Personal Technology Tips in Plain English
Telephony
Internet Faxing 101
Feb 15th
In this demanding world that we reside in today, any successful business person will be able to tell you as to how important communication is for a business to function properly.
While email seems to dominate on a daily basis, sending and receiving faxes is still an option most need to have access to. Instead of investing in dedicated fax lines and machines, the smart thing to do is get a service that allows you to fax via the internet to/from your email.
There are many companies offering these internet faxing services and in case you’re not familiar with them, this is how the entire system operates:
- Such a method of faxing uses the same idea as a conventional faxing but instead of using bulky and troublesome fax machines; it uses the internet telephone lines as an interface which means you don’t need a physical telephone line anymore. Internet fax services usually assign a personal fax number to each person who signs up with a company. When a person signs up for an internet faxing service, they are assigned a fax number which they use to send or receive faxes. It is an incredibly inexpensive and convenient way of sending and receiving messages with the highlighted point being that all that is required to access it is an internet connection.
- Anyone can send a fax to your personal fax number. The fax gets “scanned” and delivered as a pdf or other graphical format like .tif of .png so you can easily print it out on any computer.
- If you want to send a fax, you can either use the service’s website to upload documents and send, or simply email your document as an attachment to a personalized email account. The telephone number indicated in the email subject or body is used to send the fax over the service’s own outbound lines. You’ll usually get a confirmation email about status and delivery success.
- Most of the companies offer free trial periods and money back guarantees. There are no sorts of hardware or software involved in the entire process and sending faxes to multiple recipients has never been so easy! A varying range of trial periods are offered with the usual being of 30 days, except fax87 which has a 15 day trial period and MetroFax which offers none at all.
More information regarding internet faxing in general, it is interesting to read the history of faxes.
So if you want to ditch your local fax line from Verizon or Bell South, what do you do next? Whether you are an individual or a business, human nature dictates that you find the best deal that is offered in the market.
Some of the leading companies are: Fax87, efax, Myfax, Ring central, Metrofax, Rapidfax, and Trustfax. While of these companies provide the same services, there are some points you might want to be aware of while making your final decision.
While Fax87, Myfax, Rapidfax and Trust fax has a monthly charge within the range between $4–$10, other companies like efax, Ringcentral and Metrofax are more expensive with charges ranging from $12 to $24. However all the companies provide an annual discount with the exception of Rapidfax and the process of setting up comes absolutely free. The incoming\outgoing limits are also different for the different companies with the maximum being 1000 free incoming/outgoing pages offered by Fax87.
Fax87 also offers the luxury of saving your documents for an unlimited period of time contrary to the policies of other companies. With Fax87 it is also possible to have unlimited people using the same fax number, thus a feature ideal for office purposes and more details about this company can be found at the online fax company site. For the transmission of excess documents, an extra amount is charged, called overage which also varies form company to company. Local toll fees; however are applicable for all transmissions regardless of the company.
QUESTION: Are fax lines completely outdated / outmoded? Or are they still something you need access to for business purposes?
Internet Faxing Services: The best option for communication.
In this demanding world that we reside in today, any successful business man will be able to tell you as to how important communication is for a business to function properly. Modern technology now offers the facility of receiving faxes via the internet from your email. There are many companies offering these internet faxing services and this is how the entire system operates: Such a method of faxing uses the same idea as a conventional faxing but instead of using bulky and troublesome fax machines; it uses the internet as an interface. Internet fax services usually assign a fax number to each person who signs up with a company. When a person signs up for an internet faxing service, they are assigned a fax number which they use to send or receive faxes. It is an incredibly inexpensive and convenient way of sending and receiving messages with the highlighted point being that all that is required to access it is an internet connection. Most of the companies offer free trial periods and money back guarantees. There are no sorts of hardware or software involved in the entire process and sending faxes to multiple recipients has never been so easy! More information regarding internet faxing can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fax
Sounds like great bargain doesn’t it?
