If you've been too cooped up with your bills, personal struggles and too self-absorbed to learn what happened in Haiti...........time for a reality check.

Here are some links to check out:

Seth Godin Blog -- http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/01/maneuverability.html -- some really cool Haiti Aid shirts available.

............My 2-year-old daughter surprised me recently with two words: “Daddy’s book.” She was holding my Kindle electronic reader.................Here is a child only beginning to talk, revealing that the seeds of the next generation gap have already been planted. She has identified the Kindle as a substitute for words printed on physical pages................My daughter’s worldview and life will be shaped in very deliberate ways by technologies like the Kindle and the new magical high-tech gadgets coming out this year — Google’s Nexus One phone and Apple’s impending tablet among them. She’ll know nothing other than a world with digital books, Skype video chats (very elightening article) with faraway relatives, and toddler-friendly video games on the iPhone.

That's right today's blog post deals with money savings and improved communication productivity.  

In the past few years Google has expanded beyond just Free Software, beyond Cloud Computing, beyond Google Apps. Step up to Google Voice -- which is a web based (naturally) phone service - that  combines all your different phone lines -- home., office, cell phone -- into one phone number.  It's a little more complicated than that in essense you will now be originating and receiving calls via one phone number, you can screen your calls, send calls directly to voicemail.  There is so much more --  and yes this is free.  Currently Google does not charge for this service and there are no ads on the dashboard -- and no ads to listen to.

Just think if all you ever had to do was give out one phone number, and people could reach you anywhere you are at the moment -- that's right.  A client tries you at the office and you're not there, maybe they don't have your cell number - so they redial the receptionist and begin cajoling them into giving out your cell number.  How about if a parent, sibling, or your child is in a crisis and must reach you instantly?  Don't get nervous, you can limit where a caller can reach you.  Suppose you're a Field Sales Manager, and it's important for your field people to reach you -- but not necessarily on your home phone -- it's your decision -- you can restrict or permit where each person in your contact list can reach you -- home, office, cell.

Dashboard and the Contact List, from the dashboard and by accessing the Contact List you are able to control the "Call Settings" of each person in Your Contact List, the default is for all calls to ring on each registered phone number.  The Google Voice is fully synched from any internet accessible computer and cell phone.

There's actually a lot more to it.  FREE SMS Messaging (texting), easy and convenient from your phone but also from your desktop too.  Iphone, Berry, Palm who cares -- you're not living until you text from a regular computer keyboard.  If you texted from your cell, laptop, touch, desktop -- all messaging is recorded and available on any accessible device.

Voice Mail couldn't be easier -- notices are sent to your phone as a SMS Message, and an email is sent to you containing an audio file as well as a transcript of the message.  Again all the data is available on all your devices -- Well not your "typical home phone"

Announced Caller Feature -- imagine answering a call and hearing "You have a call from [callers name] to accept press 1, to send the caller to voicemail press 2.

Placing Calls are easy -- just bring up your dashboard either enter a complete phone number, or call someone from your Contact List -- select what phone -- home office or cell you'd like to use for the call -- within 4 seconds you are called by Google Voice -- kind of a little anti-hacking step, and your call is immediately put through.

Still more -- to get the total complete picture check it out for yourself.  GV has a lot more bells and whistles than what you're probably used to, or maybe dreamt about.  We've been using Google Voice for abt 6 months now since it was first introduced, and find it to be hard to live without now.  There are lots of neat apps you'll imagine and incorporate specific to your own needs and circumstance.  

Google Voice is free to sign up, you may have a wee-bit of a wait, however a week to 10 days and you'll receive acceptance and a Google Voice Number in your home based area code.   Oh we should mention, if it's not obvious -- it's best to have some sort of media package to access the web on your cellphone.  Also you might want to checkout your individual cell plans to understand whether you will be incurring any additional service charges.

Like all Google Products and Services, support is mostly handled by a User Forum Community, search for your problem, or post your own question and someone will respond to you.  Of course since I am acting as "chief instigator" -- by introducing you all to Google Voice, feel free to shoot me an email if you have a question.

There's lot's more to share with you -- all the time -- best way to not miss other tips in the future is to Subscribe to the Blog at the top of this page.

  

If you currently do Voice-Over work, or have been told you have a great voice why not try...........here is your opportunity to share your beautiful voice with the rest of us, and do some good -- all at the same time.

Hard to believe we are 8 days from 1/1/2010.  Harder to imagine 2 years from the end of the world, and 10 years past since the Y2K disaster.

Our attention will soon shift to the New Year and the celebration, and then what?  Do you make a New Year's Resolution/s?  Will you be making any resolutions this year?  When do you begin to think about it? 

  

The tradition of New Year's Resolutions dates back to the Romans -- the custom was to look back and reflect, like viewing from a  "rear-view mirror" and looking forward to the future.  In any event here are interesting sitings to get us thinking. 

I've recently found a blog called the Everyday Athlete, here's a link to an article that seemed to fit this post.

"What Will It Take" -- Tomas Anthony is a blogger, software executive, turned physical trainer -- he has some interesting blogs.

Seth Godin famous author, blogger, marketing guru is always insightful, owner of the #1 Business Marketing Blog, comes this "Zen-ful Approach to looking at our problems, and creating resolutions.   It's all good!

 

Happy Holidays, and Exciting New year.