Brad Nelson
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עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־ הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את
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Post by Brad Nelson on Aug 6, 2019 9:07:55 GMT -8
I’ve been bending Mr. Kung’s ear of late. He’s had great success with VOIP phones (voice over internet protocol).
I’ve got two lines with CenturyLink, plus internet service and I know it’s costing too much. So I’m dumping both lines (keeping the DSL for $59.95) and going to one iPhone for the business line via Consumer Cellular.
I’m already a customer of theirs for my personal line so I get this second line for just $15.00. And they can switch over my current phone number to the cell and do it all in the background. I’ve purchased an older iPhone 6s for $200.00 from Consumer Cellular as well.
I know the VOIP phones work well because Mr. Kung has vast experience with them. But the iPhone is a good option for me because I already have one. That saves money on the second line plus there is the ease of setting up the new phone because I already have an iPhone. There might be some benefits as well in filtering out the junk sales calls which now take up quite a significant percentage of the calls I get. VOIP might do that as well, but I think Apple does have a system for doing this.
I’ll let you know how smoothly this all goes. The fact of the matter is, I need to do something and not only because of cost. Our land lines here in the building run through some kind of ancient PBX system that no one alive even knows how to work on. And it’s showing its age. One line I have (it’s not the main line) I can call out on but is problematic for incoming calls. That happened after a lightning storm a couple years ago.
This should be a good change. It will also unshackle me from the desk. I can just carry the phone around for me (which is why I got the regular 6s version not the larger 6s Plus).
The security system for the building will also have to be updated to a wireless one. But I’ve already taken a look at the offerings of SimpliSafe and they look pretty good.
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Post by kungfuzu on Aug 6, 2019 11:03:55 GMT -8
I have been using VOIP phones for many years. The first I could get this service was when Verizon installed glass fiber cable in Plano about/over 10 years ago. I could get the VOIP service as part of a combo with internet and TV. I got fed up with Verizon increasing the prices without advising me and started looking for some other type of service which I could use. I came upon Vonage. I then cancelled my TV and VOIP with Verizon and switched the telephone service to Vonage. I have been using Vonage since that time for my business telephone as I can call just about anywhere in the world toll-free. I also started using Vonage for my home phone as it was cheaper than a land line.
As I felt the prices at Vonage were somewhat high, I recently decided to look around and see what new services were available and noted a number of new companies offering VOIP. In the end, I decided to go with AxVoice for my home line and am now paying less than half of what I was paying Vonage for virtually the same service. But while with AxVoice I can make toll-free calls in the USA, Canada and Mexico, I would still have to pay for calls overseas.
That being said, I am using Skype more frequently and see the value of international toll-free calls on Vonage as less valuable. Still, I did not switch my business line as I wanted to see how AxVoice worked out before making the plunge. So far, AxVoice has performed well. Unfortunately, my Skype has become less reliable so I have had to delay any switch from Vonage to AxVoice as regards my business phone.
The biggest drawback with VOIP is that if your internet service goes out, so does you telephone. If you have a separate hand-phone, this problem is not such a big deal.
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Brad Nelson
Administrator
עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־ הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את
Posts: 12,261
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Post by Brad Nelson on Aug 6, 2019 12:27:06 GMT -8
That’s an excellent point. The terrorists will have to take out not only some trunk lines but cell towers to bring down the iPhone. I’m not saying they’re not capable of it. But it’s a bigger job. And nice use of Skype for long-distance. I don’t do much long distance so I wasn’t aware of how valuable that had come for basically long-difference call which double as meetings as well, I would presume.
I was sure this time to ask for AT&T rather than T-Mobile as the carrier. T-Mobile sucks and I’ve got a friend in Oregon who agrees. I couldn’t get anything from my iPhone 6 Plus from the office. But I switched to Consumer Cellular’s other provider (and I think it’s AT&T) and it does much better. I can always do cellular over WIFI if I have to. But I didn’t want to have to depend on it.
I emailed the CenturyLink chick asking her to call me back. The worst customer service beings on this planet work for CenturyLink. The company is truly horrible. And I’m not just being a Snowflake. Even the excellent Consumer Cellular rep said the same thing. It’s no secret. That is an awful company.
