Google Voice & Voicemail with your crappy carrier

Awesome news guys. Google voice now is allowing adding of google voicemail (and it's online transcription, access, ease of listening within gmail etc etc) right to any carrier you have. The official news is at Google Voice Blog at http://bit.ly/40FdPs

Honestly, this is just awesome. I now have my Google Voice number, along with my regular T-Mobile number, but I can one of the best features of Voice without the need to switch numbers. I was planning on eventually migrating over just to a Google Voice number, but informing all your contacts of a new number is more painful than you would think.

For a little preview of how Google Voicemail works, check out this

Officially from Google:

Google Voice is all about enabling choice: which phone you pick up your calls on, where to review your voicemail messages, how to send and reply to text messages, etc. So when it comes to your phone number, it was logical for us to also offer a choice of which number to use with Google Voice.

Previously, when you created a Google Voice account, we asked you to select a new Google phone number. This allowed us to offer features like call forwarding, screening, and recording. But we know not everyone wants to start using a new phone number, so we've been working on another option for people who are willing to trade some features for the ability to keep their existing number.

We're excited to announce that you now can get Google Voice with a Google number OR with your existing mobile phone number. If you choose to use Google Voice with your existing number, you won't get some features (like call screening and recording), but you'll still get many others -- including Google voicemail. If you already have a Google number, this new feature should also help with the transition to your new number, as you can now forward unanswered calls to your mobile phone to your Google Voice account. This way, people who still call your old number will reach the same voicemail as people who call your Google Voice number.

Snoozeeee

So I've been using Google Calendar for a while now. It of course needs some function upgrades, but it's still by far the best Calendar program out there I think (especially since it's out in the cloud). Google just added a cool feature called snooze. Why shouldn't I be able to snooze my Google Calendar? I snooze my real alarm at least 4 times a day. Now when my credit card payment is due or I have to meet with that guy I don't like very much, I'll just snooze away!

Full info at http://bit.ly/Tgn6C courtesy of the Google Apps blog

Picture is how the snooze button looks in Google talk fyi

Google Chrome 3

It's FAST. Get it. Dang, no really, it's really really fast.

A lot more at Lifehacker:
http://lifehacker.com/5359986/google-chrome-3-brings-more-speed-and-features-to-the-stable-release?skyline=true&s=x

Download at http://www.google.com/chrome

Grandcentral...the original Google Voice... closes today

I was lucky enough to sign up for a Grandcentral account years ago before it was bought by Google. Today, Grandcentral officially shuts down and you have to transfer your number to Google Voice (well worth it of course).

From Grandcentral.com

We are happy to announce the launch of Google Voice, the next version of GrandCentral. We've kept all the things people like about GrandCentral and added new features like transcripts, SMS, international calling, and conference calling. If you are a GrandCentral user, over the next few days you will be prompted to upgrade to Google Voice.

Currently only GrandCentral users have access to Google Voice, but we will be opening up the new service to new users soon. For more information about Google Voice, click here.

Another Android phone...this one for the masses?

We've been hearing for over a year now about the multiple new Android handsets that are supposed to be rolling out post TMobile's G1. Well the myTouch is here, and Hero is not far behind. Now HTC has announced the HTC Tattoo, an Android based phone that some are speculating might be priced under $100. The phone is equipped with Android, as well as the usual smartphone goodies such as wifi, 3.2 mp camera, etc.


Cnet at http://bit.ly/c9NN3 and HTC's product home page at http://bit.ly/2Fxxwp are good places for some more information.

Could be really sweet at under $100 and the right carrier. We'll see who gets it...stay tuned.

Google v. Apple: Buisness

Buisness insider is outlining 7 ways Google is trying to kill Apple. In the article they talk about iTunes vs YouTube, Chrome OS vs OS X, Safari vs Chrome, and of course the big one in my opinion, Android vs iPhone.

The mobile OS game is clearly what will determine success in the near and distant future. We know that it's heating up now that Android has some legit hand sets (see HTC Hero, myTouch). But is it already too late for Android after iPhone's incredible start? Seriously, who do you know with an Android phone (I can count the # of people I know on one hand)? Now how many do you know with an iPhone? As much as I love Google, it's clearly way far behind right now. But hopefully they'll catch up as it doesn't look like I can check my Google Voice voicemail from an iPhone anytime soon.


Full Link: http://bit.ly/q9EoE

Google Maps Monopoly...AWESOME!

From Gizmodo:

No, that's not a snarky business headline. Google and Hasbro are launching a worldwide game of Monopoly using Google Maps as the board. It's called Monopoly City Streets.

Each player starts with $3 million. They can buy any street in the world to erect houses, stadiums and even skyscapers allowing them to collect more and more daily rent (ranging from $50,000 to $100 million per property). The goal? "Play to beat your friends and the world to become the richest property magnate in existence."

Streets will vary in cost, of course, with the White House's Pennsylvania Ave. listed at $2 million, while Downing Street (London's home to the senior British cabinet) goes for just $231,000. (America, fuck yeah.)

If anyone sees a spot to register, please say so in the comments. So far we've only tracked down the game's official site and blog. And if we don't start playing right when this game starts, we'll lose out on another rare opportunity to be financially humbled by the real estate market.

From the site itself at http://monopolycitystreets.com/

Welcome to Monopoly City Streets. You versus the world in the biggest live game of MONOPOLY in history!

On the 9th SEPTEMBER, a world of property empire building on an unimaginable scale will be launched! A live worldwide game of MONOPOLY using Google Maps as the game board. The goal is simple. Play to beat your friends and the world to become the richest property magnate in existence.

Own any street in the world. Build humble houses, crazy castles and stupendous skyscrapers to collect rent. Use MONOPOLY Chance Cards to sabotage your mates by building Hazards on their streets.

Which strategy will you employ? Determined drive? Ingenious daring? Intelligent caution? Will you thrive under the pressure of a fast growing global property empire – or will you crumble? Find out if you’ll thrive, or even survive, in the amazing world of MONOPOLY City Streets. It's going to be epic fun!

Sound's ridiculously cool to me. Full link here: http://bit.ly/ALJ7f