I was quite disappointed with the previous release (1.07), and ended up abandoning it in favor of Facebook Lite in Opera.  1.07 didn’t even offer basic features like viewing post comments or “liking” posts.

Version 1.2 includes these features, and an updated notification system.  It is the first version I’ve found usable, and I’m pleased that Microsoft has improved it.  Here’s hoping that trend continues.

© 2010, Jonathan Johnson. All rights reserved.

Why would I want to use Google Voice with my cell phone?

1. Google Voice gives you a permanent number that forwards to the phone or phones of your choice.  If you change carriers or move, you don’t have to worry about “porting” your old phone number- you can just change your forwarding phone settings in Google Voice.  Additionally, your Google Voice number can ring your home, work, and cell phones at the same time, and you can answer whichever one you want.  You can block specific numbers, send others to specific phones, and determine what time of day you want each phone to ring.
2. Save money/minutes on calls.  US calls are free.  International calls are far less expensive than the exorbitant per-minute fees charged by cellular carriers.  For example, I can use Google Voice to call my sister in Germany for about 2 cents per minute.  AT&T would charge well over a dollar per minute for the same call.
3. Keep your cell/home numbers private.  You can use Google Voice as your outgoing number when you place calls.  This requires some additional software, but gives the advantage of not exposing numbers you want to keep private.  Only your Google Voice number will show up on caller ID when you place calls this way.
4. Save money on text messages.  You can send and receive text messages directly from Google Voice using your phone’s mobile browser.  If you don’t have a text plan, or if your text plan only gives you a limited number of monthly messages, this is a good way to maximize your usage while saving on message fees.  Alternatively, you can have your text messages forwarded to your phone.
5. Voicemail transcription.  Using your phone’s mobile browser, you can read transcriptions of voicemail messages minutes after they are left.  The transcriptions are not perfect, and are sometimes amusing, but the service is good enough that you can see who called and get the gist of what they wanted.

Disclaimer (Read this before you continue!): This is the part where I cover my butt.  Integrating Google Voice with your Windows Mobile phone requires installing and configuring several free third-party software programs. The procedure described below worked on my HTC Tilt 2 from AT&T running Windows Mobile 6.5.  I have not tried it on any other device and I make no guarantees that it will work on yours.  I do not offer any type of tech support.  If you choose to proceed, you do so at your own risk and agree that I am not responsible for anything that may go wrong as a result.

Still with me?  Good.

Things you’ll need

In addition to your phone, you’ll need several pieces of free software, and a couple of free user accounts.  I’ll show you where to get each of these things and how to configure them.

Hardware

1. A device running Windows Mobile.  I have version 6.5 on mine.  I’m under the impression that this should work with previous versions as well, but you may have to use different software or earlier versions of the same software.

Software

1. iDialer-gv from Supware.com.  This app comes in both Google Voice and regular flavors.  Make sure you get the one for Google Voice, which has the “gv” suffix.
2. iContact from Supware.com.  This app integrates your phone contacts with iDialer and provides some additional functionality.
3. iDialer configuration program.  Once you’ve installed iDialer, you use another program to configure it to your Google Voice account and dialing preferences.
4. Fring.  This is the VoIP client you will use for your Google Voice calls.  You can use another VoIP client if you prefer, as long as it is configurable and supports the SIP protocol.

Services

1. A wifi or 3G connection.
2. A Google Voice account.
3. A Gizmo5 account.  Your Google Voice account will forward to this service, which integrates directly with Fring.

Part One: Setting up Google Voice

Note: For this next part, you need a Google Voice account, or an invitation to set up a Google Voice account.  The service is available by invitation only.  If you already have an account or invitation, skip the next paragraph and go directly to the instructions. Update: Google Voice is now open to the public and invitations are no longer required.

Instructions:

I recommend using your desktop computer rather than your mobile browser for this part.

1. If you don’t already have a Google Voice account, click the link in your invitation email.  Follow the instructions to create your account.  If you don’t already have a Google account, you’ll be asked to set one up at this point.  You will have a choice of area codes, and the chance to enter any number sequences you want in your new phone number.
2. Once you’ve created your Google Voice account, log in and click “Settings” in the upper right corner.
3. Under “Settings,” select “Phones.”  This is where you set up Forwarding Phones, which are the phones you want your Google Voice number to forward to.  When you place a call through Google Voice, you will choose one of your forwarding phones for the call to be connected to.
4. Click “Add phone.”  You’ll be asked to enter the type of phone, the number, and a phone name that you select.
5. After you click “Save,” a message will pop up telling you that the number needs to be verified.  A 2-digit code will be displayed.
6. Click “Connect.”  Google Voice will call the phone number.  When you answer, you will be asked to enter the code displayed on the website using your phone’s numeric keypad.  After you have entered the code, you will be told, “your forwarding phone is set up.  Goodbye.”

Part Two: Setting up your Gizmo account

Note: Parts Two and Three are optional.  You need them only if you want to make free VoIP calls with your cell phone that don’t use your minutes, or if you want to connect your Google Voice number with an analog telephone adapter for free home phone service.

Update: Since Gizmo5 is no longer allowing new signups, I recommend substituting a free SipGate account, available at https://secure.sipgate.com/register/code.  Enter your cell number to receive a text message with instructions for signing up.  Make sure you choose “SipGate One,” which is free.  Once you’ve signed up, download the SipGate softphone, available here.  Using the SipGate Softphone, register and confirm your SipGate number with your Google Voice account.

I recommend using your desktop computer rather than your mobile browser for this part.

