This is it! The last day of January, and I've made it, with a post every day. It's a great feeling to know that I could set a goal and achieve it, because successes like that are hard to come by these days, given family and work commitments. If you're reading this, thank you for doing so, I certainly appreciate it.
There's nothing more fun than getting something for less than its perceived value. Now that I'm on a fairly strict budget, one that I'm struggling to stick with, my ability to go out and buy the latest electronics and video games has decreased dramatically. I'll be honest, if there weren't a tangible benefit to the household, in the reduction of the overall monthly cell phone bill, I would not have the iPhone right now. As was discussed when I originally took the plunge, there was a long wait in between when I originally wanted the iPhone and when I was finally able to justify the acquisition.
The same goes with video games. When it was only my wife and I here in the house, I didn't put much thought into going out and picking up the new releases as they came out, as well as investing in the newest consoles. Now, since my first priority is and should be my children, I've done my best to restrict my gaming purchases to those that will provide me with good value for my money. I bought Fallout 3 the day it was released, spent $50 for it, and proceeded to milk that game for all it was worth. Over 85 hours of play for that $50 is a far more efficient use of my hard-earned money than any movie I could see.
1 movie (at the theaters): 2 hours, ~$12 = $6/hour of entertainment
1 video game: 85 hours, $50 = ~$0.60/hour of entertainment
With results like that, it's hard to argue that I got my money's worth.
Which brings me to my latest 'compulsive' buys. During this weekend, Steam had the Freedom Force: Freedom Pack on sale for $2. Since I have heard great things about these games, I figured that $2 is an extremely small price to pay, so I bought them. Also on Steam, the X-Com: Complete Pack (five X-Com games) were also on sale for $2. Five games for $2? That was also a no-brainer and went into the virtual shopping cart as well. So, for a grand total of $4 I bought seven games. Granted, these are games that are some years old, but most are still well reviewed and discussed, and these are also games and concepts that don't rely on cutting edge graphics to communicate their quality. I feel pretty comfortable with this expenditure.
Just before coming to this site to write this post, I happened to visit Cheap Ass Gamer, the first time in quite a while, actually. It was an innocent visit, just to see what 'all the cool kids' were spending their money on. There on the front page was an announcement that Direct2Drive had a sale on Red Faction: Guerrilla for only $5. This is a game that I downloaded and tried the demo on the 360, and really enjoyed. It's on my list to get through Goozex, but it currently trades at (in virtual currency) around $30, so to see the game (granted, it's the PC version) this cheap is pretty exciting. As I'm writing this, the game is downloading to my hard drive.
Why am I telling you all of this? Mostly because I'm so excited to find so much gaming goodness for such little monetary outlay, but also to broach the subject of digital distribution. This is a topic for its own post, as there are so many facets to discuss, but one thing is certain: it can be of great benefit to both the distributor, the developer and the consumer when utilized properly. I can point to an earlier post where I bought games that I wouldn't have considered otherwise, simply because they were on sale. For the foreseeable future, these sales will be the primary source of the games that I play, because they provide the best value for the money that I probably shouldn't be spending on my entertainment.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Gaming Magazines: Pleasant Surprise
Today's mail brought two pleasant surprises, in the form of the latest Gamepro and PC Gamer magazines. My thoughts on these are found within the post. Along with that, I'm getting excited that January is almost over and I will have achieved my goal of posting every day. Woohoo!
Going out to get the mail this afternoon, I was fairly certain that I would find two things contained among the rest of the junk mail and bills: the copy of Hellgate: London I requested from Goozex and a package of assorted iPhone accessories that I'd ordered from a cheap online outlet. My assumption was correct, as both items were safely nestled in the mailbox. However, two other pieces of mail caught my eye as I scanned through the pile on the way back to the house. My first issue of Gamepro had finally arrived, as well as the latest issue of PC Gamer. Still being a sucker for media I can hold in my hand and flip through, it's always a treat to get magazines in the mail. Getting a free moment after the little monsters were all safely tucked into bed, I perused both and was very pleasantly surprised.
