Family on the Phone » Nikki Brown

Jott This Down

Nikki Brown — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:16:03 +0000

I know you are all so busy. It seems like we can’t go anywhere or do anything these days without multitasking. Our cell phones can be pretty handy for helping us stay on top of appointments, keeping our address book at our fingertips, allowing us to interact on the web or letting us check the news, weather, or sports scores. If you are like me though and don’t have a fancy smartphone with internet access, you might feel like you are missing out. Well, I have made a discovery which you might be interested in – Jott.

Actually, it’s a re-discovery. I first learned about Jott quite a while ago. At that time, it was a free service that basically allowed you to send memos and calendar reminders to your e-mail inbox over the phone. It had limited usability in my opinion and I never really used it much nor had I even thought about it in a while. With all the hoopla in the media though about Google Voice, I decided to go research Jott just to see if it was still around. I must say I am quite impressed with what I found.

Just to let you know up front, Jott is no longer free. However, their rates are very reasonable and you can get a free trial to see if you like it. Anyway, I started using it today and so far, I really like it. Check out this video to see a more or less real life example of how Jott works.

The basic idea is this. Whehn you are out and about doing your errands, taking the kids to a game, at a scout meeting, etc. you can place a simple phone call and use Jott to help you keep track of information you don’t want to forget. Everything is done by voice so it is very user friendly and you don’t need to be extremely tech savvy or have a fancy phone.

You can use Jott to post to your blog, Twitter and Facebook accounts (yes, all by voice) and even catch up on the latest news. All this can be done from any phone whether it is a cell phone or land line. Jott basically takes what you say and translates it to text. You then have multiple options of what to do with that information. There is even an option for you to have your voicemail translated to text and sent to your inbox. I have had a lot of fun testing this out today and It has been extremely accurate with the speech to text transcription so far.

To use Jott, you call a toll free number and literally just tell the system what you want to do. The basic selections are:

Notes – You can send memos to your inbox so you won’t forget an important thought or idea
Reminders – Have Jott send you a reminder about appointments or important events
List – Keep track of “To do” lists, grocery lists or your holiday shopping list
Contact – Send a message via SMS or e-mail to any of your contacts
Groups – Contact groups of people all at one time with this function
Link – Use Jott to interact with various online tools including Facebook and Twitter
Feeds – Jott can tell you the local weather report, or read your favorite newspaper articles or blog posts to you.

All with just a phone call!

I think the things I am most excited about are the Links and the Feeds options although anyone who knows me knows I should get a lot of use out of the notes and reminders options. My brain does not retain information as well as it used to. There are so many options available to use with Jott and doing it all by voice is so easy! I tried both the Twitter and Facebook apps with Jott and they worked perfectly. There are a few other things I want to try like Google Calendar and I will let you all know later in the week how things are going or if I find any hitches.

If you would like to try Jott for yourself, just click here for a one month free trial. To be completely transparent, I want you to know that is my “Refer a friend” link. I think I get $1 or something like that for anyone who signs up and decides they can’t live without Jott. This is available to every Jott customer so if you like referring people to services you love, there’s another plus.

I have tried to explain Jott to the best of my ability here but the best thing to do is check it out for yourself. If you are already a Jott customer, please share your experiences in the comments section. I would love to hear if it has helped you to be more efficient or productive. Even if you don’t like it, please share your reasons why. I’ll be sure to give an update at the end of the week and I will give you my honest opinion of the service.

Weekend Entertainment

Nikki Brown — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:27:16 +0000

So many people are far too careless about leaving their cell phones lying around. Here’s a good reason not to do that.

place holder

Tribute to the iphone

Nikki Brown — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 03:23:05 +0000

I found this cute video today and thought some of you might appreciate it.

Have a great weekend everybody!

New Tele-Tech: Google Voice

Nikki Brown — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0000

Do you know about Google Voice? I remember reading about it quite a while ago but forgot about it until all the recent buzz online got my attention again. It’s one of the newest of the newfangled ways to keep in touch – no matter where you are or what phone happens to be handy.

Instead of trying to completely re-invent the wheel, I’ll just let you check out the official website to learn all the details. If you already have a Google account, you can log in there and request an invitation to Google Voice. It is still in its early stages so you may have to be patient. While you are waiting, you can find lots of info about Google Voice and various Google Voice apps for cell phones online. Here’s a video you can start with.

