something about APPLE here: I am APPLE fans and like their products. By open this blog, I am not trying to BIAS toward APPLE company. Some of the fact below supported my decision. They introduced the computer MOUSE to the world. They changed the way we look at SMART Phone. They boosted up the use of 3G network. They were the first to use USB port as the main connection for computer system. They were the one who able to make a media centre to sync with every devices in your family. They made thing that work magically simple for us. Everything above and more to come... APPLE

Monday, January 3, 2011

FaceTime Script


How to enable auto answer for FaceTime… The right way

– Use FaceTime as a home surveillance system monitored from your iPhone4! – Check in on your pets while you're away!


After spending the last couple weeks to get an app finished and ready for the Mac App Store that is due to launch on Jan 6th 2011. I decided to do some homework to prep myself for the app approval process. Digging through the Apple Developer Forums and reading Apple Policies to make sure all my ducks were in a row.
Well as some of you know, my current solution to auto answer FaceTime calls includes AppleScripting, and more importantly "Access to assistive devices" to be enabled. This is not a problem because FaceTools and it's successor that I have been working on prompt the user to enable it, and Apple says no apps are to prompt the user for an Admin privilege.
So I began to dig into facetime to find a way around the whole AppleScript approach. I fired up the good ole' Terminal to start hacking away at the FaceTime.
I ran "strings /Applications/FaceTime.app/Contents/MacOS/FaceTime" and low an behold, to my surprise and frustration I found 2 little strings of text called "AutoAcceptInvites" and "AutoAcceptInvitesFrom"
Could it be? Why yes it is. Apple has included the ability to auto answer FaceTime calls, and not only that, but AutoAnswer calls from callers you specify. (Those little sneaks. I wish I would have checked the strings a month ago)
Turns out it's pretty easy to enable, and here's how:
1.) Open up the Terminal.app located in your /Applications/Utilities folder 2.) Type in the following to allow a specified caller for auto accept incoming calls:
defaults write com.apple.FaceTime AutoAcceptInvitesFrom -array-add <iPhone number, or AppleID>
phone number example: defaults write com.apple.FaceTime AutoAcceptInvitesFrom -array-add +15205551212 AppleID (email) example: defaults write com.apple.FaceTime AutoAcceptInvitesFrom -array-add stevejobs@apple.com

Good news!

Not all was lost! I have since began learning C, Objective-C, Cocoa, Xcode and AppleScript because of all of this, and plan on developing more applications now. Thank you to all the 5000+ people who have downloaded FaceTools! Your support has been awesome! R.I.P. FaceTools
All though it's no longer needed, I figured I would let you all download the AutoAnswer app I was working on. DOWNLOAD HERE

The application itself worked fine on my MAC but not my MUM's Mac Mini. I have difficulty to enable the auto answer. So I used the command line to add in the email address. It was working fine and for iPhone 4 which required handphone number. Please enter phone number with country code in front! (e.g. +65 for singapore) I am facing a problem when auto pick up the call for the very first time. The facetime dial tone kept ringing. I will have to find a way to stop the tone from kicking into the system once FaceTime activate.
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