Whether you are an individual or a business, human nature dictates that you find the best deal that is offered in the market.
Some of the leading companies are: Fax87, efax, Myfax, Ring central, Metrofax, Rapidfax, and Trustfax. While of these companies provide the same services, there are some points you might want to be aware of while making your final decision.
While Fax87, Myfax, Rapidfax and Trust fax has a monthly charge within the range of $10, other companies like efax, Ringcentral and Metrofax are more expensive with charges ranging from $12 to $24. However all the companies provide an annual discount with the exception of Rapidfax and the process of setting up comes absolutely free.
A varying range of trial periods are offered with the usual being of 30 days, except fax87 which has a 15 day trial period and MetroFax which offers none at all. The incoming\outgoing limits are also different for the different companies with the maximum being 1
Internet Faxing Services: The best option for communication.
In this demanding world that we reside in today, any successful business man will be able to tell you as to how important communication is for a business to function properly. Modern technology now offers the facility of receiving faxes via the internet from your email. There are many companies offering these internet faxing services and this is how the entire system operates: Such a method of faxing uses the same idea as a conventional faxing but instead of using bulky and troublesome fax machines; it uses the internet as an interface. Internet fax services usually assign a fax number to each person who signs up with a company. When a person signs up for an internet faxing service, they are assigned a fax number which they use to send or receive faxes. It is an incredibly inexpensive and convenient way of sending and receiving messages with the highlighted point being that all that is required to access it is an internet connection. Most of the companies offer free trial periods and money back guarantees. There are no sorts of hardware or software involved in the entire process and sending faxes to multiple recipients has never been so easy! More information regarding internet faxing can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fax
Sounds like great bargain doesn’t it?
Whether you are an individual or a business, human nature dictates that you find the best deal that is offered in the market.
Some of the leading companies are: Fax87, efax, Myfax, Ring central, Metrofax, Rapidfax, and Trustfax. While of these companies provide the same services, there are some points you might want to be aware of while making your final decision.
While Fax87, Myfax, Rapidfax and Trust fax has a monthly charge within the range of $10, other companies like efax, Ringcentral and Metrofax are more expensive with charges ranging from $12 to $24. However all the companies provide an annual discount with the exception of Rapidfax and the process of setting up comes absolutely free.
A varying range of trial periods are offered with the usual being of 30 days, except fax87 which has a 15 day trial period and MetroFax which offers none at all. The incoming\outgoing limits are also different for the different companies with the maximum being 1000 offered by fax87. Fax87 also offers the luxury of saving your documents for an unlimited period of time contrary to the policies of other companies. With Fax87 it is also possible to have unlimited people using the same fax number, thus a feature ideal for office purposes and more details about this company can be found at http://www.fax87.com/. For the transmission of excess documents, an extra amount is charged, called overage which also varies form company to company. Local toll fees; however are applicable for all transmissions regardless of the company.
So, what are you waiting for? Compare the rates and decide which one of them is the best opportunity for you!
000 offered by fax87. Fax87 also offers the luxury of saving your documents for an unlimited period of time contrary to the policies of other companies. With Fax87 it is also possible to have unlimited people using the same fax number, thus a feature ideal for office purposes and more details about this company can be found at http://www.fax87.com/. For the transmission of excess documents, an extra amount is charged, called overage which also varies form company to company. Local toll fees; however are applicable for all transmissions regardless of the company.
So, what are you waiting for? Compare the rates and decide which one of them is the best opportunity for you!
How To Cancel Vonage Phone Service
Jan 26th
Over the years, I’ve had various Vonage Voice Over IP (VoIP) telephone lines for different business ventures. I’ve ported numbers from landlines to the Vonage account. Vonage service has been a good alternative to the phone company.
However, now, it is time to let them go. Other alternatives like Phone.com do the same thing for less and even offer neat features like iPhone apps where I can make and receive calls right on my iPhone 4.
