Last night I forgot all about watching the season finale of a show that I have followed weekly for months. I couldn't believe it! "Now what?" "There has to be a way to see it right?" The good news is here. I found a way to see it and also a way to see episodes of other shows that I missed along the way. http://tv.blinkx.com/
If you go to this site, you can do a search for your show. With a little bit of luck, you can watch your favorite show right on your computer screen. I found the episode that I missed last night and I just spent an hour in pure self-indulgence...watching my show, eating my lunch, and drinking an iced cold soda. They have past episodes of Glee, American Idol, Cops, Hot in Cleveland, Saturday Night Live, the Real Houswives shows, and lots more. A word of caution though. They also have a movie search engine. I tried this a few times and it only brought me to web sites that wanted to sell me something. The TV shows are free. Movies cost money and I haven't found any legitimate site that is willing to let you watch them for free.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Keeping Track of Your Own Medical Records
I am guilty of it and just about everyone that I know is guilty of it. Where are your medical records? Mine are at the offices of several different doctors, at the medical labs, at the hospital, at the X-Ray center, and probably at a few more places that I can't remember. These days, doctors want you to not only bring in a list of your medications, but the actual bottles. I remember the last time that I went to a doctor and I had to do this. I sat in the waiting room feeling like all of the patients were silently comparing just how ill we all were by glancing over at the number of bottles in each other's plastic baggies.
Google once again has come out with something that I think is very worthwhile. It's a way to organize your medical records and the program is all set up for you and free to use.
http://www.google.com/intl/en-US/health/about/index.html
You can go in and start out by listing all of your medications and dosages. Then you can list the names of your doctors, their addresses, and their telephone numbers. (This is more organized than I am already.) From there you can upload your blood test results and any other lab or any other test results that you have had done. Google has already partnered with some of the major testing facilities and they are trying to gain more partners as I type this. In my opinion, this is something that has been needed for a long time. By filling out a few forms, we will eventually be able to get the testing facilities and the hospitals to e-mail our results directly to our Google Health page, therefore building a log of our own medical history. Why is it that doctors have always guarded our medical records as if they are top secret? Isn't it time that we take charge of our own health and start looking at doctors as paid professionals? When is the last time that you hired an auto mechanic and he told you that you couldn't look at the results of his findings? He would tell you what he found, but you couldn't read the diagnostic results from his fancy auto mechanic's machine. Now that I think about it, maybe that happens quite frequently. But when it comes to health, and your own health, isn't it about time that we are the owners of our own records? With the Google Health Program, once you have it compiled, you can simply refer to it yourself, or should you see a new doctor, you can forward him a copy. It will include your insurance information, medications, allergies, medical conditions, test results, hospital visits, etc.
The medical profession openly talks about mistakes. I have personally experienced them and just about everyone that I know can tell you a story about their own medical mishap or someone else that suffered the consequences of a medical error. If nothing else, should something happen to you, a family member or a friend can pull up your information immediately if you give them access, or if you think ahead of time, you can send them updated files. Like many things in life, it takes time. It is just one more chore to do. But, is it better to do it now and make sure that it is accurate, or wait and have the emergency room staff try to figure everything out once you are there at their mercy? I am going to start filling mine out right now.
Google once again has come out with something that I think is very worthwhile. It's a way to organize your medical records and the program is all set up for you and free to use.
http://www.google.com/intl/en-US/health/about/index.html
You can go in and start out by listing all of your medications and dosages. Then you can list the names of your doctors, their addresses, and their telephone numbers. (This is more organized than I am already.) From there you can upload your blood test results and any other lab or any other test results that you have had done. Google has already partnered with some of the major testing facilities and they are trying to gain more partners as I type this. In my opinion, this is something that has been needed for a long time. By filling out a few forms, we will eventually be able to get the testing facilities and the hospitals to e-mail our results directly to our Google Health page, therefore building a log of our own medical history. Why is it that doctors have always guarded our medical records as if they are top secret? Isn't it time that we take charge of our own health and start looking at doctors as paid professionals? When is the last time that you hired an auto mechanic and he told you that you couldn't look at the results of his findings? He would tell you what he found, but you couldn't read the diagnostic results from his fancy auto mechanic's machine. Now that I think about it, maybe that happens quite frequently. But when it comes to health, and your own health, isn't it about time that we are the owners of our own records? With the Google Health Program, once you have it compiled, you can simply refer to it yourself, or should you see a new doctor, you can forward him a copy. It will include your insurance information, medications, allergies, medical conditions, test results, hospital visits, etc.