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Post by kungfuzu on Aug 6, 2019 12:33:25 GMT -8
One can have conference calls on Skype. I had one just last week. Two of us were in the USA and one in Europe, so I know it works well.
I rarely use the camera as I don't need to see who is on the other end and I am normally in a t-shirt so don't want them to necessarily see me.
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Brad Nelson
Administrator
עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־ הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את
Posts: 12,261
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Post by Brad Nelson on Aug 6, 2019 13:59:50 GMT -8
Well, there’s honesty talkin.’ I always figured Skype meant visual. But I guess you can just use it like VOIP — except I assume conference calls are easier. We must Skype sometime. I’m usually just sitting around in my underwear but I’ll dress up for the occasion.
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Brad Nelson
Administrator
עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־ הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את
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Post by Brad Nelson on Aug 6, 2019 14:06:19 GMT -8
I will be a little more than interested in how Apple’s iPhone blocks junk calls. I use my own iPhone so little for calling that my number has yet to be junked up. But, I swear, every other call on the business line (land line) now is a junk call. How to block spam calls on you iPhone. I guess there are some apps that help with that. These would seem to be proactive, blocking numbers before they even ring. Here’s Apple’s suggestion: Block phone numbers and contacts on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. This would appear to be an after-the-fact method where you block a number that has already called you. Using both judiciously might work out.
Sent from my office chair in my underwear |
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Post by kungfuzu on Aug 6, 2019 14:30:59 GMT -8
Tsk, tsk. How tacky.
As my wife will sometimes sit in my office chair, I wear old t-shirts and shorts. |
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Post by timothylane on Aug 6, 2019 14:37:43 GMT -8
That sounds like my traditional house attire going back to high school -- a t-shirt and shorts. Sometimes it was even less than that. My goal was to avoid doing anything improper in public. (My mother wanted to me to wear more formal clothing. The first time I went to a Cincinnati Reds game -- a July 4 doubleheader -- she suggested I wear a coat and tie. I didn't, and if I had put them on to please her I would have taken them off as soon as I could.)
Today I wear a hospital gown and briefs (i.e., adult diapers).
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Post by kungfuzu on Aug 6, 2019 14:40:41 GMT -8
Turn off that Skype camera!
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Brad Nelson
Administrator
עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־ הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את
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Post by Brad Nelson on Aug 10, 2019 8:27:44 GMT -8
I’ve got my iPhone 6s in hand. It’s a tiny little think compared to my iPhone 6 Plus. But that’s what I wanted, more pocket-a-bility.
I should have done this long ago. Now I can bring the phone out to the garden with me and not miss calls. I can have it with me when I’m roaming around the building and not have to run screaming for the phone.
The question will be whether it’s easier to interact with the phone with the speakerphone or just putting it up to your ear. I’ll test the with Mr. Kung when I get it online.
But the process is officially started. The friendly (and they have always been helpful, friendly, and accessible so for) CSRs at Consumer Cellular started the ball rolling in regards to getting my business number switch from CenturyLink (the worst CSRs I have ever encountered…they seem dishonest to the man) to their system. When that’s handled I’ll then just completely cancel the second land line I have with them which was sort of a legacy fax land line then was a second line just because.
The building’s alarm system (which uses land lines to link to the central control) will be upgraded to wireless this coming Monday. The cost will be $250.00 put $10.00 extra each month for the cell line. I thought seriously about going with SimpliSafe and getting all new hardware. The cost would have been about $400.00 or more which would have been fine.
But this is easier and quicker just upgrading the existing service. And I did a little research online and some customers were reporting connection problems with the various detectors and such as well as false alarms with SimpliSafe. That will be the case with any system but it brought back memories.
We went through a phase a few years ago where we were having occasional false alarms and those get expensive — progressively so the more you have in a month. But that issue was resolved (somehow….they may have put in some new sensors…I forget). So you go with the devil you know in this case.
What will be interesting to see is if I have some success via the iPhone managing and filtering out sales calls, particularly the automated ones. I’ll report back on that when I’ve had sufficient experience with it.
