

Show HN: I made an Android app that gives you an extra phone number to give out - dustball
https://market.android.com/details?id=net.tyx.extraphone

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dustball
I built this using the Twilio API, which I really enjoy using.

The app is a little expensive; I can lower the price later if I move to a
different solution, for example my own asterisk server.

Also looking to use in-app purchasing and/or new subscription model as
appropriate for each platform (Android/IOS).

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jat850
That's a very neat looking concept, and congratulations on getting it out
there.

I don't see any link between a dollar price and the purchase of credits,
however - could you add or address that?

(It seems you get 360 credits for 8.95 but doesn't indicate how much it costs
to buy extra credits beyond the initial ones)

~~~
dustball
Ah, thank you. Yes, additional credits will be able to be purchased at the
same rate. (I'm actually just waiting on Android 2.3, which includes in-app
purchasing, which would be perfect for purchasing additional credits.)

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bitskits
...Or you could use Google Voice in the same way for free. In fact, you can
selectively block from GV (send certain callers to "number is no longer in
service"), which makes it better than a throw away, IMO.

~~~
dustball
Actually, I use Google Voice as my main phone number. I don't even want to
give _that_ out -- so same exact problem for me. <shrug> Selective blocking is
only a partial solution; your number is still "out there".

Well, that is why I built the app, anyway =)

Something neat about just being able to "buy" an extra number from the market.

~~~
manvsmachine
As someone who also uses GV as a "real" number, I love the option to flush
your number and get a new one. It's like the voice equivalent of "cleaning
house" on social networking sites.

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vijayr
Tried to access android marketplace using chrome and this is what I got :)

<http://i.imgur.com/ZpqWg.png>

~~~
hucker
Chrome 11 on OSX gave me this: <http://i.imgur.com/nUyaP.png>

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magicseth
Fantastic. It's really hard to come up with a good pricing scheme. I've found
that simple is better than cheap. If you can figure out a flat rate, or some
other scheme that doesn't make me have to do math, I'm much likelier to join.

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SwellJoe
Cool idea. It also has other possible uses outside of giving it to potential
stalkers. Adding basic analytics would make it useful for A/B testing offers
on TV or in print media, for instance.

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Groxx
Price per credit?

Very nice idea, and the page is a great sell. Definitely need a more useful
developer website landing page, though.

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wibblenut
I like it. A reviewer says, "shouting numbers in a crowded bar isn't a
particularly fun sport". Exactly
(<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m50xrDcj0fc>).

I'm a big fan of the .tel TLD for this, and other reasons: publish contact
information dynamically, it's fast, reliable, gives you fine grained privacy
controls, etc. etc.

I don't understand why this hasn't really caught on yet. The implications for
the telco market would be huge if more people used DNS to its full potential.

~~~
r00fus
Hasn't caught on because it isn't simple. I hardly think dealing with
registrars is an activity people relish. Startup Idea?

~~~
wibblenut
That's a very good point, although it's changing; specialist
registrars/resellers, directory publishers, and VOIP companies are all showing
interest now. But I was thinking more about early adopters - the type of
people who hang out on HN and register domains in their sleep :)

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leot
Wouldn't I get phone calls from the disgruntled last person who had the phone
number? I suppose even then at least it would be temporary ...

~~~
dustball
Numbers go out of service for 6 months before being reused, IIRC. The carrier
may even lengthen the time if the number is actively getting calls during the
hold time.

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babo
Brilliant idea, the image on your page describing it very well!

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moe
Do you have a QR code for this app?

Market search doesn't find it for me (from the phone) and all QR codes I find
on the web give me a 404.

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iPhoneJunkie
Tiny market, isn't it? How many geeky guy Android users are giving out their
numbers at bars?

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msquared
Are you in North Jersey? Recognize the 201 in the screenshot :)

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antihero
Does it work in the UK perchance?

~~~
markszcz
I dont know if this one does but what I did was get a SkypeOut number and used
Skype to call out when I was in Barcelona to call my friends in the US. So at
least you can call people in the US cheap =\ ([http://www.skype.com/intl/en-
us/features/allfeatures/call-ph...](http://www.skype.com/intl/en-
us/features/allfeatures/call-phones-and-mobiles/))

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T_S_
Great idea.

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T_S_
Perfect for celebs. Know any?

~~~
wibblenut
I heard Michael Jackson used to change his number on a biweekly basis. Would
be quite interesting to see a survey on this group. See my other comment for a
neat solution ;)