The medical profession openly talks about mistakes. I have personally experienced them and just about everyone that I know can tell you a story about their own medical mishap or someone else that suffered the consequences of a medical error. If nothing else, should something happen to you, a family member or a friend can pull up your information immediately if you give them access, or if you think ahead of time, you can send them updated files. Like many things in life, it takes time. It is just one more chore to do. But, is it better to do it now and make sure that it is accurate, or wait and have the emergency room staff try to figure everything out once you are there at their mercy? I am going to start filling mine out right now.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
WebMD Keeping Up-to-date with your Medical Conditions
If you have a medical condition and you would like updates on the latest research and treatments, you can sign up for newsletters from WebMD. They will send you up-to-date news on your condition and provide you with the latest research. WebMD is a professional organization...not one of those hokey sites that is going to diagnose your condition by filling out a form on your computer screen. They have lots and lots of great information. This is an invaluable tool in managing your health. https://member.webmd.com/newsletters/newsletters.aspx
Sunday, June 27, 2010
WeatherBug
I know that lots of people listen to the news and get weather updates on the hour. I think that you have to remember what your minute is...every hour at 8 minutes past the hour or something like that. I use WeatherBug. It's a program that you can download and use for free. In return, the company asks that you pick out a couple of advertisers and allow them to send you promotional offers once in awhile. That's a fair trade-off in my mind. In return, I have the current temperature displaying on my computer screen and I get severe weather alerts instantly when a little weather bug icon replaces the temperature icon and starts beeping unrelentlessly. WeatherBug also provides 7-day forecasts and just about everything else that your weatherman predicts on the nightly news.
Now the BIG question is, "What makes WeatherBug so great?" The company was originally developed as sort of a school project. They placed live cameras and weather tracking devices at schools across the country in order to aid the teachers and students in science classes. It grew from there and developed into a national weather service that is now used by our own Homeland Security as well as by over 100 television broadcast stations. They are now the world's largest proprietary weather network with over 8,000 weather tracking stations across the U.S. and 1,000 live cameras. I live on the ocean and my area has 10 tracking stations that I can choose from in order to get the most up-to-date weather. My feed is coming from the local high school which is .45 miles away and it also has a live camera. At a glance, I can tell exactly what the temperature is and just how strong the wind is blowing. If a severe storm is coming, my little bug friend starts chirping like crazy, warning me to clear the deck and batten down the hatches! You can also go into WeatherBug and view live pictures from the cameras. I just went in and looked at a live camera shot from Philadelphia, PA and another one from Wildwood, NJ. It's a calm night in the northeast! WeatherBug is also available for mobile phone users and there is lots more information for boaters. Check it out! http://weatherbug.com/
Now the BIG question is, "What makes WeatherBug so great?" The company was originally developed as sort of a school project. They placed live cameras and weather tracking devices at schools across the country in order to aid the teachers and students in science classes. It grew from there and developed into a national weather service that is now used by our own Homeland Security as well as by over 100 television broadcast stations. They are now the world's largest proprietary weather network with over 8,000 weather tracking stations across the U.S. and 1,000 live cameras. I live on the ocean and my area has 10 tracking stations that I can choose from in order to get the most up-to-date weather. My feed is coming from the local high school which is .45 miles away and it also has a live camera. At a glance, I can tell exactly what the temperature is and just how strong the wind is blowing. If a severe storm is coming, my little bug friend starts chirping like crazy, warning me to clear the deck and batten down the hatches! You can also go into WeatherBug and view live pictures from the cameras. I just went in and looked at a live camera shot from Philadelphia, PA and another one from Wildwood, NJ. It's a calm night in the northeast! WeatherBug is also available for mobile phone users and there is lots more information for boaters. Check it out! http://weatherbug.com/
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Comparison Shopping-Finding the Best Price
Google has outdone themselves once again. If you read my last post about comparing prices on a printer from 156 stores, you probably wondered how I did that. If you type "compare prices" into your browser, you will come up with several of the old standby internet price comparison sites. Google has come up with a search engine that will not only compare prices from internet sellers, but from local stores and it will tell you which ones are in your area along with a map showing you how to get there. The search engine also compares prices with tax and shipping so that you get a true bottom line price. You can find it at http://www.google.com/products or right from your gmail screen if you click on "more" from the navigation bar at the top of the page, and then click on "shopping."
