by Lori Cunningham

I have some friends who love texting Google.  Often times, they have texted Google at 466453 to get information or find an address.  I never tried it because I found it antiquated.  Who wants to text if you have a great smartphone with a data plan?  Besides, I knew I’d never remember 466453.  (I just learned in writing this article that 466453 spells Google on your keypad!)

Last weekend, we took a roadtrip with these same friends to Las Vegas.  I was enjoying the long trip as a backseat driver since I was using my Tilt2 phone with BING navigation – which told me exactly how many minutes it would be until we arrived.  As we neared Las Vegas, we decided to visit the most famous pawn shop in the world – the one the show, Pawn Stars, made famous on the History Channel.  Only, we didn’t know where it was located or what it was called.

I opened up my mobile browser to begin searching.  My friend stopped me and suggested I try using Google text instead.  Curious, I obliged, and she gave me the number.  I texted 466453 with this message:

me:     where is pawn stars las vegas

6 seconds later I received:

Google:

     Local Listings:

     Gold & Silver Pawn Shop

     713 Las Vegas Boulevard South

     Las Vegas

     702-385-7912

Wow!  Google translated pawn stars into the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop and it gave me an address and clickable phone number to boot!

Now, I could enter the address into my Bing Navigation, but I already was using it to get to the hotel.  So instead I texted Google:

me:     map  713 Las Vegas Boulevard South  Las Vegas

Google:

10 seconds later I received a URL.  Clicking on the URL I saw a map overview and an opportunity to receive driving directions.  I also saw a sentence that read “Selected business at this address:  Gold and Silver Pawn Shop.”  Clicking on this link I received detailed information on the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, such as its location, store hours, credit cards it accepts, it’s website, etc.  There were also 154 reviews.

More Great SMS Uses

Google SMS doesn’t stop with directions.  You can use it for all sorts of information, such as

Local info

Weather

Glossary – dictionary

Sports scores

Movie times

Stock quotes

Zip Codes

Flight status

Area Codes

Products

Q&A

Translation

Calculator

Currency Conversion

Airports

Local Time

…and more

Visit the Google Mobile SMS page to learn more on how to enter your questions more clearly to receive better Google results.  I was fascinated by the fact that you could check your flight status so I texted Google:

me:  flight aa 2111

3 seconds later Google returned:

     21 Jul 2010

     AA211

     MIA

     Depart:  11:50pm

     On Time

     Gate: D20

     LIM

     Arrive: 4:25am

     On Time

     AA:  800-433-7300

     http://m.flightstats.com

Now that’s just plain cool!  No browser to open, minimum typing, and you get results within seconds!  Try it out for yourself – remember 46653 spells out Google on your phone’s touchpad.  It’s really addictive – kinda like those Magic 8 balls where you ask a question, shake it, and wait for an answer.  Have fun!

A Favor To Ask of You

Can you please click on the big Orange “LOSE THE LAPTOP  VOTE FOR ME AND WIN” button above and vote for me on the LosetheLaptop.com site?  Every vote you give increases my chances of winning the final prize, $5,000.  And what’s even better than that?  Every vote you give also gives you for a chance to win $5,000 too!  We could both win!  Be sure to leave a comment on how you would use the Tilt2 to lose your laptop too to officially enter.  Enter daily until the end of day, July 31st.  Thanks for your support!

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 by Lori Cunningham

Today I had several appointments – one right after another.  I left my house this morning on my way to the first appointment–I was halfway there when I realized I had forgotten my phone at home.  Drat!  I have two cellphones – my Tilt2 and the older phone I was using before the LosetheLaptop.com contest.  Luckily, I had my Tilt2 with me but I left my other phone at home which had the details and the phone number of the person I was going to meet with.

Hmmmm, I wondered, how am I going to manage this one.  If neither one of us were late to the meeting or got lost on the way there, forgetting my phone wouldn’t be a problem.  But reality ranch is, the day I forget my phone would be the day I needed it the most.

Fortunately, two weeks ago I received an invitation (after signing up for it 3 months before) from Google Voice to activate an account.  I remember how excited I was to finally be able to check it out.  Google Voice is a great free service that acts as your voice-mail system and transcribes every message you receive into text and sends the message to you via e-mail and/or text.  It’s like having your own personal transcription service!  The transcription is not perfect – but you get the gist of what the caller was saying.  You can also record personalized messages for specific callers who call you.  Pretty slick!  Google Voice can be attached to any phone number.

However, to take full advantage of the  Google Voice features, I recommend you sign up for Google Voice with a Google number.  I chose this option.  You can create a new phone number within your area code or any other area code across America.  What I liked about this process is that you can choose a customized vanity number.  For example, I chose a phone number that ends in CNCT which works well with WellConnectedMom.com and theWellConnectedHome.com. 

Even better, if you choose the Google number option, you can hook up all of your phones to Google Voice so when a caller calls your Google Voice phone number, all of your phones will ring.  I have my home phone and my two cellphones hooked up to Google voice.  So, any voicemail I receive  is transcribed and texted to my both my cellphones and my e-mail account.  To learn more about the two versions of Google Voice and many other great features, watch these Google Voice features videos.

