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Comment by nabla9 | Hacker News Reader

Olympus Telephone Recording Device (TP-8) costs something like $25.

It's simply brilliant. It plugs into any recorder with 3.5mm plug and because it's device you have in your ear it works with any call (normal phone call, WhatsApp whatever). Reporters routinely use it with Olympus voice recorders to make phone interviews.

I highly recommend.

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Here's a handy 50 state survey of phone recording laws: https://www.justia.com/50-state-surveys/recording-phone-call...

Not your lawyer legal advice:

Make sure you are aware of the relevant laws regarding recording phone conversations.

Having said that, thanks for the equipment tip!

Not looking for legal advice but: how does that work in the context that the other party is recording my call? If I phone a service provider, they tell me calls are recorded for training and monitoring purposes - does this prove they've given consent to both parties recording?

Also did you agree to be recorded without duress, if you have to tall to them and they won't talk without recording?

> If I phone a service provider, they tell me calls are recorded for training and monitoring purposes

Yes. If you're recording a call and it says "Your calls may be recorded" from their end that would be an open and shut argument that they've given permission for you to record the call.

I don’t understand how it works. It only has one jack. What do you plug it into? How do you get any audio into the earphone AND record both sides of the call? Or is it just like any microphone and you have to put the phone on speaker and basically record the ambiant audio?

You plug it into anything that records sound.

The earpiece has a good microphone that captures both sides.

I was skeptical at first, but It just works. It records both sides of conversation well.

You'd think there would be an app for this, or even built into the ios/android.

Google has actually been fighting call recording apps for years. California is a two-party consent state, but most states are one-party consent (and many countries don't have legal restrictions at all). They're basically enforcing California law globally. It's extremely frustrating to have your phone force-upgraded only to lose important features.

https://www.pcmag.com/news/google-is-banning-call-recording-...

There used to be for Android, but Google has restricted audio routing during calls to prevent two-way recording (i.e. you'll only hear yourself).

iOS used to have this capability for jail-broken devices way back in the day; not sure if it still does.

I'm guessing that the state-level consent laws make it difficult for Apple and Google to bake in phone recording.

That's such a clever way to do that. Amazing in its simplicity.

Can you use it with the phone you're talking on ?

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