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Brad Nelson
Administrator
עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־ הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את
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Post by Brad Nelson on Aug 14, 2019 17:53:09 GMT -8
One thing about the “Plus”-size iPhones is that not only do they have a bigger screen, they have a bigger battery — and one that seems to more than compensate for any drain from the larger screen.
My new iPhone 6s (non-plus sized) noticeably drains power faster. It’s not broken or anything. I’m sure this is normal. But you can tell the bigger battery of the “Plus” size definitely supplies more juice.
I’ve got my business number now switched over from my land lines to the iPhone. The land lines still have a dial tone but incoming calls ring on the iPhone. I haven’t tried dialing out on the land lines because I don’t want to take even the slightest chance of screwing up the transition.
But….I called CenturyLink anyway today to try to get started on canceling the one other land line I have. The (almost uniquely) helpful agent (thanks, Melissa) said that the transition from their end won’t officially end until Friday. So she advised waiting until Monday until we nix this other line or it could confuse the system.
The second land line for voice that I have will be cancelled but I’ll keep the DSL in place. And I’ve made a deal (such a deal) that if I go with a two-year contract they’ll double the speed of the DSL from 20 meg to 40 meg. Might as well. I plan on being in business for at least two years.
Even if the $59.00 a month is a bit over-priced, it’s in place and working and I’ll get double the speed. And that’s now the only bill I’ll be getting from CenturyLink. My bill from Consumer Cellular will be $15.00 a month. That’s the cost of the additional line that is on my existing personal plan. So I’ll surely just make the business pay the entire $35.00 ($20 + $15). That includes a rather measly 250MB of data. If I need more, I’ll let the business pay for that. But I’m trying to stay frugal in that regard.
Still, $35.00 for 250 minutes of talk a month, unlimited texting, 250MB of data for two phones isn’t bad considering my phone bill was substantially larger than that at CenturyLink. If 250 minutes talk per month isn’t enough, five bucks more gives you unlimited. And the minutes/data are a munged-together total of the two lines which both add to the minutes/data as one unit.
Mr. Kung helped me test out the phone this morning including the call waiting feature. It all worked like a charm. Also, this Monday I got the building’s alarm system switched over to wireless. It cost $250.00 for the wireless device and included installation.
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Brad Nelson
Administrator
עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־ הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את
Posts: 12,261
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Post by Brad Nelson on Aug 15, 2019 19:48:29 GMT -8
I took the new phone out on a short hike today just to test the camera. Here's an interesting leaf:  [ Original] |
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Post by timothylane on Aug 15, 2019 20:37:59 GMT -8
Very nice photo. Do you know what plant it comes from? For that matter, do you know what the different colored spots on the leaf are? The green would come from the standard chlorophyll, but the yellow and blue-purple spots presumably have some separate function.
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Post by kungfuzu on Aug 16, 2019 5:28:00 GMT -8
Interesting how even a diseased leaf can have a sort of beauty.
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Post by timothylane on Aug 16, 2019 5:55:40 GMT -8
So that was a diseased leaf? I guess that explains the non-green parts.
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Brad Nelson
Administrator
עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־ הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את
Posts: 12,261
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Post by Brad Nelson on Aug 16, 2019 7:17:32 GMT -8
Yes, I assume that is various types of molds digesting the leaf. Either this is the molds getting the best of the leaf or it's just the plant withdrawing nutrients from the leaf at the end of the season and letting them to the wind. The entire small bush looked like this.
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Brad Nelson
Administrator
עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־ הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את
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Post by Brad Nelson on Aug 16, 2019 7:26:11 GMT -8
Rather then selfies, I’ve always found interesting the patterns and textures that can be found in nature. Here’s a close-up of some bark from a birch tree (I think). This isn’t the best of shots. It’s not as in-focus as I’d like it to be which is perhaps the biggest drawback of phone cameras. There is little control over focus. But it’s an example of the humble little photo opportunities out there:  [ Original] |
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Brad Nelson
Administrator
עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־ הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את
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Post by Brad Nelson on Aug 16, 2019 7:29:44 GMT -8
I wish I knew. It's just one of those underfoot plants that is so ubiquitous, you don't really notice it. But it's likely salal. This photo found at DuckDuckGo was marked as salal:  |
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