Having no prior experience with Gamepro, I signed up for a subscription after reading and hearing about the new direction the magazine and website was taking under their new Executive VP of Content, John Davison. I first read and heard Davison while he was at Ziff Davis Media, working with the former incarnation of EGM (Electronic Gaming Monthly), Games for Windows/Computer Gaming World, and 1UP.com. Honestly, I loved his British accent, but more so it was refreshing to hear his opinions on games and the industry. He had insights and ideas that clearly showed he understood the industry, its highs and lows, and if given the right opportunity would be able to use this knowledge and experience to do great things. It seems that opportunity has come at Gamepro. The magazine has a crisp feel, and a focus not just on the games, but on the people behind the games. This is a facet that is often under-represented in the gaming press, and the treatment by the staff indicates high quality content will not be in short supply. I can't rave enough about this, and look forward to watching John and his talented team recreate the magazine's image over the next year..
PC Gamer has been a staple of my reading diet for some time now, and have seen it change editors-in-chief three times since I started subscribing (from Greg Vederman to Kristen Salvatore to Gary Steinman), with the reins now in Logan Decker's hands. This issue marks the second of his official run, and it feels as if he's moving in the right direction. There's something about the new layout, content and page design that appeals to me, as if it's cleaner in some way. The writing continues to be top-notch, and I look forward to it every month. Between this and Gamepro, my evening reading just got better.
In other news, today felt like a success. Between my wife and I, we completed our taxes, and were pleasantly surprised to determine that we are, in fact, going to be receiving more in our return than last year. This is due in no small part to my wife figuring out that we could deduct the sales tax paid when we purchased the minivan. Overall, this will allow us to dig out of some of the self-imposed debt of the past year, and also to perform some much needed home improvements. Our twins are getting older, and some changes are required to keep them from killing themselves on the electronics in the living room.
That's all for tonight. Tomorrow is Sunday, and hopefully I'll have some earth-shattering topic to discuss. I wouldn't hold your breath, though.
Going out to get the mail this afternoon, I was fairly certain that I would find two things contained among the rest of the junk mail and bills: the copy of Hellgate: London I requested from Goozex and a package of assorted iPhone accessories that I'd ordered from a cheap online outlet. My assumption was correct, as both items were safely nestled in the mailbox. However, two other pieces of mail caught my eye as I scanned through the pile on the way back to the house. My first issue of Gamepro had finally arrived, as well as the latest issue of PC Gamer. Still being a sucker for media I can hold in my hand and flip through, it's always a treat to get magazines in the mail. Getting a free moment after the little monsters were all safely tucked into bed, I perused both and was very pleasantly surprised.
Having no prior experience with Gamepro, I signed up for a subscription after reading and hearing about the new direction the magazine and website was taking under their new Executive VP of Content, John Davison. I first read and heard Davison while he was at Ziff Davis Media, working with the former incarnation of EGM (Electronic Gaming Monthly), Games for Windows/Computer Gaming World, and 1UP.com. Honestly, I loved his British accent, but more so it was refreshing to hear his opinions on games and the industry. He had insights and ideas that clearly showed he understood the industry, its highs and lows, and if given the right opportunity would be able to use this knowledge and experience to do great things. It seems that opportunity has come at Gamepro. The magazine has a crisp feel, and a focus not just on the games, but on the people behind the games. This is a facet that is often under-represented in the gaming press, and the treatment by the staff indicates high quality content will not be in short supply. I can't rave enough about this, and look forward to watching John and his talented team recreate the magazine's image over the next year..
PC Gamer has been a staple of my reading diet for some time now, and have seen it change editors-in-chief three times since I started subscribing (from Greg Vederman to Kristen Salvatore to Gary Steinman), with the reins now in Logan Decker's hands. This issue marks the second of his official run, and it feels as if he's moving in the right direction. There's something about the new layout, content and page design that appeals to me, as if it's cleaner in some way. The writing continues to be top-notch, and I look forward to it every month. Between this and Gamepro, my evening reading just got better.
In other news, today felt like a success. Between my wife and I, we completed our taxes, and were pleasantly surprised to determine that we are, in fact, going to be receiving more in our return than last year. This is due in no small part to my wife figuring out that we could deduct the sales tax paid when we purchased the minivan. Overall, this will allow us to dig out of some of the self-imposed debt of the past year, and also to perform some much needed home improvements. Our twins are getting older, and some changes are required to keep them from killing themselves on the electronics in the living room.
