Google Voice users are now free to turn their current cellphone number into their main Google Voice number, the company announced Tuesday, bringing the much-requested feature to all users after a short, but very public, testing period.
For many porting will bring joy. For others, expect hours of pain — on hold with your mobile carrier.
Porting, which costs $20, allows users to turn their mobile number into a Google Voice number, obviating the need to try to spread a new number to your contacts.
For those not clear on how Google Voice works, the company issues you a new phone number — your Google Voice number. It becomes your master number and when someone calls it, it rings some or all of your other phones and your Gmail/Google Talk account.
This can include your mobile phone, your home phone, your work phone and your computer, if you have Gmail open. Additionally, Google lets you screen callers and set rules per caller — even blocking and diverting individual numbers to voicemail, which no wireless carrier does.
Google Voice also transcribes your voicemail and sends your the transcript to your e-mail address. You can make and receive calls from your GV number from your computer, without affecting your mobile-phone minutes. From your computer, domestic calls are free, and internationals are cheap.
Which all sounds great. And for new users, being able to port your existing mobile-phone number makes switching to Google Voice very easy, since all the people that know your cell number won’t even notice a change. Current users have had to get a new number and then publicize it, and spend months trying to wean people off the old number.
Google let me port my number a few months ago and I wouldn’t go back, while my colleague David Kravets was nearly evicted from his placid suburban neighborhood after his repeated tantrums while trying to get a new phone number without paying a $180 contract-breakage fee.
For those planning to make the switch, we highly recommend you check out our guide to how and when to port your number, and Kravets’ entertaining saga on how one man fought the phone company and eventually won a new number.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Google Voice Number-Porting Goes Live! - Wired.com
Google Voice Porting Equals LSD Trip Gone Awry | Epicenter
It’s a good thing I don’t take the Second Amendment as seriously as the First Amendment.
But for that — and firearm waiting periods — my experience porting a mobile number to Google Voice might have made “going wireless carrier” the new “going postal.”
My almost-trip to death row commenced on Friday, when I plopped down $20 to port my mobile phone number to Google Voice. The next day, the Mountain View, California media giant sent me an e-mail stating the transfer had been done — a deed Google warned in advance would automatically cancel one’s mobile phone service, in my case Sprint.
I was excited. Google Voice is awesome and provides a free web-based platform for U.S. telephone service and texting. I’ve called the other side of the world, right from my computer, for just a few cents a minute. It also works seamlessly with a mobile phone, via the Google Voice app. As of Saturday, my Google Voice account phone number is now my old mobile phone number.
But I needed my HTC Evo reactivated with a different phone number without signing a new contract, and without having to pay a $200 contract-breach fee with my carrier, Sprint.
And that’s when the freak-out nightmare began. In retrospect, LSD trips gone awry now seem like walks in the park compared to my dealings with countless, and faceless Sprint “customer care” representatives.
I wasn’t going to make calls with a new mobile number because I was going to use the Google Voice app, and make calls and text with my number I just ported to Google. (For Google Voice to work on a mobile phone, you MUST have mobile-phone service. Such a requirement is not necessary when using Google Voice on a computer.) All I needed was a new mobile phone number.
Try explaining that to Sprint representatives. In my case, I churned through as many as 20 reps and three hours of calls that spanned two days.
Eventually, I pulled it off. I kept my same Sprint account under the same service agreement signed in July. The only change to my service agreement was that I was given a replacement phone number, which is exactly what I wanted. Unfortunately, the price I paid to accomplish this was higher than the $200 I saved in early termination fees. But since my goal was to avoid giving a new phone number to all of my contacts, that didn’t seem like throwing money down the drain the way getting socked with a termination fee does.
My advice is: Call your carrier and explain what you want to do — and get permission — before porting to Google. Be sure to write down the “reference” number of that approval. I think that’s what saved me in the end.
Still, that helpful bit of information did not prevent me from having to explain myself over and again to countless Sprint representatives. I had to provide my PIN number, account number and answer a “security question” a zillion times.
I nearly crossed the finish line at one point Saturday afternoon, about 90 minutes into one of my repeated calls to Sprint. But before the rep could activate a new phone number, I had to be transferred to the “finance” department because my bill was a month late.