1. Go to GizmoProject.com.  Click on “Download for Desktop.”  Follow the instructions for downloading and installing the Gizmo softphone client.
2. When you open the softphone program for the first time, you will have two choices: “Log in using an existing account name” or “Register a new account name.”  Select “Register a new account name.” You’ll be asked to pick a username and password, and provide an email address.  Follow the instructions to register your free account.  Don’t opt for any of the paid plans unless you already know you want to.
3. Return to GizmoProject.com.  Click on “Members Sign In” in the upper right corner.  Enter your username and password to sign in.
4. Scroll down until you see “Account Overview.”  Beneath “Account Overview” you should see “Sip Number:” followed by a 11 digit number that looks like a phone number.  Write this number down- you’ll need it to set up forwarding in your Google Voice account.
5. Click the “Google Voice” tab.  Enter your Google Voice number and click “Save.”  This enables Google Voice calling directly through Gizmo.  Your Google Voice number will show up as your outgoing caller ID.  Gizmo limits you to 3 minutes free on outgoing calls, after which you pay 2 cents per minute.  All incoming calls are free, which is why I’m going to show you how originate your calls from Google Voice such that Gizmo treats them as incoming calls.

Note: the Gizmo “Sip” number is not a regular phone number, and cannot be directly called from a cell phone or landline.  In order to take calls from regular phones, you have to set up a forwarding service, such as Google Voice.  For a few dollars per month, Gizmo will give you a regular phone number that forwards to your Sip number.  Google Voice does the same thing for free, and I’ll explain how to set that up.

Part Three: Set up forwarding from Google Voice to Gizmo

1. Log into your Google Voice account.  Click “Settings” then “Phones.”
2. Click “Add Phone.”
3. You’ll be asked to enter the type of phone, the number, and a phone name that you select. Make sure you select “Gizmo” under phone type.  Enter your 11 digit Gizmo Sip number.  (This is the number I told you to write down in Part Two.  If you didn’t write it down, return to Part Two step 3.)
4. Click “Save.”  After you click “Save,” a message will pop up telling you that the number needs to be verified.  A 2-digit code will be displayed.
5. Make sure the Gizmo softphone you downloaded to your desktop is open and logged in, and your speakers are turned on.
6. Click “Connect.”  Google Voice will call the phone number.  Your Gizmo desktop client will ring.  When you answer, you will be asked to enter the code displayed on the website.  This part is a little tricky, because you have to find and open the dialpad on your softphone.  Look for a button with a triangle with the point facing down.  This is the “Options” button.  Click it and select “Sound Blasts” from the drop-down menu.  This will bring up the dialpad, which you can use to enter the verification code.  After you have entered the code, you will be told, “your forwarding phone is set up.  Goodbye.”

Part Four: Install and configure iDialer and iContact

iDialer is a free dialpad for your Windows Mobile phone that integrates with Google Voice.  After you’ve installed it, you will use a second program to automatically configure it.  iContact integrates your phone contact list into iDialer, and provides additional functionality for Google Voice calling.

During the installation process, you’ll be given the choice of installing each program to your device memory or to the storage card.  I recommend installing to the storage card to save space on your phone’s limited internal memory.

I’ll walk you through the process.

1. Go to http://www.supware.net/iDialer/.  Scroll down to where it says “Download – Google Voice version.  Click on “iDialer-gv.cab.”  Save this file to your desktop.
2. Go to http://www.supware.net/iContact/.  Click on “iContact.cab” and save it to your desktop.
3. Go to http://www.supware.net/iDialer/config/.  You will see a set of 5 dropdown menus, labelled “Service 1″ through “Service 5.”  Under Service 1, select “Standard (Phone)” and give it a name in the “Title” field.  Under Service 2, select “Google Voice (Callback).”  Then enter your 10 digit cell number in the “Callback Number” field and give it a name in the “Title” field.  If you are using a Gizmo5 account, under Service 3, select “Google Voice (Callback),” and enter your 11 digit Gizmo Sip number.  Repeat the process until you’ve entered all your forwarding phone numbers.  Click “Generate Cab.”  When the download dialog pops up, save the file (iDialer-config.cab) to your desktop.
4. Use your USB cable or storage card to transfer the .cab files to your phone.  Use your phone’s File Explorer to navigate to where you saved the files.
5. Run iDialer-gv.cab.  Follow the onscreen prompts to install the program.
6. When installation has completed, find the iDialer icon under your Start or Programs menu, and tap it.  Enter your Google Voice username and password at the prompt.  Then close the program.
7. Open your phone’s File Explorer and return to where you saved the .cab files.
8. Run iContact.cab.  Follow the onscreen prompts to install the program.
9. Run iDialer-config.cab.  Follow the onscreen prompts to install the program.
10. Return to your Start or Programs menu and reopen iDialer.  If you installed all three .cab files, you should now see a dialpad with a row of buttons underneath.  Notice also the green “Call” button at the bottom of the dialpad.  Underneath the word “Call” you should see the name of one of your forwarding phones in small letters.  Use the button that looks like a phone to cycle through your forwarding phone numbers.  Each time you press the button, the phone name on your Call button should change.
11. Make a test call by selecting your cell phone, entering a number on the dialpad, and pressing the Call button.  After a few seconds, the dialpad will close and your cell phone will ring.  When you answer your phone, Google Voice will place the call to the number you dialed, and the person you called will see your Google Voice number on their caller ID.

Part Five: Install and Configure Fring

Note: I recommend installing Fring to your device memory rather than to your memory card.

Fring is a free VoIP and chat client for Windows Mobile.  This is how you’ll make Google Voice calls without using your minutes.  Theoretically, any VoIP client that uses the SIP protocol should be compatible and can be used in place of Fring.

Unfortunately, Fring doesn’t integrate perfectly with your phone’s regular phone speaker.  You have the choice of using speakerphone or a Bluetooth headset.  Also, voice calls take precedence over Fring calls, so if someone calls your cell phone during a Fring VoIP call, your Fring call will be disconnected.

Update: If you’re configuring Fring to use your SipGate account, follow the instructions below, but substitute your SipGate SIP credentials.  To find them, sign into your SipGate account, click Settings, then SIP Credentials in the rightmost column.  A popup will appear with your SIP credentials, which you can print if you wish.  Use “sipgate.com” as your proxy.