That's all for tonight. Tomorrow is Sunday, and hopefully I'll have some earth-shattering topic to discuss. I wouldn't hold your breath, though.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Option Paralysis and My Gaming Habits
Three more days and NaBloPoMo will be complete! I've successfully managed to post once per day throughout January, if you allow me the fact that I had to post one update at 4am due to traveling. There were no guarantees that I would make it this far, and it's safe to say that I'm proud of myself for sticking with it. Here's to the hope that I've formed a habit that will continue.
Yesterday I mentioned that I would discuss how 'option paralysis' affects my game playing habits. While thinking about the issue and its affect on me, I came to a conclusion that this is something that plagues me throughout my life, and not just part of my gaming hobby.
The best way I can describe it is to use an example from work. One of the projects I'm working on involves receiving lots of feedback on the work product from a lot of different sources. There are currently three different documents, from three different companies, that have provided feedback and comments on my work. In attempting to go through and resolve all of these issues, it feels as if my head is going to explode. There are so many small things that need attention, but I can't seem to zero in on each one individually and address them in that manner. My mind continually attempts to absorb them in one big mass and it's not equipped to handle that volume of work. So I get bogged down, discouraged and inevitably distracted by something else. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking on how long I have to address the comments and move on. It's not like I want to fail, but I can't get my brain to lock on to small, manageable chunks of work, it's always looking at the task in a macro scale, which is neither productive nor conducive to creating the feeling of accomplishment, which I can harness to get more work completed, and so on.
There's a work example, but the title of this post indicates I would be equating this issue to my gaming. Well, in the microcosm of my gaming habit, it's very similar. I really enjoy playing games, and I'd like to think I have the time to at least sample some of the most current games, to keep me 'up' on the current trends in the industry, as well as keeping my perspective relevant to all of the video gaming media I consume. Since I am forced to game on a budget, most of the games I pick up are either on sale or demos of the latest games. The problem with me trying to stay current is that there are a lot of games coming out in any particular month, and I don't always have time to play every day. If I happen to 'get behind' in my game playing (the only measure of getting behind is in my own head, so this whole thing is a self-defeating prophecy), it's a struggle for me to stop and play just one game, when I know there's a list of games that I also want to sample waiting in the wings. The feeling of devoting time to one game, and deriving pleasure and enjoyment from the experience, also feels like neglecting all of the other options available to me. More often than not, I look at all of the games I want to play, get discouraged and surf the Internet for an hour instead of playing any of the games.
In both cases, my 'option paralysis' is clearly detrimental to the goals that I want to achieve. Is there something I can do to alleviate or eliminate this issue? Is there some medication I can take, some mind exercises to work on? At this point, I'm willing to try just about anything, if it would improve my productivity and enjoyment of the free time I allow myself. In the long run, it would probably improve my general mood and outlook on my career and personal life. Clearly this is an issue that won't solve itself overnight and I need to do some research and determine a course of action. If anyone reading this has any advice or places to look, I'm all ears.
Considering the overall negative vibe around this post, I don't want anyone to mistake the fact that I'm not happy, because I am. This is just taking one frustrating and annoying trait that I seem to exhibit and putting it under a microscope. I've lived with the issue this long, clearly it's not something that I can't cope with, but I just think there's a better way to go about things, and I want to find it.
This introspective post is now over. You can go back to enjoying your day. :)
Yesterday I mentioned that I would discuss how 'option paralysis' affects my game playing habits. While thinking about the issue and its affect on me, I came to a conclusion that this is something that plagues me throughout my life, and not just part of my gaming hobby.
The best way I can describe it is to use an example from work. One of the projects I'm working on involves receiving lots of feedback on the work product from a lot of different sources. There are currently three different documents, from three different companies, that have provided feedback and comments on my work. In attempting to go through and resolve all of these issues, it feels as if my head is going to explode. There are so many small things that need attention, but I can't seem to zero in on each one individually and address them in that manner. My mind continually attempts to absorb them in one big mass and it's not equipped to handle that volume of work. So I get bogged down, discouraged and inevitably distracted by something else. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking on how long I have to address the comments and move on. It's not like I want to fail, but I can't get my brain to lock on to small, manageable chunks of work, it's always looking at the task in a macro scale, which is neither productive nor conducive to creating the feeling of accomplishment, which I can harness to get more work completed, and so on.
