VoxOx Blog » VoxOx http://blog.voxox.com Tue, 17 Aug 2010 20:03:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Google Voice + VoxOx = Google Voice Desktop Alternative http://blog.voxox.com/google-voice-voxox-google-voice-desktop-alternative/1639 http://blog.voxox.com/google-voice-voxox-google-voice-desktop-alternative/1639#comments Sat, 10 Jul 2010 01:53:33 +0000 natasha.grach http://blog.voxox.com/?p=1639 Last fall, Google bought Gizmo5 in order to create a desktop VoIP application to complement Google Voice, Google’s web-based phone forwarding service. The app hasn’t come out. However, some media reports say it’s unclear when and if the project will be completed. About a week ago, Google Voice users created an online petition, in which 3000+ people (with a goal of 500K) are demanding Google complete is planned desktop application.

Why such strong demand? A couple of reasons. First, Google Voice users cannot currently receive calls on their desktop. Second, they can’t make phone calls directly from their desktop (without the use of an actual phone).

The VoxOx Alternative

VoxOx gives out a free U.S. phone number upon sign-up in the U.S. (and dozens of other supported countries). This number rings the user’s desktop application and it can also be forwarded to other numbers, but that’s not necessary in this scenario.

So, once someone adds the free VoxOx phone number to the list of phone numbers they maintain in Google Voice, the user gains the ability to pick up a phone call on their desktop. They also gain the ability to make VoIP calls directly from their desktop without the use of an additional phone. 

Receiving Calls to Your Desktop

Here’s the process of how to set this up. If you’re a Google Voice user:

1. Sign up for VoxOx and then download the desktop client. During the sign-up process, you’ll be asked to SMS-verify from your mobile phone to activate your free phone number. Make sure you complete this step to get your free number.

2. Sign into Google Voice. Under Settings / Phones, add your VoxOx phone number and name it VoxOx. You can choose “mobile” as the type of phone because VoxOx enables you to send and receive SMS text messages:

Credit: Google Voice

3. Confirm within Google Voice that VoxOx has been added as one of your phones:

Credit: Google Voice

That’s it for receiving calls on your desktop!  Your VoxOx desktop application will now ring anytime someone calls your Google Voice phone number. (And it’s all free of charge.)

Making Calls from Your Desktop

You can also dial out directly from your desktop (via the VoxOx softphone keypad), without the use of a physical phone. Just go to Keypad, and dial:

VoxOx Keypad

You can also set your Google Voice number as your caller ID by going to the Apps Tab and clicking on “Spoof Calls”:

VoxOx-to-VoxOx calls are free. Calls to telephone lines cost one penny per minute in the U.S. and Canada, and variable pennies per minute to other countries. (Though we hook you up with some initial credit when you sign-up.) 

Enjoy VoxOx as a seamless alternative for those who want a Google Voice desktop-like service right now… and give our other features a try too, like multi-protocol chat, social networking integration, fax, file sharing (up to 100 mb!), our real-time translation tool ”Universal Translator,” and much more. Check out our video tutorial on our features here.

PG
Natasha Grach is a PR pro by day and singer by night -- when not telling the world about VoxOx, she can be found on stage at some of San Diego’s favorite musical theater venues. She is also a travel junkie. Her favorite countries include Turkey, Israel, Spain, UK, Italy, Russia, Lithuania. She’ll be using VoxOx SMS CallBack on her next trip around the globe!

follow natasha.grach twitter.com/natashagrach

follow VoxOx twitter.com/voxox

]]> http://blog.voxox.com/google-voice-voxox-google-voice-desktop-alternative/1639/feed 0 Printing On-the-go! How to Use VoxOx Fax to Print Travel Documents From a Hotel Room http://blog.voxox.com/voxox-%e2%80%93-making-travel-easier-one-fax-at-a-time/1566 http://blog.voxox.com/voxox-%e2%80%93-making-travel-easier-one-fax-at-a-time/1566#comments Wed, 07 Jul 2010 16:38:04 +0000 michael.faught http://blog.voxox.com/?p=1566 In my role as company president, I’m pretty much guaranteed frequent flyer status, so I’m always thinking of new ways to make my business trips more convenient and stress-free. VoxOx has gotten me out of all sorts of travel-related jams — whether it’s real-time language translation or cheap international calls. However, this example I just had to share in detail, as it’s probably the most creative approach to electronic faxing I’ve seen yet!

