would certainly be interested in beta testing.

Just out of curiosity, why do you say that launching from the existing VM notification is such an issue?