There's a work example, but the title of this post indicates I would be equating this issue to my gaming. Well, in the microcosm of my gaming habit, it's very similar. I really enjoy playing games, and I'd like to think I have the time to at least sample some of the most current games, to keep me 'up' on the current trends in the industry, as well as keeping my perspective relevant to all of the video gaming media I consume. Since I am forced to game on a budget, most of the games I pick up are either on sale or demos of the latest games. The problem with me trying to stay current is that there are a lot of games coming out in any particular month, and I don't always have time to play every day. If I happen to 'get behind' in my game playing (the only measure of getting behind is in my own head, so this whole thing is a self-defeating prophecy), it's a struggle for me to stop and play just one game, when I know there's a list of games that I also want to sample waiting in the wings. The feeling of devoting time to one game, and deriving pleasure and enjoyment from the experience, also feels like neglecting all of the other options available to me. More often than not, I look at all of the games I want to play, get discouraged and surf the Internet for an hour instead of playing any of the games.
In both cases, my 'option paralysis' is clearly detrimental to the goals that I want to achieve. Is there something I can do to alleviate or eliminate this issue? Is there some medication I can take, some mind exercises to work on? At this point, I'm willing to try just about anything, if it would improve my productivity and enjoyment of the free time I allow myself. In the long run, it would probably improve my general mood and outlook on my career and personal life. Clearly this is an issue that won't solve itself overnight and I need to do some research and determine a course of action. If anyone reading this has any advice or places to look, I'm all ears.
Considering the overall negative vibe around this post, I don't want anyone to mistake the fact that I'm not happy, because I am. This is just taking one frustrating and annoying trait that I seem to exhibit and putting it under a microscope. I've lived with the issue this long, clearly it's not something that I can't cope with, but I just think there's a better way to go about things, and I want to find it.
This introspective post is now over. You can go back to enjoying your day. :)
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Lost for Thoughts
Once again, today's blog update is a whole lotta nuthin'...but I'm not sure anyone is even reading. If you are, I applaud you, as you're truly a warrior, struggling through my drivel.
Not much is really happening in my world these days. Work has settled back into the usual routine after the holidays, while I'm struggling with a project that just won't seem to go away. Today was particularly troublesome, because for some reason I was experiencing difficulty getting my head around exactly all of the little outstanding details that need to be nailed down before Feburary 12th. I think I have my head around what needs to occur, and tomorrow should go more smoothly. Also, the number of projects that I am assigned to work on has certainly increased, which bodes for a productive spring.
After a couple of weeks away, I dug back into Trine for about an hour or so tonight. There's a lot to enjoy about the game, and the more I play it, the better it gets. The physics engine is quite good, and the ability to bounce back and forth between the three distinct characters creates so many options for solving the myriad of environmental puzzles thrown at you that there's probably no way to play it the same as anyone else. For the level I completed tonight, I started to utilize the Magician and his ability to create planks and crates, and teaming that with the Thief's ability to jump and grapple. The Knight is always handy for cleaning out the skeletons.
Lately, I've also been trying to take more pictures and video with the iPhone and publish them to my Twitter feed with Twitpic and Twitvid, respectively. Understanding that I'm an engineer, which severely cripples my creative ability from the start, it should be obvious that these forays into visual media are quite stiff, crude and rudimentary. It still feels like such a novelty to be able to take a picture, and within a couple of minutes have it posted to Twitter and Facebook. Given the right opportunities and vision, these could be great tools to build or expand your online presence. While I know the stuff I'm producing now isn't great, I'd like to think that with some time and practice I'll learn a few more things and find some interesting subjects for the pictures and video. Once again I'm amazed at our ability today to broadcast ourselves to the world, and in the right hands amazing results can be had.
Tomorrow I think I'll discuss something that's bothered me for some time, option paralysis. It affects me most in my game playing habits, but it manifests itself in such a way that really is aggravating. Most likely it won't be incredibly interesting, but it may be cathartic for me to explore and discuss it in the open. Until then, take care and have a great night!
