4 Really Popular Prank Call Websites & How They Work

Not very long ago, prank calling consisted of a room full of bored teens, a rotary phone and a phone book flipped open to the “pizza delivery” section of the Yellow Pages. You’d pick straws to choose who went first, and then take turns seeing who could make the funniest prank call.

However, the rapid advancement of VOIP technology has led to an interesting integration between the Internet and phone lines. That integration now provides teens with prank call websites and other Internet technologies that make prank calls not only easier and more anonymous, but even completely automated.

How Prank Call Websites Work

If you consider how making a call from a VOIP application like Skype works, this process is much the same. When you dial a landline number from Skype, your call travels through what’s called an IP gateway that transfers data from the Internet to phone networks. In fact, more and more phone companies are switching over to IP telephony, making the entire line between “landlines” and “VOIP” even more vague.

MakeUseOf covers VOIP technologies often, such as Finding the Cheapest VOIP Calling Rates or Charnita’s article on The Best Sites For Making International Telephone Calls. Another aspect to VOIP are applications where instead of initiating the call yourself, you have the computer do it for you. And whenever you have the computer do anything, an entire world of possibilities open up such as scheduling calls or playing music or hilarious sounds and voices.

If you and your friends are the type that likes to poke a little fun at each other, using the following prank call websites on your friends is sure to give them a good laugh.

Bored.com – An Automated Prank Call

One of the simplest websites for making prank calls is Bored.com, which is basically a website for bored people, filled with categories like videos, games and humor. Under the “dumb” category, Bored.com offers this tool where you can enter the phone number to call, the number that you want to show up on Caller ID, and what you want the automated message to say.

Once you submit the information, Bored.com’s computer system places a VOIP phonecall to the number that you specified. The system utilizes text-to-voice technology, so that when your friend answers the call, your message is repeated in a digitized voice. There are a few things to take note of here; first, this particular tool allows you to make just 3 calls a day (from your IP anyway), and second, don’t even bother typing in any vulgar or curse words – vulgarity is filtered and your call won’t be made. This site could be a riot for a group of friends who occasionally want to fire off a prank call to each other containing some inside joke or really funny quote.

MyPhoneBlaster – Blast Them With an MP3

If a computerized voice reading off your message just doesn’t cut it for you, then consider MyPhoneBlaster, a free service that lets you send an MP3 sound file to someone’s phone number. The sound file can be anything at all, from a song clip to a voice recording that you create yourself.

The only limitations for the free calls on this site are that the files need to be under 8MB, and the call will only allow 30 second clips. Personally, I think a full half of a minute is more than enough to put together a hilarious MP3 that a friend will get a kick out of. I have a few friends who would really get a kick out of a 30 second clip from the movie Office Space, or from the TV show King of the Hill. Of course, then they’d immediately know it’s from me.

PrankDialier – Just Pick A Sound and Send

Now, if you really don’t have time to put together a sound file of your own, PrankDialer is a fun option. It’s also one of the few free services that offers non-US service to select countries. All you have to do is select one of the pranks and type in the phone number that you want the service to call. The pranks range from various song clips to some pretty comical clips.

One of the funniest clips I found in this decent sized selection is one called “David after the Dentist.” Basically, the clip is an audio of this 9 or 10 year old kid who just left the dentist’s office. He’s still feeling a bit drugged up – possibly either from the novocaine or laughing gas. The kid really starts to freak out. At first he just says, “I see two fingers. Okay now I see four fingers… I can’t see anything!” And then, he lets out an ear-splitting panic-attack scream that – I’m telling the absolute truth here – had me on the floor in stitches for a full ten minutes. Funniest clip ever.

Wakerupper – Using a CallBack Service

Another method people use to make prank calls on the Internet is by using one of the many free callback services, such as the ones Aibek reviewed, that have sprung up all around the Internet ever since free VOIP calling became viable and popular. One of those is Wakerupper, which is a lot like the automated prank call sites above that used a digitized voice, except with this site you can schedule the call at some point in the future.

While the service was intended as a tool people can use to schedule birthday wishes or to remind yourself about an important appointment, obviously it can also be used as a free prank call website that let’s you schedule exactly when the call will be placed. This is perfect if you have friends who are on different time zones and really don’t want to fire off an Internet prank call and wake them up at two in the morning. There’s funny, and then there’s just plain rude.