Let's use the Canon Pixma MP640 printer as our example. If I type that into the search box, I can then sort my search by relevance, price, product rating, and seller rating. I can also enter my zip code to find stores in my area. I am going to search using my zip code. The first item that comes up tells me that the printer is being sold in 9 nearby stores. If I click on the "compare prices" button, now I not only see the prices from the internet sellers, but I can also see what Sears, Walmart and Staples are charging. I can also look up customer reviews, technical specs, how-to videos, similar items and accessories for the printer.
If you can get used to using this search engine, you can stop going through the Sunday newspaper ads to see who has the best price in your area and stop searching all over the internet in order to compare prices. I would imagine that there are a lot of retailers who aren't thrilled about this nifty tool, but for the consumer, it's golden!
Let's use the Canon Pixma MP640 printer as our example. If I type that into the search box, I can then sort my search by relevance, price, product rating, and seller rating. I can also enter my zip code to find stores in my area. I am going to search using my zip code. The first item that comes up tells me that the printer is being sold in 9 nearby stores. If I click on the "compare prices" button, now I not only see the prices from the internet sellers, but I can also see what Sears, Walmart and Staples are charging. I can also look up customer reviews, technical specs, how-to videos, similar items and accessories for the printer.
If you can get used to using this search engine, you can stop going through the Sunday newspaper ads to see who has the best price in your area and stop searching all over the internet in order to compare prices. I would imagine that there are a lot of retailers who aren't thrilled about this nifty tool, but for the consumer, it's golden!
Deal a Day at Woot
If you've never heard of Woot.com, it is an internet site that offers a daily deal on what they call "cool gadgets." Every day, just one new item is listed for sale at 12:00 midnight central time. It is available for sale until 11:59 pm the following night, unless it sells out beforehand. Their motto is, "One Day, One Deal." If they run out, that's it. You only get one shot at it! Today they were selling a Canon Pixma Mp640 All-in-one printer for $79.95 plus $5.00 shipping. The lowest price that I could find in other stores after comparing prices from 156 sellers was $130.00 including tax and shipping. Needless to say, Woot's price was so good that the printer sold out.
By now your're probably thinking, "I could have bought 20 printers and resold them on eBay." Not so fast.....Woot has a limit and they only allow three items per person. If you do take a look at their site, take a moment to check out their Woot Faqs page. These guys have a great sense of humor and it's well worth a read!
Okay, it's 12:58 eastern time. The daily deal should be showing up any minute now! http://www.woot.com/
By now your're probably thinking, "I could have bought 20 printers and resold them on eBay." Not so fast.....Woot has a limit and they only allow three items per person. If you do take a look at their site, take a moment to check out their Woot Faqs page. These guys have a great sense of humor and it's well worth a read!
Okay, it's 12:58 eastern time. The daily deal should be showing up any minute now! http://www.woot.com/
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Jango An Online Music Jukebox
Being a music lover, I think that Jango is one of my favorite internet sites. Jango is kind of like having your own personal juke box. You simply create your own music station by typing in the names of your favorite artists and adding them to your station. Jango will then play songs from that artist on your station and add songs from artists that are similar in genre. The more songs that you add, the more you can customize your station. You then can save this station for the next time that you want to tune in and listen. You can also create more than one station. You have to sign up intially, which is free. Then you can start creating your own channels. As an example, I just created a new station which I named, "Saturday Night Listening." So, for starters, I typed in Michael Buble. From there, I let Jango do its thing. The next songs that it played for me were by Diana Krall, Frank Sinatra, Josh Groban, Norah Jones....which were all right up my alley. Then I saved this station so that the next time I go back, I already have my "Saturday Night Listening" music all ready to go. If I want to customize the music, I just type in the name of an artist that I like and add it to my station. Jango is pretty smart. It will continue to pick and choose more songs to play for you according to the artists that you add. You can also choose not to have it play songs and it will bypass those artists.
Okay, now let me really confuse you. There are other people who have saved their stations and you can tune in and listen to what they have chosen to listen to. You can also interact with them and get them to be internet friends. I haven't gone in that direction. I am happy to just bring up my Jango and click on one of my saved stations. I also get to hear artists that I probably never would have discovered on my own. (There are just so many hours in the day.)