Not much is really happening in my world these days. Work has settled back into the usual routine after the holidays, while I'm struggling with a project that just won't seem to go away. Today was particularly troublesome, because for some reason I was experiencing difficulty getting my head around exactly all of the little outstanding details that need to be nailed down before Feburary 12th. I think I have my head around what needs to occur, and tomorrow should go more smoothly. Also, the number of projects that I am assigned to work on has certainly increased, which bodes for a productive spring.
After a couple of weeks away, I dug back into Trine for about an hour or so tonight. There's a lot to enjoy about the game, and the more I play it, the better it gets. The physics engine is quite good, and the ability to bounce back and forth between the three distinct characters creates so many options for solving the myriad of environmental puzzles thrown at you that there's probably no way to play it the same as anyone else. For the level I completed tonight, I started to utilize the Magician and his ability to create planks and crates, and teaming that with the Thief's ability to jump and grapple. The Knight is always handy for cleaning out the skeletons.
Lately, I've also been trying to take more pictures and video with the iPhone and publish them to my Twitter feed with Twitpic and Twitvid, respectively. Understanding that I'm an engineer, which severely cripples my creative ability from the start, it should be obvious that these forays into visual media are quite stiff, crude and rudimentary. It still feels like such a novelty to be able to take a picture, and within a couple of minutes have it posted to Twitter and Facebook. Given the right opportunities and vision, these could be great tools to build or expand your online presence. While I know the stuff I'm producing now isn't great, I'd like to think that with some time and practice I'll learn a few more things and find some interesting subjects for the pictures and video. Once again I'm amazed at our ability today to broadcast ourselves to the world, and in the right hands amazing results can be had.
Tomorrow I think I'll discuss something that's bothered me for some time, option paralysis. It affects me most in my game playing habits, but it manifests itself in such a way that really is aggravating. Most likely it won't be incredibly interesting, but it may be cathartic for me to explore and discuss it in the open. Until then, take care and have a great night!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Politics
The topic of the day is politics, and why they always leave me cold.
Having spent the past hour or so watching the State of the Union speech from the president, it only reinforced to me why I don't bother becoming more informed or active in the first place. It's disappointing to me to watch grown men and women act like petulant children or overeager ass-kissers (whichever your party affiliation may be) in the face of difficult times for those people who elected them to the cushy jobs they now have.
The previous statement could have been tempered, to be sure, but it's just the way I feel right now. On a night where the President spoke to the nation, our elected officials on both sides of the chamber acted like fools. It's no wonder that the American public has so little faith in the governmental process. I know that, as an American, I am lucky to live in a country that has an elected government and not a military dictator, but after watching some of the shameful displays of disrespect and outright cheerleading this evening, I'm still pretty discouraged.
I tend to lean toward Republican fiscal views and Democratic social views, so I can say without affiliation to either party (I'm officially undeclared in my state of residence) that Nancy Pelosi should give up the snarky smirking and ridiculous standing ovations for every word the President says, and at the same time the old white men that make up the Republican party should stop behaving in a manner that I wouldn't put up with from my two-year-olds.
Several of the points made in the State of the Union speech were easy to agree with, but difficult to fathom how they would be carried out. While I agree that health care needs reform, I don't know if this is the way it should be reformed. In my complete and utter naivete, I'd love to believe that the people in Washington could set aside party politics long enough to get us out of this mess, but that's as likely as me becoming the next president (read: won't happen). All in all, I'm left with a sour taste in my mouth and a bigger case of political apathy.
There, I'm down off my soapbox now. Enjoy the rest of your evening...
Having spent the past hour or so watching the State of the Union speech from the president, it only reinforced to me why I don't bother becoming more informed or active in the first place. It's disappointing to me to watch grown men and women act like petulant children or overeager ass-kissers (whichever your party affiliation may be) in the face of difficult times for those people who elected them to the cushy jobs they now have.
The previous statement could have been tempered, to be sure, but it's just the way I feel right now. On a night where the President spoke to the nation, our elected officials on both sides of the chamber acted like fools. It's no wonder that the American public has so little faith in the governmental process. I know that, as an American, I am lucky to live in a country that has an elected government and not a military dictator, but after watching some of the shameful displays of disrespect and outright cheerleading this evening, I'm still pretty discouraged.