So, getting back to my day.  Guess what happened?  The person I was meeting with was running late and he called me using my Google Voice number.  I, unfortunately, was in a relatively new area of town with limited cellphone coverage, so I did not receive his call.  But thanks to my Tilt2 with data coverage and Google Voice, I received a text message with his message and phone number transcribed.  I walked out of the building I was in and gave him a call to let him know I would wait for him.  Phew!  My reputation was saved – I could still live up to my name as The Well Connected Mom, despite leaving my cellphone at home!

I have great news for you!  Google Voice just opened to the public – so you no longer need to receive an invitation to join!  Visit Google Voice  soon to snatch up your vanity Google phone number and become “well connected” today!

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by Lori Cunningham

For those of you new to The WellConnectedMom.com, WELCOME!  And a woot out to my friends from TwitterMoms! 

TwitterMoms.com has chosen The WellConnectedMom.com as the Blog of the Week!

Blog of the Week
Check out wellconnectedmom.com, a blog that helps make technology simpler for moms and points out products and product features that help make a mom’s communication and household more effective. Lori Cunningham, mom of two, writes about different ways to make technology work for you without spending hours researching and learning how to do it on your own. Connect with Lori on TwitterMoms and on Twitter @wellconnectdmom

Already I have been receiving Twitter requests and new Facebook friends as a result – thank you everyone – I have been enjoying checking out your blogs too!

Feel free to leave comments about technology or gadgets you’re interested in and we’ll research them for you.  Or perhaps you have a nagging issue - we might know of a gadget out there to make things easier for you.  For example, if you’re like me, sleep is always an issue.  I found the Zeo Personal Sleep Coach and love it.  Check out my initial review for the Zeo.

Other articles we’d like to point out that will interest Moms:

Our reports from the largest Consumer Electronics Show in January:

My FAV Mom Gadgets from CES 2010

Top 6 Tech Product Trends from CES 2010

iPhone Users: 

15 Reasons the iPhone Will Make You Smile 

Turn Your Voice to Text

Misc.

Kids Online eBooks:  Don’t Overlook Their Importance

Windows 7 Useful Features 

Front Loading Washer & Dryers:  Is It Time to Upgrade?

Thank you, TwitterMoms!  And for those of you who are regulars, thanks for your continued support!

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The New Apple iPad, starting at $499.

Today Apple announced its newest, long anticipated and highly gossiped product, the Apple iPad.  Rumors about the new iPad have been running rampant on the Internet as Apple fans and technology commentators quickly spread any gossip to help satisfy curious and die hard Apple fans.   

Steve Jobs presented the new Apple iPad to a packed room full in San Francisco.  Reporters hung on every Steve Job’s every word.  Steve Jobs heralded the new iPad as “phenomenal,” “unbelievably great,” and ”way better than a laptop, way better than a smartphone.”  

The iPad is only 1.5 lbs, a half inch think, and has a 9.7 inch screen.  With all of it’s capabilities, the iPad is surprisingly affordable.  It is available in either a 16 gb of flash storage ($499), 32 GB ($599), or 64 gb storage ($699).  Later, Apple will add 3G to the iPad which will ad an extra $130 to the price.   The battery is estimated to last 10 hours and is WiFi enabled.    

What Can You Do with the Apple iPad?

• Read- it is an ebook – displaying books, magazines, and newspapers — in color
• Write – emails on a pop up touch keyboard
• Surf – the Internet comfortably and with the ability to see a full screen view of a web page
• Keep your Calendar – track all your appointments
• Showcase your Pictures- in true Apple form, flip through your pictures, enlarge them with your fingers, change their orientation just by rotating the iPad, set slideshows to music, etc.  In addition, you can use the iPad as a digital picture frame when it is sitting in its docking station.  Pictures can be imported, sync’d with your computer, downloaded from e-mail, or uploaded from your camera via the Apple Camera Connection kit.
• Watch Videos- YouTube, TV shows, music videos, podcasts, you name it
• Store Your Contacts – and click on “map” to find their addresses
• Search Maps – to find business close to your location.  Street level views are available from Google, giving an incredible view of the business/address you are looking for.

What Content Can You Get for the iPad?

Many of the apps available in Apple’s App store is available for the iPad.  The iPad includes an iPod and music can be downloaded from iTunes.  A new storefront called iBook will allow you to browse for books and magazines to download.

A Mom’s Perspective  

Steve Jobs believes the new iPad is “so much more intimate than a laptop and so much more capable than a smartphone.”  The iPad does seem to bring about a closeness to a person’s online experience as the device is small, lightweight, and is all finger controlled.  It’s  very much like using the iPhone, just amplified in size.

 I would liken the iPad to a netbook and eReader, only more convenient due to its touch and orientation manipulation.  The iPad ties up a lot of neat features in this bundle that make it very enticing. However, on the flip side, there are some visible oversights that are important to note if you’re thinking the iPad will act as your new netbook.  Specifically, the iPad does not include:

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