Monday, December 9, 2013

How to Build Your Own, More Powerful Version of Google Voice

Google hasn’t updated Voice in ages. Once heralded as the amazing service that would unify our phones, it now lags behind thanks to a lack of MMS support, decent voicemail transcripts, and a variety of usage quirks. With a few third-party apps and services, you can leave Voice behind, just like Google did, and have a better experience in the process.

Not only will this home-built option be more powerful than Google Voice, but all of these alternatives work outside the US, so international users can finally get the Voice features they've been wanting. It takes a bit of work to set up and there are a few differences, but overall it's an awesome way to manage all your calls and texts. Here's what you need to do.

How to Build Your Own, More Powerful Version of Google Voice

Google Voice syncs your text messages to all your devices, so you can get them anywhere. Well, unless you get a message with a picture or video or one sent to a group. You really only have one alternative depending on your mobile platform.

Android has a variety of options, but one stands out as the definite best alternative to Google Voice’s synchronized text messages: MightyText. While advertised as iMessage for Android, you won’t find that terribly accurate if you’ve used both services. MightyText actually works a little differently than iMessage, plus it does more.

Install the Android app, which listens for new messages and syncs them to the MightyText service, then visit the MightyText webapp on any computer. MightyText offers a variety of other apps, like a native tablet app, a Chrome extension, and a Gmail extension that integrates SMS right into the interface. Unlike Google Voice, MightyText supports MMS in all its forms so you can receive multimedia and group messages. You must keep your phone on and connected to the internet in some way for MightyText to function, but so long as you meet those two requirements the service provides a great multi-platform texting experience at no cost whatsoever.

If you have an iPhone and a Mac, you can really only use iMessage. While a great service in theory—much like Google Voice—Apple failed to fix a lot of bugs and it doesn’t always work perfectly. On top of that, you can only get messages from other Apple users so you’re not really receiving texts that sync everywhere.

Alternatively, you can turn to a number of “free” texting apps that solve part of the problem. Textfree provides apps for iOS, Android, and the web so you can essentially access your text and picture messages from any device, and your friends don't need Textfree to receive them—it works just like SMS. MySMS can do the same. Neither service has a native desktop app like iMessage, but they provide a reasonable alternative to iMessage and Google Voice.

How to Build Your Own, More Powerful Version of Google VoiceGoogle Voice truly handles one-to-many phone calling better than any other service. If you want people to call one number and have every phone you own ring all at the same time, you might want to simply stick with Google Voice for this feature then use MightyText (and any of the other services) alongside it. That said, you do have some alternatives.

If you want to pay business prices for enterprise level call forwarding, you can with RingCentral. While the service offers plenty of features, you probably don’t want to pay $25 per month for this when you can get it for free with Google Voice. You do get SMS messages with your number, along with plenty of other features, so this may appeal to people with deep pockets and a need for RingCentral’s other options.

Some services can forward from one number to another, which may prove sufficient for people who just want to receive out-of-state or international calls like local ones. Skype and Vonage both provide this option at a small cost. With Skype, you can even forward in the other direction by calling a number local to you that then dials any number around the world at Skype rates instead of your carrier’s much higher rates.

How to Build Your Own, More Powerful Version of Google VoiceS

Google Voice has a hard time transcribing your voicemails. It may seem like it just can’t manage with poor call quality, but more often it creates ridiculous transcripts regardless of speech clarity. Let’s look at an example from a listener who called into the Ask Lifehacker Podcast:

Hey Lifehacker, I'm calling for a question My question is. You guys are going to poor your tutorial orange sources where I can look up at ability, Yes to wi-fi Network for like large public area, for example, let's see how hospital.

The message should’ve been:

Hey Lifehacker, I’m calling in with a question. My question is, do you guys have any tutorials or sources on how to build a guest Wi-Fi network in a large, public area? For example, a hospital.

To some extent, this isn’t Google’s fault. Computers can’t understand human voice very well. In fact, humans can’t understand human voice very well. We can, however, piece together the meaning of a sentence more easily when we don’t hear many of the words in it because we formulate similar sentences ourselves. As a result, you don’t want your voicemails transcribed by a computer but rather a service that uses actual humans.