So...go check it out. There isn't much not to like... Oops, they do throw in an occasional advertisement. Trust me, if you can watch TV with ads every 10 to 15 minutes, you can listen to one on Jango about once every 15 songs.
I hope that you enjoy Jango as much as I do. http://www.jango.com/
Okay, now let me really confuse you. There are other people who have saved their stations and you can tune in and listen to what they have chosen to listen to. You can also interact with them and get them to be internet friends. I haven't gone in that direction. I am happy to just bring up my Jango and click on one of my saved stations. I also get to hear artists that I probably never would have discovered on my own. (There are just so many hours in the day.)
So...go check it out. There isn't much not to like... Oops, they do throw in an occasional advertisement. Trust me, if you can watch TV with ads every 10 to 15 minutes, you can listen to one on Jango about once every 15 songs.
I hope that you enjoy Jango as much as I do. http://www.jango.com/
Monday, June 21, 2010
Is it Time to Change Your Batteries?
How many times have you been on the phone in the past month and the other person's phone went dead, or maybe even your own. Why? Because just about everything needs batteries and it isn't easy to drive around town and find just the right battery for your phone, or your laptop, or your flashlight. I discovered Batteries.com a while back. Their search engine is great and you can find just about any battery that you might need. Their shipping fee is nominal on top of it! I am going to put an end to asking, "Your phone or mine?" Batteries.com
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Your Picture on Canvas
The technology came out about 20 years ago, but for whatever reason, it never took off until now. You can take a picture and have it reproduced on canvas. It isn't a digital photo...it is painted. Your picture is put into the computer, the computer reads the pixels, and then it starts printing out your favorite baby picture, or wedding picture, or just about anything else that you can think of on a frameable piece of canvas. The computer is actually able to send your digital picture to the printer which has about 100 ink heads that go back and forth over the canvas and spit out just the correct amount of ink and color to reproduce your photo.
Prices start at $59 dollars. It's a great present, or something to have as a keepsake for your family for years to come. Can you imagine giving the new bride and groom a framed, painted work of art? Or the new mother a picture of her baby?
There are so many ways to create a lasting memory. CanvasOnDemand.com
Prices start at $59 dollars. It's a great present, or something to have as a keepsake for your family for years to come. Can you imagine giving the new bride and groom a framed, painted work of art? Or the new mother a picture of her baby?
There are so many ways to create a lasting memory. CanvasOnDemand.com
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Entertainment Book
You have probably heard of it, or maybe you even bought it at one time. I'm not sure why, but I had totally forgotten about the Entertainment book once I moved to a different part of my state. It wasn't until a friend got a copy that a bell went off in my head. "Why did I stop buying the Entertainment book?" It has all sorts of coupons for restaurants, movies, groceries, etc. that can save you money on everything from car repairs to gourmet dinners. Right now, if you pre-order the 2011 edition for $30 to $45, they will send you a free edition of the 2010 book. Most coupons are good until November of 2010 in the current edition and then you will get the 2011 edition ahead of time which you can use for a full 15 months. I know that if nothing else, there are free coupons for pizza in my area. So, I get a free coupon book that I can use for the next 5 months and then another coupon book that I can use for another year for a total of $30 plus shipping on one book. I am going to post the link. You can go to their site and type in your zip code. Make sure to click on the A to Z index tab so that you can see all of the advertisers and offers in your local book. If you feel a little funny about using a coupon when you go into a restaurant, don't. Hand the coupon to your waiter before you order and simply ask, "I tip on the total amount before the discount right?" You will get great service and make sure that you do tip on the TOTAL amount! http://www.entertainment.com/
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Buying on the Internet
I think that I was the first person in my circle of friends who started shopping online about 15 years ago. "Is it safe?" they would ask. The first thing that I ever ordered on the internet was a bouquet of flowers for a friend's birthday. I received an e-mail confirming my order, then another e-mail when the flowers had shipped, and then a call from my friend, thanking me for the "BEAUTIFUL" bouquet. No one hacked my credit card, no one stole my identity, and I instantly became a fan of internet shopping. It's convenient and a price shopper's paradise.