When a Prank Call Goes Over the Line

For many kids, making prank calls is just a part of growing up. For adults, prank calling friends is a really fun way to keep in touch with people in a hilarious way. However, these services also allow people additional anonymity and security – which makes it more comfortable to cross over a dangerous line. In fact, some things can get you arrested in many countries – such as prank calling 911 or the police, calling in bomb threats, and threatening or harassing people. Just this year, a teenage boy was arrested by the FBI for “prank calling” bomb threats to North Carolina schools in order to shut them down for a day. So, prank calls are fun, but remember to use common sense whenever using any of these free sites.

Have you ever made or received VOIP prank calls? Tell other MakeUseOf readers about it in the comments section below.

Bob Reina CEO Talk Fusion, Is it a Scam?

Well in my opinion, I would call it a legal scam. Talk Fusion is a legal company.  But the Time and Money put in Vrs the Payout is small.  Make sure you read all the fine print and do your homework before you sign up. I would like to also mention that Youtube offers the same services for FREE.  Also do  some research on Bob Renia, the CEO of Talk Fusion.  He is only in business to take your money.

What is Talk Fusion? Talk Fusion is an email video service that does something very clever; it automatically includes your video image right into the email you send it along with. The person receiving the mail can watch it simply by clicking play.

Talk Fusion offers a legitimate opportunity to market a desperately-needed service and does so at a cost less than half of most every other home based business opportunity.  But is not worth the price.

How much does talk Fusion cost? The start up kit for Talk Fusion home sales costs $50. Start up kit description: The only requirement to become an Associate is $50, which provides Associates with 3 marketing websites to help you build your business. YouTube offers this service for Free.

Before a person is accepted as an independent associate of Talk Fusion, he/she must acknowledge and agree to the Talk Fusion Associate Agreement, inclusive of the Policies and Procedures, Terms of Service, Terms and Conditions and the Refund Policy. Please note that these MUST be acknowledged these during the application process, pursuant to the enclosed E-Sign Notice- Consent to Electronic Record- before a purchase may be made.

IMPORTANT E-SIGN NOTICE - CONSENT TO ELECTRONIC RECORD
E-SIGN, the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (15 U.S.C. § 7001, et seq.), requires that you consent to entering into an electronic agreement with Talk Fusion before the agreement is executed. Please read the following information carefully.
1. To become a Talk Fusion Independent Associate, you must consent to the use of an electronic record and must read the Terms and Conditions of the Independent Associate Agreement, Talk Fusion's Policies and Procedures, and the Marketing and Compensation Plan from Talk Fusion's official web site at www.talkfusion.com, and electronically acknowledge that you have read these documents.

2. To access these documents and submit your online application, you will need the following hardware and software: A Personal Computer (PC) with modem or other Internet access device and operational Internet browser software (e.g., Netscape Communicator or Internet Explorer)

3. You may withdraw your consent to the use of electronic records at any time. However, should you do so, your Associate Agreement will be automatically terminated and you will lose all rights to any downline organization (including but not limited to any property rights you may have), and you will lose all rights to all remuneration under the Talk Fusion Compensation Plan. Should you wish to withdraw your consent to the exclusive use an electronic agreement (and thereby terminate your agreement with Talk Fusion), or update any of personal information, you must do so by emailing support@talkfusion.com.
4. You agree that Talk Fusion may amend the Policies and Procedures, and the Marketing and Compensation Plan at its sole discretion at any time. You may also access the version of these documents that were in effect at the time you executed your electronic agreement. Any outdated documents are archived in Talk Fusion's administrative backoffice. The most current version of the Terms and Conditions, the Policies and Procedures, and the Marketing and Compensation Plan are always available at Talk Fusion's official web site for viewing, printing and downloading at www.talkfusion.com.
5. Should there ever be a change in the equipment or software necessary to access the Terms and Conditions, Policies and Procedures, and the Marketing and Compensation Plan, Talk Fusion will advise you of the same and will provide you with a list of the equipment and software that is necessary. Upon such event, you may voluntarily terminate your agreement with Talk Fusion.
6. By clicking on I AGREE below, you consent to use of electronic records evidencing your Talk Fusion Independent Associate Agreement. If you click on the I Decline box, the enrollment process will be terminated and you will be returned to the Talk Fusion home page.

The persons complaints that he/she did not make any money. Please see the Talk Fusion Income Disclaimer which is prominently posted on our web site and included in our marketing materials:

Are you tired of the income hype you've heard from other companies?
At Talk Fusion, we believe that you deserve honesty when it comes to everything, including income disclaimers.

