Piece of plastic & metal to shut up the phone ...

[ChrisGreaves]

I am in the market for a device about the size of a small MP3 player through which I can channel my phone line.
Cable in one end, out the other, and then onwards to the 5 mobile phones sprinkled around the apartment and home office.

Needs one button only marked "No!", but this button must be heavy-duty, and be able to stand above-normal wear and tear e.g. being hit with a clenched fist.

Must operate as follows:

The next time that that 1-800 number calls me, I get to press the "No!" button, and the next time that number calls me, the device just reroutes the electricity away from the bell into the bit-bucket, or wherever you dump spare electrons, so that from my point of view there never has been a next time.

P.S. Must be able to hold up to 500 numbers.
P.P.S. Now I think about it a mini-USB connection that would allow me to Notepad-edit the file on the PC would be nifty.
P.P.P.S. Right now I'd buy the thing even if the name started with a lower-case letter "i".
P.P.P.P.S. OK, a toggle switch that routes a blocked incoming call to the last blocked incoming call that arrived. I'd pay extra for that.

No, but seriously, I used to have a light-sensitive device that killed the phone when it was dark, e.g night-time and all the houselights out. A passive lump, it just sat there quietly letting me sleep once I'd turned out the bedside lamp.

[jonwallace]

maybe one of these : http://inventorspot.com/articles/trueca ... gain_23374" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[JohnH]

I used to have a light-sensitive device that killed the phone when it was dark, e.g night-time and all the houselights out. A passive lump, it just sat there quietly letting me sleep once I'd turned out the bedside lamp.

My mobile phone has one of them...the off switch. It is not light sensitive, but it is very reliable.

[Claude]

Here in Australia we have an idiotic "do not call" register, introduced by the previous government. I say idiotic, because it excludes business phones, charities and companies of whom you are an existing customer.

Running a small business from home excludes me from registering my number, so, my business line has got a permanent answering machine on it which I've set to answer within 7 rings. Gives me enough time to see if it is a known caller so I can answer it.

BTW, you'll be glad to know that, according to one message, there is a 50% discount available for carpet cleaning in my area, so, please send me your carpet