My phone has a sick, destructive power over me. It controls all of my human interactions. It houses my twitter, my facebook, my google+, text messages, and even my ability to actually talk to the people I know. Crazy at it sounds to think people use their phones to talk. I can even update this blog from my phone. Though, honestly I normally only keep track of the comments.
Now, most of these things I can do normally from my computer. Hell, that’s what they were built for. In fact, when I step into work and set my phone on silent, I tend to forget about it for the rest of the day, missing text messages and voice mails that I happily ignore.
It isn’t that I don’t want to respond to people through 90s communication methods, I just can’t answer the phone at work. I work in a giant concrete building made of anti-cell-phone asbestos, it’s just not feasible. So, I went looking for a solution to the problem of not getting my texts and voicemail and what-have-yous.
I found it in the same place I find most of my solutions: Google.
Google Voice Reversal of the Phone/Computer Relationship
More and more, my little phone replaces the need for me to have a computer. It is slowly but steadily stealing away life from my pc. Google Voice reversed all of that. Now, when I get a voice mail or a text message, it will show up in my browser! I don’t have to worry about typing things out with my thumbs and fighting of autocorrect. I can send infinitely long text messages (that will actually deliver as multiples to the people still stuck in a 240 character limit).
The absolute best part, though: Voice mail transcripts. You see, if someone leaves a voice mail on my phone, Google Voice will transcribe it into a text message and let me read it both on my phone or on my browser. This is great for when I would feel like a dick for pulling my phone out and listening to my voice mail. I can just read it real quickly instead.
Of course, there is some humor to be found in a computer transcribed message, like the fact that it thinks my name is “Brother. 10.”
I’m okay with that though.
Give it a shot. It’s free, and it makes life just a couple of seconds more convenient. Plus, it lets my pc give my phone the raspberry once in a while, and that, my friends, is what makes life worth living.