Recently, while on a business trip, I found myself needing to print out my boarding passes for my flights later that day. My hotel room was not equipped with a printer, and I wasn’t about to pay the ridiculous Internet and printing rates at the hotel’s business center. So, I wondered if VoxOx could help me out.

Our CEO, Bryan Hertz, who was traveling with me, suggested I do the following:

  1. Check in for the flight using my laptop and the hotel room wifi
  2. When the screen displays my boarding passes to print, save them as PDF files on my computer
  3. Then, open up VoxOx and use the fax feature to send the PDF to the hotel to my attention
  4. Grab it at reception at check-out and voila — all set!

This was incredibly handy for me, and, I imagine, this would be useful to any traveler in need of printing a document from a hotel room. So, whether you need to print your boarding pass, a copy of your passport, or your day’s agenda, VoxOx has you covered.

PG
Michael is our Harvard/Wharton-educated, though technologically-challenged, president. In fact, when he’s not speaking with investors, we mostly use him for usability testing -- if HE can use it we know ANYONE can. Michael grew up in Italy and was very happy about the launch of our Universal Translator service as he can now pretend that he still speaks fluent Italian.

follow michael.faught twitter.com/voxox

follow VoxOx twitter.com/voxox

]]> http://blog.voxox.com/voxox-%e2%80%93-making-travel-easier-one-fax-at-a-time/1566/feed 0 Party Planning is Easier with Find Me – VoxOx Tips for 4th of July and Beyond http://blog.voxox.com/party-planning-is-easier-with-find-me-%e2%80%93-voxox-tips-for-4th-of-july-and-beyond/1610 http://blog.voxox.com/party-planning-is-easier-with-find-me-%e2%80%93-voxox-tips-for-4th-of-july-and-beyond/1610#comments Fri, 02 Jul 2010 16:47:53 +0000 natasha.grach http://blog.voxox.com/?p=1610 If you’ve ever hosted a holiday party, you know it can be a madhouse. Guests call you last minute about all sorts of stuff, like asking for directions, what to bring, where to park, and so on. You want to be available to them, but whether you’re running party errands or running around the house in preparation, you don’t want to think about which phone might be ringing and where. Now, wouldn’t it be nice if the phone could just find YOU?

Well, that just happens to be our specialty! VoxOx lets you manage all your phones from a single phone number. With our call routing feature, VoxOx Find Me, you can create a common link between all your phone numbers – mobile, home, work phone, and so on – and then set all your phones to ring in sequence or simultaneously.

Say you’re in the kitchen preparing for your 4th of July BBQ this weekend. You hear your cell phone ring and realize that you have no idea where it is! You may feel an urge to run like a chicken with its head cut off to find it and see who’s calling, but then you remember – you’ve set up Find Me to route the call to your home phone next. So, you can just dry off your hands and get ready to pick up the kitchen landline phone. Relaxing thought, no?

This type of rolling call forwarding can be really useful beyond party planning. With Find Me, you can be more accessible to the “VIPs” in your life (spouse, kids, elderly grandparents). You just give them your VoxOx number, and they’ll be able to reach you anywhere — work, mobile, home, a cabin in the woods — without having to dial a long list of phone numbers. Or, you can use Find Me for your business contacts. Say you want to be accessible to work colleagues and clients when you’re not at your desk, but you don’t want to give out your personal cell phone number. Just give out your VoxOx number, and turn on Find Me during the work week. This can also be handy for business travelers, as Find Me can forward calls anywhere, even to a hotel room overseas!  