1. Go to http://www.fring.com/default.asp.  Click “Download Fring to your mobile,” then follow the instructions to get the install program.  You’ll have to specify what device you are using and choose whether you want to install from your desktop or from a .cab file on the phone.  This part of the process will vary depending on your choices, so I’m not going to give detailed instructions.  If you have any difficulty downloading or installing Fring, here’s a link to the user manual: http://www.fring.com/support/user_guide/fring_user_manual_Windows_Mobile_334.pdf
2. Once you’ve installed Fring, you need to configure it with your SIP settings.  To do this, select the rightmost tab from the 3 tabs at the bottom of the screen.  This is the “Add-ons” tab.  From the list, double-tap “SIP.”  If you’re using Gizmo, then double-tap “Gizmo.”  If you’re using SipGate, double-tap “Other.”
3. Under “Username” enter your 11 digit Gizmo SIP number.  If you don’t know what this is, go back to Part Two Step 3 for instructions on how to find it.  If you’re using Sipgate, enter your SipGate SIP-ID.
4. Enter your password in the “Password” field.
5. Under “Proxy,” enter “proxy01@sipphone.com” if you’re using Gizmo, and “sipgate.com” if you’re using SipGate.
6. Tap “Subscribe.”

Part Six: Place calls using Fring and iDialer

This is the part where we put all the pieces together so you can make free Google Voice calls without using your cell phone minutes.

Gizmo does not charge for incoming calls.  If you’ve configured your account for Google Voice calling, the first 3 minutes of each outgoing call are free.  After that you pay a per minute rate.  We’re going to get around this by using iDialer to originate calls through Google Voice so that Gizmo treats each call as a free incoming call.

Here’s how you place calls:

1. Open Fring and leave it running.
2. Open iDialer.
3. Choose a contact or enter a phone number.
4. Press the phone icon until your Gizmo number is listed in the green Call button.
5. Press the green Call button.  iDialer will close and Fring will ring.  After you answer, Google Voice will ring the person you are calling.

If iDialer doesn’t work properly, you can use the Google Voice mobile interface to place calls.  Go to http://www.google.com/voice/m/.  Under “Settings” tap “My Mobile Number,” select your SipGate phone from the options and tap “Save.”  Now, when you place a call from the mobile interface, it will ring your SipGate/Fring phone before connecting you.

Switching between 3G and wifi

Fring works on AT&T’s 3G network, as well as on wifi.  To switch from one to the other, go to the Buddies (leftmost) tab in Fring, tap “Menu” then “Change Connection.”  To use wifi, select “Search for WLAN.”  To use AT&T’s 3G network, select “MEdia Net.”  Then tap “Connect.”

Part Seven: Additional Options for Google Voice and iDialer

Send and receive texts through Google Voice

From your mobile phone’s browser, go to http://www.google.com/voice/m.  This the mobile version of the Google Voice web interface.  From there, you can send and receive text messages, view your call history and voicemail transcriptions, and originate calls.

Make Google Voice calls without Fring

If you want to make a regular cellular call but have Google Voice show up as your outgoing caller ID, open iDialer, press the phone icon to select a Google Voice callback to your cell phone, then enter the number or select a contact and press “Call.”  iDialer will close, your cell will ring, and the call will go through after you answer.

Unlimited calls without using Fring

If you have a plan that includes unlimited calling to certain numbers, such as T-Mobile’s MyFaves, you can get unlimited calling to all your contacts by setting your Google Voice numbers as one of your faves, placing all your calls through Google Voice and having all your contacts call you at your Google Voice number instead of your cell number.

Use iDialer to make regular cellular calls

If you followed my instructions for configuring iDialer, one of your dialing options will be to place normal cellular calls without using Google Voice.  Just press the phone icon until you see the title you entered for “Standard (Phone),” enter a phone number or choose a contact, then press the Call button.

Change iDialer dialing options

If at any time you wish to add, remove, or modify your iDialer dialing options, you can do so by returning to http://www.supware.net/iDialer/config/.  Just enter your new preferences, click “Generate CAB,” download the .cab file and run it on your phone.  The next time you use iDialer, your new preferences will show up.

iDialer can also be used with PortSIP, JaJah, calling cards, and Google Voice’s calling card option.

Use Google Voice as your landline

If you have an analog telephone adapter, you can configure it for use with Google Voice and your regular landline telephone.

Use Google Voice with your Nokia Internet Tablet

If you have a Nokia N-series internet tablet, you can configure it for use as a wifi phone using Google Voice and Gizmo.

Make cheap international calls

Domestic US calls with Google Voice are free.  You can also make international calls starting at about 2 cents per minute if you buy calling credit with GV.  Log into your Google Voice account at http://www.google.com/voice/ and go to Settings -> Billing -> Add Credit.

Was this article useful? If so, please consider making a donation.

© 2009 – 2010, Jonathan Johnson. All rights reserved.

I knew this was illegal, but wasn’t quite sure how to handle it at first, so I sought guidance from the Google God, and found some excellent information and tools for dealing with plagiarism.

Brent Ozar (http://www.brentozar.com/archive/2009/06/how-to-take-action-when-your-content-is-plagiarized/) recommends first sending a cease and desist letter to the webmaster, followed by a Digital Millenium Copyright Act take-down notice to the plagiarist’s internet service provider and/or web hosting service.  If you don’t get a response from the webmaster or ISP, you can send a DMCA notice to the major search engines, who will delist the offending site.  He even provides links to sample cease and desist letters at PlagiarismToday.com which can be customized for your situation.

A little more Googling yielded WhoIsHostingThis.com, a remarkable tool where you enter a site’s web address to find out who their web host is.  Using this tool, I learned that my plagiarist had hosted his site with Bluehost.  I visited Bluehost.com, clicked the “Contact” link, and found the email address for their abuse department.

Using one of the sample letters as a template, I sent an aggressively worded email to the content thief, CC’ed back to me, referring to relevant federal laws, including the DMCA, mentioning things like his potential liability for “statutory damages as high as $100,000,” and demanding that he take down the stolen content and post an apology on his site indicating that I was the real author of the stolen content.

