What does it do?
Why do we need yet another Caller ID or Dialing program?
A: Because no other tool offers comprehensive telephone integration for the Mac. Phone Amego integrates with your phones to detect Call Start, Caller ID, Call Answer, Call End, On Hook, Off Hook and provide remote control to Dial, Answer, Send Touch-Tones, Hangup or Reject Call (when used with appropriate hardware). This affords capabilities other tools can't offer:

(1) Answer or hang up calls from your computer using the speakerphone on your VoIP handset.
(2) Detect and log calls dialed directly from your phone or other extensions.
(3) Block unwanted calls.
(4) Dial a phone number, wait for the remote peer to answer, and then dial an extension.
(5) Send touch-tones to access call features during a call.
(6) Show call status and duration in a consistent heads up display.
(7) See at a glance who in your office is on the phone and who they are talking to
(Multi-line call status).
(8) Log all calls, answered or missed, and their duration (invaluable if you bill for your time).

No other tool for the Mac offers this level of telephone integration (short of running your own PBX) yet that's only half the equation. The other side is integration with software and data on your Mac and the Internet including Contacts, Calendar, Mail, Safari, Google Voice, Growl/Notification Center, Dropbox, Caller ID lookup, CRM, etc. All this plus Phone Amego works with cell phones, landlines, and VoIP while maintaining an uncluttered User Interface. Phone Amego lets you use your Mac(s) as a mini call center.

"As an IT person, I've always been amazed at how lame phone/computer integration is.
This app has changed my mind." - robbosir
What problem is Phone Amego intended to solve?
A: Despite all the changes in telephone technology, people still need to make and receive phone calls while juggling information from multiple sources. Phone Amego is designed to help you use your Mac to be more efficient and in control of your telephone communications.

What's different about Phone Amego is:
(1) It provides full monitoring and control for both dialing and caller ID.
(2) It embraces the iPhone and the Internet.
(3) It is designed to work with many popular phones.
(4) It keeps notes on each call organized by caller in a shared database (lightweight CRM).
(5) It focusses on integrating phones into your Mac based workflow,
not trying to be another phone or answering machine.

Imagine you spend much of your day sitting in front of a Mac (like me). Your phone might be in your pocket, plugged into a charger, or across your desk. When the phone rings, a little window pops up on your Mac's screen to tell you who is calling. If you don't want to answer right now, you can click "End Call" to send the call directly to voice mail, or send a short SMS to say you will call back in 20 minutes.

If a client calls, you can press one button to:
• Bring up your calendar showing your previous calls and next appointment;
• Open the corresponding contact in Address Book, Daylite or other CRM;
• See previous notes for this caller (if any);
• Search for matching Emails from this client;

When new clients call, you can use reverse lookup to confirm subscriber information on the web (name and address for listed telephone numbers).

To place a call, you can click on a number in your Address Book (or Daylite) to have your computer dial it for you, or open the Call window and type the first few letters of the name you want to call. You can dial almost any number that appears on your screen. You can use the Recent submenu to redial or return a call with a single click.

If you have a cordless landline phone, you can enjoy on screen caller ID and click to dial from any Mac on your local area network.

With Phone Amego you can organize your call records in a distributed database and pull up caller information from any networked computer running Phone Amego. Add notes as desired and have them appear automatically on your other computers the next time that person calls.

Phone Amego maintains an easy to review call log. With appropriate hardware, you can do full call accounting for billing or system management.

Google Voice Support
Google no longer allows 3rd party applications to access Google Voice.
Does Phone Amego work with Google 2-step Authentication?
A: Yes, but you'll need to create a "one-time application-specific password" for Phone Amego.
I'm aware that caller ID can appear on each computer on the same LAN where Phone Amego is installed. Have you considered this option for an iPhone?
A: Yes, you can do this by using Pushover for iOS and/or Desktop. It works well and is not limited to your LAN. You can be notified with caller ID on your iOS device whenever your home or office phone rings.