This subject may seem a little bit too rudimentary for many of you, yet I still find so many people who are either afraid to shop online, or they are impulse buyers. They see it, touch it, and must have it RIGHT NOW! I used to sell on eBay and I still do sell a few things here and there, but I became frustrated as a seller. Do you know why? Because it is hard to compete with the other sellers. eBay has grown up and many of the sellers sell in volume. They are willing to make $5 or 10 dollars on a $100.00 item and that doesn't take into account any of the time they spend buying the item, listing it on eBay, dealing with customers, and finally shipping it. Bad for the me, but great for the people buying. So think about it. If you can shop someplace where you know that the seller is only making a small profit, how much will you save versus running out to a store where they have to pay employees, insurance, overhead, etc.? The answer is A LOT! Now this isn't true for everything that you buy, but it is true for many things that you will buy over the course of a year.
I still have people ask me exactly what I buy on the internet after I tell them that I shop there. Hmmm....cartridges for my printer, coupons for things that I buy in retail stores, small appliances, sheets and towels, my last bathing suit, DVD's, books....you get the idea. What I don't buy are items that I may need to return or that I might need customer service for. Many sellers provide a return policy, but it can be a real hassle to ship something back and wait for your money. My worst experience buying something on the internet was the time that I put a bid in for a plasma TV. This is going back a few years. I was new to buying on eBay and I placed a bid on the TV, thinking that I would never win. The guy who was selling it said that he had just bought out the inventory of a company that was going out of business. I woke up the next day and I couldn't believe it. I had just won the item for half of what it was selling for in retail stores and I had saved thousands of dollars! I danced around for days anticipating the arrival of my new TV, picturing in my mind just where I was going to place it on my living room wall, thinking about how smart I was to have bought my TV on eBay! My friends kept asking me what I was so happy about. I'd start my story with, "Well, you're not going to believe the deal that I just got...." Yes....I know that you have already guessed what happened because you are probably one of those real smart guys who "never would have bought anything on the internet." After waiting two weeks, my TV never arrived. It WAS too good to be true. Thankfully it all worked out because Paypal was able to get my money back. I learned a hard lesson, and one that I will never forget. If it is too good to be true, most likely, it is too good to be true. Since then, I have learned to buy from sellers on eBay or Amazon that have LOTS of feedback and GOOD feedback. Both of these companies had growing pains themselves. They allowed just about everyone and anyone to sell on their sites in good faith. After having so many sellers try to scam customers, they cracked down. You cannot remain a seller for either company for very long if you are not reputable. Negative feedback from a customer has become a seller's most dreaded nightmare.
By now you can probably tell that two of my favorite places to shop online are eBay and Amazon. So let's try an example. I need a new coffee pot and I am looking at the Cuisinart DCC-1200. It makes 12 cups and I've heard that it's good. So let's start shopping.... After comparing prices, this is what I came up with as of today, June 9, 2010. And when you are comparing prices, always make sure that you are looking at a NEW product and not one that says REFURBISHED in small print. We are going to assume that you would only buy the coffee pot on the internet if you were going to buy it from eBay or Amazon and that you would buy it at the other stores if you were shopping at the mall. The mall stores sell on the internet too, but by the time you add in their shipping charges, it is not worth comparing price wise.
Sears $79.99 + tax
JC Penny $99.99 + tax
Macy's $79.99 + tax
BestBuy $79.99 + tax
eBay $67.90 + $12.99 shipping
Amazon $64.39 + free shipping +no tax other than to KS, KY, NY, ND and WA
I guess I'm buying the coffee pot from Amazon for $64.39. Not from one of their sellers that they let advertise there, but from Amazon directly. (They have a great return policy.) Since I live in New Jersey, I would have to pay $79.99 plus $6.17 tax for a total of $86.16 if I buy my coffee pot at the mall. That saves me $21.77 by buying it online. Keep in mind that most stores that sell online will have specials and not every company allows Amazon to sell their products. If you are going to buy something from Lands End or Victoria's Secret, always do a search in your browser for the name of the company followed by the words: coupon code. Many companies put out codes for free shipping or 10% off a purchase of $50 or more. If you can find a valid code that hasn't expired, you have a good chance of getting a discount on your order or having your item shipped for free.