Human-based voicemail transcription services cost money, but if you don’t receive a ton of voicemails you won’t pay very much each month. Personally, I only get about 10 messages per month since most people will just hang up and/or text nowadays. If you fall into the same category, you can use a service called CellScribe to get more accurate human transcriptions for $2 per month (up to 15 messages, and your first month is free). If you need more messages, you’ll pay $0.30 for each additional one or you can upgrade to a higher volume account for a greater monthly fee.

For the most part, you just need to sign up for an account to start using CellScribe. The page will ask you a few questions about your phone, provider, and how you want to receive messages. After you sign up, CellScribe will provide a page of specific instructions to set up your phone to receive voicemail transcripts. It will include a code you need to enter to configure your phone so CellScribe can intercept the messages. After that, you just need to record your voicemail greeting and you’re all set.

CellScribe provides more accurate transcriptions than Google Voice, but most any service will even without humans to help. If you don’t like CellScribe for whatever reason, try PhoneTag instead. Humans won’t transcribe your messages, but you’ll get better transcriptions than Google Voice currently provides.

How to Build Your Own, More Powerful Version of Google VoiceS

All the apps and services mentioned in this post don’t fully replace Google Voice on their own. They replace most features in bits and pieces and improve upon them, but you might still wish for an all-in-one option. If you do, you have to make one sacrifice: your money. If you don’t mind paying a little bit for better service, you can sign up for a solution designed for businesses.

While you have a variety of options that handle most of the functions of Google Voice, only SendHub replaces just about every feature and adds a few. You can make calls via VOIP, send and receive text messages, get your voicemails transcribed pretty accurately (I confused the system by saying “onomatopoeia” but it understood everything else), choose your own number, and download apps for both Android and iOS (including tablets). SendHub currently does not support MMS messaging, but unlike Google Voice they have plans to add it and you can get notified when they do.

If you want to use SendHub instead of Google Voice, you can for free with some limitations. The basic account only allows 60 VOIP minutes and 500 text messages to non-SendHub numbers. You can upgrade and get much more, but it’ll cost you $25 per month at minimum. We think this option may work for some, but so long as SendHub doesn’t offer MMS you might as well stick with Google Voice and just outsource your voicemail transcriptions. Nevertheless, it provides a solid alternative for some.

Although a piecemeal option can feel a little like a poorly made chimera of third-party services, it provides you with options. If a better app or service comes along, you can replace what you currently use. If you still want to use Google Voice and just want one specific feature, you can implement just that feature. Hopefully someday Google will update Voice, rather than abandon it officially, but until then you can patch together a bunch of third-party options and make your own upgrade a reality.

Bananaphone by LEGEN -wait for it- DARY (Shutterstock).


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Sunday, December 8, 2013

Collard greens � Brasileira

This is how we eat collard greens in Brasil. You'll need:

- One bunch of collard greens
- 3 cloves of garlic chopped really small
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
- Salt and black pepper 

Stack the clean collards one on top of the other. Roll them up in a cigar shape, slice really thin.

Put a large fry pan on the fire, get it really hot.
Add olive oil and garlic sauté for a minute.  
Shut off the fire. Add the collards and the vinegar in a quick motion. Stir.
Season with salt and black pepper. Remove from the hot pan immediately or they will overcook.

Serve as a wonderful side to any dish. Tonight we had it with pulled pork and brasilian rice with vegetables.


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LEGO organizer

Even though I have a 'spot' for my keys and wallet I still end up misplacing them. The LEGO organizer is a fun and convenient place to store all your everyday carry things. A standard LEGO base plate is stuck to a wall, bricks and plates attached to everyday items make them all attachable to the mat. Now all my goodies are safely and visibly secured to the wall by the door - never to go missing again.

This fun and colourful project is a great way to keep things organized, and show your love for LEGO.
LEGO purists beware: I had to modify the pieces to work with my idea!

Let's make!


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How To Plasti-Dip Car Parts

13, 11:47.jpgToday, i am going to show you the proper way to plasti-dip interior car parts13, 11:47.jpgYou will need the following: A can (or more) of plastidip Some sort of rag or paper towel Some type of cleaner/degreaser Newspaper, and painters tape (optional) Your part that you wish to dip.

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Han Solo in Carbonite Pendant from Copper or Silver Metal Clay

Metal clay (sometimes called precious metal clay) can be easily manipulated at home making it perfect for unique and fun jewelry like the Han Solo in Carbonite pendant in this Instructable. Basically, you roll out the clay, form it as you wish, dry it, tidy it up, fire the dried clay piece with a torch, quench it in cool water, tidy it again and finish as desired. 

