OK, those of you who know me know that text messaging sometimes gets on my nerves.  As you can tell from past articles, such as the one I wrote on the topic of texting while driving, I have a view that texting CAN be useless and even dangerous.  Well, as it turns out, Google is beginning to force me to change my mind… to a point.

ALSO, if you know me, I do not have a data plan on my phone, neither do I have the need to, neither do I see the need to in the foreseeable future.  Google is actually helping me in this area.  As long as I have unlimited SMS, I can do many cool things without an expensive data plan.

You see, I just recently upgraded my phone to one of those “messaging” phones which has a quirty keypad making texting a whole lot easier.  Having the ability now to actually type, I’ve been exploring what I can actually do with SMS besides the obvious corny messages between friend and family.  Well, as it turns out, there are several ways that SMS can enhance the way you use Gmail and Google Calendars.  I’m sure these tricks have been kicked around for awhile, but here is what I get out of it.

SMS and Gmail

There are a few ways that SMS can work with Gmail.  I’ve figured them out by either messing around or by, you guessed it, Googling it!

1. I can be notified via SMS when I get email.  That, in and of itself is cool, you can do that with any email service, just forward email to (yournumber)@(your phone carrier, such as vtext for Verizon).com.  With Verizon you can set up a nickname, too to cut out using your own number.  With Gmail’s labels and filters, I can actually choose what kind of email to notify me about.  For instance, I set up a filter to send all emails from my wife to my vtext email address.  At this point, I am notified that I need to pick up milk, or whatever.



2. I can use Gmail to take a note for me so I will remember it later when checking my email.  I set up a filter to label all email with a phrase like “makeamemo” anywhere in the email with a label such as “MEMOS.”  So now I can just send an SMS to my Gmail address and have a nifty list of memos to remember. Notice that I made sure it filters only email from my address so no mistaken mail gets plopped there.  ALSO I made sure that the messages skip the inbox so that doesn’t get cluttered.

I am sure there is more I can do with Gmail and SMS.  I am still learning.  As I learn, I will share.

SMS and Google Calendars

Here are a couple of tricks I learned about Google Calendar and how SMS can enhance my use of it.

First you’ll want to set up your Google Calendar account to work with your cell phone.  Just click settings and follow the instructions in the mobile setup section.

1. I can have Google send me an SMS reminder of an appointment coming up.  I am SO bad at remembering appointments, especially if they are made a long time in advance.  Well, I could either mess with my phone’s calendar, which I’d rather not, OR I can have Google calendar remind me.  With the flexibility and ease of use that Google Calendar provides, it seems an obvious choice.



2. I can MAKE appointments on my Google Calendar via SMS!  I think that is the coolest thing EVER!  All I have to do is send a message to the number Google provides me (48368), make sure the date, time, and details are all in there, and bodda-bing!  Google will then send a confirmation SMS making sure the date, time and details are recorded correctly so there’s no worries there.  For more information, check out the post in Google’s help pages.

The idea here is that I don’t really need a data plan when I have SMS, and therefore I save money.  I’m sure there are more ways that you can use SMS with Google’s services.  Have you read my post about filtering and canned messages?  I’m still looking to learn more so if you know of any more hacks or tricks I can use SMS for, let me know.  AND, as usual, I will share with y’all what I learn!

The Utica Daily News website reported on June 1, 2009, that Oneida County (in New York State) is beginning to enforce a new law banning texting while driving. The whole State of New York already has a ban on driving while talking on a cell phone without a hands free device. This law against texting while driving is kind of like updating that law. At the time of the cell phone law’s enactment, texting was not really an issue. Well, apparently now it is.

There’s also apparently many different opinions on the new law. Here’s a video of a reporter interviewing some local people on the subject:

Notice the one gentleman who said that he would be more discreet while texting while driving! He just told the authorities that he is planning on breaking a law! Also, another gentleman said that it is “circumstantial” because someone may receive “emergency” phone calls while driving. My thought is that if someone is going to have the cell phone in the car and is planning on answering it for ANY reason, a hands free device is imperative in order to follow the law.

Well, for the sake of space on this page and time I’ll not go into all of the nitty-gritty of everyone else’s opinions on the subject and I’ll stick mostly to some of my own thoughts.

First of all, and you can call me old school if you like, it’s taken me quite some time to even see the point of the text messaging obsession. Constant texting back and forth seems to me as almost pointless and a waste of time when a quick phone call would be a lot easier. There are SOME uses that make sense:

1. When a phone call would be inappropriate, a simple text message could be a good alternative. For instance, once I received a text message on a Saturday morning during a time when most people thought me to be still sleeping. That was a good application because a phone call could have woke me up and the caller could have had a cranky situation on their hands.
2. Updating networking streams such as Twitter (check me out on twitter) and Facebook could be done via SMS. I’ve done this a few times already and I like having the option when a computer or Internet is not available (I’m thinking about tweeting my next Adirondack hike planned for June).
3. A quick text to a group of contacts could be a real time saver. For instance, I was recently invited to a bonfire/birthday party along with a group of other friends via SMS. Check out how Google Voice is making SMS easier and more versatile by reading my review of the new service.
4. Google SMS can get answers to popular questions on the fly. Google has this neat service where you can text Google a question and you’ll receive an anser via SMS. Very cool and a good use for texting. Check out my review of this service.