Previous versions of Phone Amego used Growl (desktop) and Prowl (iOS). Growl hasn't been updated in many years and has largely been replaced by Apple's Notification Center (and Push Notification Service). Using Pushover offers more flexibility and does not require you to install the Growl application on your Mac. The iOS client for Pushover has a $5 one time registration after a 7-day trial period.
This webpage uses the free demo version of ZipList 2 v2.2.0

Bluetooth
Do I need to jailbreak my phone to work with Phone Amego?
A: No. This guide includes detailed instructions on how to configure Bluetooth on your phone and your Mac. There also a video tutorial.
Does Phone Amego work with iPhone?
A: Yes. It supports inbound Caller ID and outbound dialing when paired with an iPhone. Since Phone Amego uses the "Handsfree Gateway" to connect with iPhone, you cannot use a Bluetooth headset and Phone Amego at the same time without some compromise. See Hands-Free Speakerphone.

Phone Amego uses the headset channel and effectively acts like a Bluetooth headset. Bluetooth on Mac OS X can sometimes be fussy or even misleading. Do not be alarmed if it reports your device is not supported or Bluetooth pairing fails. You just need to follow the setup procedure in the order shown.
Will using Phone Amego drain my iPhone's battery?
A: Running the Bluetooth radio on your iPhone will gradually drain the battery. On later iPhone models, Bluetooth uses much less power (relatively), so the drain is less of a concern. The additional battery drain is barely noticeable on my iPhone 4S for example. There is no additional battery drain while your computer is asleep or monitoring your iPhone is turned off.
Can I connect with my iPhone via WiFi rather than Bluetooth?
A: You can dial via WiFi using Push Dialer for iPhone (see Generic Dial URLs, but you will still need to accept the notification on your phone).  In general the built-in telephone application is not accessible via WiFi.  Phone Amego uses the Bluetooth headset channel to get around these limitations. In addition, WiFi uses much more power than Bluetooth.
Which Bluetooth Cell Phones are Supported?
A: Phone Amego works with Bluetooth phones that recognize AT commands using the HandsFree or Serial Port Profile. This includes many Bluetooth phones such as those by Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, RIM BlackBerry, Google Android, and Apple iPhone. I have tested Phone Amego with these phones:
• Apple iPhone 1G with OS 3.0.1
• Nokia 2760
• Motorola RAZR v3
• Sony Ericsson TM506
• RIM BlackBerry 7290

Customers also report success with these phones:
• Google Android (T-Mobile MyTouch)
• Nokia N82
• BlackBerry Storm 9530
My phone went silent during a call, what happened?
A: The call audio may have been transferred to your Mac which acts as a HandsFree Speakerphone. To restore the call audio, reset the "Audio Source" to be your phone, or enable the speakerphone feature on your handset.
How do I get call audio to play on my Mac?
A: In my experience, Bluetooth Audio does not work reliably on Mac OS X Lion. In order to use the Headset channel (which is the only path the iPhone provides) Phone Amego must acknowledge audio requests and transfer call audio back to your phone. If you configure Phone Amego to "Accept Hands-Free Always", or select "Speakerphone" while a call is in progress, Phone Amego will attempt to route call audio from your phone to the selected audio devices on your Mac. See Hands-Free Speakerphone for details.
How do I send out SMS messages through my iPhone?
A: The iPhone does not support sending SMS via Bluetooth at this time. Apple has kindly provided a web page for feedback here: http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

Previously Phone Amego could send SMS via Google Voice or Skype (now owned by Microsoft). These services no longer permit 3rd party integrations. They see themselves as rivals and don't want to assist each other.
Why did Apple remove support for Bluetooth phone to Address Book integration in Tiger?
A: Apple hasn't said why they removed this feature. I can only speculate it was too difficult to provide a great user experience accross their entire customer base (with so many different phones to support), and they didn't want the ongoing support burden. If it isn't great, Apple would rather not do it.

As a smaller independent developer, I can focus on supporting a small number of devices, work directly with customers to improve the product, and offer more frequent updates.
What's the point of having a Bluetooth phone?

A: You can sync your phone with your computer to automatically transfer your Address Book contacts and appointments from your calendar.  No cables are needed.  Just have your phone near your computer and ask it to sync.

You can use your phone as a modem to give your laptop Internet access while you are traveling. Again, no special cables are needed.

