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GadgetMadness reader Donald writes in to ask:

looking for answering machine that i can set up in my business at night that will let me listen to any background noise . please advise

This feature is called "room monitoring" and while some answering machines have it, most of them don't. The big problem is that you don't always know if an answering machine has room monitoring before you buy it. The good news for Donald is we did some digging and discovered that the Motorola SD4561 answering system has an optional wireless camera/intercom module that can be used with an Video-Audio Expansion Handset to not only hear but also see what is going on in whatever room the camera is in! The other good news? You don't have to use the camera or video headset to remotely listen in - you can call the SD4561 answering machine from anywhere and listen in to what is going on in the room.

Motorola SD4561 Digital Cordless System Phone with Answering Machine

Cordless Video-Audio Expansion Handset for SD4500 series

Wireless camera/intercom module for SD4500 series - SD4504