I paid it. Then when the rep was to reactivate my phone with a new number, I got disconnected. (Ironically, when the line went dead I was using my ported mobile phone number on Google Voice’s computer interface.)
My screams of frustration scared a flock of crows from a leafless tree in my suburban San Francisco backyard. My neighbors now won’t make eye contact with me. The guy delivering firewood to my house during this out-of-body experience didn’t even say goodbye. My two sons were laughing, wondering what all the commotion was about as they made online fantasy NBA basketball trades with their friends.
The dropped call didn’t kill me, so it must have made me stronger. I called Sprint back and commenced the process anew. By Saturday afternoon, and several heart palpitations later, everything seemed to have been worked out.
Now all I have to worry about is receiving text messages within “three business days.” Google warned in advance that the Google Voice texting service would take that amount of time to activate.
If it doesn’t, I’m going wireless carrier.
See Also:
- Google Voice Number Porting is Coming! (Hold Your Horses)
- Google Voice Speaks of World Domination
- Google Voice Opens to All Comers, No Longer Invite-Only
- Google Voice Web App Circumvents Apple’s Blockade
- Roll Over Ringo — Google Voice Is Today’s Real iPhone Rock Star
- Google Testing Full-Featured Google Apps
Friday, January 21, 2011
Update on the co-working space
Time Warner just called and said they would come on Mon Jan 24 to set up the cable modem. I'm excited, I can open earlier than anticipated.
Earlier this week they told me the install would take 2 visits. One was to look at the space and a second to do the install. So we shall see what actually happens on Monday. If this guy appears, I'll run out the back door.
Free phone calls and telephone number
I started to explore Google Voice. Wow. A nice free app. It gives you your own free Tel Number that has voice mail, and it transcribes it to (words) and sends it to you. Also you can forward it to your other phones. I am using it for my co-working space. The only issue with the number is that it does not have the local exchange (the first 3 numbers of your phone number). So if you are a local business it may appear that you are not local. But since its free, I cant complain.
BUT if you want your business to appear to based somewhere, you can pick that area code. For example, I can be a certain politician from Wassila Alaska and have a DC area code. People calling me will think I'm from DC when in fact, I'm not (and never will be).
Using the phone is like using SKYPE. Just place your call. As long as you have a speakers and an microphone- you're good. Most laptops have these built in. Its pretty easy and US calls are free for now. Overseas calls are pretty inexpensive.
One thing that I would like to explore is conference calling. Google has it covered. Thanks Google.
This link will take you to the google page explaining how it works.
http://www.google.com/googlevoice/about.html
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Shareable: What Coworking Brings To The Community Table
(Image Credit: borevagen via Flickr)
Coworking is what happens when you bring the values of collaboration, community, and sustainability into the workplace. People who make their living being independent get the support of a stable family of coworkers, and the local community is enriched by the talent and ambition that they have to offer.
Those that operate or are employed by traditional businesses might think they're exempt from the benefits of coworking, but there are more than a few reasons why the 9-5 crowd should be happy when coworkers set up shop:
Families Stay Stable
It's no secret that the economy has seen better days. Many bread-winners have been forced to get creative when it comes to maintaining a steady source of income. Those with skills that sell on the freelance market often pick up side clients to supplement cut salaries or replace income lost when they became unemployed. In recently completed global coworking survey, 42 percent of respondents reported earning more money after joining a coworking space. And more than half said they work in teams more often since joining a coworking space. Regular money coming in the door means utility bills get paid, mortgages stay (somewhat) up-to-date, and ultimately- familes stay happy.
Local Business Gets A Boost
A coworking space provides structure for an otherwise dynamic (and often invisible) community of independent professionals. And there is strength in numbers. A large enough coworking facility can explore the advantages of group health insurance, sponsor speakers, host conferences, and offer classes: all of which can bring people into town and benefit the small business economy. Coworkers that travel to coffee shops or lunch spots en masse can arrange frequent buyer discounts or barter an exchange program that help keep freelancers from camping out all day. Win-win situations: they're a coworking specialty.
