Communication
Text messages growing out of hand
More and more people are sending text messages over their phones and wireless bandwidth is approaching a limit. Some 740 billion text messages were sent in the first half of 2009 in the U.S. alone according to a report from CTIA. Digital Daily notes these comments from the FCC chairman:
Consider these remarks from Federal Communications [...]
How to get a real person
I have posted before about the difficulty of getting hold of an actual human being when trying to call for assistance or information at most corporations. One approach to finding a human is to try the phone numbers given in the links of that previous post. Or you might try some of the techniques given [...]
New version of Skype
I don’t use the communications software Skype but I know many people who do. Version 4.0 is now available. ZDNet reviews the software:
Skype 4.0 became available for free on Tuesday to Windows users. The free desktop VoIP communicator is a worthy final version that brings some key enhancements with video and audio bandwidth, though it [...]
Free phone calls from your Web browser
I know a lot of people who use Skype and other Web telephone services. Here’s another way that is described at PC World:
Enter GizmoCall, which offers Skype-like calling capabilities but requires no special software. Instead, it works right inside your browser-any browser, on any system (Windows, Mac, or Linux).
All you need is a microphone (the [...]
Grandma’s on the Computer Screen
That’s the title of a New York Times article on how grandparents are using the Web to stay in contact with their grandchildren by using Web cams and services like Skype:
Her grandfather wanted to play tea party, but Alexandra Geosits, 2½, insisted she had only apple juice. She held out a plastic cup, giggling as [...]