So, here’s how you set up Find Me:

  • Go to Tools -> Settings  -> Phone  -> Find Me, and enter all your other phone numbers in the order you’d like them to ring: 

  • The numbers you select with a check-mark will ring in sequence.
  • If you prefer to have all your phones ring simultaneously, then select the “Call Numbers Simultaneously” option.
  • Set the number of seconds you want each phone to ring and then hit “Apply.”
  • If you don’t pick up, ultimately the call will go to VoxOx voicemail. Read about how to access your VoxOx voice messages here.  
  • You can add or remove phone numbers any time by coming back to this Find Me window within the VoxOx client, or by calling your VoxOx number, entering your 4 digit pin code and selecting the “Settings” option. 

Don’t forget that in order for VoxOx Find Me to kick in, you need to provide callers with a VoxOx phone number. This doesn’t mean that you need to get rid of any of your existing numbers – just think of the VoxOx number as your “umbrella” number that reaches all your phones, but if you want to be reached specifically on your cell phone or another device, then by all means, give that number out. If you’d rather not provide a new number at all, there’s a way to forward your mobile phone number to VoxOx.

So that’s it – you have all the tools to be totally accessible to all your 4th of July party guests this weekend and beyond! Now go change your RSVP phone number on your Evite to your VoxOx number, take a deep breath, relax, and host your party with ease.

Have you tried Find Me yet? Please share a comment here about how it has helped you or someone you know, we would love to hear your story!

PG
Natasha Grach is a PR pro by day and singer by night -- when not telling the world about VoxOx, she can be found on stage at some of San Diego’s favorite musical theater venues. She is also a travel junkie. Her favorite countries include Turkey, Israel, Spain, UK, Italy, Russia, Lithuania. She’ll be using VoxOx SMS CallBack on her next trip around the globe!

follow natasha.grach twitter.com/natashagrach

follow VoxOx twitter.com/voxox

]]> http://blog.voxox.com/party-planning-is-easier-with-find-me-%e2%80%93-voxox-tips-for-4th-of-july-and-beyond/1610/feed 0 5 Ways to Score an Amazing 2010 World Cup Experience Through VoxOx http://blog.voxox.com/5-ways-to-score-an-amazing-2010-world-cup-experience-through-voxox/1489 http://blog.voxox.com/5-ways-to-score-an-amazing-2010-world-cup-experience-through-voxox/1489#comments Wed, 23 Jun 2010 18:51:25 +0000 Matt http://blog.voxox.com/?p=1489 It’s that time again – when the best and brightest soccer talent on the PLANET duke it out for global bragging rights…. it’s the World Cup! Get ready to wave your nation’s flag and wear your nation’s colors. And while you’re at it, why not show your World Cup pride through VoxOx?  There are so many ways to do this, but we’ll just go with my favorites:

1) Update your global status to let everything know your team scored

When your team scores you have about a second to react before the moment is gone. Just imagine yourself trying to post your “WE OWN YOU BRAZIL” on your Facebook, Twitter, AIM, etc.  By the time you’re done, the other team may have scored, and that’s just embarrassing. With VoxOx, you can update all your networks with one click. Just go to the status bar, bang out your best heckle and enter. Takes 2 seconds and your friends know who’s boss.

2) Use the Universal Translator to gloat to your friends in their language

Talking smack about other teams is fun, but what about talking international smack?  Not so fun when the other person doesn’t understand what you’re saying. Well, luckily we have just the thing – with the VoxOx Universal Translator feature, you just type your…er… feelings… in the VoxOx chat window and it gets instantly translated into the language of your international buddy on the other side of the world. You can do this with texts, emails and Tweets too.  I don’t speak any Spanish, but… mi abuela patea mas duro que tus delanteros! (It may not be perfect but it sure gets the point across.)

