Recently I asked a Rhapsody question and got a response within 24 hours on my own blog straight from the horses mouth. So... now I want to ask a question for Google.
This year I found out that Google had come out with 1-800-GOOG-411 to make free 411 calls. Their service is so amazing, you call and it asks you business name, city and state. You say like pizza hut bakersfield california and it automatically came up with a pizza hut on Stockdale hwy and said that it would connect me now or if I needed more listings to say so. Awesome! 411 calls are outrageously expensive being that you get 3 free 411 calls per month but after that it's $1 per 411 call. Thanks google.
But how about this? I'm thinking about canceling my home phone service and buying one of the new Nokia Skype phones from Skype.com because it's only $3 a month for unlimited local and long distance calls. I already got my goog 411 so now what about 911? Skype doesn't offer 911 like Vonage does so how bout it google? Are you going to ever offer that?
Google is a great company, I'm sure they can come up with an automated 911 service that asks you what your emergency is and you just tell the computer and then it asks you if you need a cop, fireman or ambulance and then it dispaches those services without needing to talk to an operator. Or they could give you the option to be connected to the actual 911 in your city.
The phone company isn't going to last much longer thanks to internet calling like Skype and Vonage so if landlines are gone forever (sorry ma bell) then we need a 911 replacement.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Christmas Crafts
I was looking through a drawer today and came across some plastic canvas books that were given to me last year and there are 5 books with Christmas ornaments.
I'm going to try out some of the things that I have yarn for since I have a crap load of plastic canvas to work with but I don't have the yarn to do everything. Some of these need gold thread which I don't have.
It's not all plastic canvas though, there is 1 book with filet crochet projects like an angel that stands up (which means when you finish crocheting I guess you put glue on it so it stands up. And there are stockings and ornaments which are both crocheted and knitted.
One of the things I think is cool are the 3D christmas trees. One of them is furry so it looks really neat. It has little miniature ornaments sewn into the tree.
If my Kodak all-in-one printer didn't require ink to be able to scan then I'd have pictures available but I don't have any ink right now. Maybe once I get some things done or a bunch of things done I will take pictures and put them in the crafts section of my main website.
I'm going to try out some of the things that I have yarn for since I have a crap load of plastic canvas to work with but I don't have the yarn to do everything. Some of these need gold thread which I don't have.
It's not all plastic canvas though, there is 1 book with filet crochet projects like an angel that stands up (which means when you finish crocheting I guess you put glue on it so it stands up. And there are stockings and ornaments which are both crocheted and knitted.
One of the things I think is cool are the 3D christmas trees. One of them is furry so it looks really neat. It has little miniature ornaments sewn into the tree.
If my Kodak all-in-one printer didn't require ink to be able to scan then I'd have pictures available but I don't have any ink right now. Maybe once I get some things done or a bunch of things done I will take pictures and put them in the crafts section of my main website.
Video Phone
The future is now people! It finally happened. A company has come out with a video phone that you can use to make free video phone calls.
Here is a demo.
It looks like you can make skype to skype voice calls as well as video calls. The other person doesn't have to have this device as long as they have Skype on their computer and a webcam. And I saw on the demo that you can also make calls to landlines and cell phones.
It either plugs into your DSL/Cable router or you can use it via your wifi connection at home. It comes with a battery so maybe you can take it with you when you are on vacation and your hotel has wifi access.
It does have a hefty pricetag on it. $299.95 but I'm sure in time that price will most likely go down. It may have a small screen, 800x480 Pixel 7” TFT-LCD, but what are you expecting? If you are using Skype to make video calls on your computer you will know that it's 320x240 which is way smaller than this gadget. And it has headphone jack so you can have a more private conversation.
Just think what you could do with this. You could connect with friends and family and not just talk to them on the phone but actually see their faces too and if you hate to travel for business it could be used for meetings.
Since it's a free video call what would be really cool is to call someone on their video phone at Christmas time and just have it running and have the camera looking at the kids who are opening presents. This way the people who couldn't come can watch the kids playing. And whenever someone wants to come say hi to the person on video phone then they can walk over to it.
You can sit it on the dining room table and be eating while the person on the other side is also eating. This way you will be sharing a meal. The possibilities are endless.
Here is a demo.
It looks like you can make skype to skype voice calls as well as video calls. The other person doesn't have to have this device as long as they have Skype on their computer and a webcam. And I saw on the demo that you can also make calls to landlines and cell phones.
It either plugs into your DSL/Cable router or you can use it via your wifi connection at home. It comes with a battery so maybe you can take it with you when you are on vacation and your hotel has wifi access.
