Dump Voice-Mail, switch to Google Voice

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Several years ago I started using Google Voice as my Voicemail for my cellphone. Its been a life changer of sorts. It seems Cell Phone company provided voicemail has not changed in the 20 years or so it has been around.

‘Google voicemail allows your voicemails to be stored in one place, and you never have to worry about your voicemails being deleted after a certain time period. You can always go back and play them whenever you want.’

When I first started using GV I was on T-mobile; now I am on Verizon and I still have all my voicemails. They never get deleted.

Two other great features (among many):

1. Transcrition of voicemails and notification by email, text or both.

2. Missed call notification. If someone calls your phone and they do not leave a voicemail, for example if you are in the subway, you can get a notification with the number and time of the call.

GV has iPhone and Android apps, as well as a pretty slick web interface.

Give it a try, it has Chris Cicero‘s stamp of approval 🙂

Do you use Chrome Browser? Turn on ‘Do Not Track’

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This is a good thing. Though advertisers do not have to honor it, it’s a great idea to enable this feature:

1. Make sure Chrome is up to date, this version or higher: Version 23.0.1271.64

2. Click on the link below if Chrome is your browser to be able to turn on the feature.

chrome://chrome/settings/search#do%20not%20track

3. Check off the bottom box as shown below.

Lifesaver: Mophie juice pack powerstation

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With the storm and subsequent black out this week, I have been a refugee of sorts. I walked 70 blocks north to find electricity on tuesday the day after the storm from lower manhattan. An item I find indespensible is my Mophie juice pack powerstation . I first bought this last winter before going on a trip to China, it’s essentially a battery that recharges my iphone several times. It’s very handy on long trips, and situations like this week. My only connection with the world was my iPhone and the Powersation kept me charged and connected. The Mophie website as well as the Apple store sell them for $79, but you can sometimes find them on Amazon for about $50. Another handy feature is that you can connect different charging cables to it. I originally had an iPhone 4, but when I got an iPhone 5 I just connected the new cable and I was good to go. It will accept any USB charging cable (mini USB, micro USB as well as both iPhone connectors).