Grand Central

Came across a really cool bit of technology today. There's a new program out called Grand Central that will have you using your phone(s) in a whole new way. The premise is simple. Get a FREE phone number using your area code. Set it up so that whenveer anybody calls the new number, it forwards to your home, cell, work, etc. In fact, you can have it so that anytime someone calls the new number, it rings all of your lines at once. No more having people call you at a different number after work or on the weekends. There are tons of cool features besides that. You can filter calls by number. You can set MP3's as ringback songs for people to listen to while they wait for you to answer. You can save all the voice mails on their server for up to 30 days for FREE. From there, you can save the message as an MP3 to your desktop. You can set personalized greetings for people based on groups. You can set a message for people that goes "The person you are calling is not in service". Perfect for telemarketers or bill collectors! Add their number to the block list or give them the impression that they have the wrong number. When a call comes in, you are given 4 options. 1) Accept the call, 2) reject the call, 3) listen in as they leave voice mail 4) answer and start recording the conversation. That last two are the coolest features, of course. Your caller hears the ring tone, then the voice mail prompt. You get to listen real time to them leaving a message. Decide at the last second that you wanna talk to them? Push the '*' button and take the call. You can always push the 4 and record the conversation. These messages are store online so that you can save them as MP3's. A really cool feature is the ability to take the message you receive and embed it into your website for people to listen to! How crazy and impractical is that?!? A really handy feature is the ability to import your address book into the site from Outlook. GRANDCENTRAL.COM is the website. Get your own number right now! Feel free to call me at my number 24 hours a day (330) 748-5688

5 Words to Sum It Up: Fun, Free, Feature Rich Goodness

Spb Mobile Shell

For those of you who know me personally, you'll also know that I have a T-Mobile MDA running Windows Mobile 5.0 as the OS. It's by far the best phone I've ever owned. I have no doubts whatsoever that WM 5.0 is the reason. The MDA has some of the best features a phone could have, including Bluetooth, speakerphone, digital camera, and touch screen. Alone, these are features that anyone ages 25+ should want in their phone. Add to this, expansion for Mini SD and the Windows platform, and now you have a device that everybody that age needs. I've spent many hours playing around with the phone tweaking it, installing software, and playing games. I started with messing with backgrounds, ring tones, etc. Gradually, I started getting into more practical applications like Spb Time and Spb Weather. You can integrate them into the today screen. Then, I was using Pocket Plus so that I was able to access everything I need from the main screen. What I began to realize after looking around at other software companies for Windows Mobile was that Spb seemed to put together the best looking, easiest to use, and most feature rich software. Last week I came across Spb Mobile Shell and it surpassed all other apps. This is the "killer app" to get right now if you have a Pocket PC.

What makes it so cool? Let's see. How about totally changing the menu system so that you can find programs or settings much quicker? Built in weather forecasts and time features that are enhanced if you have the other programs but not required. Photo dialing that mimics the T-Mobile "My Faves" as closely as they could probably get away with. Then you also get stuff like color based schemes and a neat contact search that is more user friendly than the one that comes loaded on the phone. Keeping consistent with all of their other software, it is very easy to use and fits right at home with the other programs. Everything can stay on the desktop so that you don't have to go "into" the phone to open programs or pull up settings. You can fully customize the phone to your liking. Personally, I've stripped mine down to a very clean today screen. You can opt to use the "NOW" screen rather than the tabbed one that might like familiar if you've installed any other Spb apps. I don't care much for busy desktops on my phone, but if you do, you can have EVERYTHING on the main screen. You can set the phone up to where you you don't have to click your window icon hardly at all. If your phone doesn't have many free shortcut buttons, that's alright. You can reassign the ones you have with Mobile Shell or just set up icons and tabs in a manner that you feel comfortable with on your "Today" screen.

Overall it looks very modern with great colors, icons, and functionality. I think that this program works well for two types of people. First, the person who has used their phone and WM5 for a while and is looking for a change. It's night and day difference without feeling like starting over completely. It just makes sense to rearrange stuff this way. The other type of person who'd get the best benefit is someone who has just started using their phone with WM5. Perhaps you're used to the Palm OS or Blackberry OS. This would be great for a new user to find all the features and functionality that Windows offers without hunting hard at all. Truth is, I'd recommend it to anyone. It makes the phone simple enough to get around that my mom or dad would figure it after a day or two. After all, didn't we get a phone with all these features so that we could use them efficiently?

5 Words to Sum it Up: Best Mobile App Out Today.