Let's say for some reason someone has his or her caller ID blocked and is calling you all the time. Let's then say you really want to know who that person is for, you know, whatever reason -- not that we'd know anything about that. Some crafty phreaker types have come up with a way to do this using an enterprise-spec asterisk box and a SIP trunk provider. In a demonstration video, a hacker tweaks said asterisk box with some new configurations to strip out privacy flags, forward the call to another number, and ultimately reveal caller ID information which, surprisingly, is still available. This isn't meant to be easy, but if the terms "prepend," "SIP trunk," and "asterisk box" don't scare you away, go ahead and watch the video after the break. Big disclaimer: we're not responsible for your broken gear, jail time, or restraining orders.

The days of countermining caller ID systems could be coming to an end, at least for those who prefer to live life lawfully. A recent bill introduced in the US Congress, dubbed the "Truth in Caller ID Act of 2007," seems to have ripped a line from Suncom commercials of days past, and also seeks to "make it unlawful for any person in the United States, in connection with any telecommunications service or IP-enabled voice service, to cause any caller ID service to transmit misleading or inaccurate information." Of course, the bill definitely leaves loopholes for those involved in law enforcement, but for folks just horsing around, you could face penalties "of up $10,000 for each violation." Leave it to The Man to inhibit our fun.

[Via Slashdot]

You all know by now that June is a long ways away, and even when that glorious month finally dawns, there's a good chunk of us who won't even be able to partake in the iPhone fun due to location. Thankfully, Mavizen has a svelte alternative to pair up the functions of your phone with your current dock-connecting iPod courtesy of the myBlu. This wired / Bluetooth device provides a wired set of headphones and a microphone that you connect to your 'Pod, while the integrated Bluetooth module syncs with your handset. Upon receiving an incoming call, the tunes are halted and the incoming number even shows up on your iPod's screen, quite similar to how the original ROKR functioned, except we're adding an external DAP. Aside from caller ID, it also supports voice redial, most recent call list, and adds an FM tuner to boot, and since it pulls power straight from your docking port, no extra batteries are necessary. Of course, for as sensational as this little gizmo sounds, getting it over here on American soil could prove to a chore in and of itself, but if you're down with locating a Hong Kong importer, you can snag one for around HK$598 ($77).

[Via Slashphone, thanks Kory]

It sure didn't take long for this SideShow bandwagon to get overcrowded, as now we've even got a VoIP phone touting its SideShow functionality, not to mention its ability to interface with iTunes and Windows Media Player as well. While Asus' first attempt, the AiGuru S1, received lukewarm reviews at best, the refreshed version sports a lot more functionality, a color display, and a much slimmer profile. Aside from playing nice with 802.11b/g networks, touting three hours of talk time, and offering full support for Skype (including Skype ID and caller photos / avatars), this handset also rocks an internal speaker / headphone jack for wireless music playback, and also supports streaming from iTunes / WMP; moreover, users can purportedly check their email right on the display thanks to its SideShow pizazz. Although pricing information was absent, the AiGuru S2 will be hitting shelves alongside those PSTN-to-VoIP motherboards in the first quarter of this year.

[Via Skype]

Listen up LL Cool Stevie J.: would it be really so hard to get your engineering posse on building Bluetooth into the iPod? Seriously, we'd settle for even a Bluetooth dongle at this point, just so we wouldn't have to get scrambled up in our headphones anymore. Because if you guys don't come out with something soon, then we're going to have to settle for these really mediocre things like this BluPod here -- all it does is display caller ID info on your iPod and turn down your music accordingly (oh, and it adds an FM transmitter, too). Ok, nevermind this BluPod (no word on its price, either) -- just get going on that iPhone, m'kay?

USRobotics has just released two new Nokia-esque Skype-certified handsets for the Internet telephony lover on a budget, with the USR9601 USB Internet Phone retailing for just $50, and the USR9602 USB Internet Mini Phone (pictured) going for a mere $25. Both models feature a numeric keypad (duh) for speed dialing your Skype contacts or utilizing the SkypeOut feature if that's your thing, with the 9601 also sporting a back-lit LCD for call status and the all-important Skype caller ID. Also part of the package is some whiz-bang technology that promises to cancel out the echoing and tunnel effect that apparently plague lower-quality handsets; we're not quite sure what they're referring to, though, as every VoIP call we've ever made has been crystal clear and of the highest possible sound quality.

Ever since we saw Seiko's CPC TR-006 prototype watch with built-in Bluetooth, we've been anxiously waiting for a piece of stylish wristwear that also makes a fuss when we get a phone call, and displays Caller ID info so our smartphone never has to leave its belt holster. Well our long wait will finally be over on July 7th, but in a cruel twist of fate, instead of that not-unfashionable Seiko, the first Bluetooth watch to market will be a rather hideous looking model from Citizen with a tiny screen and gaudy blue buttons marring the face. Besides sporting that disaster of a design, though, the W700 VIRT Bluetooth watch doesn't sound like it's all that uncomfortable to wear, with its sub-two-ounce weight paling in comparison to the those G-Shock shackles some people weigh down their arms with. Plus, you get a pretty decent five-day battery life, SPOT-like charging dock, and best of all-- at least for cellphone addicts -- an optional alert for notifying you if your phone ever travels a potentially-traumatizing distance from your person. Only 5,000 of these pieces will be sold during the initial rollout, but even if they're offered at a very reasonable price (which we highly doubt), sales will probably be limited to only the geekiest most hardcore early-adopters.

[Via Wrist Dreams]