After my plasma TV embarrassment, I did get a little smarter about who I bought from. I went on to buy a Jacuzzi tub, a toilet, a shower head, sinks and hardware from eFaucets.com when I was renovating a bathroom. Those around me thought that I was nuts after my TV scenario. I began to believe them when it came time to shop for the toilet. Do you have any idea of how many toilets there are to choose from? High sitting, low sitting, handicapped, oval seats, round seats, super flush, water saver, plastic, porcelain and too many more buying choices to name them all. I don't think that I will ever buy a toilet on the internet again. There were just too many options and there is something to be said for going to Sears and picking out just one wonderful throne from ten different ones to choose from. Okay, now are you ready for the drum roll.....? A week later this huge tractor trailer drives down my street. I run to the window and can't help but wonder how this guy is going to turn around. I lived on a cul-de-sac and I had never seen a tractor trailer come down my street. Then I see the guy getting out of the truck and coming towards MY house. He knocks on the door and I am already thinking that he's lost. As I open the door, I can hear him saying, "Delivery from eFaucets.com Yes, yes, yes!! My new Jacuzzi whirlpool tub with the 10 pulsating jets has arrived! I helped the guy unload everything into my garage, said goodbye and immediately went upstairs to call my plumber who was going to install everything. As I'm on the phone, I can hear someone screaming outside. It turns out it was the truck driver who was swearing up a storm because he couldn't turn his 18-wheeler around. He did finally manage to get out, but he had to back his truck up all the way down the street. I guess it was a bad day for him, but it turned out to be one of my better days. I had made a large purchase on the internet and everything was sitting in my garage. If you are wondering why I went against my former advice of not buying anything that I couldn't return? I figured that it would be just as much of a hassle to return a Jacuzzi tub and toilet to eFaucets.com as it would be to return it to any store. It would still involve them sending a truck out, lots of phone calls, and waiting for a replacement. I am happy to say that I spent many hours enjoying that whirlpool tub and thinking about how "brilliant" I was at having saved so much money by buying it on the internet!
So let's go over some of the things that you need to keep in mind before you shop online. Can you return it and under what circumstances? Is it new or refurbished? Does the seller have a good reputation? What are the shipping charges? Will I be charged tax? You'll notice that some people on eBay start their auctions at .99 cents and then charge high prices for shipping. This is because eBay takes a percentage of the final sale price as their commission. The seller is building their profit into the shipping charges and paying low fees on the final sale price. eBay frowns upon this, but sellers do it all of the time. When you are buying expensive items, take into consideration how much you are going to pay in sales tax. You may not have to pay any if you buy online. If you are going to buy a computer online and you are not computer savvy, then buy your computer at a place like Best Buy where you can go back and get help if you run into problems. It will save you a lot of gray hairs in the long run.
Now going back to the notion that this discussion might be a little bit too basic for some people. To that I say.... Somebody is buying it at the mall or else they wouldn't be selling it....and....who doesn't need to save a little money?
Monday, June 7, 2010
1-800-GOOG-411 Free Business Directory Assistance
If you are still paying for directory assistance each month in order to find a business, try using Google's free service. This has been out for awhile now, but I still run into people who have never heard of it before. http://www.google.com/goog411/
Does magicJack Work?
You've seen it on late night commercials and you've probably wondered if this thing really works or if it is just another gizmo. I received one as a gift about 2 years ago. I was so excited at the thought of finally giving up my telephone service and only having one phone bill a month which is for my cell phone. I plugged the magicJack right into my computer, it fired up and I thought I was ready to go. Well...it worked, but I constantly heard beeps that were piercing to both my ears and to the person I was calling. Then there were white-outs. As if the phone went dead for a few seconds. So, much to my dismay, the magicJack went into my desk drawer where it sat for the next 18 months.
About 6 months ago, I stumbled across an article on the internet that said that magicJack had an upgrade to their software. So, once again, I decided to try out my magicJack and see if there was a difference after the upgrade. I plugged it in again and after installing the upgrade, my phone was working and I was able to make calls. The only problem I had was that I couldn't get my phone to ring. My computer speakers would ring, but not my phone. After spending some time with magicJack's customer support, we determined that it was the actual magicJack that wasn't working. They shipped out a new one which I had two days later and it solved the problem right off the bat. Since then, things have changed drastically since my first experience. No more beeps, no more white-outs, and crystal clear calls. And... no more monthly phone bills for a land line.
I use my magicJack both as my business phone and as my home phone. I often have to connect to a mainframe in Texas in order to conduct client interviews. This is how I have my system set up. People from across the country dial my 800 number which is routed into a call center in Texas. Their system routes my calls to my magicJack number in New Jersey. My magicJack rings, announcing a call from my 800 number. I then bring up my online business screen that is connected to the computer in Texas. I have a headset that I connect to my phone. So, I am entering data into a mainframe in Texas from my computer in New York, while speaking to the client on my magicJack with my headset on. To top it off, these calls are all recorded from the phone system in Texas. And believe it or not, it all works without any problems.