You can use a Hands-Free headset or use your phone with another device like a GPS to have it call a nearby restaurant you just found.
This webpage uses the free demo version of ZipList 2 v2.2.0

Other Tools
How does Phone Amego compare to Dialog?
A: Dialog is primarily a Bluetooth Speakerphone with call recording. Phone Amego (PA) offers more extensive Mac-to-phone integration.

Some notable features:
PA includes CRM integration (Daylite, Address Book, built-in, Cloud, etc)
PA works with many phones and softphones (landlines, VoIP, cell phones, Skype, Bria,
iSoftphone, Google Voice, Polycom, Yealink, Snom, Cisco, Vonage, Ooma,...)
PA displays incoming SMS.
PA woks with Growl and Notification Center.
PA can block unwanted calls.
PA does web reverse lookup.
PA can log calls to iCal or a separate Call Log.
PA supports multiple phones concurrently.
PA shows real time phone and call status.
PA can dial extensions or touch-tones during a call.
PA supports AppleScripts to pause iTunes, or integrate with other tools.

Phone Amego includes a Bluetooth Speakerphone but I haven't promoted this much because it doesn't work reliably on some Macs. For best results, I recommend using headphones or an external Mic and turning off echo suppression. With PA, you can try before you buy.

If you wish to record calls on your Mac, you can use a 3rd party audio utility like Audio Hijack from Roque Amoeba. Alternatively, many ITSPs (Internet Telephone Service Providers) offer this feature (including Google Voice for inbound calls). If you route calls through Google Voice (or other ITSP), you can simply ask it to record and it will comply with the legal requirement of beeping or alerting your peer that the call is being recorded.
How does Phone Amego compare to Dialectic?
A: Dialectic is a scriptable dialer (with inbound call notification) that works with many IP phones and services. If you need more options to work with your phone system, this is it. Where I think Phone Amego shines is its simpler user interface, more focussed integration (iCal logging, event URLs, caller ID lookup), keeping notes on each call organized by caller in a shared database (lightweight CRM), dialing an extension, sending touch-tones during a call, and support for Whozz Calling hardware. Phone Amego emphasizes minimalist UI and deep integration with popular phones.

Dialectic emphasizes dialing over caller ID in the way it interfaces with Bluetooth cell phones. Dialectic doesn't open a connection to your phone until you ask it to dial, and then as soon as it is done dialing it closes the connection. Phone Amego maintains a connection to your phone any time it is within Bluetooth range so it can track call status including Caller ID, dial an extension, or send touch-tones.

If Dialectic is connected to your phone when a call arrives (inbound call notification), you will need to manually switch the Audio Source back to your phone.  Phone Amego does this for you automatically based on your selection (Accept Hands-Free: when selected, Always, Never, or Disconnect During Call). If your iPhone moves in and out of Bluetooth range, Dialectic will not automatically resume monitoring for Caller ID each time your phone is within range.

When Dialectic is used for dialing VoIP phones or services, there is no attempt to track call status. This allows Dialectic to support more services, but support is often limited to dialing to initiate a call.
How does Phone Amego compare to ApiMac Caller ID?
A: ApiMac Caller ID provides basic Caller ID with Address Book integration. It supports Bluetooth and landline phones connected via modem. Where I think Phone Amego shines is handling proximity transitions smoothly, Google Voice integration, dialing, canceling a call in progress, and support for iPhone. As of January 2011, ApiMac Caller ID is no longer listed on the ApiMac website.
How does Phone Amego compare to CIDTrackerX?
A: CID Tracker provides basic Caller ID with Address Book integration for landline phones. Its other main feature is the ability to distribute Caller ID information using the standard NCID protocol (but NCID only distributes name, phone number, and date, there is no call status or remote control).
How does Phone Amego compare to BluePhoneElite 2?
A: BluePhoneElite 2 (BPE2) is certainly a powerful program. If you are looking for SMS integration and extensive synching and call logging features, or support for a specific Bluetooth phone, it's a fine choice. Phone Amego strives for a different balance of simplicity and useful features. Where I think Phone Amego shines is simple usability, Google Voice integration, landline support, VoIP support, Caller ID sharing, and sending SMS to contacts from your Address Book (via Google Voice) even with iPhone. As of 10-Sep-2010, BluePhoneElite2 is no longer available.
How does Phone Amego compare with VonaLink ScreenPop?
A: Both products provide VoIP Caller ID, but they use different approaches.
VonaLink ScreenPop monitors VoIP (SIP) traffic on your LAN, so is compatible with most SIP based VoIP services. In order to monitor SIP traffic, you must use an Ethernet hub (not a switch) to connect the WAN side of your VoIP adapter to the Ethernet port of the computer running the VonaLink software. Wireless connections are not supported.

