Patent ID: 6983138

Claim:
A device for allowing a user to access messages stored in a plurality of locations using a single interface, comprising: a transceiver to communicate with at least one remote storage device adapted to store a first plurality of messages; memory capacity adapted to store a second plurality of messages; a processor associated with said transceiver and said memory capacity, said processor adapted to control operation of said transceiver and said memory capacity; and an interface associated with said processor, said interface adapted to be manipulated by said user and adapted to provide signals to said processor for causing said processor to access one or more messages in said memory capacity and in said at least one remote storage device, wherein said interface is further adapted to control a process that plays said one or more of messages stored in said memory capacity upon actuation of said interface by said user, and is further adapted to control a process that automatically plays one or more of said messages stored in said at least one remote device, and said process that plays said messages stored in said at least one remote device automatically accesses and plays said messages when said transceiver is on-line with said at least one remote device, and when not on-line, automatically initiates a communication session with said at least one remote device in order to access and play one or more of said messages stored on said at least one remote device.