Please note that Talk Fusion is not a get rich quick scheme. For the overwhelming majority, it is not even a get rich program. In reality, most people enroll as Talk Fusion Independent Associates simply to buy the products. Many also enroll in the Talk Fusion income opportunity at the same time, thinking they might try it eventually; but they never really apply themselves. In other cases, people lack the skill, trainability, or diligence necessary for success. In any case, it is rare for the Talk Fusion Independent Associate to earn any income at all. The few who will be financially successful will diligently apply themselves and have, or learn, the sales and leadership skills necessary to be successful in Talk Fusion. This is the truth in all Multi-Level Marketing programs. However, most will not admit it and instead choose to market hype and exaggerated publicity. Be clear that the Talk Fusion compensation plan is NOT an automatic means to acquire wealth. Like any other Multi-Level Marketing company, it takes work and skill to earn at Talk Fusion. Anyone who tries to convince you otherwise is making a false claim.

At Talk Fusion, we sell the best video email products available and we guarantee them. However, we do not guarantee that you will earn an income. That is because we sell video email products; we do not, and never will, sell an opportunity driven by hype. It is also important to note that if hypothetical examples are used in a Talk Fusion presentation or marketing materials, they are simply to help you understand how the compensation plan operates. These are fictional examples and are not in any way a representation of the income you will make as a Talk Fusion Independent Associate. All examples given by Talk Fusion are for educational purposes only and are not a guarantee of income.

If you have any questions about this information, please call Talk Fusion at +1 813 651 4030 or email us at support@talkfusion.com.

The Talk Fusion Refund Policy is as follows:

If any Independent Associate or Customer is unsatisfied with any product purchase for personal use, Talk Fusion offers a 100% three (3) day money-back guarantee. Please note that shipping charges and sales tax are not refundable. Returns in excess of the purchase price of $250 will be deemed inventory returns and will he handled in accordance to section 7.2 of the Policies and Procedures titled - Return of Sales Aids by Associates Upon Cancellation. Returns in excess of the purchase price of $250 shall also constitute an Associate's voluntary request to cancel.

Curiosity Rover Mars Mission a Success

"It's a huge day for the nation, it's a huge day for all of our partners and it's a huge day for the American people," he said. "Everybody in the morning should be sticking their chests out, saying 'that's my rover on Mars.' Because it belongs to all of us."
In an unparalleled technological triumph, a one-ton nuclear-powered rover the size of a small car was lowered to the surface of Mars on the end of a 25-foot-long bridle suspended from the belly of a rocket-powered flying crane late Sunday to kick off an unprecedented $2.5 billion mission.

With flight controllers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory anxiously watching telemetry flowing in from Mars, 154 million miles away and 13.8 minutes after the fact, the Mars Science Laboratory rover -- Curiosity -- radioed confirmation of touchdown at 10:32 p.m. PDT (GMT-7; 1:32 a.m. EDT Monday).
"Touchdown confirmed. We're safe on Mars!" said mission control commentator Allen Chen as the flight control team erupted in boisterous cheers and applause.
"It's just absolutely incredible, it doesn't get any better than this," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "I was a basket case in there, I was really on pins and needles.
The target landing zone was the floor of Gale Crater near the base of a three-mile-high mound of layered rock that represents hundreds of thousands to tens of millions of years of martian history, a frozen record of the planet's changing environment and evolution.
While the rover's exact position was not immediately known, there were no obvious problems during the dramatic entry, descent and landing and Curiosity presumably made it down inside a predicted footprint measuring four miles wide and 12 miles long -- a pinpoint landing compared to previous missions.
The seven-minute descent to the surface provided high drama as flight controllers monitored telemetry from the spacecraft, relayed through NASA's aging Mars Odyssey orbiter. As each major milestone ticked off, engineers clapped and cheered, increasingly optimistic as the spacecraft passed one hurdle after another.

Adam Steltzner, the engineer in charge of Curiosity's entry, descent and landing team, reacts to telemetry confirming touchdown.

