[APP] Mobile Receptionist 0.950 [2010.07.01] rule-based phone automation!

[ZaijiaN]

What It Does
Mobile Receptionist automatically handles calls, SMS, and other events, with user-configurable criteria and actions.

How It Works
You configure the Mobile Receptionist via Profiles. Profiles handle incoming events and phone status changes.
Multiple profiles can be enabled simultaneously. For example, you could have one profile automatically forward all incoming SMS messages to an email address for archiving, and another one that responds to all SMS messages and incoming calls while you're at work.

The Full Profile has Rules. Each Rule contains Criteria and Actions. If all the Critiera are met, then all the Actions are executed. There are also Criteria for the Profile, which apply globally to all Rules in the Profile.

The Full Profile has complete functionality and flexibility of Rules, Criteria, and Actions - but there are also specialized Profile types that are streamlined and easier to configure:
A Sms Responder Profile only handles incoming calls/sms and responds to the original caller.
A Event Monitor Profile only monitors events and sends notifications to a set address.
A Blacklist Profile only ignores or hangs up on certain numbers or contacts.
A Remote Control Profile allows remote control of the phone. Send SMS, get GPS coordinates, disable/enable profiles, look up contact information, etc.

Use cases
Watching a movie: set up rules to respond to missed calls and text messages with an SMS saying you're unavailable and will get back to them later.
Archiving: set up rules to forward all text messages to your email account.
Multiple phones: if you have a work phone and a personal phone, after working hours you could set up rules on your work phone to send SMS to your personal phone if the call/message is urgent.
Remote notification: If you're entering a secure building where you can't bring your phone, but have internet access, set up rules to send you an email every time you missed a call, got a text message, have an upcoming appointment.

Requirements

• Windows Mobile 5 or greater
• .NET CF 3.5 or greater
• Unlimited SMS plan (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)
• Unlimited Data plan (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)

Getting Started
(this pic is out of date)


Latest News
The current version of Mobile Receptionist is in open beta, and certain functionality is restricted to registered users. Currently, registration is only available directly from the developer. A product information and registration website is under construction and will be available with the final 1.0 release.

Registration
The unregistered version of Mobile Receptionist has the following restrictions: only 3 enabled profiles at a time; only 1 full profile; full profiles containing Repeating GPS, Application Toggling, Profile Disabling, or Remote Control Actions is limited to 60 minutes before automatically disabling itself.

Mobile Receptionist can be registered at www.philchuang.com, and pricing is expected to be $3-5.

Registration codes will be valid for an entire major version (ie 1.00 to 1.99) and are tied to one specific mobile device. In accordance with Microsoft Marketplace policies, each Windows Live ID will be allowed to register up to 5 devices.

History
[2010.07.01] - 0.950b optimization/new features release
[2010.06.15] - 0.943b bugfixes
[2010.06.09] - 0.942b bugfixes
[2010.06.08] - 0.941b bugfixes
[2010.06.01] - 0.940b bugfixes, new features release
[2010.04.21] - 0.931b logging messages fixed
[2010.04.21] - 0.930b bugfixes, new feature release
[2009.10.20] - 0.910b bugfix/optimized release
[2009.09.24] - 0.903b bugfix release
[2009.08.21] - 0.902b bugfix release
[2009.04.19] - 0.901b bugfix release
[2009.04.10] - 0.900b open beta release
[2009.02.10] - 0.880b wider closed beta release
[2009.01.10] - 0.800b closed beta release

Contact
Official app page
Follow PhilChuang.com software on twitter!

0.95b Features

• Rules for
  • Incoming calls
  • Outgoing calls
  • Missed calls
  • Voicemail notification
  • Incoming SMS
  • Battery notification
  • Cradling notification
• Rule Criteria
  • Time criteria to filter by time of day, etc.
  • Contact criteria to filter by phone number matching, contact properties
  • Message criteria to filter by SMS content
  • Current Appointment criteria to filter by Status (Free, Busy, Tentative, OutOfOffice)
• Actions
  • Send messages to SMS or email, fully configurable with variables
  • Send GPS coordinates to SMS or email (with repeating capability)
  • Suspending/Resuming the MobileReceptionist
  • Disabling a Profile
  • Ignore/Answer/Speakerphone/Hangup phone calls
  • Look up contacts/appointments
  • User-configurable log messages
  • Execute any command with arguments
• Profiles
  • Full - complete flexibility in rules, criteria, and actions
  • SMS Responder - A streamlined profile that only sends SMS replies to a missed caller or incoming text message.
  • Event Monitor - A streamlined profile that sends event notifications (call, voicemail, sms) via sms or email.
  • Blacklist - A specialized profile that ignores or hangs up on certain numbers or contacts.
  • Remote Control - A specialized profile that allows remote control of the phone. Send SMS, get GPS coordinates, disable/enable profiles, look up contact information, etc.

0.95b Notes

• Open beta
• Since this is a beta, program access will expire on 01 August 2010
• Low Battery Rule has been implemented, executes when the battery level changes.
• Added "Answer Call on speakerphone" option to Incoming Call Rules.
• Added ExecuteAction to run any command.

