VOXOX Blog

Studying abroad is a fun experience -- new language, new country, new friends, new food! -- but the everyday luxury of chatting on a cell phone in a foreign country can be very expensive and leave you feeling out of the loop! Since international cell phone plans and calling cards may empty your travel fund faster than you thought, to save you stress and a few euro, yen (or whatever currency you're using!), this week's installment of Back to School with Voxox is all about how Voxox can help you, and other adventurous students studying abroad, keep in touch with friends, family and fellow classmates without spending a fortune!

Leaving the house without a full iPhone battery is unimaginable for some of us (especially for you Voxox Call users!), but sitting around waiting for a charge isn't always possible. If the thought of being off the grid due to a dead smartphone gives you an anxiety attack, maybe it's time to harness your body's own energy to power your devices!

What comes to mind when you think 4th of July? Here at Voxox we love the backyard BBQs, fireworks and ice-cold brews, of course! But this holiday is not just about good food and making memories, it's about celebrating our nation’s freedom and... um, animals dressed up in patriotic garb!

Like ice cream and sun tans, camping is a summertime staple. As a kid you were probably stoked to get out the tent and leave your Nintendo and Walkman behind in exchange for a lumpy sleeping bag and mysterious night crawlers, but with today's technology the meaning of camping has changed a little bit and iPods, iPhones and other gadgets are normal campsite companions.


A day in the woods can go from enjoying the great outdoors to dreading the great outdoors pretty quickly if we’re away from our routine for too long. So, for those of us who like to be one with nature, but also need the comforts of home at the campsite, there’s probably a gadget for that,  but how techy is too techy for a day in the woods?


Take a look at this summer's all new camping gadgets and decide if they’re techy or just plain tacky!


1. BioLite CampStove: Not all of us are Boy Scouts by nature and might need a little help from the the tech gods when it comes to cooking up a dinner in the woods, so it's BioLite CampStove to the rescue. Not only is it a safe, clean and easy option if a traditional campfire just isn't your scene, it also comes with an incredible perk – it collects escaping heat and converts it to electricity that can be used to charge your iPhone or iPod so you're never without your favorite apps!







2. iBottle  Opener: This is a new kind of multi-purpose tool. It doesn't have a blade for gutting fish or a fold-out pair of pliers, but it can protect your iPhone from gentle damage and pop the top of an ice-cold brew. Oh, and did we mention you can customize your case with a company logo or favorite college sports team?






3. Otterbox Defender Series iPhone Case: If the iBottle opener wasn't hardcore enough for your camping style, this case should do the trick... it isn't called the Defender for nothing! The Otterbox Defender Series provides heavy duty protection from even the worst environments. With triple-layer protection from dust, drops, water and anything else you may encounter on your next camping trip, you're sure to head home with at least your phone fully intact!







 

4. UMI USHI Solar Charging System: This charging dock can suction to your car window or be placed in direct sunlight to charge smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles or anything else you can plug into a USB cord. Use the light of day to fuel your gadgets -- it will come in handy for looking up your favorite campfire sing-a-long lyrics!








5. MiFi Dongle: This is more than a mobile hotspot, the Mifi dongle  is an Internet addicts dream! With just the click of a button you can send a wifi signal out for a 3 mile radius. Beware, campers in the area may offer up gifts of thanks in the form of hot cocoa and smores.






Whether you're a firm believer in traditional camping or a techy on the go, there's no denying gadgets are making their way into the woods! Do you own any of these or other fancy camping gadgets? Would you take these on your next outing or is technology best left at home? Be sure to tell us on the Voxox Facebook page!

With the arrival of summer come backyard BBQs, trips to the lake and days spent enjoying the great outdoors. Back in the day, a Walkman and a few speakers may have impressed your friends on these outings, but this is 2012 -- so with a little help from Mashable, we tracked down the hottest gadgets to help you make the most of your days in the sun.


No matter what type of activity you're into -- work, play or maybe a little bit of both, we've got something here for you. Check out these must-have goodies:

1. Make an Office Out of Any Room!

All work and no play? Not on our watch! We believe that working shouldn't slow down your sun-seeking travels, so here's a stylish and compact tool that lets you make an office out of any room.  If you have a Bluetooth-enabled laptop or phone you can hook up to the Jawbone Jambox for wireless, portable audio and speakerphone calls.

2. Project Movies, Video Games, etc. from Your Smartphone or Tablet

Who needs a cramped theater and overpriced popcorn when you've got movies streaming in your backyard? The WowWee Cinamin Slice Pico Projector hooks up to your smartphone, computer or tablet and projects movies, video games and photos onto your walls, ceilings or even the side of your house!

3. Blast Tunes Straight from Your Phone

Eton Rukus Solar is a wireless boombox that plays tunes straight from your phone. Since it runs off the power of the sun, as long as you can get a tan, you can rock out.  Adios, batteries. Hello, Dougie!

4. Access Your Favorite Fitness Apps From Your Watch!

This watch is still in production, but that hasn't stopped smartphone users (the kind who love to bike, run, swim and basically sweat) from sending it to back order! The Pebble Watch is the first watch to sync with iPhone and Android devices, allowing access to fitness apps -- making the perfect outdoor accessory for any physically active techy who doesn't want to risk ruining their smartphone during a workout!