I tend to lean toward Republican fiscal views and Democratic social views, so I can say without affiliation to either party (I'm officially undeclared in my state of residence) that Nancy Pelosi should give up the snarky smirking and ridiculous standing ovations for every word the President says, and at the same time the old white men that make up the Republican party should stop behaving in a manner that I wouldn't put up with from my two-year-olds.
Several of the points made in the State of the Union speech were easy to agree with, but difficult to fathom how they would be carried out. While I agree that health care needs reform, I don't know if this is the way it should be reformed. In my complete and utter naivete, I'd love to believe that the people in Washington could set aside party politics long enough to get us out of this mess, but that's as likely as me becoming the next president (read: won't happen). All in all, I'm left with a sour taste in my mouth and a bigger case of political apathy.
There, I'm down off my soapbox now. Enjoy the rest of your evening...
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Google Voice (Warning: Nerdy!)
The amazing, and somewhat confusing, instance of technological convergence that is Google voice is the topic for today's post, the 26th for NaBloPoMo.
Some time ago, I wrangled an invite for the new Google service called Google Voice. It's an intriguing idea: One phone number that can be configured to ring multiple lines at the same time, or based on who's calling, or send directly to voicemail, or any of what feels like endless features. There's also voicemail transcription, where a speech-to-text analysis of a voicemail left in your mailbox would be sent to you via e-mail. I'm probably doing a terrible job of trying to explain all the features, so I'll just let the official description handle it from here.
For me, there are a lot of ideas on how to use this service floating around in my head. If I wanted to, I could now start giving out my Voice number to everyone, because it would be the same regardless if I change cell phone numbers, home phone numbers, I change jobs, etc. There is a convenience and elegance to that. My big fear would be that Google pulls the plug on the project, causing me to have to yet again alert people of a change in number.
Another downside right now is when making an outgoing call, your actual number (whether it be cell phone, work phone, etc.) is the one that comes up on caller ID, unless you go through the cumbersome process of calling a Google Voice number, and then calling the number you really want to call. So, now you have people calling you on one number and receiving calls from you from another number, unless you are diligent and always go through the extra step of calling Google first. I'm especially sensitive to this issue as a professional, because I don't want clients or coworkers being confused with what I described above. As a general rule, simpler is better.
With that being said, there are some interesting possibilities as part of the service. Just last week, there were some issues with me not being reachable via cell phone at my parents' house because AT&T has no service in their area. However, they do have high-speed Internet service there, and a WiFi network. Here's a possible workaround of being out of touch in that scenario, at least in theory:
1. Through Skype, get a number and a subscription, at a monthly cost.
2. Link my Google Voice number with the Skype number.
3. On my iPhone, download the Skype app.
4. Provide the Google Voice number I currently have to friends, family, clients and coworkers.
If I understand everything correctly, someone would try to call my Google Voice number. While I was out of cell phone coverage, I would configure Voice to go to voicemail automatically. I would receive an e-mail almost immediately that a message was left in my inbox. I could then use Skype on the iPhone to call the person back. Unfortunately, there is no way to have the Skype app alert me that a call is coming in, even if I did have Voice call it. This is due to the fact that Apple does not allow VoIP when not on WiFi, so 'push' notification is disabled in the service right now. Admittedly, it's not particularly elegant, but it would be better than nothing.
Another option I've considered is having my office phone forwarded to my Voice number if I'm busy or don't pick up after a certain number of rings. The person calling my office would then be able to leave a message in my Voice mailbox, which would generate an e-mail to my account that (a) a message was left and (b) a transcription of that message. In theory once again, I would be able to react to and return messages directed to my office phone at any time, since my e-mail is updated on my phone as long as I'm in 3G or Edge coverage, not just WiFi. Living in the greater Boston area, that coverage is not a big issue.
To be honest, I'm not sure why this whole idea fascinates me so much, but it does. The thought of having one number associated to me for the foreseeable future, and being able to give that number out to everyone is quite intriguing. Being able to selectively screen calls based on the number before they even ring a phone is also interesting. There's also the ability to choose what phone or service that a call into Voice is forwarded to, based on the time of day. If you so wanted, you could configure it such that all business calls are sent to voicemail immediately after 6pm, while all family calls are forwarded to your home phone at that time, since you're most likely to be there.
