Google Voice app blocked by Apple and ATT

Interesting short read on Apple, AT&T, the iPhone, and how people want to use Google Voice. Read before considering an iPhone purchase. I am becoming more and more a fan of the Palm Pre phone and phones that use the Google Android OS.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/31/AR2009073100971.html

How to setup Google Voice to use OnStar HFC

Now that you have recieved your new Google Voice number, and decide that it would be cool to add your OnStar HFC number along with your cell and other numbers you will need to make use of a few tips.

Here are a few tips I discovered on how to setup Google Voice (GV) so that your OnStar HFC number is used.

• To activate your HFC number with Google Voice you will need a car that has a button on the steering wheel that looks like a someone speaking. This is because part of the activation process is to enter in two digits when GV calls the number to activate. To use this feature you press the button in the middle of the call, say "Dial", wait for the prompt, and say the numbers to dial. Tip for 36 say three, six not thrity six.
• Once you have your number activated then you want to turn Call Presentation off under settings in GV

Now you are good to go. Easy as that!

One more tip. Because of the way HFC answers the call, if you have multiple numbers setup and Call Presentation off it will always answer the call first and get the call. So, if you know you are not in the car, and you have multiple numbers activated than I recommend turning Call Presentation on so that HFC does not always answer first.

Google Voice, A Definate Home Run!

OK, when I heard about Google Voice months ago I thought it was a really cool idea. I just got my number and set it up with other numbers. This product is revolutionary! It is totally awesome. Enrollment was painless and fast. All features tested out great. The web page is well done and easy to use. Google really hit a home run. I can't wait to share this with others. Here are some the features I thought were really cool.

• Calls to one number (my google number) are forwarded to all numbers registered simultaneously
• Voice mail collected at my google number is stored online and translated into text. You can also play it back.
• I can listen into voice mail being left, real-time (ok, that is kinda creepy)
• Text messages of a voice mail are sent to a forwarded phone and also translated to text
• And tons more.

Oh and check out the call widget on the left. Clicking on that will connect your phone and my forwarded phone. Right now I have it setup to only go to voice mail. Give it a try and leave me a message.

The Economy changes spending habits

As a continuation of the Trend post below I just finished reading an article in the Chicago Tribune from last month ( http://tiny.cc/pXFdY ). It picks up with adding unmanageable debt as an effect of the current economy, which with the other effects lead to:

• Spending more practically
• Buying smaller homes (if you can sell your larger one)
• Eat out less
• Save for large purchases rather than use credit

The author correctly reasons that this is a moral shift that is making people reconsider how their lives really change when they are spending more.

Combined a new grounded consumer begins to emerge that is/will:

• limit "stuff" they own
• live more within their means
• think that life is not defined by how much credit they have or what they buy
• reconsider what was once considered a necessity to be more of a luxury now.

While thinking about the effects of Trends I find myself thinking about what will happen next as an effect or cause?

Economic Mega Trend Effects

I know this sounds like a boring topic, but bare with me I think it will turn out interesting. A few of us at work are researching and following some selected mega trends in an attempt to better understand product development plans. The Economy is not one of those being followed, but it hit me like a stack of bricks today in a meeting. See if this makes sense and tell me what you think.

Down swing of the economy leads to:

• the devaluation of assets and an increase in the unemployment rate, which lead to:
• Bad personal credit, which leads to:
• Failed credit checks for cell phone plans, forcing the carriers to:
• create new plans around Pre-pay and metered usage
• Carriers also have just reduced the price for unlimited plans below a pain threshold convincing people to drop their land lines to save more money.

I am wondering how the following two events will change these outcomes from the mega-trend.

• Another major power outage
• The launch of satellites designed to provide cellular communications

I think that a major power outage may remind people that still wan to have the land line, which would send them back to these companies to start the service back up. However, this time they will be asking for a "just in case" package.

The launch of the satellites, if they can get them to work , could change the arguments around who has the better coverage.

Let me know what you are thinking and sign up to a follower on the left side of this blog.

Twitter updates and cool links

Over the last few weeks a few bits of news regarding Twitter has caught my eye. I have to start with a posting from Mashable on Twitter visualization. Try some of these out; Social Collider, Just Landed, and Twitt3D. These tools are all trying to visually show the connectivity between tweets through time and people. Sometimes you have no idea what your tweet may trigger. These tools attempt to show you what was triggered. I am not completely sure about this but I think the official term is social graphing. Being a very visual and picture oriented person these graphs have serious meaning that can be very beneficial in understanding communication.

By the way did anyone notice that last week Twitter updated the following and followers pages? The change is very positive and useful. Good job Twitter!

What do these have in common: Spammers, Star Wars race scene, Satellites, the Walkman, and outrageous Laptops

Don't spend too much time thinking this is a unique puzzle. Sorry, it is not, there really is nothing in common other than some cool thoughts and links I have had/discovered over the last few weeks and tweeted about.

• Spammers get the hot seat. http://is.gd/1aa9d
• Watched Phantom Menace the other day with my son. Gotta love the race scene in
• Sirius/XM successfully launches another satellite into orbit. Position yet to occur. http://bit.ly/XCkI8
• Happy Birthday Walkman! (shhhh, 30 years old)
• Check out these concept laptop- crazy and cool http://is.gd/1lq5n

Recent news in the Wireless, Mobile Application, and Telecom Scene

I have been reviewing and categorizing my tweets over the last few weeks and found, not surprisingly, that a large number fall under this topic. So I though I would take this time to point out some of the hot spots and not so hot spots during this time.

First there was the announcement of the Intel and Nokia agreement allowing Intel chips to be used in Nokia phones. You may be thinking, why does this matter. Here are couple of thoughts on why this matters.

• The companies would like to build a new platform beyond Smartphones, Notebooks, and Netbooks.
• Intel will be licensing the HSPA (High Speed Packet Access with 600 Mbps - 1200 Mbps range in rate) technology from Nokia. This is faster than the current EVDO, but slower, of course, than LTE. The 3G technology of HSPA would be added wifi and wiMAX that Intel already offers in their chipset.
• Big step forward in the convergence of Computing and Communication

On another note there has been lots of talk about Dell re-entering the market with a handheld Internet device. This is basically a smartphone without the phone. It would be built on the Android platform from Google. It would have all the benefits of Internet access (browsing, IM, Texting, etc) along with the ability to download apps. Seems like a good idea. Some big competition with the iTouch, and not really sure Dell's heart is in to it this time around.

This one is cool. AT&T is going to start offering a wireless network on Amtrak trains. Always wondered when a carrier was going to do this. Sure will make the rides go faster.

Here is a link to what I think is a really good compare/contrast of the iPhone and the Pre. A must read before purchase of either device.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/07/01/palm_pre_v_iphone_3gs/

US Texting Champ, a 14 year old from Des Moines, Iowa, sends 14,000 messages/month and up to 470 message daily! She won $50k. Hey that is almost a full ride scholarship to college.

Ever wonder what the impact of the Android by Google will have on the Smartphone industry? I think it is potentially huge. Here is article that outlines how Android is changing the face of the Smartphone.

http://www.crn.com/mobile/218100828;jsessionid=KWPMTXY0AGSAUQSNDLRSKH0CJUNN2JVN

• T-Mobile just announced the second smartphone they will offer that is based on the Android
• Android is more personal
• Is the most open ended experience yet
• Focused on a Customer to Business experience
• Faster, more software releases
• It is all about the software

And, don't forget that Adobe Flash is coming soon to Android as well as WinMo and WebOS. For some reason Apple is really quiet about getting Flash on the iPhone. My opinion, there must still be some tension between the two companies.