To Do List

• Rules for
  • Appointments
  • Tasks
  • G-Sensor
  • Light Sensor
  • Incoming Email
  • Gps Movement Tracking
• Rule Criteria
  • Repeat criteria to only execute a rule a certain number of times
  • Appointment Subject criteria
  • Current Location criteria
  • Orientation criteria
• Actions
  • Remote Admin actions, such as:
  • disable/enable the application
  • lookup appointment information
  • lookup notes
• Miscellaneous
  • Automatic Profile scheduling
  • Import/Export of Profiles
  • Improved data access performance (using sqlce)

0.950b changelog
BUGFIXES
fixed form disposed exceptions

NEW FEATURES
Low Battery Rule - executes when battery level changes
Cradled/Uncradled Rule - executes when device is cradled/uncradled
Incoming Call Rule - now able to answer calls and turn on speakerphone
Log Action - add your own log messages
Execute Action - run any command, with arguments

MODIFICATIONS
much improved handling of events when Mobile Receptionist isn't running
misc editors - better display when SIP is showing
notifications now give the user a chance to cancel actions such as answering/ending calls, sms responses.

0.943b changelog
BUGFIXES
fixed time criteria bug
fixed options display in rule editor dialog

0.942b changelog
BUGFIXES
fixed crash on missed call detection

0.941b changelog
BUGFIXES
Full Profile Editor - crash on creating new incoming call rule
Log - prevent false incoming call hits

MODIFICATIONS
[misc editors] - better display when SIP is showing

0.940b changelog
BUGFIXES
Main dialog - fixed some menu items not properly disabled/enabled
Rule Editor dialog - bug on entering dialog a second time
Rule Editor dialog - actions now display in new item softmenu
Event Monitor Profile - incoming call no longer always checked if missed call is checked
Incoming Call Handler multiple execution bug
[misc editors] - tabs won't switch when left/right is pressed in textboxes
StringCriteria - fixed bug
OutlookSession - fixed wrong thread bugs

NEW FEATURES
New Remote Control Profile type
Added ability to automatically answer incoming calls

MODIFICATIONS
Sms Responder Profile - added full criteria

TODO
Finish beta version of appointment reminders
Make variables field-aware so that they don't display in fields that don't make sense
Implement form caching

[rfryar]

Thanks for the beta release. One quick note.. Right now when setting up events, and actions, the OK button in the upper right is a cancel. If it is going to be a cancel, can you have it pop a dialog if changes were made and not saved? It took me a minute or two to realize that OK was not the same as SAVE. Also sometimes the Menu button in the lower right contains the "New ...", sometimes it is a right click. Can these two menus be consistent, or at least always have it in one and not across both. Have not had a call since I installed it, but looks great so far! Rick

[shaggylive]

I see now why so long, update looks nice!

[ZaijiaN]

Originally Posted by rfryar

Thanks for the beta release. One quick note.. Right now when setting up events, and actions, the OK button in the upper right is a cancel. If it is going to be a cancel, can you have it pop a dialog if changes were made and not saved? It took me a minute or two to realize that OK was not the same as SAVE. Also sometimes the Menu button in the lower right contains the "New ...", sometimes it is a right click. Can these two menus be consistent, or at least always have it in one and not across both. Have not had a call since I installed it, but looks great so far! Rick

1) I will add in a cancel-with-unsaved changes confirmation dialog, that happens when OK or Cancel is pressed.
2) I have tried where possible to support both the context menu and soft menu, and to keep them consistent. I just think it's better to have the option of doing it either way since some people like to click-hold and some would rather use the softkey.

[slypher]

One question, how does this app affect battery life?

-s

[ZaijiaN]

Originally Posted by slypher

One question, how does this app affect battery life?

-s

I haven't looked into that much, and I don't have any exact numbers. Just based on my usual usage on my Touch Pro, I would guess that it takes uses an extra hour of its normally 10-11 hr lifespan - although I have noticed lately that PockeTwit uses a ton of juice too, so my numbers may be skewed.

[DKMYHEART]

This might make me very uncool, but could this be used to have a copy of my kids text messages forwarded to me on my phone? My wife recently found some nasty texts that were sent to my 12 year old daughter. A girl was bullying her and she never said anything. She had been erasing them, not wanting them on her phone. Thanks

[rfryar]

Occasionally I receive the following error when Mobile Receptionist tries to send SMS messages:

SMSError:
Cause Code: 97

I am thinking this is due to having a Caller ID program running at the same time and both apps try using the data connection at the same time. So I disabled the caller id program to see if the above error reoccurs.

Let me know if you have any insight into the error code,

Rick

I am on an HTC Touch, on Sprint and have the phone connected to a PC as well using the patch cable.

[ZaijiaN]

Originally Posted by DKMYHEART

This might make me very uncool, but could this be used to have a copy of my kids text messages forwarded to me on my phone? My wife recently found some nasty texts that were sent to my 12 year old daughter. A girl was bullying her and she never said anything. She had been erasing them, not wanting them on her phone. Thanks

Sure, but with a couple of caveats: 1) she has to have a Windows Mobile phone with a touchscreen, and 2) it's not a covert application, so she could get into the interface and disable it if she wanted to. I could probably turn parts of it into a covert application, though.

[shaggylive]

Originally Posted by ZaijiaN

Sure, but with a couple of caveats: 1) she has to have a Windows Mobile phone with a touchscreen, and 2) it's not a covert application, so she could get into the interface and disable it if she wanted to. I could probably turn parts of it into a covert application, though.

a lite/covert version would be sweet!

@ DK you might want to check out the Sprite VirtualMobile beta. it works on many phone OS's and is hides pretty well.