After sending this email, I started preparing an email to Bluehost, again using a sample letter as a template.  One of the requirements for a DMCA take-down notice is that you provide links to the pages where the original content and the plagiarized content appear.  I revisited the plagiarist’s site to get a link, and discovered that the offending post had already been taken down.  Not long after that, an apology appeared, along with a lame excuse about “accidentally” copying and pasting my article while “testing” his site.  (Newsflash: that’s what a lorem ipsum generator is for, genius.)

My thoughts on the experience

I’m fairly satisfied with how this turned out.  I caught the plagiarism the same day it occurred, my stolen content has been taken down, and I got my apology.  That said, next time I get plagiarized, I’m going to handle it slightly differently:

I’ll take a screenshot of the offending page, so I have proof even if the plagiarist takes down the post.  I’ll also save a copy of the page on my hard drive.  There will be no delay between the cease and desist sent to the plagiarist and the DMCA take-down notice sent to the web host.  In fact, I’ll probably send the take-down notice first.  If he is running AdSense ads, I’ll notify Google.  There’s a good chance the plagiarist’s web hosting account and AdSense account will be shut-down as a result, and he may lose money.  If someone is going to rip off my original content and present it as their own work, then I’m going to cause them as much inconvenience and hassle as the law and my resources allow.

No excuses

There is no excuse for plagiarism.  If you are web-savvy enough to build a site or set up a WordPress blog, you are smart enough to understand enough about copyright law to know or learn what is and isn’t acceptable.  If you’re not sure, a quick Google search on such things as “plagiarism” and “fair use” will tell you all you need to know.  If you don’t want to write your own content or don’t feel qualified to do so, you can pay someone else to do it, or find original content that is licensed for syndication.  If this guy had bothered to ask, I might have even written him a guest post in exchange for a link back to my site.

© 2009, Jonathan Johnson. All rights reserved.

Share class notes with Google Docs

Google Docs is like having Microsoft Word in your email account.  Once you sign up, you have access to a word processor and spreadsheet application that can import and export files to and from Microsoft and Open Document formats.  It doesn’t have all the features of Microsoft Office, but it’s good enough for most of the writing you’ll have to do during college.  Best of all, you can give your friends access and editing privileges for your documents, enabling easy sharing of class notes and study guides, and efficient collaboration on projects.

A few years ago, getting notes for a class I missed meant I had to set up a time to meet, and either copy by hand or find a copy machine.  Now, if I’m getting notes from a colleague who uses Google Docs, sharing notes with me takes 30 seconds and a couple of mouse clicks.

I’ve also used Google Docs to collaborate on study guides.  I imported the review sheet into a Google Doc and shared it with friends.  Each of us could log in, see what questions had been answered, and address the ones that remained.

Google Docs is free.

Click here to learn more about Google Docs

Earn money or merchandise for sharing class notes with Knetwit

Knetwit is like a giant online warehouse for sharing class notes, organized by university and course.  It is free to join, because it is supported by advertising, and shares the revenue with its users.  You can upload your own notes, or view notes posted by others.  Each time you upload a note, you receive points, called “Koin.”  Koin can be redeemed for money or merchandise at the Knetwit Store.  Your notes are available to other Knetwit users, and you receive Koin each time that happens.

Knetwit is most valuable to freshmen and sophomores taking large general education classes, because there is a larger potential pool of notes to draw from.  Grad students in smaller, more specialized classes will find it less useful, but can still upload their notes.

For more about Knetwit read my review here.

Disclaimer: Make sure you aren’t violating any university or class policies before you share your notes in this manner.

Get a permanent phone number, screen calls, and make free phone calls with Google Voice

If you’re anything like me, you moved and changed phone numbers several times during college.  Updating your contacts can be a pain, and sometimes people slip through the cracks.  At one point I almost didn’t get into my intended academic program because my college was trying to contact me at an outdated phone number.

Google Voice solves that problem.  When you sign up, you get a free phone number that is yours for life.  You then set it up to forward to the phone(s) of your choice with rules based on who is calling and what time it is.  You can even screen calls by listening to voicemail messages as they are being left and interrupt if you want to talk to the caller.  Google Voice can also receive text messages and forward them to your cell phone.

Google Voice is useful if you’ve moved to a new area and want to keep your old cell phone number but also have a local number for things like apartment security gates.

If you have a computer and an internet connection, you can use Google Voice to make free phone calls within the US.  This involves some setup, detailed here.

Google Voice is currently available by invitation only.  You can request an invitation here.

Use email as a backup for term papers and projects

Hopefully you’ve never had the experience of losing a critical assignment to a lost or corrupted flash drive.  I have, and that’s why I always use my Gmail account to keep a backup.  Here’s how it works:

1. When you finish working on an assignment, attach a copy of the file to an email and send it to yourself.  You can use the subject line for keywords that will help you find it in your mailbox later.  You an also use Gmail’s labels or Yahoo’s folders to make a category just for your backups.
2. Each time you change the file, delete the email and send an updated copy.

If you lose, forget, or damage your flash drive, you can retrieve and print the assignment from any computer with an internet connection.

Keep business and pleasure separate with virtual desktops

Are you the type of student who likes to keep email, Facebook, Twitter and LOLCats open while you work on school assignments?  Ever wish you had multiple monitors so you could keep your fun stuff open on one while you slave away undistracted at the other?

Virtual Dimension allows you to separate your open programs and windows into multiple desktops as if you had multiple monitors.  You can switch between them with a mouse click or a keystroke.

Right now, I have my email, calendar and Facebook open in one virtual desktop, and I’m blogging in the second.  That helps me stay focused on writing without getting distracted by extra buttons in my task bar.

Virtual Dimension is free and can be downloaded here: http://virt-dimension.sourceforge.net/

Run your favorite programs from a flash drive with Portable Apps

A portable app is a program that has been adapted to run from a flash drive, allowing you to carry around your favorite programs, preferences, and bookmarks and use them on any Windows computer.  Many open source programs are available as portable apps, including web browsers like FireFox, office suites like Open Office, and image editing and developer tools like the GIMP, Kompozer, and Notepad++.  You can set up your flash drive to include only the programs you want.

Portable Apps is free.  You can learn more and download it at PortableApps.com.

