Google Voice, Revisited

I wrote about Google Voice several months back, but they have so many new features that I knew it was time to share again!

Google Voice is yet another amazing and free tool that, once you start using it regularly, you will never know how you lived without it before! The service provides you with a free virtual telephone number that you can forward to any phone number or straight to an email address if you choose not to take calls.

Here's an example: You spend the weekdays at work where you have bad cell reception, so during the weekday work hours, you can forward your Google Voice (GV) number to your work phone. After work, you can forward your GV number to your cell phone. And at night when you are sleeping, you can forward your GV number straight to email so that you will not be interrupted.  You distribute your GV number, and you decide when, where and how you are contacted each day.

How I Use Google Voice:

• I give my GV number to those businesses that I want to contact me again, but I don't want them to have direct access to me.  I want to choose how and when we communicate. For example, when I give blood, I give the agency my GV number because I don't want to answer their weekly calls requesting more of my blood for the rest of my adult life! I still would like to know that they called and that they have a shortage of my blood type, but I much prefer they just leave me a voice mail that I can hear later.
• My high school students who want to use me as a reference for a prospective job. I really don't want to give them my cell phone number, but I don't mind giving them my GV number since all calls and voice mails are sent directly to my email account.  No prank calls at 2am!
• Sign up to get text messages from my stores and other businesses. Some of my favorite stores have text message sign ups, and I want to be included on their text messages including sales and coupons, but I don't really want all of their advertising to clutter my text message inbox. 
  

(Note: I use GV as my secondary phone number as you see above, but Google now offers number porting, so you could move your cell phone number into GV if you want to use it in that way.) 

All of these calls, voice mails, and text messages go straight to my GV account then I receive an email notification. The great part about GV is its ability to personalize. You can receive calls to any phone number at specific hours of the day or never at all.

After you have created an account, you will be amazed at all of the ways people use GV!  They have a YouTube Channel with more ways to fully utilize their service.

I would love to hear how you are using Google Voice!

Teach Parents Tech

If you know a little more about tech than your friends and family, there's a good chance that you are their lifeline when they are in times of dire technological need!  I know that I have spent time on the phone, in my parents' study, at my coworkers' desks, and in crafting emails to answer common techie questions.  Some questions are very specific and need my personal response, but other questions are common to most computer users who are still learning the basics.

Google feels your pain, and has created a new site called Teach Parents Tech that allows you to send your parents (or anyone else) a "tech support care package."

You begin by addressing the letter to your loved one, choosing an intro then selecting the videos (max: 12) that you think your friend or family member will enjoy watching.  There are about 50 videos in all.

After you have chosen your videos and a clever closing, you can preview your email, and off it goes!

Most videos are 30 seconds to 1 minute in length and are very clear and simple to understand.  If you would rather not send an email through their site, you can click View All Videos, click on a video and find the direct link to that video on YouTube.  Then you can send your own email with a more personalized response.

http://www.teachparentstech.org/

Google Translate on the web and on your smart phone

Online translation tools have come a long way in the last several years.  Though they still aren't perfect, they do a much better job than in the past.  My favorite tool for translation is Google Translate and is available online so it can be used on several different platforms...PC, Mac, smart phone, inside email, etc.

Google Translate does a great job of translating for you as you type on their site, and it remembers the last languages you used for translating, in case you frequently translate between the same two languages.

Google suggests downloading their own browser Google Chrome for automatic translation, but I haven't used it yet.  I do use Gmail for my personal email and love the integration of translation into email.  If I open an email that was written in Spanish, Google automatically translates the email to English for me.  And I can switch back and forth between English and Spanish with one button click. 

Google highlights words in both languages as you roll over them with your mouse to better understand which words coordinate in both languages.

Google will even read your translated text to you with a "Listen" link!


Try out Google's free translation tool and let me know what you think, or let me know if you use another online translation tool that I have missed.

http://translate.google.com/

Update: Google Translate now has its own iPhone app.

How to use Google Reader to stay informed

I use Google Reader everyday to stay informed with what's happening in my industry, with my friends and family, and to read my favorite blogs about cooking, photography, technology, and entertainment.  If you aren't currently using an RSS reader to read your favorite websites and blogs, take a look at the videos that I made below to get you started.

Part 1:



Part 2:




Get started with Google Reader today!

http://www.google.com/reader

Gmaps Pedometer

I have a route that I enjoy walking in my neighborhood.  It takes me through my apartment complex, down the street, through a nearby park that has a playground and a soccer field and back home again.  Since I'm walking through a park and on small trails and sidewalks, I can't measure the distance of my walk by driving it with my car.  I would love to know how far I'm walking currently and would also like to map out distances on other longer routes that would take me to nearby neighborhoods.

A great site exists called Gmaps Pedometer that will you calculate those walking, running and biking distances, and you will find that it's very exact, to the hundredth of a mile! 

When you arrive at the site, type in your starting point next to the "Jump to:" box and click "go."  Zoom in to find your starting place.  You may want to switch the map to Hybrid view  so that you can see streets, trails and other landmarks.

Click "Start recording" to begin.  Double click on your starting place, and a red marker will show up.  Then continue to double click along your walking/running/biking path.  As you double click, you will notice that your total distance will increase.

The site offers great options like saving, printing and exporting routes, displaying elevation, showing mile markers and calorie counts.  Both miles and kilometers are available.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/