One important change has already been implamented in Google Voice since this video was made. It seems you can now use an existing phone number instead of (or along with) a Google assigned number. Some of the functions are not accessible if you use an existing number however so be sure to check here for a comparison and a couple more videos.

I think this new service could prove to be very handy. How about you? If I ever get my invitation from Google, I’ll try it out and give you an update.

Cell Phones and Conference Calls: The Perfect Pair

Nikki Brown — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:00:28 +0000

Conference calling has found it’s way from the corporate board meeting to the small business or home based business and even to local volunteer organizations. With easy-to-use low-cost – even free – options now available, even the most frugal and tech challenged among us can host or participate in a conference call.

What is a conference call?

Basically, a conference call is a phone based meeting. Participants usually call in to a pre-set phone number, dial in a code and can then hear and talk to the other participants in the call. The call is usually hosted by one administrator who can set certain perimeters to the call. Some of the settings a host might make use of are opening/closing the conference room, recording the call, muting out all participants except for the main speaker, or opening lines for questions. In a typical call, all participants can chat with each other before and after the meeting but during the meeting, the lines will usually be muted so that the only one heard is the main speaker. Sometimes, there will be a question and answer period where participants can either un-mute their lines individually or this may be done by the host in order for questions to be asked of the speaker.

Why use conference calling?

There are two words to answer this question – time and money. With today’s hectic schedules, conference calling is a great way to slip in a meeting without having to worry about travel time to and from the meeting location. Conferencing also allows people from a wide geographical area to attend the same meeting without incurring travel expenses. Not to mention, you can attend one of these meetings wearing your fuzzy house slippers and pink pajamas if you want to. I wouldn’t recommend this if it is a video conference, but that’s another topic.

Not just for business any more.

Work at home parents, volunteer organization leaders and even hobby clubs and special interest groups are all benefiting from using conference services. Girl Scout adult volunteer meetings, groups of internet marketers, direct sales teams, writing groups, school buddies, etc. are all using telephone or internet conferencing services to stay in touch, share ideas, or even work on group projects – all without ever being in the same room.

Your options

If you would like to set up a conference call for a group, these are some things you will want to consider.

Try to participate in a tele-conference ahead of time so you can see how it is run
How many people will be calling in and how long will your meeting last? Some services have limits to these.
Will people be willing to call in to a long distance number or do you need a toll-free number?
Set a day and time just like you would for any meeting
Make sure you let others know how to participate inh the call
Make sure you are familiar with the host controls for the call ahead of time

Suggested Resources

There are many types of conferencing services out there but for the sake of this article, I will focus on resources that offer telephone based services. No internet connection is required for these types of calls; however, you may initially need to set up the call details online. Either land lines or mobile phones can be used to host or participate in these calls. If you use your cell phone, i do recommend using a bluetooth or even a wired earpiece as the phone can get rather hot on your face if you are on the call for a long period of time. Plus, if you have your hands free, you can fold laundry or wash dishes while you are on the call.

All of the services I list here are currently free to use. The call-in numbers may be long distance calls from your area though so you will need to check on that. You don’t want any surprises when you get your monthly bill. Each of these services has different offrerings and different controls. They each have instructions to help guide you through the process of using their service so make sure you read over their information carefully.

Free Conference Call.com

Free Conference.com

Instant Conference.com

Rondee.com

I have personally used Free Conference Call.com many times and have found it to be very user friendly and satisfactory for most conference needs. I hope this information will be helpful to you. Please let me know if you have other conference services you can recommend or if you have any questions about telephone conferencing in general.

photo credit: louis.ian.riley

Win a Blackberry Bold 9700

Nikki Brown — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:08:32 +0000

I ran across this today and thought some of you might be interested. You could win the hottest new Blackberry worth over $740 or a $50 gift certificate to Crackberry.com. Even if you are not one to go in for contests, this is an opportunity to find out how to make your own ringtones with Ringtone Expressions. Find out all the details here. I would like to include a family friendly warning here. Some of the lyrics for the demo ringtones are somewhat suggestive. Please don’t even bother to listen to them if you are easily offended. The video below will show you step by step how to enter the contest.

No related posts.

Mobile Apps: Quality, Quantity or Just Plain Quirky?