Save money with open source software

Last summer, I blogged about how I’ve saved over $1,200 by using free, open source alternatives to commercial programs.  This includes using Open Office instead of Microsoft Office, and free developer tools like Kompozer and the GIMP instead of Dreamweaver and Photoshop.  Read the full post here.

Have something to say?  Tell us about it in the comments.

© 2009, Jonathan Johnson. All rights reserved.

Here’s how it works:

When you receive your Google Voice invitation, send it to a someone you trust in the United States, and ask them to set up the account for you.  You’ll have to trust them with your password, but you can change that later.  Have them set up the account and send you the login credentials.

Log in and change your password.  You should now have a fully operational Google Voice account.  It won’t forward to overseas numbers, but you can get around that by setting up an account with the Gizmo Project.  You can set up Google Voice to forward to a Gizmo Project SIP number, which will allow your your friends and family in the US call you for free anywhere in the world.  You can set up your Gizmo account for use with a computer, wifi phone, internet tablet, or wifi-capable smartphone.  You can even set up an analog telephone adapter with your Gizmo settings and receive calls on a regular landline phone.  All for free.

See the links below for more detailed instructions.

• How to set make and receive free phone calls using your N810, Google Voice, and Gizmo
• How to set up your Sunrocket ATA or “gizmo” for free phone service with Google Voice
• The original thread at Internet Tablet Talk (I post there as “hornartist.”)

© 2009, Jonathan Johnson. All rights reserved.

In this post, I’ll show you how to set up your Sunrocket ATA and landline phone for free domestic phone service (US only) using Google Voice and the Gizmo Project.  If you don’t already have an ATA, I’ve found the Linksys SPA2102 VoIP Phone Adapter with Router to be an excellent and reliable piece of equipment which can be configured for use with most SIP-based VoIP services.

Warning!

The phone service I’m about to help you set up does not provide 911 routing. I strongly recommend you either maintain a separate basic line for emergency calls, or find out the direct numbers for your local police, fire, and EMT services and keep them by the phone for direct dialing.  By continuing with these instructions, you agree that you are fully responsible for anything that goes wrong as a result of setting up your phone this way and you agree that I will not be held liable in any way for anything bad that happens to you, your loved ones, your pets, or your property.

Do not continue reading unless you understand and agree with the preceding paragraph.

What you’ll need

1. An unlocked analog telephone adapter (ATA).  These instructions are for the Linksys SPA2102 VoIP Phone Adapter with Router.  Owners of other devices may still find this article useful, but will have to figure some things out on their own.  If you haven’t unlocked your ATA yet, click here for unlocking instructions.
2. A Google Voice number.  These are free, but are currently available by invitation only.  You can request an invitation at https://services.google.com/fb/forms/googlevoiceinvite/.  You may have to wait a few days or weeks for your invitation to arrive, but it’s well worth the wait.  If you absolutely must have it today, you can purchase one on eBay.  Last time I checked they were going for $1-5 USD.
3. A free account with the Gizmo Project.  I’ll show you how to set that up.
4. A computer and ethernet cable (RJ45).
5. A touch-tone phone.  Not a cell phone.  This is the old fashioned kind that you plug into the wall.  Remember those? 

Part One: Setting up your Gizmo account

Note: If you already have a Gizmo account, skip to step 3.

1. Go to GizmoProject.com.  Click on “Download for Desktop.”  Follow the instructions for downloading and installing the Gizmo client
2. When you open the client program for the first time, you will have two choices: “Log in using an existing account name” or “Register a new account name.”  Select “Register a new account name.” You’ll be asked to pick a username and password, and provide an email address.  Follow the instructions to register your free account.  Don’t opt for any of the paid plans unless you already know you want to.
3. Return to GizmoProject.com.  Click on “Members Sign In” in the upper right corner.  Enter your username and password to sign in.
4. Scroll down until you see “Account Overview.”  Beneath “Account Overview” you should see “Sip Number:” followed by a 10 digit number that looks like a phone number.  Write this number down- you’ll need it to set up your Google Voice account and configure your ATA.
5. Near the top of the screen, you should see “Gizmo5 Call Out” on the left, and “Gizmo5 Call In” on the right.  Under “Gizmo5 Call In,” you should see, “Configure your IP phone or SIP device” and a link: “Learn More.”  Click on “Learn More.”  Find “SIP Settings” in bold near the top of the page.  Print or write down everything under this heading.  You’ll need it to configure your ATA.

Note: the Gizmo “Sip” number is not a regular phone number, and cannot be directly called from a cell phone or landline.  In order to take calls from regular phones, you have to set up a forwarding service, such as Google Voice.  For a few dollars per month, Gizmo will give you a regular phone number that forwards to your Sip number.  Google Voice does the same thing for free, and I’ll explain how to set that up.

Part Two: Setting up your Analog Telephone Adapter (ATA) for the Gizmo Project

Note: If you have multiple computers, I suggest you use one to read the instructions and one to configure the ATA. If you have only one computer, make sure you have your Gizmo “SIP Number” and “SIP Settings” written down or printed before you disconnect from the internet. Also, you may want to print these instructions before continuing.