At the present time, I haven't implemented any of the ideas discussed here, because most of the thoughts I have revolve around business calls, and if something doesn't work and calls get dropped or missed, there are consequences to that. I have plans to temporarily forward my desk phone at work to Voice, and test out how well the voicemail service works. That would be a great way to stay in touch with clients and coworkers when away from the office.
Anyway, those are my thoughts for the time being. If anyone reading this has experience with Voice and is willing to share their thoughts, I'd love to hear them. Leave a comment and let me know what you think!
Some time ago, I wrangled an invite for the new Google service called Google Voice. It's an intriguing idea: One phone number that can be configured to ring multiple lines at the same time, or based on who's calling, or send directly to voicemail, or any of what feels like endless features. There's also voicemail transcription, where a speech-to-text analysis of a voicemail left in your mailbox would be sent to you via e-mail. I'm probably doing a terrible job of trying to explain all the features, so I'll just let the official description handle it from here.
For me, there are a lot of ideas on how to use this service floating around in my head. If I wanted to, I could now start giving out my Voice number to everyone, because it would be the same regardless if I change cell phone numbers, home phone numbers, I change jobs, etc. There is a convenience and elegance to that. My big fear would be that Google pulls the plug on the project, causing me to have to yet again alert people of a change in number.
Another downside right now is when making an outgoing call, your actual number (whether it be cell phone, work phone, etc.) is the one that comes up on caller ID, unless you go through the cumbersome process of calling a Google Voice number, and then calling the number you really want to call. So, now you have people calling you on one number and receiving calls from you from another number, unless you are diligent and always go through the extra step of calling Google first. I'm especially sensitive to this issue as a professional, because I don't want clients or coworkers being confused with what I described above. As a general rule, simpler is better.
With that being said, there are some interesting possibilities as part of the service. Just last week, there were some issues with me not being reachable via cell phone at my parents' house because AT&T has no service in their area. However, they do have high-speed Internet service there, and a WiFi network. Here's a possible workaround of being out of touch in that scenario, at least in theory:
1. Through Skype, get a number and a subscription, at a monthly cost.
2. Link my Google Voice number with the Skype number.
3. On my iPhone, download the Skype app.
4. Provide the Google Voice number I currently have to friends, family, clients and coworkers.
If I understand everything correctly, someone would try to call my Google Voice number. While I was out of cell phone coverage, I would configure Voice to go to voicemail automatically. I would receive an e-mail almost immediately that a message was left in my inbox. I could then use Skype on the iPhone to call the person back. Unfortunately, there is no way to have the Skype app alert me that a call is coming in, even if I did have Voice call it. This is due to the fact that Apple does not allow VoIP when not on WiFi, so 'push' notification is disabled in the service right now. Admittedly, it's not particularly elegant, but it would be better than nothing.
Another option I've considered is having my office phone forwarded to my Voice number if I'm busy or don't pick up after a certain number of rings. The person calling my office would then be able to leave a message in my Voice mailbox, which would generate an e-mail to my account that (a) a message was left and (b) a transcription of that message. In theory once again, I would be able to react to and return messages directed to my office phone at any time, since my e-mail is updated on my phone as long as I'm in 3G or Edge coverage, not just WiFi. Living in the greater Boston area, that coverage is not a big issue.
To be honest, I'm not sure why this whole idea fascinates me so much, but it does. The thought of having one number associated to me for the foreseeable future, and being able to give that number out to everyone is quite intriguing. Being able to selectively screen calls based on the number before they even ring a phone is also interesting. There's also the ability to choose what phone or service that a call into Voice is forwarded to, based on the time of day. If you so wanted, you could configure it such that all business calls are sent to voicemail immediately after 6pm, while all family calls are forwarded to your home phone at that time, since you're most likely to be there.
At the present time, I haven't implemented any of the ideas discussed here, because most of the thoughts I have revolve around business calls, and if something doesn't work and calls get dropped or missed, there are consequences to that. I have plans to temporarily forward my desk phone at work to Voice, and test out how well the voicemail service works. That would be a great way to stay in touch with clients and coworkers when away from the office.