Nikki Brown — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 01:46:07 +0000

Just thought I would share with you a cute commercial for Microsoft’s new Marketplace for Mobile. Though poking fun at themselves, this also appears to be a (good-natured?) swipe at the iphone Mobile App Store

The iphone App Store claims, “Your iphone gets better with every new app.” Is that really true?

If you need proof that there really are some completely useless iphone apps out there, just take a look at this site or this one or even this…well, you get the picture. Don’t get me wrong. I am just as much in awe of the iphone as anyone else but with over 75,000 apps available, there have to be a couple of duds right?

Microsoft is barely out of the gate with it’s Marketplace for Mobile and only time will tell if they will really be able to keep up the quality control. Personally, I’m not sure this commercial gives me a lot of confidence.

Best wishes Microsoft!

Cell Savings: Tips for Teens and Parents

Nikki Brown — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 01:21:57 +0000

Since I have been discussing teens and cell phones this week, I thought I should address the question of how to avoid misuse or abuse of phone privileges by our teens. To be fair though, it isn’t just teenagers who can overuse their phones. I will admit to being the chatty one in our family.

Measuring out the minutes.

When you first purchase a phone for your teen, it is important to make sure they understand the rules about phone use. Make sure they know how many minutes they can use each month and how to check their usage. There is usually a way to check how many minutes have been used in the current billing cycle right from the phone. Check with your cell company to get instructions on how to do this. Depending on your phone plan, there may be times such as nights and weekends when minutes are “free” or do not count towards your usage.

It may be very helpful for you to find out which cell carrier(s) your teen’s friends use. Many times, calls made from one mobile customer to another within the same network will not count towards your usage. Some cell providers offer a type of friends and family calling circle. Using this feature, you can add people your teen calls regularly to his or her “circle” so that minutes to and from that person do not count towards your usage. By simply paying attention to who uses which cell company, you may be able to arrange things so that most of your teen’s calls are free.

No matter how careful your teen is with his phone, make sure you stay on top of the monthly usage. Most companies offer this information on your print bill or online. If you notice your teen’s minutes starting to creep up, you may need to have another discussion with your teen or adjust your plan accordingly. Also, you should occasionally review your cell phone carrier’s plans and prices. Things do change from time to time and a better plan for your family may become available. Some carriers offer family plans where a set number of minutes can be shared among family members.

Avoid the texting trap.

It amazes me how fast the average teenager can whip out a text message. In the span of one minute, multiple messages can be sent, read and replied to. Each one of these tiny bits of digital information costs only about 20 cents but it sure can add up quickly. Since text messaging is so popular among teens, you may find it beneficial to purchase some kind of texting plan. I discussed these in a previous post. Basically, you can often purchase a set number of text messages at a discount or pay a set monthly fee for unlimited texting.

Who gets the bill?

Without wanting to seem heartless, I personally do not feel it is wrong or cruel to ask your teenager to pitch in for part or all of his cell phone bill – especially if he is working or earns an allowance. Teens are adults in training and do need to understand that cell phone service is not free. Your teen will probably not be able to open an account on their own but you could simply pass along the bill to your teen each month or you could opt for a pre-paid service; when the minutes run out, the phone is unavailable until the teen shells out the cash for more minutes.

Learning how to use – and pay for – a cell phone is an important part of growing up today. Hopefully, you will be able to take this time and use it as an opportunity to have some wonderful discussions with your teen. It’s a great topic of conversation; just don’t wait until your teen breaks the rules or runs up a huge bill before you decide to sit down and talk. That is one conversation no one wants to participate in.

Please share your story with me. Have you had a phone talk with your teen? Have they respected the rules or abused their phone privileges? What other ways have you discovered to help save money on your cell phone plan?

photo credit: whiteafrican

A Treat for all Texters

Nikki Brown — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:55:30 +0000

Since text messaging is so popular – especially among teenagers – I thought it might be a good idea to post some information on how to save money on texting services. It is baffling to me why the cell phone companies charge such exorbitant fees for text messages. Twenty cents for each message sent and received is not unusual. That’s forty cents for every single text message that goes through the system. This is in addition to your regular service fees of course. Personally, I think this is highway robbery.

Good things often come in packages.

You are probably already aware that most (if not all) cell phone carriers offer some kind of texting package. They may offer a certain number of text messages at a discount or even a completely unlimited texting package. Depending on your needs, one of these may save you some money. For Instance, Verizon offers unlimited texting to any other Verizon customer and 250 additional text messages to anyone for about $10 a month. They also offer a completely unlimited texting package for about $20 a month. You will need to check with your cell phone provider for their plans and pricing.