1. Use the ethernet cable to connect your computer to the ATA’s “Ethernet” port.  This is the yellow port.
2. Open a web browser and go to the following address: http://192.168.0.1/admin/voice/advanced.  This will connect you with the ATA’s browser-based configuration panels.  You’ll be prompted for a username and password.  If you’ve just unlocked your ATA using the Live CD method, the username should be admin and the password should be qwe%zxc5.  If you followed my instructions for unlocking, skip to step 6.
3. Select Voice, then Provisioning.  Make sure “Provision Enable,” “Resync On Reset,” and “Resync From SIP” are set to “no.”  Click “Submit All Changes.”  This will ensure that your device cannot be hijacked and locked to another service provider.
4. Select “System.”  Make sure “Enable Web Admin Access” is set to “yes.”  Choose and enter secure and memorable passwords in the “Admin Password” and “User Password” fields.  Click “Submit All Changes.”  This will ensure that you can always get back in and change settings by using the URL above.
5. Select “Regional.”  You’ll see a lot of settings you don’t understand.  Ignore them.  Scroll to the bottom of the page.  Under “Miscellaneous,” set your local date and time zone.  Click “Submit All Changes.”  This will ensure that the time on your phone’s caller ID is correct.
6. Select “Line 1.”  For this part, you’ll need the information you printed out or wrote down earlier.  Again, you’ll see a lot of settings that look like gibberish.  Ignore these.  The only settings you need to worry about are under “Line Enable,” “SIP Settings,” “Proxy and Registration,” and “Subscriber Information.”  ”Line Enable” is at the very top.  Set this to “yes.”  Then, you’ll need to enter the information from the page you printed out.  Your settings will probably be similar to the following:   Under “SIP Settings,” “SIP Port” should be set to “5060.”  Under “Proxy and Registration,” set “Proxy” to “proxy01.sipphone.com.”  Under “Subscriber Information,” enter your name under “Display Name,” and your Gizmo Project password under “Password.”  Enter your 11-digit Gizmo “SIP Number” in the “User ID” and “Auth ID” fields.  Don’t worry about the “STUN Server” or “STUN Port.”  You don’t need to enter those for this device.  Make sure to click “Submit All Changes” when you’re finished.
7. The SPA2102 can support 2 phone lines.  If you have a second VoIP/SIP line, select “Line 2,” and enter its configuration information.
8. Your ATA is now configured.  To use it, connect an ethernet cable to the blue “Internet” port.  If you have a router, connect the ATA’s internet port to one of the ethernet ports on the router.  If you don’t have a router, connect the ATA’s internet port to your internet connection (cable or DSL modem), and connect your computer to the ATA’s ethernet port.  Connect your phone(s) to the ATA’s phone jacks.  You’re now set up to receive calls through the ATA.

Part Three: Setting up Google Voice

Note: For this next part, you need a free Google Voice account, or an invitation to set up a Google Voice account.  The service is available by invitation only.  If you already have an account or invitation, skip the next paragraph and go directly to the instructions.

There are two ways to get an invitation:  Request an invitation at: https://services.google.com/fb/forms/googlevoiceinvite/ and wait.  This may take weeks or months.  If you don’t want to wait, you can buy one on eBay.  They were selling for $20-30 just a few weeks ago, now you can get them for $1-5.   Here’s the link: http://shop.ebay.com/items/__google-voice?_trkparms=65%253A12%257C66%253A2%257C39%253A1%257C72%253A1240&_sop=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14.

Instructions:

1. If you don’t already have a Google voice account, click the link in your invitation email.  Follow the instructions to create your account.  If you don’t already have a Google account, you’ll be asked to set one up at this point.  You will have a choice of area codes, and the chance to enter any number sequences you want in your new phone number.
2. Once you’ve created your Google Voice account, log in and click “Settings” in the upper right corner.
3. Under “Settings,” select “Phones.”  This is where you enter the phones you want your Google Voice number to forward to.
4. Click “Add phone.”  You’ll be asked to enter the type of phone, the number, and a phone name that you select.  If you are setting up forwarding to your Gizmo number, make sure you select “Gizmo” under “Phone Type.” Click “Save.”
5. After you click “Save,” a message will pop up telling you that the number needs to be verified.  A 2-digit code will be displayed.
6. Click “Connect.”  Google Voice will call the phone number.  If you’ve correctly configured your ATA, your phone will ring.  You’ll be asked to enter the 2-digit code.  After you have entered the code, you will be told, “your forwarding phone is set up.  Goodbye.”  From now on, whenever someone calls your Google Voice number, it will ring your phone.

Part Four: Integrating your Gizmo Project account with your Google Voice account using Gizmo Voice

Update (8/2/09): The Gizmo Voice service is no longer completely free.  Incoming calls are still free, and outgoing calls are free during the first 3 minutes.  After that Gizmo will charge you $0.02 per minute for domestic US calls.  You can avoid these charges by using the Google Voice web interface or DialCentral to place your calls.

1. Go back to your the Gizmo Project page.  Click “Members Sign In” and enter your username and password.
2. Under “Google Voice,” select “Use for US calls only” and enter your Google Voice username and password.  Click “Save.”
3. You should now be able to make and receive free domestic US calls to and from the phone connected to your ATA.  Make some test calls to verify this.

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© 2009, Jonathan Johnson. All rights reserved.

Way back in  July of 2007 I signed up for VoIP phone service with Sunrocket.  They sent me a telephone adapter, called a “Analog Telephone Adapter” or ATA, which connected to my land-line phone and my internet connection, enabling me to make calls over the internet from any normal phone.  I enjoyed the service for about one month before Sunrocket went out of business.

Sunrocket did not ask for their device back.  Unfortunately, they had “provisioned” the ATA so that it only worked with Sunrocket’s service.  You couldn’t use it anywhere else.  Someone developed a solution for unlocking the device, but I lacked some critical knowledge and couldn’t make the solution work for me.  So I ended up with a perfectly good piece of hardware that I couldn’t use.  I put it on a shelf in the back of my closet, and there it remained for the next 2 years, like Sleeping Beauty waiting for her prince.

Instructions for non-hackers

Since then, I’ve learned a few things, and I figured out what I did wrong during my previous unlocking attempts.  I unlocked my device last week, and I’m going to show you how I did it.  I’m going to base this post on the same set of instructions I used, but I’ll fill in the gaps that prevented me from succeeding 2 years ago.

So if you’re like me, and have a Sunrocket ATA sitting unused on a shelf, read on and I’ll show you how to unlock it and use it with another service.  These instructions work for the Linksys or Sipura SPA2102-R.

I’ll also show you how I set up my unlocked ATA for free home phone service using Google Voice and the Gizmo Project.

Terminology

Sunrocket called their device a “Gizmo.”  I’m going to refer to it as an “ATA.” That’s the correct technical term, and by using it, we’ll avoid some potential confusion later on.