Anyway, those are my thoughts for the time being. If anyone reading this has experience with Voice and is willing to share their thoughts, I'd love to hear them. Leave a comment and let me know what you think!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Just a Monday, But Better Than Most
The month of January marches on, and as there has been for the preceding 24 days, the 25th day finds me posting about...nothing, as usual.
For a Monday, today wasn't too bad. Arriving at work, I managed to take care of all the niggling little tasks that had been haunting me over the weekend. This involved making 6-8 phone calls, sending multiple e-mails, checking in with some coworkers, and generally getting back into the flow of the office, after working at a remote office for the preceding week. Just the simple act of knocking so many individual entries off the work to-do list gave me a feeling of accomplishment that carried through the rest of the day.
Upon returning home this evening, I was able to make dinner for the kids and myself, entertain them, get them ready and put them to bed, clean up the first floor of the house (including the kitchen and living room), clean out the first floor closet, and start our taxes. My poor wife, who had been under siege all day from the three little ones, took our infant upstairs where the two of them got some much-needed rest in the relative peace and quiet of our room. While it wasn't the first choice on my list, I had a great time doing all of these things, again feeding off that feeling of accomplishment which started earlier in the day.
Starting the taxes brought the only disappointment. Considering that my wife was unable to work this year and we added our newest daughter to the fold, we were hoping to get more back this year than last. Unfortunately that doesn't appear to be the case. The best I can figure is that, with the amount of overtime I worked during the middle part of the year, my salary must have crossed some threshold to move into a higher tax bracket. As it stands, we will receive somewhere near $300-500 less than in 2009. Considering we are getting a refund at all, there's not much to complain about, but since every little bit helps, it's somewhat disappointing.
All of this activity left little time for gaming, which I sadly miss. Tomorrow is the release of Mass Effect 2, and I won't be partaking in the sequel to one of my favorite games of all time. There's not enough time and not enough money to justify the outlay of $50 or more, but so be it. I still haven't been able to get to any of the games I was really looking forward to over the past year, which leaves me with a healthy backlog to work through before I could even think about a new game. Of course, three great kids and a wife deserve my attention anyway, so I can't complain. On the upside, I've been able to find time to write every evening, and that is something of an accomplishment for me. Until tomorrow, and another serving of my mind in text, take care and enjoy!
For a Monday, today wasn't too bad. Arriving at work, I managed to take care of all the niggling little tasks that had been haunting me over the weekend. This involved making 6-8 phone calls, sending multiple e-mails, checking in with some coworkers, and generally getting back into the flow of the office, after working at a remote office for the preceding week. Just the simple act of knocking so many individual entries off the work to-do list gave me a feeling of accomplishment that carried through the rest of the day.
Upon returning home this evening, I was able to make dinner for the kids and myself, entertain them, get them ready and put them to bed, clean up the first floor of the house (including the kitchen and living room), clean out the first floor closet, and start our taxes. My poor wife, who had been under siege all day from the three little ones, took our infant upstairs where the two of them got some much-needed rest in the relative peace and quiet of our room. While it wasn't the first choice on my list, I had a great time doing all of these things, again feeding off that feeling of accomplishment which started earlier in the day.
Starting the taxes brought the only disappointment. Considering that my wife was unable to work this year and we added our newest daughter to the fold, we were hoping to get more back this year than last. Unfortunately that doesn't appear to be the case. The best I can figure is that, with the amount of overtime I worked during the middle part of the year, my salary must have crossed some threshold to move into a higher tax bracket. As it stands, we will receive somewhere near $300-500 less than in 2009. Considering we are getting a refund at all, there's not much to complain about, but since every little bit helps, it's somewhat disappointing.
All of this activity left little time for gaming, which I sadly miss. Tomorrow is the release of Mass Effect 2, and I won't be partaking in the sequel to one of my favorite games of all time. There's not enough time and not enough money to justify the outlay of $50 or more, but so be it. I still haven't been able to get to any of the games I was really looking forward to over the past year, which leaves me with a healthy backlog to work through before I could even think about a new game. Of course, three great kids and a wife deserve my attention anyway, so I can't complain. On the upside, I've been able to find time to write every evening, and that is something of an accomplishment for me. Until tomorrow, and another serving of my mind in text, take care and enjoy!
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