If it’s free, it’s for me.

you may not be aware however of a completely free option for text messaging. You can send and receive text messages by e-mail. The person you send the text message to will receive it just as usual except that it will show up as coming from your e-mail address rather than your phone number. When they reply to you, their message will come straight back to your e-maiol inbox. It’s a really great way to use the texting feature without shelling out the big bucks

There are a couple of considerations you will need to keep in mind if you choose to use this free texting technique. First, you must know the carrier of the person you wish to send a message to. Second, you need to keep your messages brief. Some companies have different character limits for their text messages.

Below is a good list of cell phone providers and their specific character limits and e-mail formats for sending text messages. To give credit where credit is due, I found this information at AskBillFirst and I encourage you to visit his blog if you are interested in techie stuff.

Virgin Mobile – 125 characters – PhoneNumber@vmobl.com
Beyond GSM – 160 characters – PhoneNumber@txt.att.net
Cingular AT&T – 160 characters – PhoneNumber@txt.att.net
Verizon – 160 characters – PhoneNumber@vtext.com
Boost Mobile – 140 characters – PhoneNumber@myboostmobile.com
Nextel – 140 characters – PhoneNumber@messaging.nextel.com
Sprint – 160 characters – PhoneNumber@messaging.sprintpcs.com
T-Mobile – 140 characters – PhoneNumber@tmomail.net
Alltel – 140 characters – PhoneNumber@message.alltel.com
Qwest – 185 characters – PhoneNumber@qwestmp.com
MetroPCS – 185 characters – PhoneNumber@mymetropcs.com
Cricket – 143 characters – PhoneNumberMMS.mycricket.com

Give this a try and let me know how it goes. Also, please let me know if you know of other ways to save money on texting.

photo credit: aprilzosia

The Great Love Affair: Cell Phones and Teens

Nikki Brown — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 05:34:32 +0000

If we think about our teenage years, I am sure we can all remember how a special brand of shoes or a hair style or a “cool” piece of clothing or jewelry distinguished certain people within our peer group. Would it surprise you to learn that one of the most important personal trademarks for teenagers today is their cell phone?

Cell phones are status symbols.

Many parents give their teenagers a cell phone for safety and security reasons as well as to assist with everyday communication within the family. For many teens however, a cell phone is as much a status symbol as a communication device. Among their peers, a teen’s cell phone is one of the top four things – along with clothes, jewelry and shoes – that helps determine a teens social status.

So, what is a teen’s ideal digital device?

Although a simple phone may be satisfactory for younger children or tweens, teenagers typically prefer phones with a “coolness” factor. A teenager’s dream phone would not only look sleek and unique but would also have features like text messaging, a camera, an mp3 player, and internet access.

Since most teens text more than they talk, the texting feature is of supreme importance. Also, since social media is so integral in the lives of teens today, having web access to sites like Facebook and My Space is very important to them. Beyond the basics, teens appreciate being able to choose from a plethora of ring tones, games, and wallpaper in order to accessorize and personalize their phones.

The stats say it all.

According to lmk Life Online, polls conducted by WiredSafety show the following fascinating statistics for cell phone use among teens.

24% sleep with their cell phones so they won’t miss a text message or call.
12% know of someone whose boyfriend broke up with them by text message.
Sixty-five percent have sent a text message that was misunderstood by the recipient or sent to the wrong person.
Forty percent received a text message from someone they didn’t recognize or didn’t know and
52% have received a text message promoting a product, service or website.
More than 80% have gotten into trouble for high cell phone bills or for losing or breaking their phone.
51% of teens said they could not live without their cell phone.

In 2008, a study showed that 71% of teens between the ages of 12 and 17owned a cell phone. It is probably safe to say that the numbers will continue to creep up as time goes by. Cell phones are definitely not viewed as just another neat toy or nifty gadget by today’s teenagers. They are an important tool and a lifeline to their social network. Like it or not, cell phones are an important part of growing up for our teens.

The 4-1-1

Here are some additional sites you might like to check out for more information about teens and cell phones.

So, what do you think of the growing popularity of cell phones among teenagers? Let me know !

photo credit: AH!Photography