pitzerwm
Active member
Check this out, my new number is 702-430-1415
Just last week, we discussed some of Google's "tech flops" but one product of theirs that I really like is Google Voice. I'll talk here about it, rather than Lync, because anyone can set it up and use it. You might remember that it started out as Grand Central, back in 2005, and was bought by Google in 2007. Google Voice itself launched in 2009 as an "invitation only" beta. In summer of 2010, it became available to anyone who has a Google account, but it still seems to be a well kept secret outside the tech industry. To sign up, you just go to
http://www.wxpnews.com/110201-Google-Voice
Here's how it works: When you sign up, you get assigned a phone number. You can select the area code and request a particular number or letter combination, or just select from the available numbers in that area code. You might find that in some areas, there are no numbers available. I got my number in my local area code months ago, but there are now no numbers available in that area code. After you select your number, you'll be prompted for a phone number to which calls to your Google Voice number will be forwarded. Then the system will call you at that number, and you'll enter a code (provided in the setup process) to activate the account. It's that easy!
Now you can give your Google number to people instead of your home or cell phone number. If you get a new home/cell number, just change the forwarding number on your Google account - no need to notify all your contacts of the change. When someone calls your Google number, it will ring the number you set for forwarding. If you don't answer, the caller can leave voice mail. You can access the voice mail messages on the Google Voice web site, or you can have them sent to your email address both as audio file attachments and as transcribed text in the body of the email. Just check the appropriate boxes on the Voicemail & Text tab in Settings. You can also choose whether you want missed calls to be sent to your email address (on the Calls tab).
You can add more phone numbers for forwarding, too, so that it will ring both your home phone and your cell phone, for instance. And for each phone number, you can set a ring schedule. For instance, if you want your cell phone number to only ring on weekdays, and never on weekends, you can do that. With the custom scheduling option, you can add a time range during which you do not want the particular phone to ring, such as between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. There's also a call screen function, which allows you to listen as a caller leaves a message so you can take the call if it's important.
I have text messaging blocked on my cell phones, to avoid being "text bombed" (this refers to someone sending a large number of text messages to you, causing you to have to pay a big phone bill if you don't' have an unlimited text plan, which I don't want or need). Google Voice allows you to set things up so if someone sends a text message to your GV number, instead of forwarding it to your cell phone, you can have it forwarded to your email address. That way, I still get the message but I don't have to pay extra for it.
Just last week, we discussed some of Google's "tech flops" but one product of theirs that I really like is Google Voice. I'll talk here about it, rather than Lync, because anyone can set it up and use it. You might remember that it started out as Grand Central, back in 2005, and was bought by Google in 2007. Google Voice itself launched in 2009 as an "invitation only" beta. In summer of 2010, it became available to anyone who has a Google account, but it still seems to be a well kept secret outside the tech industry. To sign up, you just go to
http://www.wxpnews.com/110201-Google-Voice
Here's how it works: When you sign up, you get assigned a phone number. You can select the area code and request a particular number or letter combination, or just select from the available numbers in that area code. You might find that in some areas, there are no numbers available. I got my number in my local area code months ago, but there are now no numbers available in that area code. After you select your number, you'll be prompted for a phone number to which calls to your Google Voice number will be forwarded. Then the system will call you at that number, and you'll enter a code (provided in the setup process) to activate the account. It's that easy!
Now you can give your Google number to people instead of your home or cell phone number. If you get a new home/cell number, just change the forwarding number on your Google account - no need to notify all your contacts of the change. When someone calls your Google number, it will ring the number you set for forwarding. If you don't answer, the caller can leave voice mail. You can access the voice mail messages on the Google Voice web site, or you can have them sent to your email address both as audio file attachments and as transcribed text in the body of the email. Just check the appropriate boxes on the Voicemail & Text tab in Settings. You can also choose whether you want missed calls to be sent to your email address (on the Calls tab).
You can add more phone numbers for forwarding, too, so that it will ring both your home phone and your cell phone, for instance. And for each phone number, you can set a ring schedule. For instance, if you want your cell phone number to only ring on weekdays, and never on weekends, you can do that. With the custom scheduling option, you can add a time range during which you do not want the particular phone to ring, such as between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. There's also a call screen function, which allows you to listen as a caller leaves a message so you can take the call if it's important.
I have text messaging blocked on my cell phones, to avoid being "text bombed" (this refers to someone sending a large number of text messages to you, causing you to have to pay a big phone bill if you don't' have an unlimited text plan, which I don't want or need). Google Voice allows you to set things up so if someone sends a text message to your GV number, instead of forwarding it to your cell phone, you can have it forwarded to your email address. That way, I still get the message but I don't have to pay extra for it.