NASA

"Vehicle reports entry interface," Chen said as the descent vehicle plunged into the discernible atmosphere at a blistering 13,200 mph. "At this time it will begin pressurizing the propulsion system to increase the thrust of the system. It'll use that for all the maneuvering in the atmosphere we're about to do... We are standing by for guidance start and the start of guided entry."
A few moments later: "We are beginning to feel the atmosphere as we go in here," Chen said. "The vehicle has just reported via tones that it has started guided entry. At this time, the vehicle is beginning to steer its way to the target... It's starting its first bank reversal."
As the spacecraft guided itself through two banking roll reversals to bleed off velocity as it zeroed in on the target landing zone, Chen noted "we have seen peak deceleration. We've passed through peak heating and peak deceleration. It is reporting we are seeing Gs on the order of 11 to 12 Earth Gs."
Guided entry then ended as expected and the spacecraft's huge parachute deployed and inflated as it fell toward Mars at 1.7 times the speed of sound, quickly decelerating as required.
"Stand by for parachute deploy... Parachute deploy!" Chen reported as the flight control team applauded. "Thrusters have been re-enabled, we will control attitude on chute, we are decelerating. About 10 kilometers (10.2 miles) and descending, we are at 150 meters per second (335 mph)..."
"We are nine kilometers (5.6 miles) and descending... We have acquired the ground with the radar (applause). Heat shield has separated, we have found the ground. We're standing by to prime the MLE engines in preparation for powered flight. We're down to 90 meters per second (201 mph) at an altitude of 6.9 kilometers (4.3 miles) and descending."
As Curiosity fell, Earth dropped below the martian horizon, cutting off simple tones sent back by the spacecraft to mark major events. But the Mars Odyssey orbiter continued beaming back an uninterrupted flow of telemetry, giving flight engineers a ringside seat.
"We're down to 86 meters per second (192 mph) at an altitude of four kilometers (2.5 miles) and descending," Chen said. "We have lost tones from Earth at this time, this is expected. We're continuing on Odyssey telemetry... Standing by for backshell separation..."
Right on schedule, less than a mile above the surface, Curiosity and its "sky crane" backpack fell away from the parachute and backshell and an instant later, eight rocket engines, two on each corner ignited to stabilize the craft and slow it to a sedate 1.7 mph.
"We are in powered flight," Chen reported, prompting more applause. "We're at an altitude of one kilometer (0.6 miles) and descending about 70 meters per second (157 mph)... Down to 50 meters per second (112 mph), 500 meters (1,640 feet) in altitude, standing by for sky crane... We found a nice flat place, we're coming in ready for sky crane... Down to 10 meters per second (22 mph), 40 meters altitude (131 feet)...
"Sky crane has started (applause)... Descending at about point 75 meters per second (1.7 mph) as expected... Expecting bridle cut shortly."

One of the initial images downlinked from Curiosity's hazard avoidance cameras, showing the rover's shadow on the surface of Mars. High-resolution pictures are expected later, after extensive tests and checkout.

NASA

As Curiosity's wheels settled to the surface, the flight computer sent commands to cut the cables connecting it to the sky crane descent stage, which then flew away to a crash landing as planned.
Finally, after checking telemetry and confirming its status, Chen reported "touchdown confirmed. We're safe on Mars!"
Amid jubilant applause and cheers, he added: "Time to see where Curiosity will take us!"
While engineers did not expect pictures right away, blurry low-resolution thumbnails from the rover's rear hazard avoidance cameras were transmitted within minutes of touchdown showing a wheel on the surface of Mars.
"Odyssey data is still strong," Chen reported. "Odyssey is nice and high in the sky. At this time we're standing by for images..."
"We've got thumbnails," someone said.
"We are wheels down on Mars!" Chen reported.
"Oh my God," someone else said in the background.
Exploring the crater floor and climbing Mount Sharp over the next two years, Curiosity will look for signs of past or present habitability and search for carbon compounds, the building blocks of life as it is known on Earth.
But before the rover's geological fieldwork can begin, engineers will devote several weeks to carefully checking out Curiosity's complex systems and testing its state-of-the-art instruments and cameras.
"I can guarantee you in the days, months and years from now you'll be hearing an incredible science story," said Project Scientist John Grotzinger. "The money, two-and-a-half billion dollars, we don't put it in the rover and send it to mars, we spend it on Earth.
"This whole enterprise, if you divide by every woman, man and child in this country, comes out to be the cost of a movie (about $7). I speak on behalf of all my colleagues in science, that's a movie I want to see!"