It does have a hefty pricetag on it. $299.95 but I'm sure in time that price will most likely go down. It may have a small screen, 800x480 Pixel 7” TFT-LCD, but what are you expecting? If you are using Skype to make video calls on your computer you will know that it's 320x240 which is way smaller than this gadget. And it has headphone jack so you can have a more private conversation.
Just think what you could do with this. You could connect with friends and family and not just talk to them on the phone but actually see their faces too and if you hate to travel for business it could be used for meetings.
Since it's a free video call what would be really cool is to call someone on their video phone at Christmas time and just have it running and have the camera looking at the kids who are opening presents. This way the people who couldn't come can watch the kids playing. And whenever someone wants to come say hi to the person on video phone then they can walk over to it.
You can sit it on the dining room table and be eating while the person on the other side is also eating. This way you will be sharing a meal. The possibilities are endless.
Video Post
Hey, what a cool widget. Not only can I make a video post using a webcam attached to my computer but someone who is replying to a post of mine can respond using their own webcam as well. All thanks to a company named Kaltura.
Skype vs. Vonage
I've been seeing these commercials for Vonage constantly on tv about how they are better than the telephone company because they only charge you $30 per month and you use your current internet connection to connect to your phone service.
What about Skype? Skype has phone service that works with your wifi connection and it's only $2.95 a month. Since it works with your wifi connection at home you can also use it at wifi hotspots like the cloud (whatever that is) and t-mobile hotspots. They have a USB phone, 2 wifi phones, even a video phone. You can call anyone who uses Skype for free if you only want to call other Skype users. Or you can also call landlines and cell phones for $2.95 per month. You get a phone number that only costs $30 per year. Their best phone is the black wifi phone that is on sale right now for $129.99.
They have a phone that is currently only in europe right now that uses the 3G network but I guess you can use it like a cell phone because you can make a call anywhere, you aren't limited to wifi hotspots like the ones I just talked about in the above paragraph. I look forward to that coming to the states.
Right now I use skype on my PSP to make phone calls. I don't have a phone number for it but I do have the option and since I am signed up with their unlimited calls to US and Canada they have given me a $30 coupon for a phone number for 1 year. I don't want to use it for my PSP because I won't have it turned on long enough to receive phone calls.
Personally, if I had to choose between Vonage and Skype, I'd choose Skype, especially if I was on a budget. Also I can take my Skype wifi phone with me wherever I go because it will work wherever there is a hotspot like Starbucks, McDonald's, Hotels, Airports, your friends and relatives houses etc. With Vonage you are limited to only being able to use it at home.
Edit: Ok I was looking at the Skype phone on their website and was watching a video (take a tour) and it was saying "for just pennies a minute". So maybe you have to do the skype as you go or I don't know, maybe it works with the monthly subscription. The only way to know for sure is to get the service and find out I guess. Skype as you go gives you a bit more freedom to be able to call other countries if you have to call people who are in another country and you only pay a few cents to about 20 cents a minute depending where you are calling.
What about Skype? Skype has phone service that works with your wifi connection and it's only $2.95 a month. Since it works with your wifi connection at home you can also use it at wifi hotspots like the cloud (whatever that is) and t-mobile hotspots. They have a USB phone, 2 wifi phones, even a video phone. You can call anyone who uses Skype for free if you only want to call other Skype users. Or you can also call landlines and cell phones for $2.95 per month. You get a phone number that only costs $30 per year. Their best phone is the black wifi phone that is on sale right now for $129.99.
They have a phone that is currently only in europe right now that uses the 3G network but I guess you can use it like a cell phone because you can make a call anywhere, you aren't limited to wifi hotspots like the ones I just talked about in the above paragraph. I look forward to that coming to the states.
Right now I use skype on my PSP to make phone calls. I don't have a phone number for it but I do have the option and since I am signed up with their unlimited calls to US and Canada they have given me a $30 coupon for a phone number for 1 year. I don't want to use it for my PSP because I won't have it turned on long enough to receive phone calls.
Personally, if I had to choose between Vonage and Skype, I'd choose Skype, especially if I was on a budget. Also I can take my Skype wifi phone with me wherever I go because it will work wherever there is a hotspot like Starbucks, McDonald's, Hotels, Airports, your friends and relatives houses etc. With Vonage you are limited to only being able to use it at home.
Edit: Ok I was looking at the Skype phone on their website and was watching a video (take a tour) and it was saying "for just pennies a minute". So maybe you have to do the skype as you go or I don't know, maybe it works with the monthly subscription. The only way to know for sure is to get the service and find out I guess. Skype as you go gives you a bit more freedom to be able to call other countries if you have to call people who are in another country and you only pay a few cents to about 20 cents a minute depending where you are calling.
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