Visual Voicemail
Latest
Google will finally add iPhone-like visual voicemail to Android
Android users on select networks will soon get native "visual voicemail," a feature that iPhone users have enjoyed since forever. In case you're wondering, that's a way of checking and deleting voice mails via an app, rather than having to call a carrier number and go through them one by one. The feature was spied by Android Police on a support ticket for the upcoming Android M release and via Google+ user Danny Hollis. Hollis showed a screen cap of the new interface (below), and said it's now implemented for T-Mobile in a preview build.
Orange Libon adds picture messaging to iOS app
Libon is a messaging app backed by the European cell provider Orange that's making its way over to Android today, offering free calls, messaging and visual voicemail to smartphones on that side of the platform fence. But there's important news for us iOS users as well, as the app has also added free picture and audio messaging to our version, along with a push-to-talk feature. You can find the app for free on the App Store now. Orange makes money on this one using in-app purchases, which can add premium options like extra message storage, customization options or translations of your voicemails to text or to MP3 via email. These apps have gained a nice following with their free features. Libon, WhatsApp and others have created their own messaging ecosystems unrelated to what service you're using to power your phone. You'd think that with the iPhone so ubiquitous, Apple would have unified messaging as much as possible, and iMessage was their best try so far at doing just that. But these various services are still flourishing inside of the App Store itself.
Boost Mobile set to offer Smith Micro's Visual Voicemail features starting on May 31st
Up until now, the Boost Mobile crowd's been missing out on those fancy visual voicemail creations, but that's about to change starting on May 31st. Earlier today, Smith Micro announced it's delivering its Visual Voicemail features to the prepaid-friendly carrier, with the upcoming Boost-branded HTC EVO Design 4G being the first slab to offer said tidbits. Smith Micro is also adding an optional service dubbed "Voicemail-to-Text," which -- for an extra $1.99 per month -- will essentially turn those vocal messages into words and send them to you via text message or email. With the launch of the "four-gee" waves in mind, we're certain you're enjoying all the incoming news of late.
Virgin Mobile USA and Boost take WiMAX live, ship HTC EVO V 4G and EVO Design 4G on May 31
In sync with Sprint's plans to get its sub-brands on 4G using its legacy WiMAX network, both Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile have trotted out their initial 4G lineups. The early Virgin mix includes retreads of two Sprint data-only devices -- a Broadband2Go-badged version of the Sierra Wireless Overdrive Pro 3G/4G hotspot and a matching version of the Franklin U600 previously seen at Clear. Virgin's real star, however, is the HTC EVO V 4G: though it's ultimately the EVO 3D with a slightly more 2D name, it's shipping with Android 4.0 from the start and has HTC's Frankenstein-like Sense 3.6 rather than the 4.0 of the One series. The network upgrade and all three new devices swing into action on May 31, and while your $35 minimum monthly plan will stay in effect even with unlimited on-device 4G, you'll need to spend $300 (contract-free) to take home an EVO V 4G, $150 on the Overdrive Pro or $100 on the U600 stick. Boost Mobile is also going the Sprint rebadge route through the HTC EVO Design 4G. As with its bigger brother over at Virgin, the single-core EVO Design 4G is identical in hardware to its Sprint equivalent but slaps Android 4.0 and Sense 3.6 on top to keep the software fresh. The update does mark the first time a Boost phone gets Visual Voicemail, so you can feel slightly less guilty when you miss a call. HTC's phone will oddly cost the same $300 off-contract as the more advanced EVO V 4G, although Boost is likely counting on customers sticking around long enough for an all-inclusive unlimited plan to drop to $40 per month and make it worthwhile. %Gallery-154875%
Google Voice gets an ICS update, brings visual voicemail to the missed call log
To date, it seems that Mountain View has employed a loose definition of the term "integrated," neglecting to offer such Google Voice features as a unified messaging inbox, or an option to access voicemails without switching back to the dedicated app. Well we have some good news for those of you that haven't completely abandoned voice-based communication. The latest GV update adds a special topping to that Ice Cream Sandwich (sorry, Gingerbread men), letting you launch visual voicemails directly from your Android call log -- and bringing Voice integration a step closer to actually being integrated. You'll also have the power to slow down a message to jot down a callback number, or speed it up to get to the juicy stuff, like a callback number. Full details are at the source link below, or on your very own ICS handset after a quick trip to Play.