Phone Amego connects directly with Linksys/Sipura or OBiHAI VoIP telephone adaptors, and Popular IP phones (Polycom, Yealink, Aastra, Snom, and Cisco) to read call status. There are no restrictions on your network topology, but you must use one of the supported telephone devices.

VonaLink ScreenPop can block calls based on the calling number. Google Voice and other VoIP services now provide call blocking. Phone Amego can block calls when connected via Bluetooth, USB Modem, or IP phone.
Is there a similar program for Windows PCs?
A: The closest similar program I've seen is Ascendis Caller ID. Like Phone Amego, it supports a range of phones (using Windows TAPI) and Whozz Calling hardware. Like Phone Amego, it supports Caller ID, dialing, and keeping notes on each caller in a shared database. As far as I know, TAPI does not yet support Bluetooth cell phones like the iPhone. Also, there is little web integration compared to Phone Amego (reverse lookups, event URLs, iCal logging, Google Voice, Growl, or Dropbox support).

Another program that does support iPhone is W7 Caller ID.
Can Phone Amego replace the answering machine feature in Parliant's PhoneValet Message Center?
A: No, Phone Amego focusses on Mac-to-phone integration, not being another phone or answering machine.

From a broader perspective, Phone Amego works with many kinds of phones which do not consistently provide call audio. Telephone answering machines have become an application that runs on the server. Almost every cellular and Internet phone service now includes this as a standard feature allowing you to access your phone messages from anywhere. There's a quiet revolution underway as the old 4 kHz narrowband phone system is being disrupted by a combination of cell phones and Internet phones with advanced features and HD (High Definition) sound. Modular (RJ-11) telephone jacks are being replaced by SIP and HTTP over Ethernet. This trend no doubt influenced Parliant as they evaluated whether to continue developing PhoneValet Message Center.

Phone Valet uses a private label OEM voice modem made by Conexant.  I understand this particular model may no longer be widely available. Without a reliable source, compatible Mac OS X driver, or technical documentation, it is difficult for Phone Amego to work with this device.

28-Apr-2013 Update:
I contacted Parliant about using their adaptor with Phone Amego and received the following helpful information.

Most standard AT command set commands should work. To work, it needs the FTDI serial driver. It is located in our software or can be downloaded here: http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm. Note, the user will have to uninstall our software, and then reinstall the driver (afterwards) - as our software will connect and "grab" the modem and not let your app use it.
Does Phone Amego work with Daylite from Marketcircle?
A: Yes, Phone Amego provides built-in Daylite Integration and also includes AppleScripts to work with Daylite using FoneConnector.
Does Phone Amego work with Contactizer Pro?
A: Yes, you may need a more recent version of Contactizer Pro available from here.
Does Phone Amego work with other Network Caller ID services?
A: Not at this time. Phone Amego uses a two way protocol for sharing information so you can reject an incoming call from a remote client, or dial a phone attached to another computer. Phone Amego also uses Bonjour networking to make it easy to discover other services, see who you are subscribed to, and who is subscribed to you.