(And Stays Local)
With outsourcing on the rise (online and in the brick-and-mortar world), many small businesses find it hard to compete with the rock-bottom prices of the international freelance scene. When you bring independent professionals together in a coworking community they take advantage of the built-in talent pool to delegate work. Instead of looking online to hire a developer in India that will work for $10 an hour, Mindy the project manager can instead suggest her company hire Matt, the developer that sits two chairs over from her three days a week. The income stays in the local economy and the client gets a far superior website; all because of coworking.
The Workforce Diversifies
An unemployed adult with a severely limited skill-set is one of the most frustrating and heartbreaking things to see in a down ecomony. Focusing on one job all your life might make you really good at a couple of specific tasks, but what will you do if the company closes and that job disappears tomorrow? Independent professionals are adept at wearing many hats. They have to be, or they won't eat. Freelancers are constantly looking for ways to build expertise in new areas, expand their skill set, or create a new product line. Coworking gives them the safety and support they need to try new things, and the community is enriched by residents that are stable and more likely to be successful.
Top 8 Excuses for Not Networking | Guide for Lifetime Career Navigation | Career Sherpa
1. I don’t know anyone
2. I have run out of people to talk to
3. I don’t have money for coffee and gas
4. I am too shy
5. I don’t know what to talk about
6. People keep turning me down for informational interviews
7. It hasn’t worked for me in the past
8. _____________________ (Insert your excuse here)
We all are challenged to step outside our comfort zone and do new things. It takes practice to perfect some of these new skills. Don’t get discouraged.
Click the link below to see the complete article. I just gave you bullet points. And if you want help overcoming, then most definitely click. Hannah will show you your way.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Progress update
Got the keys and started painting finally. By Thursday the painting should be finished and then carpet cleaners are coming.
Today I finally got through to Time Warner and put in an order for the internet. 2 weeks they told me. Holy cow. All they have to do is turn it on.
I'm still looking for some more desks and furniture.
I need to get some signage in the windows too. So much to do.
I hope to have a soft opening a 2 weeks
I still dont have a lease, but the landlord says please wait. The lawyers are working on it.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Co-Working Offers Community To Solo Workers : NPR
anuary 6, 2010 Wi-Fi, laptops and cell phones make it possible to work from just about anywhere these days. They've helped people leave the office and work from the comfort of their living rooms or corner coffee shops. But now, an increasing number of Americans are looking for something in between. Community Kevin Prentiss started his Internet-based business from his apartment in New York City. For two years, he says he worked 14-hour days in solitude — ironic, considering he runs a social networking site. "I don’t know that I was talking to myself," he says. "I think that probably I was talking to myself." Co-Working's Pros And Cons Pro: Flexible Work Hours For people who dislike the 9-to-5 shift, co-working facilities offer the benefits of an office without the rigid schedule. Pro: Collaboration And Networking One of the cons of working from home is often the solitude. Co-working allows people to share ideas across industries as well as create new contacts. Pro: Productivity Co-working curbs more alluring activities like shopping, watching TV and napping, which are tempting when home alone. Con: Distraction Although many people work best in a lively, social environment, others find that water-cooler conversation disrupts their focus. Con: Privacy Conversations are sometimes easily overheard and important notes and documents are often left lying around co-working spaces. Discretion-seeking workers are better working from home or a private office. Con: Costs Money Patrons of co-working facilities must pay rent, usually by the day or month. And depending on the amenities and location, the cost can run upwards of $500 a month. — Katherine Bascuas Then one day he heard about New Work City. It's a rented office space in Manhattan where workers like Prentiss can drop in, hook up their laptops and work away with other people similarly mobile, while making face-to-face connections. Membership at New Work City is kind of like going to a gym. The plans range from $150 a month for two visits per week on up to getting your own key. Tony Bacigalupo is New Work City's self-styled mayor. "This is the front door of New Work City," he says. "The first thing you see is a calendar of what's going on." It looks like any other typical start-up office environment: There are two conference rooms, a main room with tables pushed together and a kitchen. Members pitch in for the first aid kit and communal office supplies shelf. There isn't a janitor; everyone cleans up. There are snacks, soda and beer too. "It's real simple," Bacigalupo says. "If you take something, just drop a dollar into the jar." A Growing Movement New Work City is part of a trend that started