The beauty of this little device is that you can get it to work within minutes. It simply plugs into one of the open USB ports on your computer and starts installing itself. Then you tell it a little bit about yourself such as your address for 911 calls, you pick out a phone number, hook up a telephone, and you are ready to go. One of the biggest misconceptions that I've read is that people think that you have to sit at your computer to use your phone. It is simply a phone jack. Think of it as if the phone company came to your house and installed a new jack on your baseboard molding. I have two portable talking Pansonic phones with caller ID. One base and one extension base. The phone cord from the base plugs right into the magicJack and you plug in the electric cord from your phone into an electrical outlet. (Just the same way you would hook up your phone to any phone jack.) So, my base phone sits on top of my desk. The extension base sits in my livingroom. Both are portable phones so I can walk around using either phone just as you would any portable. Half of the time my phones are sitting right next to me no matter where I am in the house. Oh, and the phones ring just like regular phones. The magicJack has caller ID too. So, if you go into your contact list on your magicJack menu and add the names of your friends to their phone numbers, you will see their names pop up when they call. Because I am using the Panasonic phones with caller ID, my phones announce the names of the people that I know when they call. If you have a phone with an answering machine, you can also set it up so that your machine answers your magicJack calls. The magicJack menu also shows you a list of incoming and outgoing calls on your computer screen. On top of that, magicJack also offers call waiting and voice mail. If you miss a call, you can dial right into your voice mail from your phone or you can go into your email and read a wave file that has been recorded with the actual message from the caller. If you've ever deleted a message by accident, this a nice way to save your messages right on your computer.
There has been quite a bit of concern from people who don't want to leave their computers on all day or all night. In my case, I kept my cell phone which I can use at night for an emergency. If your computer isn't on, the message will still come through to your voice mail. Your phone just won't ring. The way around this is to simply forward your magicJack calls to your cell. I find that most people call both your home number and your cell number if they really need to get ahold of you. I have a Boost Mobile cell phone and I was on the monthly plan. The magicJack has allowed me to switch over to the pay-as-you-go plan which now costs me $10.00 a month. (I don't tend to have long phone conversations when I am away from home, but that may not be the case for everyone.) If you do leave your computer on 24/7, it is estimated that your increased electric bill will run about $12.00 per month on average.
The price of the magicJack is your initial purchase price of $39.99 which includes one year of service. Then it just costs $19.95 per year. You can call anywhere within the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands without it costing you any additional fees. The magicJack works with Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7 and Intel-based Macs. A high-speed internet connection is required. It will not work with dial-up or satellite internet.
There are some additional features that I haven't tried out yet. Conference calling is included. You can also take your magicJack with you if you're out of town. You just need to plug it into a computer that has high-speed internet. If you are going to use a laptop, be careful of any type of interference. The same interference that slows down your Wifi connection will also interfere with your ability to place clear calls. The benefit of taking your magicJack with you is that you can continue to make calls to anywhere in the U.S. and Canada from any country. Also, if you call from one magicJack to another magicJack in any country, the call is free. A lot of people buy two magicJacks for this reason. One for home and one for their suitcase, or one to send to someone outside of the country. If you take your magicJack with you from home, not to worry. It will automatically boot up on another computer and bring up your stored contacts and numbers on the magicJack menu.
Lots of people have complained about magicJack's customer support. This is something that they are working to improve. If you buy a magicJack, keep in mind that some stores do offer customer support which you won't get if you buy it at your local discount chain. There are online forums which can provide tips and tricks if you run into problems along the way. If you buy directly from majicJack, they offer a 30-day free trial period.
For $39.99, go get yourself one!
About 6 months ago, I stumbled across an article on the internet that said that magicJack had an upgrade to their software. So, once again, I decided to try out my magicJack and see if there was a difference after the upgrade. I plugged it in again and after installing the upgrade, my phone was working and I was able to make calls. The only problem I had was that I couldn't get my phone to ring. My computer speakers would ring, but not my phone. After spending some time with magicJack's customer support, we determined that it was the actual magicJack that wasn't working. They shipped out a new one which I had two days later and it solved the problem right off the bat. Since then, things have changed drastically since my first experience. No more beeps, no more white-outs, and crystal clear calls. And... no more monthly phone bills for a land line.