iPhone 101: Recovering deleted voicemails
Welcome to iPhone 101, the series that explains the basics of iPhone operation. This time, its retrieving a deleted voice mail message. One of the great features of the iPhone -- that is, one that is actually related to having phone conversations -- is Visual Voicemail. So long as your carrier (network provider) supports it, Visual Voicemail allows you to see your voicemail messages, similar to a list of text messages or emails. You can decide which messages you want to listen to, when you want to listen to them and scrub through the message to the important part you want to hear. In Apple's own words, "Visual Voicemail on iPhone is still the biggest breakthrough in voicemail since, well, voicemail." It certainly has changed the way I use voicemail. Gone are the days of dialing in to a voicemail box and laboriously listening to all your messages in a row! But there's one unsung, often overlooked feature of Visual Voicemail: recovering deleted voicemails. If you've deleted a voicemail message that you really wish you hadn't (say, the pin code for the alarm system at a guest house you're staying at), simply swipe down your row of messages, all the way to the bottom of the list, and tap on "Deleted Messages." So long as you haven't come here before and tapped "Clear All," all the messages you've ever deleted on your iPhone will be stored here. To recover your deleted voicemail, simply search for it in the list, select it and tap on "undelete." The voicemail will pop into your normal voicemail list ready for you to listen to again.
Bing Indoor Maps and Visual Voicemail shown in latest WP7 Mango demo videos
Steve Ballmer may have confessed during today's WPC keynote that Windows Phone 7's market share is still "very small," but it's obvious the team is doing monumental things with Mango. As the mobile OS finds it own, things like indoor mapping and a pristine iteration of Visual Voicemail could be key to swaying folks who still believe that Microsoft's latest attempt in the smartphone universe still lacks the basics. The fine folks over at Pocketnow and WMPowerUser have been putting the latest build of Mango through those exact paces, and both instances are looking downright delicious. We won't bore you with textual details; head on past the break for a bit of visual proof.
Panasonic, Yahoo, more admit defeat, sign deal with Klausner
It's easy to mock the little guy when he takes a handful of giant corporations to court. Such litigious overzealousness usually gets tangled up or tossed out altogether -- Klausner Technologies, however, is laughing all the way to the bank, with a stellar track record taking on some of tech's biggest names over the past few years. To date, the company has scored wins in visual voicemail patent battles with Apple, Google, Verizon, LG, and Vonage -- the company also struck a deal with Sprint, though presumably with less teeth-pulling. This week, Klausner added four more big wins to the list, inking deals with Panasonic, Yahoo, Qwest Communications, and Avaya in the wake of suits against the tech firms. The company still has ongoing battles with RIM and Cisco that will hopefully stay civil. We'd hate to see someone send a visual voicemail they'd regret later.
Visual VoiceMail pulled from Android Market, Google accused of 'pulling an Apple'
Looks like Apple isn't the only one wanting to make sure that app payments are being run through appropriate channels. The Visual VoiceMail app, which has been downloaded about a million times (literally), has just been pulled from the Android Market. When developers at PhoneFusion asked the reasonable question, "why," they were simply directed to section 3.3 of the Android Market Developer Distribution Agreement: If you want to collect fees after the free trial expires, you must collect all fees for the full version of the Product through the Payment Processor on the Market... All fees received by Developers for Products distributed via the Market must be processed by the Market's Payment Processor. The service allows users to purchase premium features through the company's website, something that many other apps do and that is certainly not new to Visual VoiceMail. What's next remains to be seen, but sadly Google is saying PhoneFusion must re-submit the app with a new name -- losing all the positive reviews it's racked up. Hardly an ideal solution.
Line2 adds a second line to your iPhone for $15 a month
Would you like to add a second line to your iPhone? Perhaps you'd like to add a business number to the phone, but your existing phone is currently tied to your personal mobile number. You could always carry a second phone, but that's an expensive proposition, particularly if you're an iPhone addict. VoIP provider Toktumi has a solution that may work out well for you. They're now selling an app called Line2 (US$0.99) that mimics many of the capabilities of the standard Phone app, complete with a form of visual voice mail. Purchasing the app provides you with one month of free VoIP service. After that point, each month's continued service costs $14.95 for unlimited calls within the US and Canada. The service is purchased in-app, and was a point of confusion for me -- the app listing in the iTunes store shows a "Top In App Purchase" at a cost of $19.99 for a month. Toktumi's website and the promotional video (above) do show the lower monthly rate. While many VoIP solutions require a Wi-Fi connection to work, Line2 works over both 3G and Wi-Fi. The app has many of the features you might want in a business phone, including call waiting and call transfer, the ability to create conference calls with up to 20 participants, and even integration with Toktumi's hosted PBX service. For small businesses that want to present a more professional image to callers, Line2 might be just the right solution. Toktumi notes that the app also works with both the iPod touch (Wi-Fi only) and iPad (Wi-Fi or 3G).