How it works

This unlocking method uses a Live CD.  This is a CD containing a bootable operating system, often based on Linux.  This means you can put the live CD into any computer’s CD-ROM drive, and run the operating system off the CD rather than running the computer’s regular operating system.  The unlocking procedure for the ATA uses a specialized Live CD that automates certain difficult technical parts of the procedure.  If you don’t understand what that means, that’s OK.  I’ll walk you through the process.

Obligatory Legal Disclaimer

I will tell you exactly what I did to unlock my ATA.  This process worked perfectly for me, and I assume it will work for you, but I make no guarantees.  By continuing, you agree that I will not be held responsible for anything that may go wrong, including damage to your equipment.

Here is a legal disclaimer from the site which provides the original instructions.  Please read it carefully before continuing.

Important Information – Read First

1. DO NOT RUN THIS CD IF YOU CURRENTLY USE TELEBLEND FOR PHONE SERVICE
2. You assume all risk associated with running the LiveCD. Any damage to persons, property, or data are the sole responsibility of the user. By downloading and running the CD, you acknowledge and accept these risks and hold the author(s) of the various programs, scripts, and methods harmless for any and all damages. If you do not agree to these terms and conditions, do not download or use the LiveCD.

Still here?  OK, let’s get started.

Things you’ll need

1. A locked Linksys or Sipura SPA2102-R.  Check the label on your device to make sure it’s the right device.  As far as I know this method does not work for other devices.
2. A desktop or laptop computer that has a CD burner and runs Windows XP or Vista  This also works on Intel Macs, but these instructions are for Windows.  If you have multiple computers, I suggest you use one to view the instructions and another to unlock the device.
3. A blank CD-ROM.
4. A touch-tone phone.  Not a cell phone.  This is the old fashioned kind that you plug into the wall.  Remember those? 
5. An RJ45 ethernet cable.  That’s the one that looks like a phone cord but has a bigger plug.  If you have high speed internet you probably have one of these running between your cable or DSL modem and your computer.  If not, they are easily available at Radio Shack or Walmart.

Instructions for creating the Live CD

Note: Burning a Live CD is not the same as copying a file to a CD.  You have to burn a CD image or it will not work. If you know what this means and are familiar with the process, feel free to use the software of your choice.  These instructions will assume you are using InfraRecorder.

1. Download and install InfraRecorder.  Here is a direct link to download the installer program.  This is a free piece of software which you will use to burn the Live CD for this project.  The program you download is an installer.  Run it and follow the prompts to install InfraRecorder.
2. Download unlocker.iso from SourceForge.com.
3. Insert a blank CD into your CD drive.
4. Open InfraRecorder.  You will see 6 buttons.  Click on the one that says, “Write Image.”  Select “unlocker.iso” and click “Open.”  Then click “OK.”  When InfraRecorder is finished, your Live CD will be ready.

Instructions for unlocking the ATA

1. Place the Live CD in the CD drive of the computer you will use to unlock the ATA.  You will need to change the boot order, booting from the Live CD instead of the hard drive.  To do this, restart the computer and watch the screen carefully.  Before Windows loads, you should see something like, “To change boot order, press ESC.”  It may be a different key depending on your computer.  Two of my computers use the “Escape” key, and another uses F12.  You won’t have much time, so be ready.  If you don’t hit the key in time, Windows will load, and you’ll have to restart again.
2. You’ll be shown the “Boot Device” menu.  Use the arrow keys to choose “CD/DVD ROM” and press enter.  The unlocker program will load.  You’ll see a lot of text and an image of a clover, followed by instructions and prompts.
3. The unlocker will walk you through the rest of the procedure.  You’ll need to plug in the ATA’s power adapter, connect the computer to the ATA’s Internet port (the blue one) with an ethernet cable, and also connect a phone to the ATA.  Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.  The program will ask you to enter certain commands from the phone keypad.  There will be a few pauses, but they shouldn’t last more than a few minutes.  (Update: 9/20/09 – This step originally said to connect the computer to the ATA’s Ethernet port.  A reader pointed out that this was a mistake, and I have updated this step to reflect that.  As long as you follow the instructions presented by the live CD unlocker, you should be fine.  Also, while entering commands from the phone keypad, you may get a message that your password has not been accepted.  I think that happened to me.  Ignore the message and continue with the process, and it should work.)
4. The unlocker will tell you when it is finished.  It will then give you the choice of installing to your computer or shutting down.  Do NOT install to your computer. Follow the instructions to shut down.  If you don’t understand the instructions, press and hold the power button until your computer turns off.  You can then turn it back on and let it boot normally into Windows.

Instructions for setting up your ATA with another service

To configure your ATA, you’ll need to access its web-based interface.  Here’s how:

1. Connect your computer’s ethernet port to your ATA’s ethernet port (the yellow one).
2. Open a web browser and go to the following address: http://192.168.0.1/admin/voice/advanced.  You’ll be prompted for a username and a password.  The username is admin and the password is qwe%zxc5.
3. Select Voice, then Provisioning.  Make sure “Provision Enable,” “Resync On Reset,” and “Resync From SIP” are set to “no.”  Click “Submit All Changes.”  This will ensure that your device cannot be hijacked and locked to another service provider.
4. Select “System.”  Make sure “Enable Web Admin Access” is set to “yes.”  Choose and enter secure and memorable passwords in the “Admin Password” and “User Password” fields.  Click “Submit All Changes.”  This will ensure that you can always get back in and change settings by using the URL above.
5. Select “Regional.”  You’ll see a lot of settings you don’t understand.  Ignore them.  Scroll to the bottom of the page.  Under “Miscellaneous,” set your local date and time zone.  Click “Submit All Changes.”  This will ensure that the time on your phone’s caller ID is correct.
6. To find out how I set up my unlocked ATA for free home phone service using Google Voice and the Gizmo Project, click here.  To configure it for other services, continue reading.
7. Select “Line 1.”  Again, you’ll see a lot of settings that look like gibberish.  Ignore these.  The only settings you need to worry about are under “Line Enable,” “SIP Settings,” “Proxy and Registration,” and “Subscriber Information.”  “Line Enable” is at the very top.  Set this to “yes.”  You’ll need to get the rest of the information from your VoIP provider.  Make sure to click “Submit All Changes” when you’re finished.
8. If you have 2 phone lines, select “Line 2,” and repeat the process with the information for your second line.
9. Make sure your ATA is connected to the internet.  The blue internet port should be connected with your internet connection.  You can either connect it directly to your modem, or you can plug it into your router.  If you don’t have a router, you’ll need to plug your computer into the ATA’s yellow ethernet port to access both the internet and the ATA’s web interface.
10. Make sure your phone(s) are connected to the ports- i.e. your intended line 1 phone should be connected to the jack labeled “Line 1″ and so on.
11. Test your settings by making calls to and from your VoIP phone number(s).