I use my magicJack both as my business phone and as my home phone. I often have to connect to a mainframe in Texas in order to conduct client interviews. This is how I have my system set up. People from across the country dial my 800 number which is routed into a call center in Texas. Their system routes my calls to my magicJack number in New Jersey. My magicJack rings, announcing a call from my 800 number. I then bring up my online business screen that is connected to the computer in Texas. I have a headset that I connect to my phone. So, I am entering data into a mainframe in Texas from my computer in New York, while speaking to the client on my magicJack with my headset on. To top it off, these calls are all recorded from the phone system in Texas. And believe it or not, it all works without any problems.
The beauty of this little device is that you can get it to work within minutes. It simply plugs into one of the open USB ports on your computer and starts installing itself. Then you tell it a little bit about yourself such as your address for 911 calls, you pick out a phone number, hook up a telephone, and you are ready to go. One of the biggest misconceptions that I've read is that people think that you have to sit at your computer to use your phone. It is simply a phone jack. Think of it as if the phone company came to your house and installed a new jack on your baseboard molding. I have two portable talking Pansonic phones with caller ID. One base and one extension base. The phone cord from the base plugs right into the magicJack and you plug in the electric cord from your phone into an electrical outlet. (Just the same way you would hook up your phone to any phone jack.) So, my base phone sits on top of my desk. The extension base sits in my livingroom. Both are portable phones so I can walk around using either phone just as you would any portable. Half of the time my phones are sitting right next to me no matter where I am in the house. Oh, and the phones ring just like regular phones. The magicJack has caller ID too. So, if you go into your contact list on your magicJack menu and add the names of your friends to their phone numbers, you will see their names pop up when they call. Because I am using the Panasonic phones with caller ID, my phones announce the names of the people that I know when they call. If you have a phone with an answering machine, you can also set it up so that your machine answers your magicJack calls. The magicJack menu also shows you a list of incoming and outgoing calls on your computer screen. On top of that, magicJack also offers call waiting and voice mail. If you miss a call, you can dial right into your voice mail from your phone or you can go into your email and read a wave file that has been recorded with the actual message from the caller. If you've ever deleted a message by accident, this a nice way to save your messages right on your computer.
There has been quite a bit of concern from people who don't want to leave their computers on all day or all night. In my case, I kept my cell phone which I can use at night for an emergency. If your computer isn't on, the message will still come through to your voice mail. Your phone just won't ring. The way around this is to simply forward your magicJack calls to your cell. I find that most people call both your home number and your cell number if they really need to get ahold of you. I have a Boost Mobile cell phone and I was on the monthly plan. The magicJack has allowed me to switch over to the pay-as-you-go plan which now costs me $10.00 a month. (I don't tend to have long phone conversations when I am away from home, but that may not be the case for everyone.) If you do leave your computer on 24/7, it is estimated that your increased electric bill will run about $12.00 per month on average.
The price of the magicJack is your initial purchase price of $39.99 which includes one year of service. Then it just costs $19.95 per year. You can call anywhere within the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands without it costing you any additional fees. The magicJack works with Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7 and Intel-based Macs. A high-speed internet connection is required. It will not work with dial-up or satellite internet.
There are some additional features that I haven't tried out yet. Conference calling is included. You can also take your magicJack with you if you're out of town. You just need to plug it into a computer that has high-speed internet. If you are going to use a laptop, be careful of any type of interference. The same interference that slows down your Wifi connection will also interfere with your ability to place clear calls. The benefit of taking your magicJack with you is that you can continue to make calls to anywhere in the U.S. and Canada from any country. Also, if you call from one magicJack to another magicJack in any country, the call is free. A lot of people buy two magicJacks for this reason. One for home and one for their suitcase, or one to send to someone outside of the country. If you take your magicJack with you from home, not to worry. It will automatically boot up on another computer and bring up your stored contacts and numbers on the magicJack menu.
Lots of people have complained about magicJack's customer support. This is something that they are working to improve. If you buy a magicJack, keep in mind that some stores do offer customer support which you won't get if you buy it at your local discount chain. There are online forums which can provide tips and tricks if you run into problems along the way. If you buy directly from majicJack, they offer a 30-day free trial period.
For $39.99, go get yourself one!
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