3) Screen your calls until half-time

If you’re a true fan, you probably don’t want to be interrupted watching the World Cup, except maaaaybe if someone has something really important to say.  With VoxOx you can screen all your calls, at least until half-time. You can even listen to the caller leaving a voicemail in real-time, and pick up the call at any point with VoxOx’s Eavesdrop™ feature. So, if your buddy calls and starts leaving you a voice message, ragging on your team, you can pick it right up and tell him what’s on your mind.  If you haven’t had a chance to give out your VoxOx number to your friends yet, you can just forward your cell to VoxOx and use many of these calling features. 

4) Set your country’s flag as your VoxOx avatar

It will be nice to look at and it’s one of the easiest things you can do to show your team pride. Just Google the image you want, save to your desktop, and then right click on your VoxOx default pic and browse for the image file. Or you can even get a little creative, like these guys we found online:

5) Call your international buddies for cheap when your team beats theirs

If you didn’t get enough gloating and smack-talking done with the Universal Translator, it always helps to finish the job with a phone call. VoxOx international calling rates are crazy cheap, we’re talking as low as a penny per minute. Did you see that goal? Was that striker off-sides? Can you believe that ref? With such low rates, you can talk about anything and everything and still have plenty of cash left to stock up on refreshments for the next match.

So with that, have an awesome time watching the World Cup in the coming weeks and don’t forget to use VoxOx to “express yourself” about it!

PG
Matt is a software developer, working tirelessly behind the scenes to give us the tools we need to work faster and smarter. He’s the type of guy that is always updating his status, Tweeting, or jumping in on the newest social media network, which makes VoxOx a more-than-natural home for him. When he manages to disconnect from the Internet, you’ll find him glued to his xbox, enjoying the beautiful scenes of San Diego, or throwing a Frisbee.

follow Matt twitter.com/voxox

follow VoxOx twitter.com/voxox

]]> http://blog.voxox.com/5-ways-to-score-an-amazing-2010-world-cup-experience-through-voxox/1489/feed 0 Don’t Call Dad Collect This Father’s Day — Call Him Free or Cheap on VoxOx, Instead! http://blog.voxox.com/don%e2%80%99t-call-dad-collect-this-father%e2%80%99s-day-call-him-free-or-cheap-on-voxox-instead/1454 http://blog.voxox.com/don%e2%80%99t-call-dad-collect-this-father%e2%80%99s-day-call-him-free-or-cheap-on-voxox-instead/1454#comments Thu, 17 Jun 2010 23:19:13 +0000 connie.sanders http://blog.voxox.com/?p=1454 Did you know that Mother’s Day boasts the most long-distance calls of the year, while Father’s Day holds the record for the most collect calls?  Poor Dad!! Don’t make him pay for it this year – use VoxOx to tell him how special he is without spending a fortune, or needing him to spend it on you.

With VoxOx, you have incredibly cheap calling rates for more than 200 regions worldwide, including:

  • $.01 per minute in 20+ countries… (U.S., Canada, U.K., Spain, Singapore, China, more!) 
  • $.02 per minute in 30+ countries… (Greece, Argentina, Italy, South Korea, Japan, more!)
  • $.02 to $.05 per minute in 50+ countries… (India, Russia, South Africa, Chile, Indonesia, more!)

Plus, when you sign up for VoxOx, we give you some initial pocket change so that you can make a few calls on us! For example, when signing up within the U.S. or Canada, you get a $1 credit, and at $.01 per minute that gives you more than an hour and a half to fill Dad’s head with things that’ll make him go awwwww. 

It’s so easy too – just find him on your contact list, right-click to select the contact, and then press the little phone icon. You’ll be giving him a call in no time!

And, if he’s not in your contact list, just go for the keypad tab:

So, there you have it – VoxOx connects you with a bunch of places worldwide for super cheap and eliminates the excuse that you couldn’t find an affordable way to call. So, this June 20th, let Dad know how much you love and appreciate him on his special day.  

And with that, our VoxOx team would like to wish a Happy Father’s Day to dads everywhere!

