Source: www.voip-news.com
With Google Voice in beta (for previous GrandCentral users, that is), there is a lot of buzz around about the new service. Wondering what everyone is saying?
Here’s a roundup:
Source: alanweinkrantz.typepad.com
In doing some searches on coverage, I found a blast from the past. It was a presentation I gave at a BarCamp in San Marcos, TX last year…. Special thanks for Shane Mata who posted the video.
Source: alanweinkrantz.typepad.com
I’m getting calls and emails from friends asking me if it’s really true. Finally, the White House makes it official.
Yes, George W. Bush visited the Olmos Soda Fountain yesterday.
Here’s even more proof!
In the midst of several trillion
dollars of lost wealth, he had time to stop by for a malt and visit to
the editorial headquarters for this blog.
Source: alanweinkrantz.typepad.com
This is not a joke. 
President George W. Bush stopped today to what serves as my editorial offices for this blog.
Read the story from the San Antonio "Express News" here.
My Robot Creative pal, Lara August, called me this morning to have breakfast, but I couldn’t do it because of another meeting.
Then, I hopped over to see PodCast Ready’s Dean McCall for another meeting.
Then, my stomach starts growling and I decide to hop over to Olmos Pharmacy for lunch.
En route down US 281, I am driving by the airport, and see Air Force One taking off.
Arriving to the Pharmacy 20 minutes later, proprietor, Betty Garza,
informs me that our fearless leader of the free world, Secret Service
in tow, stopped by and had a chocolate malt with First Lady, Laura Bush.
I guess when you are the President of the U.S., you can pretty much order up anything you want.
So it really says quite a bit about Betty’s place, where she’s run a tight ship for 35 years.
Over the last 3 years, I’ve been doing lots of breakfast meetings, lots of interviews, and lots of posts at the Pharmacy.
Sorry I missed you, Mr. President.
And thumbs up to Betty for having Mr. Bush pick her place as the place in town (or the world) for a real home made malt.
photo (c) San Antonio Express News
Source: www.voip-news.com
US News & World Report blogger David LaGesse has gone and done it. He’s switched to the cable company’s phone service.
He said that it’s too soon to say how it’s really working, but so far so good for the tech blogger. Funny, isn’t it? A tech blogger who is slow to embrace the change (full disclosure, I am in the same boat and hold off conversion until the E911 issue is really put to rest. Living in the middle of nowhere, that isn’t a gamble I can take. Plus there is still the need power to operate issue — we lose power semi frequently).
What would you say to convince someone to switch?
Source: alanweinkrantz.typepad.com
In May of this year, I started my 3rd year here at 3Screens.net.
If you are a member of the media, and industry analyst or fellow blogger needing a real world, independent consumer’s view of U-verse, U-verse Voice, AT&T Wireless, Home Networking or any all of AT&T’s three – screen platforms, give me a call at 210-820-3075.
Source: alanweinkrantz.typepad.com
I am still doing some testing of U-verse Voice in my home.
Overall, it’s going well and I really do like it, but I need more time to play around with it.
If you are a journalist or industry analyst seeking a real world view on U-verse voice, email me: alan at weinkrantz dot com or you log on to http://letscall.me/u-verse-voice-review and it will ring my AT&T / Apple iPhone.
note: to use this service, just type in your phone number when you hit the landing page noted above. The service calls you and then it calls me on my phone.
Source: alanweinkrantz.typepad.com
Even though, AT&T Inc. has announced the availability of AT&T U-verse Voice in other markets, today is when the phone company as we no longer know it, is launching U-verse Voice in San Antonio, where I live and blog away.
The idea of U-verse Voice is simple: it brings together your AT&T home phone, wireless, broadband and TV services — all on one bill — with unique features that provide a new level of integration, convenience and control.
AT&T U-verse Voice Raises the Bar With New Features such as:
· Combined AT&T U-verse Voice and AT&T wireless voice mail with U-verse Messaging, which provides a single voice mailbox that can be accessed from any phone line or PC.
· U-verse Central, an online management portal that gives you the option to easily and conveniently manage your call preferences, voice mail, contacts, call history and more from any PC, in addition to the ability to control call preferences from your home phone.
· An online voice mailbox to check, manage and forward voice mail from the online portal, much like an e-mail inbox.
· Call History, which enables you to view your most recent incoming and outgoing calls online or to view your most recent incoming calls on your AT&T U-verse TV screen.
· Click to Call, which will initiate a call from your home phone to any number in your Call History with one click of a mouse or the U-verse TV remote control.
· An online Address Book that is accessible from any PC and allows you to Click to Call from your home phone, to create and share contact groups with other U-verse Voice customers or to set up distribution lists for voice messages.
· Locate Me, a feature that provides simultaneous ringing on up to four wireless or landline numbers so that you never miss an important incoming call.
· Traditional calling features, such as Call Screening, Call Blocking, Do Not Disturb and privacy settings.
All U-verse Voice customers will have 911 service. Where available via the local 911 network, U-verse Voice customers will have Enhanced 911 (E911) service.
Pricing is….sort of ok, but fairly high….
U-verse TV customers can choose from two flexible U-verse Voice calling plans:
· U-verse Voice Unlimited, which includes unlimited local and nationwide minutes to any location in the U.S., Canada or U.S. territories for $40 a month.
· U-verse Voice 1000, which includes 1,000 Call Anywhere minutes to any location in the U.S. or U.S. territories for $30 a month.
Video to follow tomorrow….
Later today, I have a video interview with an AT&T Exec to talk about U-verse Voice. Look for a posting on this tomorrow.
Source: alanweinkrantz.typepad.com
Test…..
Source: andyabramson.blogs.com
I was tipped off by a reader tonight about something special inside the Standard, the second coming of the Industry Standard.
When I read this, my chin dropped. I was stunned.
For the record, I don’t profess to be a techie, just someone who can make sense out of technology so others can understand. That was why I started VoIPWatch in 2003 with the basic idea behind it being four main objectives. Those same four still hold true today. For long time readers, this is nothing new. I’ve said it here before:
1. Make VoIP better understood by the media
2. Speak at conferences
3. Make new friends
4. Attract clients for Comunicano, my asymmetrical communications agency that represents so many fine startups not only in VoIP but in Mobile and 2.0 type service sectors.
Thank you all for your readership and loyalty, because without you, this wouldn’t be any fun.