Congratulations!  You’re finished!

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• http://gizmopasswords.blogspot.com/2007/08/instructions-for-livecd.html – These are the instructions that got me started.
  

© 2009, Jonathan Johnson. All rights reserved.

Creative Zen Vision M 30 gigabyte

I watched A River Runs Through It on the Creative device.  I expected to have difficulty watching a movie on such a small screen, and was pleasantly surprised with the experience.  The colors are clear and vibrant, and I had no difficulty keeping up with the action.  I turned the brightness up to 100%, but probably could have been comfortable with less.

After I got home, I turned the movie back on and left the player running to see how far it would get before the battery died.  Including the time on the bus, it played for just over 3 hours before switching off.

Although the Creative Zen Vision M has been superseded by a newer model and is no longer manufactured.  It is still available in used or refurbished condition for a very reasonable price. Click here to view the product page on Amazon.com.

Nokia N810

I watched Hitman on the Nokia N810.  The larger screen was definitely a plus, and the sound quality was decent.  My only complaint, and I’m really nitpicking here, is that the playback controls are managed through the touchscreen rather than through hardware buttons.  This meant that if I wanted to adjust the sound volume, I had to take the movie out of full-screen mode.  Adjusting the volume required three separate actions rather than the one action required by the Creative player.  I managed to find a volume level that was comfortable for most of the movie, so this wasn’t a big problem.

I didn’t run the battery into the ground like I did with the Vision M, but based on the power level after one movie, I estimate that the N810 could have played at least one more full movie before running out of juice.

The Nokia N810 has come down considerably in price since it was first introduced.  It’s now available for about half what I paid for mine last year.  Click here to view the product page on Amazon.com.

Conclusion

Obviously any movie is better on a big screen, but both devices were more than adequate as portable movie viewers.  The N810 has the advantage of a bigger screen and a longer-lasting battery, but I think the Creative player has slightly better sound, and I preferred the hardware controls for simplicity and ease of use.  I was happy with both and will use them again.

© 2009, Jonathan Johnson. All rights reserved.

Notes

The N810’s built-in “Notes” application is good enough for note-taking and rough drafts.  You have your choice of fonts, as well as italic, bold, and underline styles.  You can also do bullet lists and numbered lists.  I’ve used it while offline to write blog posts, which I then copied and pasted here.

One of the advantages of using Notes over Abiword or Google Docs is that the Notes application is optimized for the tablet’s screen resolution, so you don’t have to squint to read your own work.

You can save Notes either as HTML or text files.  The HTML files will open in your desktop browser.

Google Docs

Until about a week ago, I wouldn’t have recommended this option.  For some reason, the tablets default browser seems to clog up and freeze when dealing with certain sites, including Google Docs and Google Maps.  However, I learned recently that someone has created a new browser, called Tear.  Tear is still an alpha release, so it’s a little clunky and quirky, but it’s blazing fast, and handles most of the sites the default browser has trouble with, including Google Docs, Maps, and Facebook.  Google Spreadsheets is still a little slow, but the the word processor works fine.

Here are instructions for downloading Tear:

1. Open the Application Manager.
2. Open the application menu.
3. Click “Tools,” then “Application catalog…”
4. Click “New.”
5. Enter the following settings:

Name : Qole’s repository:
Web address: http://qole.org/repository
Distribution: maemo
Components: main

Then go to “Installable Applications.”  Install “libwebkit”, then Tear.

Abiword

Abiword is an open source (freeware) word processing program available for Windows and Linux PC’s.  I have not used it, but my understanding is that it is intended to be similar to Microsoft Word.  Some enterprising coders ported it over to the N810.  Instructions for installing Abiword on the N810 can be found here.

Note: I have not used Abiword, so I can’t endorse or disparage it.  If you have experience with it, please feel free to share in the comments section.

Spreadsheets: Gnumeric

For a spreadsheet application that can read MS Excel formats, try Gnumeric.  Once again, I haven’t used this, so if you are familiar with it, please feel free to comment.

As always, the technological marvel that is the Nokia N810 can be purchased here.

© 2009, Jonathan Johnson. All rights reserved.

Here are the first two:

Search Term: “Sony Ericsson new themes free download”

This one is easy.  There are many sites that offer cell phone theme and ringtone downloads.  Some are free, others are not.  I tend to use umnet.com when I want a new theme or ringtone.  Lasyk.net is also a good place to visit.  It focuses on Sony Ericsson devices, and seems to be better organized than umnet.

If you want to try making your own custom theme for your Sony Ericsson device, I recommend myThemeCreator from Lasyk.net.  It’s free and easy to use.

Search Term: “How do you get a knetwit referral link?”

If you don’t know what Knetwit is, see this post.

I assume this refers to the unique affiliate-style link that gets you credit for people who join through it.  Here’s how to find your referral link:

1. Join or log in to Knetwit.  If you’re not a member, I invite you to join through my referral link: http://www.knetwit.com/?referred_by=12446.
2. Scroll down to the bottom of your “Home” page.
3. Under “My Actions” and “Invitations,” click “View Invites.”
4. In your left column you should see “Recent Email Invitations.”  Below that is “Your Recent Referrals,” followed by “Users that followed your link.”  Your unique referral link is below that.  You can now copy the link and paste it into emails or blog posts.

© 2009, Jonathan Johnson. All rights reserved.