The standard NCID (Network Caller ID) protocol just sends a line of text containing the phone number, name, and date. Phone Amego offers a richer experience by showing which device received the call and the current call state. Phone Amego also allows remote dialing and hanging up or cancelling a call in progress.
Does Phone Amego work with MagicJack?
A: Yes, in this way: MagicJack provides an analog phone jack which Phone Amego can work with as if it was a landline. To use Phone Amego with MagicJack, you can use a telephone line splitter to connect a USB modem in parallel with your telephone handset that plugs into the MagicJack. See Landline.
Does Phone Amego work with Ooma Telo?
A: Yes, in this way: Ooma Telo provides an analog phone jack which Phone Amego can work with as if it was a landline. To use Phone Amego with Ooma Telo, you can use a telephone line splitter to connect a USB modem in parallel with your telephone handset that plugs into the Ooma. See Landline. If you have an Ooma Bluetooth Adaptor, Phone Amego can connect to your Ooma as if it was a Bluetooth cell phone where Phone Amego acts as a Bluetooth Headset.
Do You Have Any Plans to Support Using the Mac as a Speakerphone with Landline Compatible Phones Like Ooma?
A: No, Phone Amego focusses on Mac-to-phone integration, not being another phone. If you are looking for a more elegant speakerphone with low cost Internet phone service and better integration, consider upgrading to an industry standard SIP phone or softphone.
Does Phone Amego work with VoIP Softphones?
A: Yes, Phone Amego 1.3.7 (or later) allows dialing with CounterPath X-Lite 4 or Bria 3. Only dialing is supported at this time due to a bug in reading call status from the current version of these softphones. I have reported the problem to CounterPath and understand they will investigate the issue. If you have any insight to help resolve this, I'd welcome your feedback.
Does Phone Amego work with Skype?
A: Yes, Phone Amego (1.4c5 or later) includes support for Skype. You can get on-screen Caller ID, call logging, dial calls, answer, end call, and send touch-tones. To add Skype as a telephone device, press "+" below the telephone devices table, navigate to "Softphone -> Skype", and press "Attach Device".
This webpage uses the free demo version of ZipList 2 v2.2.0

Phone Amego
Will Phone Amego work with my home or office phones?
A: Phone Amego works with many kinds of phones and software, most will fall into one of the following categories:

Bluetooth Enabled Phone
This includes Bluetooth cell phones (iPhone) and any other phone designed to work with a Bluetooth headset using the Bluetooth HandsFree Profile (HFP). Phone Amego can work with these directly for both dialing and caller ID.

Landline Phone
VoIP Adaptor
Service from a Telephone or Cable Company
Phone Amego can connect to an analog phone line through a USB modem (using a telephone line splitter). This allows both dialing and detecting incoming calls when the phone rings.

VoIP telephone adaptors for Vonage, Ooma, Magic Jack, or similar services provide an analog telephone interface.

In addition to analog phones that connect directly to a traditional phone line, Cable TV and Fiber (FiOS) distribution systems often support analog telephone wiring inside the home. Many digital phone systems still rely on analog telephone lines that come in to the building, or from a telephone interface inside a wiring closet. Phone Amego can monitor multiple phone lines where they enter the buiding with a hardware call monitoring unit before they pass through a digital telephone switch.

IP Phones and ATAs
The most popular IP phones for small office users are from Cisco, Polycom, Yealink, Aastra, and Snom. Phone Amego can work with many of these as follows:

(1) Phone Amego has been tested to work with Cisco, Polycom, Yealink, and Snom IP phones directly for both dialing and caller ID. Phone Amego has been tested with some Aastra IP phones for Caller ID. Phone Amego works with Asterisk PBXs which support nearly any standard SIP phone. Phone Amego works with some other IP phones using Generic Notification and Dial URLs including Grandstream IP phones and Cisco Call Manager.

If your IP phone or telephone adaptor is part of the Cisco/LinkSys/Sipura family, Phone Amego may work with it directly for caller ID and logging (see VoIP). You may also be able to dial using a Generic Dial URL. Phone Amego also works with the OBi100, OBi110, and OBi202 Service Bridge and VoIP Adaptor.

(2) If your IP Phone or phone system can provide an analog telephone jack, Phone Amego can work with that through a USB Modem, call monitoring box, or OBi110 Service Bridge and VoIP Adaptor.

(3) If your phone is designed to work with a Bluetooth headset (Bluetooth HFP), Phone Amego can work with that directly. Enable the Bluetooth feature in your phone, and then add it to Phone Amego as if it was a Bluetooth cell phone. This has been found to work with the SPA-525G and Gigaset SL400 for example.