So today, I went to Vonage.com and tried to disconnect my service. Lo and behold! You can’t do it online — you have to call into their customer service department and speak with a live agent to cancel the service. Of course, you know why, right? Because they want to pass you along to their “retention department” and pitch you on staying a customer longer.
The specific number to call in order to cancel service is buried within their FAQ’s.
Here’s the Vonage Cancel Service Telephone Number: +1-866-243-4357
Be warned though that there are certain terms where you might be charged a disconnection fee. How crazy is that? That’s like a gym membership termination fee. You have to PAY to stop doing business with them.
This specific line was with Vonage for over 6 years. They hate to see me go, and offered me an extra 1 month’s free service to think it over.
When you do a quick comparison, it’s a very easy decision. Check out this chart comparing Phone.com, Vonage, Time Warner, and Cablevision VoiP telephone services . . .
Frrrrrring Fring! Frrring FRING! Video Calls over 3G
Dec 31st
2010 might be remembered as the race to the face.
Why?
Because, Apple first introduced Facetime video calling over WiFi for all iPhone 4 owners.
Next, it launched Facetime for Macs.
Now, we’re seeing 3rd parties come into the game like Skype with Video Calling over 3G and the iPhone.
Here’s the latest entry into the video calling over 3G game: Fring.
I have Fring on my iPhone already, and now the app’s been updated to add a 3rd way to connect: IM, Calling, and now — Video.
Fring’s advantage is like Skype in that you can call more than just other iPhone 4 users.
And you can do it over 3G as well as WiFi networks. Since Fring is also available on other platforms like Android, you’ll be able to connect with even more people video calls now.
Talk about zany promos for these 3g video calling services. Fring’s guy seems goofier than the Skype video commercial. Check it out and let me know what you think about the Fring guy here:
But don’t worry, they have a slick corporate promo video for the new video calling feature as well:
If you don’t have it yet, go grab FRING for iPhone now. We’ll wait.
QUESTION: Have you ever made a video call to someone else on a mobile phone?
Skype 3G and WiFi Calling on the iPhone for Regular & Video Calls
Dec 31st
I personally haven’t been pressed to figure out ways to get free calling on my iPhone 4. Largely since I’ve been slowly working away at an AT&T Wireless Rollover balance of over 3,500 minutes I currently have.
Plus, when you call anyone else with an iPhone, you’re basically going to get a free call since they are covered under the mobile-to-mobile free minutes part of the cell plan. (Although with the iPhone rolling out with Verizon this year, you won’t be as confident of your free minutes.)
So for free audio calls, Skype for iPhone just hasn’t been of interest to me thus far. I know others that are big Skypers on the pc too, so it makes sense for them to download and use it with their pre-existing Skype user network. But for me – for regular audio calling, I’d just as soon use my cell plan minutes.
Video calling is a different story — Apple’s Facetime has been a huge hit with me.
It is a great way to connect with the kids when we are away from each other. I’ve even most recently Facetimed home when I was in our local ShopRite grocery picking up some milk since there’s free WiFi in many parts of town. The novelty is still there for video calling with friends and family, even though I regularly video conference for business and with my social media network of associates.
But now, it looks like you don’t have to be connected to wifi at all. 3G video calling is a reality now, thanks to Skype. The only snag here is similar to Facetime – the other party needs the same thing on their phone or PC. Of course the network effect is in play here as more people within your network use Skype, the more useful and utilized it will become.
Overall, Skype is probably going to be a game changer, unless Apple begins to allow 3rd party apps to Facetime on devices other than the iPhone/iPod Touch and on Macs.
Check out the cheeky promo video that Skype just put out to announce their Skype Video Calling on the iPhone:
BTW, there *IS* a difference between Facetime and Skype Video on the iPhone/iPod Touch. You can see in this video comparison of the two, that Facetime is much clearer, less jumpy in video and overall a better experience. But Skype does two things that might let it become the default choice for many people — 1) It works over 3G, where Facetime requires WiFi on both sides. 2) You can make Skype video and audio calls with PC users in addition to Mac users. Facetime is Mac only at this point.