PG
Connie is the telephone number guru responsible for your VoxOx phone numbers (let's call her director of CLEC operations). With several certifications she’s really a jack of all trades and keeps us humming along. She may be dubbed the team step-mom, but has more fun than most! With all the RV trips to the River & Desert, VoxOx is great for staying in touch with the “real” world…who says you need to be stuck behind a desk?

follow connie.sanders twitter.com/

follow VoxOx twitter.com/voxox

]]> http://blog.voxox.com/don%e2%80%99t-call-dad-collect-this-father%e2%80%99s-day-call-him-free-or-cheap-on-voxox-instead/1454/feed 0 Download VoxOx Update with Latest Facebook Plugin http://blog.voxox.com/download-voxox-update-with-latest-facebook-plugin/1152 http://blog.voxox.com/download-voxox-update-with-latest-facebook-plugin/1152#comments Wed, 21 Apr 2010 20:44:19 +0000 natasha.grach http://blog.voxox.com/?p=1152 We’ve just released an updated version of the VoxOx software that incorporates the latest Facebook plugin. The new plugin fixes a snag that was preventing some Facebook status messages to display properly, and also eliminates a limit on how many Facebook friends can be displayed at a time.

Now all your 2000 FB buddies are there for you in VoxOx! Chat with ‘em, use the Universal Translator to make them think you’ve learned a new language, share a 100 MB music video file, etc.… all while making calls, sending texts, emails and even faxes to your other friends who still refuse to get on Facebook.

Click here to download update.

PG
Natasha Grach is a PR pro by day and singer by night -- when not telling the world about VoxOx, she can be found on stage at some of San Diego’s favorite musical theater venues. She is also a travel junkie. Her favorite countries include Turkey, Israel, Spain, UK, Italy, Russia, Lithuania. She’ll be using VoxOx SMS CallBack on her next trip around the globe!

follow natasha.grach twitter.com/natashagrach

follow VoxOx twitter.com/voxox

]]> http://blog.voxox.com/download-voxox-update-with-latest-facebook-plugin/1152/feed 0 New Video Tutorial – 14 Popular VoxOx Features Explained http://blog.voxox.com/new-video-tutorial-14-popular-voxox-features-explained/1067 http://blog.voxox.com/new-video-tutorial-14-popular-voxox-features-explained/1067#comments Fri, 09 Apr 2010 19:25:40 +0000 natasha.grach http://blog.voxox.com/?p=1067 We created a video tutorial on how to use 14 key VoxOx features to help our new and existing users take better advantage of the good stuff VoxOx has to offer! 

The video includes how to:

Become a VoxOx expert with our video tutorial!

Click on the screenshot or go here: http://www.voxox.com/howtovideo.php to view the tutorial videos… and tell us what other features you’d like explained!
 
Keep Voxing y’all!
 
PG
Natasha Grach is a PR pro by day and singer by night -- when not telling the world about VoxOx, she can be found on stage at some of San Diego’s favorite musical theater venues. She is also a travel junkie. Her favorite countries include Turkey, Israel, Spain, UK, Italy, Russia, Lithuania. She’ll be using VoxOx SMS CallBack on her next trip around the globe!

follow natasha.grach twitter.com/natashagrach

follow VoxOx twitter.com/voxox

]]> http://blog.voxox.com/new-video-tutorial-14-popular-voxox-features-explained/1067/feed 0 New Video Interview: Bryan Hertz, CEO of TelCentris, Speaks With BNET TV http://blog.voxox.com/new-video-interview-bryan-hertz-ceo-of-telcentris-speaks-with-bnet-tv/1050 http://blog.voxox.com/new-video-interview-bryan-hertz-ceo-of-telcentris-speaks-with-bnet-tv/1050#comments Thu, 08 Apr 2010 17:24:56 +0000 natasha.grach http://blog.voxox.com/?p=1050 In this newly posted video interview, Bryan Hertz, CEO of TelCentris (the company that created VoxOx), speaks with bnetTV.com at the 2010 MWC show in Barcelona regarding the VoxOx Universal Translator and more!