(4) It is often possible to enhance Phone Amego to work with your telephone or service directly. This generally involves obtaining a similar phone to test with and a week or two of updating the software. If you are open to supporting this effort, please contact the developer directly.

Soft-phones
Phone Amego can be used with Skype for both dialing and caller ID.
Phone Amego can be used to dial CounterPath X-Lite 4 and Bria 3 soft-phones.
Phone Amego can dial iSoftPhone.

Web based Phone Services
Phone Amego can dial some web based phone services including Vonage, CallCentric, and Push Dialer for iPhone using Generic Dial URLs. Phone Amego also works with Google Voice.

Phone Amego can translate an incoming phone number to an "Event URL" for a corresponding web page. This allows you to bring up a matching customer record in web based CRM systems.
Can I get Internet based VoIP phone service for free in the US?
A: Kind of if your needs are modest.

You can get an OBi110 Service Bridge and VoIP Adaptor which allows you to place and receive Google Chat calls directly from a regular analog phone (DECT cordless phone are especially convenient). No other phone service is required.

You can get a free Direct Inward Dial (DID) number from sipgate.com that works with standard SIP phones or VoIP telephone adaptors. By combining this with Google Voice for outbound dialing you can effectively have nationwide phone service with no monthly charge. You must provide your own Internet connection and will need a cell phone to sign up. The sipgate service is offered AS IS for single line residential use only, and may be withdrawn at any time.

If you're looking for reliable home or office telephone service, I've been pleased with CallCentric which costs a few dollars per month and under 2 cents per minute. CallCentric is a major ISP co-located with a major telephone facility. This combination of internet bandwidth, low cost, and peering agreements makes for exceptionally robust and affordable service. Internet-to-Internet calls are free (similar to Skype), you only pay for access to the PSTN.

For a more capable phone system, Phone.com offers hosted PBX service at consumer friendly prices. See Choosing a VoIP Service Provider for Mac CTI.
Did you mis-spell "Amigo" in Phone Amego intentionally?
A: Yes, I wanted a unique name that was easy to recognize.
Can I help test Phone Amego and get a discounted license?
A: Yes, Phone Amego is still under development as I work to test it with different phones and add new features. If you test Phone Amego and report bugs that lead to a working solution, I'll give you a $10 discount toward your registration. Use the log window (Control+Phone Amego) to see how the program is working.
I notice Phone Amego is available on your website AND on the Mac App Store. Is there any advantage to getting it one place over the other?
A: The web site version is often a little ahead of the Mac App Store version and offers more interactive customer support. If you encounter a problem or have a feature request, I can send you a test version directly. If you are using the trial version from my web site and it's working for you, registering it on my web site will let you keep using the software that is already installed and working on your system.

The advantage of the Mac App Store is transparent (and less frequent) product updates. The Mac App Store does not allow beta test versions and requires a more rigorous submission and review process.  Some features don't meet Apple's submission guidelines so need to be disabled (but you can download and install them manually yourself if desired).  A Mac App Store receipt only unlocks software downloaded through the Mac App Store.

The Mac App Store allows you to download your purchased software anytime you like, and use the software on more than one computer within a family household by unlocking it with the same Apple ID.

I offer a choice to gain the exposure of being in the Mac App Store and let users decide what works best for them.

[July 2012]
Updating the Mac App Store version of Phone Amego has become tricky due to Apple's recent sandboxing rules.  Since one of Phone Amego's reasons to exist is integration with other applications, it is not a good candidate for sandboxing. The website version of Phone Amego is signed with an Apple Developer ID so remains fully compatible with GateKeeper.

If you have previously registered Phone Amego through the Mac App Store and would like to upgrade to the website version, please contact us for assistance with proof of your Mac App Store registration.

[October 2013]
The Mac App Store version of Phone Amego is not compatible with OS X Mavericks because Apple removed the previous Bluetooth Audio API. I have submitted an updated version to the Mac App Store which is currently under review.

In the mean time, you can use the latest version from my website here:
http://www.sustworks.com/sb_site/downloads.html
This webpage uses the free demo version of ZipList 2 v2.2.0