Go get Skype for iPhone now — and let me know what you think about the new video calling feature. Leave a comment below!
How To Get Free WiFi Hotspot Access If You Are A Comcast Internet Customer
Aug 10th
Ever been out and about wishing you had a wifi connection?
Of course you have!
Instead of trolling for open wifi signals, you might want to consider a more reliable solution. Of course, you could sign-up for Boingo, Wayport or other WiFi networks, but if you are a Comcast Hispeed Internet Customer (randomly branded Xfinity recently to confuse customers as much as possible of course), you might want to check out this option before you go out and spend any more money.
I recently found out that I can get access to a free WiFi hotspot roaming account just because I’m a Comcast customer — and so can you!
In fact, through this largely unpromoted feature of Comcast Internet accounts, you already have it! There’s no need to turn anything on, upgrade or change anything on your account.
If you take a look at the coverage map of NYC and the Tri-State Area, you’ll see that there are TONS of Free WiFi Hotspots available for you to connect to in almost any general vicinity.
Check out the quick video blog update below which I recorded today and uploaded using the free WiFi connection that details how to get free WiFi access across town and while traveling:
Read the rest of this entry »
Look Ma, No Hands! How to Tweet Via Voice
Feb 26th
Sometimes you don’t have a PC with you.
Sometimes you don’t want (or cannot because you’re driving for example) text your Twitter status update.
Sometimes you just want to shout it out to the Twitterverse.
What if there wasa voice transcription service that will take your call and transcribe your voice message into a Tweet via your Twitter account?
All you would have to do is register your phone number so that the service will recognize your caller ID and know which Twitter account to use to put out the voice-transcribed tweet.
And I’d set it up so that it is a toll-free number so that you can use ANY phone to call in your tweet.
Wouldn’t that be cool? Guess what. . . Read the rest of this entry »
How To Dictate Transcribed Notes To Yourself
Aug 28th
Being able to dictate letters and notes used to be a power and status symbol because it usually meant you were important enough to have a secretary or admin to take your mini-cassette recorder and type away.
But here’s one example where technology is the great big equalizer. You no longer need to have an assistant nor do you have to be someone important to have your notes transcribed for you.
Here’s some options to get emails, notes and letters recorded and transcribed for you:
- I used to call the service run by Jott.com to get notes and reminders sent to my email. It even has a neat feature that lets you update your blogs with the transcribed notes generated. But alas, they started to charge money for their services (GASP!)
- Next, there is dial2do.com – you can have your calls transcribed and send to yourself or others. This service also connects to Twitter and other services.
- Google Voice gives you the ability to have your voicemails transcribed too. Here’s a simple Google Voice “hack” which lets you have the service transcribe your own notes and have them delivered to you via email immediately. Perfect for writing things down when you don’t have a pen and paper handy – like when you meet someone and want their contact info or their website address.
Here are some scenarios in which to use this type of feature:
- When meeting someone for the first time and you want to get their contact info – just call and then give them the phone to speak their name phone number, email, website, etc.
- After getting off the phone with a customer service rep regarding a complaint or other issue, immediately pick-up the phone and call to record the details on the incident including the person’s name. The email will be your time-stamp of the day/time of your call so that if you ever need to refer to that call again, you have all the details.
- When you want to remember the telephone # or web address of a company that you see on TV or while driving, just dial and repeat what you just saw!
- Create a “TO-DO” category/folder and filter in your email box and prepend every note with “TO DO LIST ITEM” or something similar the filter can handle. You’ll have a simple to-do list IN your email without using separate programs/apps/features. Just delete the email when you’ve complete the task.
What other types of uses can you think of for using voice transcription via phone? Leave your ideas and leave a comment below.
I love tech, gadgets and the web. Hope you pick-up a useful tip or two here today that helps you use technology to your advantage! Better yet, why not share your own expertise in a comment on a post today to help the other readers that land here for answers!