a handful of years ago on the West Coast. Newly mobile tech workers with laptops liked their freedom but still missed the human interaction they got from going to an office. So they formed meet-up groups: casual, once-a-week deals at different locations — sometimes even people's living rooms. Today, Bacigalupo says more and more people are working independently — either by choice, a layoff or both. "The same way that [during] the last century work shifted from blue collar to white collar," Bacigalupo says, "I think we'll be seeing in this century, we're going to be moving away from the idea of a centralized Monday-to-Friday, 9-to-5 workplace, and we'll be moving much more in this direction. People will work when they want where they want." The Future Of Shared Office Space California-based Emergent Research says co-working spaces continued to grow during the recession. Public libraries are also getting in on the trend by offering conferencing and other business services. And co-working is not just happening in major cities. Office furniture giant Steelcase is subsidizing a co-working cottage in East Grand Rapids, Mich. Members there can tap away on their laptops next to a cozy fireplace for $100 a month. Organizers say it’s part community resource, part social experiment. Prentiss says he likes the support he gets from other members at New Work City. He's even hired a few people that he's met there. And just like an office environment, there are sometimes silly contests — which he likes. "What it doesn't have, though, because of a lack of the collective [organization] chart, there's not any kind of jockeying or power-play politics," Prentiss says. "So I definitely think it's much of the good and none of the bad. No one is competing here." New Work City is just breaking even, and that's OK with its founders. They say for-profit spaces tend to operate like impersonal office suites and miss what co-working's about — community.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Now the fun part
Putting together a co-working space is a combination of finding suitable co-workers and an office space. What's more important? Answer. - The people. But the last few weeks have been difficult because of the holiday season and the cold snowy weather. So I concentrated on finding a space instead and found one. (see previous post.)
So now Its time to find people who will benefit and from the space. This is the fun and challenging part. Its networking time !!
If you are a free-lancer, contract worker, writer, web apps developer, college student, web entrepreneur, artist, marketer, lawyer, accountant, manufacturers representative, insurance salesperson, realtor, blogger, financial planner, daytrader, this office space is for you.
If you work out of your home at all, this space is for you. Working out of your home, has it special challenges and advantages. On the challenging days, this co-working space will offer an alternative space to work from. It will have none of the trapping of home, but instead will offer companionship and a professional environment.
f you are a telecommuter and find the drive to the office is a huge time sink, then the co-working space is for you. Convert your drive time to productive work time. Bring your laptop, hook up and get cracking. Driving wastes gas and time.
I hope to assemble a diverse group of talented people who will take advantage of my affordable co-working office space. I hope to add value to the physical space, but enouraging community they will enjoy and benefit from by working alongside each other. I want to facilitate networking and provide the good office experience independent workers miss out on. We can plan after work events, lunches and discussion groups. I want the co-working space to be more than just work. It has to provide that something extra that solo working experience does not. Let make that happen.
In the next few days, I would like to give a tour and presentation of the co-working concept. Lets talk about how we can create a community of professional independents. I will keep you posted with details.
Found a Suitable Office Space
It was tough. DT Canandaigua does not offer much in terms of office space. Much space has been converted into apartments or is for sale. I did not want to consider for sale properties as the new owners may want to do renovations which may negatively impact a co-work space. Also the holiday season made the search harder.
But today we have terms for an agreement. The office is located in the office building called the Bristol Coach Plaza. The space is located in the ground floor and is about 1700 square feet. There are 3 large rooms in the front and 5 smaller private rooms in the back. I will set up the co-working space in the large rooms. One room will be reception/lounge and coffee area. The corner room will be work area and the third will be a conference room.
I have to do some renovations and the landlord will give me free rent for the month to get them done. The renovations are painting and re-carpeting the common areas. This should take about 2 weeks to do. In the meantime, I will need to get some the router, printer, furniture, insurance, and assorted office stuff assembled.
A friend hooked me up with some office furniture but I will need some more. ( any leads appreciated.) I may be able to pick up some desks at the ReStore - the habitat for humanity second hand shop.
I will post some pics of the space shortly.