There are a number of Instructables that illustrate how to make jewelry from polymer clay and then make the plastic look like silver or gold.   This is a fine approach, but for me it's not quite the same as having a piece of metal jewelry.   Fortunately, for a little cash and a small amount of time you can easily make copper or silver jewelry with fairly common tools from metal clay.

So get your Star Wars geek on and make your very own pure copper Han Solo in Carbonite pendant in a few hours. I suggest starting with copper clay because it's a lot cheaper than silver so mistakes are easier on the wallet.  Once you feel comfortable with the copper piece, or if you just feel like jumping right in, you can make one out of silver clay by following essentially the same steps and be the most chic geek on the street.

NOTE – YMMV.  I am not an expert in jewelry making nor am I a metalsmith or metal clay expert.  My formal training in using metal clay comes from a one-day class. I've learned alot from the excellent sources on the internet on how to use metal clay and how to finish pieces.  Some are from Jewelry Making Daily, Art Jewelry Magazine, and Holly Gage.  

SAFETY, SAFETY, SAFETY!  While metal clay seems to be generally viewed as non-toxic, please be careful in its handling, wash your hands, don't use your tools for both food and jewelry making.  Once the piece is dry, you'll likely be generating dust which is probably not so great for your lungs, so wear appropriate protection like a dust mask.  If you follow this Instructable to torch the piece, you'll be using a propane torch.  Fire is dangerous, in case you hadn't heard, so be extremely cautious. If the piece is not completely dry when fired, it might burst/explode, so wear safety glasses.  You'll be making a very, very hot metal piece which will give you a nasty burn if you're not careful.  You'll also be quenching the hot copper piece in water, brushing it with a prickly brass brush, pickling it with acid and if you choose to add a dark patina to finish your piece, you'll be using a solution of Liver of Sulfur which is a stinky chemical.  Wear safety glasses/goggles and protective gloves as appropriate during the torch firing, quenching, pickling and patina process in case things go poof or boom or splash. Be sure you have adequate ventilation for all of the above and dispose of all of your waste thoughtfully.  Whew.

Note: please let me know of any typos/errors/comments so I can continue to improve this Instructable.
I'd also appreciate it if you'd vote for me in the contest. Thanks.


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Freeze-Blanket

Most guys understand the inability to cool down at the end of a long work day during the summer. Most guys also like the feel of a decently heavy blanket over them to help them sleep. However, you can't be cool and have a heavy blanket unless it's friggin' freezing in the rest of the room.

You basically feel akin to Mr. Freeze.

No Longer!

Last week our AC was out, so my wife devised a way to make a quilt-like blanket that holds ICE PACKS! It's the ultimate heavy blanket, but keeps you cold at the same time. The other benefit is that during winter, she could heat the packs and create a warm blanket too. Overall, we both win during opposing seasons.

Things you'll need:
Fabric, something warm and comfortable, we used cotton and an old flannel sheet.
Batting (think sheets of cotton balls, used for padding)
Ice packs (somewhere between 10 and 40)
Sewing method (Machines in this case)
Generic sewing pieces (scissors, thread, pins, buttons, iron, etc)

Not terribly difficult overall, but time consuming. However, with the ability to lay and be chilled during hot summer months? It's worth it!


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Don't Return Your Rental Car Early to Avoid Fees

Don't Return Your Rental Car Early to Avoid Fees

When you rent a car, returning it early can actually cost you rather than save you money. If you finish in advance, make sure you won't incur a penalty for an early return before driving back.

Why wouldn't the rental car company want their car back early? They might, but US News reports that promotions can sometimes throw a wrench into the works:

If you’re getting a special weekly rate, returning the vehicle early may be extra costly, as some rental companies will cancel your discounted rate. Other companies will prorate fees for the days you didn’t use, so you’ll pay a little less – but then some tack on a $10 to $15 early return fee to your bill. Therefore, make sure you understand what the company’s early return policy is before dropping off the car.

Car rental companies can do some dumb and annoying things. Even though it seems like common sense, less time does not necessarily equal less money. Before you return early, call first and make sure you won't have to pay for that "luxury."

5 Lesser-Known Facts About Renting a Car | US News

Photo by bluewaikiki.


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