However, if you’re planning on carrying on a conversation with me, please find a different means other than text messaging! Call me if you have my number! Contact me on my blog, timmyjohnboy.com. Email me if you’re privileged enough to have may address. Message me on one of my social network profiles, I really don’t mind. Just don’t waste my time with a whole conversation via texting!

About driving while texting:

Why would they even need a law banning people from doing something that is already so obviously stupid. It’s like saying that it is against the law to play guitar while driving! General stupidity could be outlawed while driving, I suppose. I think it’s creative that people even think texting while driving is a good idea. Personally, I think if someone is going to be outlawed from doing something while driving it should be driving obviously distracted. For instance, someone should be pulled over for veering into another lane, or stopping and starting abruptly and in a manner that hinders the normal flow of traffic (both of which happens often while talking or texting on the phone while driving). JMHO (just my humble opinion). However, if you really can’t live in this county and follow the laws set up, I’m sure the “right” thing to do would be to move somewhere that doesn’t have these laws. Otherwise, you’re obligated to make an attempt to follow them.

OK, I’ll stop teasing those of you who are about to give me a proverbial pop in the nose for stepping on your toes.

I only have a few more questions.

1. What are your thoughts about laws such as these?
2. Has anyone else heard about the statistics telling us that driving while talking on the phone WITH a hands free device is JUST as dangerous as WITHOUT one?

As many of you have already heard, Google is finally doing something with Grandcentral. They had acquired it awhile back and the Beta has been closed to new users pretty much ever since. HOWEVER, timmyjohnboy acquired a number before they closed and I love it!

As is Google’s habit when they acquire projects, they’ve redone everything, hopefully for the better (not that I haven’t loved Grandcentral so far)!  Grandcentral went from this:

to this:

As you can see the look has definitely changed to a more “Google” type of look.  As usual, Google Voice has fewer graphics making it look pretty, however they’ve made the usability consistent with other Google services.  Is this a good thing?  If you’re used to using Google then it will be.

Let’s go over some of the features of Grandcentral and how Google Voice has changed them.

Grandcentral as a service promised people one phone number “for life.”  Basically, it gave the ability to obtain a local phone number, and forward calls to it to your other phones (ie. home, cell, work, etc.).  This way, you can give out one number and receive calls wherever you need to.  It also gave people options such as:

1. Voice mail (retrievable by calling your GC number or online),
2. Voice mail listening in (allowing you to listen as someone records a voicemail – creepy?),
3. Call recording (I believe it notifies both ends that recording has begun),
4. Call forwarding to your other numbers (answer a call on your cell that was intended for your wife?  Send it to the home number for her!),
5. Block unwanted callers (send calls to a SPAM voice mail box or block them completely and play the “This number is not in service” message),
6. Ring different phones depending on who’s calling (family can be directed to one number and work contacts can be forwarded to another, etc. – you can even use different greetings according to the person calling!),
7. Webcall Button (visitors can call you directly from your blog or website, the enter their number and Grand central would ring their phone and then connect them to you)
8. Switch calls to different phones depending on the time of day, as in after work hours, etc. (this feature was fairly limited to the times Grandcentral offered.  I’m hoping Google gives us more flexibility)

Wow!  Now that’s a lot of feaures!  The one’s I like to use are voice mail, and ring multiple phones.  I’m also using the webcall widget (check out my contact page).

As you know, Google has reworked Grandcentral into what they are calling Google Voice.  They’ve kept most of the features and have added a few of their own, including:

1. Conference calling – check out the video:
   
2. SMS – send, receive, or store text messages – check out the video:
3. Voice mail transcriptions – check out the video:

I’m sure there are more features to come and they’re working on imporving the features they already offer (for instance, the transcription service isn’t word-perfect but they are working on improvements).

Head over to Google Voice’s website and get an invite when they open back up (I think in a matter of weeks, they say).

One more thing… I want to put the transcription service to the test!  When someone calls and leaves a message for me in my Google Voice mail box, they automatically transcribe it for me (this option can be turned off).  Either head over to my contact page or use the widget I posted below and drop me a line!  I want to see if the transcription is fairly accurate.  If you are going to call, and if you want to be part of  this test, follow these guidelines:

1. Leave your first name
2. Let me know that I have your permission to post the voice clip and transcription on this blog
3. No profanity or offensive speech (I’m the sole judge) or I won’t post it
4. Tell me I am cool! (ok, this one isn’t mandatory, but I’ll be your friend!)

Thanks a bunch!

OK, here goes!  Thank you to the following readers willing to help me test Google Voice’s voice mail transcription service.  Check out the following:

• Brett:  “hey dan john button it’s your buddy brat i’m trying to go if alright johnson and i’m looking forward to whenthey go public alright thanks hope this helps” – They’ll get better, I’m sure!  Thanks Brett, nice to hear from you!
• Jessica: “hey guys it’s jessica i just wanna let you know that my sister’s just drop me off at the church but i will need a ride home so i hope you get this i’ll talk to you later bye” – Wow!  I think it only missed one word!
• Jim: “hey this is bernard test my name is jim and i know you want us to transcription service and i want to test it too thanks for taking the time to see you later” – Not the worst one so far but better than Brett’s (sorry brett)!  Nice to hear from you JIM and thanks for helping me test!

Anyone else willing to help me test Google Voice?  Use the “Call Me” widget above!