5. Stay Connected While on the Go with Voxox Call for iPhone

So how do you stay in touch when you're on the go this summer? Voxox of course! With Voxox Call on your iPhone you can call, text and even fax for super cheap. Forward your work number to your Voxox account and you could make your next work-from-home-day a day at the beach without anyone being the wiser!

There you have it folks, a list of the most-desired gadgets for summer 2012. Do you already own one of these fancy gadgets or are you do you have another tech must-have in mind?

Let us know what tech brings your outings to the next level in the comments or on the Voxox Facebook page!

Do you ever find yourself  mid-phone conversation without a clue what you're saying uh huh to? Do you give vague answers or shy from the truth when a conversation turns awkward? Do you fib or embellish a little to make your conversations more exciting? If you answered yes to any of these, you're not alone!

With all the ways we interact and share information in this digital era, we have developed unwritten etiquette for varying types of social interaction. Norms on one social site may be taboo on another and face-to-face interaction can provoke different emotions than less personal communication like email, but did you ever think one outlet could make you more or less honest than the next? As crazy as it sounds, a  recent study from the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research shows that this is in fact the case.

So, what makes us spill the beans? A few years ago we might have agreed that a few too many glasses of Pinot Noir would do the trick, but now-a-days it's something more common than happy hour -- it's texting.





According to the study, in which researchers compared respondents' answers to questions texted to them versus those asked to them in a phone interview,  people are more likely to disclose sensitive information via text message.

"This is sort of surprising," Fred Conrad, leading cognitive psychologist in the study says. "Many people thought that texting would decrease the likelihood of disclosing sensitive information because it creates a persistent, visual record of questions and answers that others might see on your phone and in the cloud."

Not only were people more likely to tell the truth via text, they were also found to give more precise answers. Researchers believed this is because with texting, people are not under pressure to give an answer -- there is no one standing in front of them or waiting on the line for a response -- giving them more time to arrive at more accurate answers.

"We're in the early stages of analyzing our findings," says Michael Schober, a professor of psychology involved in the study. "But so far it seems that texting may reduce some respondents' tendency to shade the truth or to present themselves in the best possible light in an interview."

Are you more honest when texting? Voxox minds want to know if you're more candid on one form of communication versus another!  Comment here or post on our Facebook page -- no fibbing!

With the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas this week, we figured it's a great time to talk about our awesome, free SMS language translation feature, recently added to our free iPhone app, Voxox Call.  If you liked the new outbound mobile faxing functionality I wrote about in late December, you're going to LOVE the real-time, 2-way

Wouldn't it be cool if you could turn your iPhone into a full-featured fax machine that fits in your pocket?  You could sign and fax documents wherever you are. Well, today, we released a new version of our Voxox Call iPhone app that lets you do just that!

With this version, you can use the camera on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch to photograph documents and send them as faxes for pennies. Actually, make that ONE PENNY. It costs a penny per minute of facsimile transmission in the U.S. and Canada (about $.01 per page) to send a fax via Voxox. Receiving faxes through Voxox is always free.

As a busy CFO, I have no time to waste. Voxox helps me get stuff done. Here's how I use it to make my work life easier:

1. Receiving faxes with my iPhone (for free!)

Despite what you may think you know, faxes are alive and well, and a guy on-the-go needs a way to receive and read them whenever, wherever. The ability to get free faxes on my iPhone is one of my all-time favorite Voxox features. They're crisp, clear, and easy to read (with my glasses on, that is). This is huge for me....HUGE!!!

2. Calling overseas for super cheap on my iPhone

I don't bother making international calls from my landline. It's too expensive and not convenient when dealing with time zones across the globe. With my iPhone and the Voxox Call mobile app I know I can call global partners when they're at the office and I can be anywhere (and I mean anywhere!), anytime.

3. Cheap and free worldwide SMS

Texting isn't just for tweens anymore. It's for us big-thumbed businesspeople, too. Sure, I get free texting through Voxox because I work here, but our rates are so ridiculously low that I tell all my friends to use us. Both iPhone and desktop apps: free incoming text messages, 1 penny to send SMS to the U.S. and Canada, 2 to the rest of the world. Nuff said.

4. Using translator to chat with our business customers overseas

Given that my foreign language capabilities don't extend beyond college freshman French, being able to translate my messages with the Voxox Universal Translator feature eliminates that barrier. I've used it to communicate back and forth in many languages but still waiting for something that translates that version of English they speak in London.

5. Chat and Tweet from the same place

This is an incredible time saver because my Facebook friends and Twitter followers are always wanting to know my latest take on the economy, politics, reality TV.... I can update my Voxox status, my Facebook status, and send out tweets that inform and entertain with a single post in my Voxox desktop app. Most of my chat takes place through Voxox also, and it works seamlessly with Facebook.



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So, there you have it. These are just a few of the reasons I use Voxox. If you follow me on Twitter, you'll see that I tweet about my Voxox stories all the time -- and it's not just because I'm the CFO here, it's because I love this app! Try it for yourself and you'll know what I mean.



Did Jim miss any good ways to use Voxox at work?  Comment on this post or on our Voxox Facebook page with your ideas.

All you ghouls... oops, we mean Voxox fans, have spooked and surprised us! We asked you to get your creative cauldrons boiling and tell us what Boney Skellington was saying into his iPhone by posting on our Facebook wall, and the response we got was hair-raising! And now the winner has been chosen.