John Holdren, President Obama's science adviser, said the landing was a "technological tour de force."
"It's an enormous step forward in planetary exploration, nobody has ever done anything like this," he said. "This lander is vastly bigger, vastly more capable, much more complicated to bring in, many new technologies had to work in perfect succession and perfect synchronization for this to happen.
"This is by far the most capable device, set of instruments, we've put up there for determining whether Mars every could have supported life. ... We stand to learn a tremendous amount from this Curiosity Mars Science Laboratory. It's going to do incredible things."
While precise numbers were not expected until the telemetry could be analyzed, the entry, descent and landing appeared to follow the EDL team's script without any major problems.
"It looked extremely clean," said Adam Seltzner, the lead engineer on the entry, descent and landing team. "Our navigation error was on the low side of our expectation. ... Our powered flight appears to have been excellent. We landed with 140 kilograms of fuel reserves out of a total of 400 kilos we carried in.
"It looked good, in short, good and clean," he said.

The timing of events in the following description were    predicted and may be slightly different from the actual values, which depended on atmospheric conditions and other factors. But given the successful touchdown, the spacecraft lived up to the team's sky-high expectations.
The Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft consisted of an interplanetary cruise stage, providing power and communications during the long-flight out from Earth, and the Curiosity rover, cocooned inside a heat shield and aeroshell to protect it from the extreme temperatures of atmospheric entry.
After covering 352 million miles since launch from Cape Canaveral, Fla., last November, the cruise stage separated from the lander around 10 p.m. But because of the distance between Earth and Mars -- 154 million miles -- it took radio signals confirming critical events 13.8 minutes to reach the flight control team at JPL. That translated into 10:14 p.m. "Earth-received time."
One minute later, thrusters fired to stop the entry vehicle's 2-rpm rotation and the spacecraft re-oriented itself heat shield forward and slammed into the discernible atmosphere at 10:24 p.m. at an altitude of about 78 miles and a velocity of 13,200 mph. At that point, it was about 390 miles -- seven minutes -- from touchdown in Gale Crater.
The Mars Science Laboratory was the first spacecraft to attempt a so-called guided entry on another planet.
To control its lift, which allowed Curiosity's flight computer to make a pinpoint landing, two 165-pound tungsten weights were ejected just before entry to change the spacecraft's center of mass. During hypersonic flight, thruster firings controlled the orientation of the vehicle's "lift vector" to compensate for actual atmospheric conditions as it precisely controlled its path toward Gale Crater.
The heat shield was expected to be jettisoned about 24 seconds later, at an altitude of about five miles and a descent rate of 280 mph, exposing the rover's undercarriage to view.
A sophisticated radar altimeter then began measuring altitude and velocity, feeding those data to the rover's flight computer while a high-definition camera began recording video of the remaining few minutes of the descent.
Six minutes after entry, now one mile up and falling toward the surface at roughly 180 mph, the rover and its rocket pack were cut away from the parachute and backshell, falling like a rock through the thin martian atmosphere.
An instant later, eight hydrazine-burning rocket engines, two at each corner of the descent stage, ignited to stabilize and quickly slow the craft's vertical velocity to less than 2 mph.
About 16 seconds before touchdown, at an altitude of just under 70 feet, Curiosity was lowered on the end of a 25-foot-long bridle made up of three cables. As the support and data cables unreeled, the rover's six motorized wheels presumably snapped into position for touchdown.
Finally, seven minutes after the entry began and descending at a gentle 1.7 mph, Curiosity's wheels touched the surface of Mars. Radio confirmation of landing came in at 10:32 p.m., about 3 p.m. local time on Mars.
Curiosity's flight computer, sensing "weight on wheels," then sent commands to fire small explosive devices that severed the cables connecting the rover to the still-firing propulsion system. Its work complete, the descent stage flew away to a crash landing a safe distance away.
"We have three different signals we would use to confirm touchdown and we need all three of those things to look right before we say so," Steltzner said earlier Sunday. "One of those is a message from the spacecraft that says 'I touched down, and this is the velocity I touched down at and where I think I am.'
"The rover has an inertial measurement unit, a gyro and an accelerometer set, and we look at that stream to say the rover's not moving at all, that signal says 'I think I'm on the ground and I'm not moving.' And the third is, we wait a safe period of time and confirm we're getting continuous UHF (radio) transmission. And frankly, that's there to make sure the descent stage hasn't fallen back down on top of the rover. When all three of those signals are positive, we declare touchdown confirmation."