Click on video to view:

 

PG
Natasha Grach is a PR pro by day and singer by night -- when not telling the world about VoxOx, she can be found on stage at some of San Diego’s favorite musical theater venues. She is also a travel junkie. Her favorite countries include Turkey, Israel, Spain, UK, Italy, Russia, Lithuania. She’ll be using VoxOx SMS CallBack on her next trip around the globe!

follow natasha.grach twitter.com/natashagrach

follow VoxOx twitter.com/voxox

]]> http://blog.voxox.com/new-video-interview-bryan-hertz-ceo-of-telcentris-speaks-with-bnet-tv/1050/feed 1 Win a Free All-Inclusive Trip to San Diego … and Stay With Our CEO! http://blog.voxox.com/win-a-free-all-inclusive-trip-to-san-diego-and-stay-with-our-ceo-2/1013 http://blog.voxox.com/win-a-free-all-inclusive-trip-to-san-diego-and-stay-with-our-ceo-2/1013#comments Thu, 01 Apr 2010 21:48:30 +0000 natasha.grach http://blog.voxox.com/?p=1013 Tell us why you are the best VoxOx user EVER and you’ll automatically be entered to win the grand prize!  Here’s what you’ll win:

  • Free round trip airfare to San Diego — To be eligible to win you must currently live within the County of San Diego.
  • A five-night stay at our CEO’s oceanfront property — OK, so it’s not really oceanfront, but on a clear day you can almost see the water. Winner must cook, clean, and walk dogs during stay.
  • Experience a full week at the company headquarters — Winner must have a computer science and engineering degree with 10+ years of programming experience. Must be willing to work 40+ hours during stay.

We can’t wait to hear from you (if you qualify, that is)!

……..

OK, you knew it was coming: APRIL FOOLS!!!!!

Our CEO is too dangerous to stay with anyway…

TelCentris CEO Bryan "The Crane" Hertz

PG
Natasha Grach is a PR pro by day and singer by night -- when not telling the world about VoxOx, she can be found on stage at some of San Diego’s favorite musical theater venues. She is also a travel junkie. Her favorite countries include Turkey, Israel, Spain, UK, Italy, Russia, Lithuania. She’ll be using VoxOx SMS CallBack on her next trip around the globe!

follow natasha.grach twitter.com/natashagrach

follow VoxOx twitter.com/voxox

]]> http://blog.voxox.com/win-a-free-all-inclusive-trip-to-san-diego-and-stay-with-our-ceo-2/1013/feed 1 Happy Easter from VoxOx! http://blog.voxox.com/happy-easter-from-voxox/941 http://blog.voxox.com/happy-easter-from-voxox/941#comments Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:25:12 +0000 natasha.grach http://blog.voxox.com/?p=941

To get in the spirit of Easter we decided to have our engineering team engage in a little Easter egg coloring contest.  Being the brilliant team that they are, they couldn’t just pick up an egg and go for it, there was a brainstorming session, calculations were made, 3D computerized models were drawn, and then after a few hours the team was ready!!  There were some amazing creations, and here are the winners:

 

So, what do you think?  Pretty good, right? No, really really good right? 

Hmmm, too good.

Ok, you got us. We didn’t actually have time to create 3D Easter egg models since we’re a little busy working on VoxOx… But… our CTO Kevin Hertz did take some time to get in the holiday spirit — check out the egg painted black with the big red VoxOx “V” below:

Now there’s our true winner!  Happy Easter.

PG
Natasha Grach is a PR pro by day and singer by night -- when not telling the world about VoxOx, she can be found on stage at some of San Diego’s favorite musical theater venues. She is also a travel junkie. Her favorite countries include Turkey, Israel, Spain, UK, Italy, Russia, Lithuania. She’ll be using VoxOx SMS CallBack on her next trip around the globe!

follow natasha.grach twitter.com/natashagrach

follow VoxOx twitter.com/voxox

]]> http://blog.voxox.com/happy-easter-from-voxox/941/feed 0