Google Voicemail, Hands-on Review

I hate listening to voicemails. I don't know why, I just do. However, I found a way to make listening to voicemails easier... Google Voice's voicemail service.

I have been using Google Voice for a few months now and like it for the most part. I like having a second number to give out to potential phone spammers because I can easily block them. I also like having a local number because my cell phone moved with me from Texas to Colorado and I don't want to change numbers.

The one thing I really wanted from Google Voice was to patch my own phone number through so I could use my favorite features, custom voicemail messages and visual voicemail (of sorts). Now it's here. Google announced its voicemail service Tuesday, October 27, and I was quick to set up my cellphone to use the new features.

They make it so easy.

If you already have a Google Voice phone number all you have to do is go into your settings and click a link next to the phone you want to add voicemail services to. You then call your  Google Voice number and it links to your phone.

If you don't already have Google Voice, you need a friend that will either give you or sell you an invitation (Yes, you can find them on Craigslist etc. for as low as $5).  Once you get your invite all you have to do is sign in using your Google Account name and password, type in your phone number and link it to Google Voice.

After this you are free to check your voicemail online, or by phone. You can even set Google Voice up to transcribe your voicemails and email or text them to you. While I like the idea of being able to read my voicemails, the transcription process is a little rusty. In fact sometimes the transcription is downright shoddy and misses almost every word. Hopefully they will fix that because it has real potential.

It is easy to set up various voicemail greetings for different groups of people. My default greeting for people not in my address book is more on the formal side of things. My family, on the other hand, gets a more relaxed message so I don't sound all stuffy. I even have funny messages set up for my brothers... which some people might consider rude... but they like it so I'll keep them. You do have to be careful about your settings though.  Make sure your boss isn't listening to the greeting that is meant for your significant other.

The final, and possibly best, feature about Google Voice is that it is free! Yup, that's right, free. I have not had to give them any sort of payment ever. In fact, the only way to spend money on Google Voice is to use your Google number to call overseas.

NOTE: Clear your cell carrier's voicemail box before setting up Google voicemail! I had a voicemail icon on my phone because I didn't listen to one of my old voicemails and couldn't get rid of it. Basically, when I tried to dial Verizon's voicemail service after setting up my Google voicemail all I could do was leave myself a message on Google. I was either doomed to have a voicemail icon on my phone for all eternity or undo my Google voicemail so I could call my Verizon voicemail service and clear the message. The moral of the story is don't expect to get back in to your old voicemail very easily once you set up Google Voice voicemail.

In a nutshell, I think Google voicemail is pretty darn cool. I love the flexibility of being able to check my messages on the computer and my phone. I like making the custom greetings for different people almost as much as my family likes hearing them. Considering that it's free, why not give it a try?

For the Nerd in You, Advance Wars By Web

You all need to sign up for Advance Wars by Web right now. It's a free, turn-based strategy game that lets you take on other players over the internet. For comparisons sake it's like Risk meets War Craft. No need to download anything because you play it through your browser.


Based on the Advance Wars games made for the various Nintendo Gameboys, it is a good way to have fun with your friends and enemies alike. If you have played Advance Wars for any of the Nintendo systems you know what I am talking about. It even has the same COs and units. 

You have to capture cities to secure funding for your army while trying to out maneuver and destroy the enemy. You win by either eliminating the opposing force or capturing their Headquarters, a base usually at the rear of the enemy lines. Different commanders give you special abilities like better long range capabilities or stronger units.


Create a private game and battle your friends, or join a public game and bash some strangers instead. Either way you'll have some fun.

Free, Helpful Computer Programs

Here a few computer programs that have made my cyber-life a lot easier. I use a Mac and some of these might not be available for Windows users. For those of you that can use these programs, perhaps some of them will appeal to you. Oh, and these are all free!

Adium is an instant messaging client I use to log in to different types of accounts simultaneously. Basically you use it to log into all your messaging services without running twelve freaking programs. I use it for AIM, MSN, Gtalk, and even Facebook chat. One of the best features is that it's customizable. You can customize the contact list, message boxes, emoticons, message styles and just about everything else too. The auto-hide feature lets me hide the contact list and message boxes when I'm not directly using the program. This helps  keep the screen clutter-free.

RSS:
Netnewswire is a fast and simple RSS client that makes keeping up with news a breeze. No need to go to each individual website to see new articles when they can all be delivered straight to your computer. You can even sync Netnewswire with your Google Reader account.

Twitter:
Frivolous as it may seem, Twitter does come in handy for finding and sharing information. I use  Twitterific so I don't have to log into Twitter online. Twitterific sits in your computer's tool bar and uses Growl notifications to let you know when someone has added a tweet. It keeps my screen clear of extra windows and helps me keep up-to-date.

Entertainment:
I'm not always around when a show I like is on TV. I use Hulu Desktop because it gives me 24/7 access to many of the TV shows I watch right on my computer. I can even use my Apple remote to control the program from across the room when I don't want to run over to hit pause or change the volume. You can subscribe to different shows and have them automatically put in a queue to watch later. I use it to watch Family Guy, The Colbert Report and old seasons of Lost.

I hope these programs help you as much as they have aided me in keeping up to date and entertained.


(I found Twitterific and Hulu Desktop in a Macworld article, I highly recommend the magazine for Mac users)

Matheson, Colorado

Today I dropped a friend off in Limon, Colorado because he wanted to 

try hitchhiking to his hometown in eastern Kansas. On the way out I
noticed a few sites I wanted to stop by on the way back to take some
pictures. One of them was an old abandoned church. I wasn't sure if I
was allowed to be on the property but the building was to cool to
pass up.

I ran into another photographer with the same idea I had. I was packing up my gear when someone pulled up in a van. I thought it was someone coming to tell me to leave until I saw the camera. She thought I owned the building and asked permission to take some pictures for her photography class. Those of you who know me well can imagine how tempting it was to play a joke on her, but in the end I admitted I was passing through and stopped to take some picture of my own.

Anyway, Enjoy :-)

Photography

Anyone that knows me knows that I love to take pictures. While I would not say I am professional by any means, I would say that I am an advanced hobbyist... or something like that.

There are several things that I love about photography, one of which is trying to tell a story without words. I don't know that I would say a picture is worth a thousand words, but I might say pictures can say a lot without words.

For example the point of view and composition of a picture does a lot to set the mood of a picture. If you want to make someone look domineering or powerful, you can take a picture looking up at them, and make them look like a towering colossus, ready to strike down their opposition. If you want to make someone look lonely, you can include more space around them, which helps make them look secluded.

With a photo essay, you get the chance to use lots of pictures to tell a story. You can focus on one aspect of the situation  with each picture. However, with photojournalism, sometimes you only get one picture to tell an entire story.

The most memorable photojournalism I have seen was a picture about border patrol with two agents arresting a man that had hopped over from mexico. They were in the middle of a field of sunflowers, with  police cars and a helicopter hovering in the background. Not only was the picture aesthetically pleasing, it captured the essence of the situation. The disappointment of the captured man, the way he was spotted, and who was nabbing him. You can almost pick up the entire story without a caption.

Now if I could only remember who the photographer was... oh well.

The picture I posted today is more of an artistic piece I took Memorial Day weekend, at my in-law's neighbor's house. They have a cookout every Memorial Day, and invite friends and family over to celebrate.