BlackBerry Tour2-compatible visual VM on Verizon suggests release is growing near
It feels like the Tour isn't quite aged enough to be replaced -- especially when you consider that the downright ancient Pearl 8100 series is still sold on carriers around the world -- but it seems that Verizon (and Sprint, naturally) might be champing at the bit to move on to a newer model with WiFi and a complete eradication of the pesky trackball. Verizon's posted a Java app to its site with the file name "vvmail_9650.jad," a reference to the Tour2's model number. Of course, the Tour2 itself has yet to be announced by RIM in any capacity -- let alone for a specific carrier -- so we've got some hurdles to jump before this is on shelves, but if nothing else, we can safely say it's coming to Big Red sooner or later. [Image via BGR]
Bell launches visual voicemail on BlackBerry, but it isn't cheap
Just how badly do you want an alternative to pressing and holding the "1" key? With Canada's Bell, you'd better want it pretty badly -- because its new visual voicemail service for BlackBerry devices isn't going to be cheap. The service is available with pretty much every modern BlackBerry, ranging from the older 8830 and Pearl 8130 to the most modern models like the Bold 9700 -- and as you might notice from that model range, it also spans both Bell's CDMA and HSPA networks. Here's where it gets tricky, though: it runs a stout CAD $8 (about $7.65) a month, which is a good deal more than the $2.99 Verizon charges for a similar setup. Obviously it's not much a difference, but it feels like $2.99 is below some magical psychological barrier where no serious mulling occurs; $8, though -- that's a different story.
AT&T yanks BlackBerry Bold visual voicemail software update
Hope you Bold owners out there managed to snag AT&T's BlackBerry Bold visual voicemail software update while it lasted, because an internal memo leaked to BGR says it's been pulled due to compatibility problems with "network enhancements being deployed." That sounds to us like there's an issue with either those 850MHz 3G rollouts or whatever black magic Ma Bell's doing to get iPhone MMS up and running, but either way, it's one more fire for AT&T's engineers to put out while its customers sit around waiting.Update: AT&T just sent us their official word on the matter -- and they also told us it has nothing to do with MMS or 850. Check it out after the break.
AT&T hits BlackBerry Bold users with visual voicemail
Hey, we knew this was coming -- but we're hearing murmurs that actual AT&T BlackBerry Bold owners are starting to get their visual voicemail updates rolling out to them. The voicemail features allow you to store up to 40 messages at a time, and add numbers to contacts from voicemail. We'll let you know all of the perks of software update v4.6.0.508 when we get it up and running on our own Bold, but hit the read link for AT&T's rundown (warning: it's a PDF).[Via Boy Genius Report]
AT&T's visual voicemail for BlackBerry Bold official this week?
Hey, Bold users: you know how your friends with iPhones keep taunting with you with their world-class cornucopia of fart apps and built-in visual voicemail until you're about two seconds away from slapping the smile right off their faces? Of course, there's nothing that's been stopping you from using Google Voice or some other third-party service to accomplish the same thing, but for the sake of argument, let's just say you'd rather have something more integrated with a first-party feel. Well, you might just be in luck -- word on the street is that AT&T's visual voicemail service for the Bold should finally hit this Tuesday. Why wait, though? Boy Genius Report is saying that folks are having luck activating it right now by calling into customer service, so if you're dying to get this ball rolling, it might just be worth a shot. This particular service has been in the pressure cooker for a good, long while now -- and now that the Bold's getting up around middle age, we certainly hope that AT&T's efforts here are going to spread to other models, present and future.
T-Mobile myTouch 3G's visual voicemail detailed on video
When we spoke to T-Mobile at the myTouch 3G launch last week, there was some doubt as to whether its Android-based visual voicemail app would be ready in time for the new model's launch -- but from a handful of videos TmoNews has managed to uncover, it's certainly looking ready for action. A series of three quick instructional videos guides users through the oh-so-simple tasks of listening to individual voicemails, saving them to a memory card (an interesting trick), and listening to them in any order you like; if you think those tasks sound too boring and obvious to really require video instruction, you're kinda right -- but we can see how users completely new to the concept of visual voicemail would benefit from the quick tutorial. At any rate, it's good to see that the software's looking good, it takes advantage of Android's standard notification mechanism, and we're hopeful it could be ready by the time the first units start hitting customers' hands at the tail end of the month.
Hack: use Google Voice to add visual voicemail to your G1, Dream, or Magic
With home screen widgets, an on-screen keyboard, great notification management, and hands-down the best Gmail experience of any platform, Android 1.5 finally makes it easy (or easier, anyway) to love Google's foray into the mobile world. Of course, if you're coming from an iPhone -- as some users inevitably will be -- there are a few features that'll be sorely missed as you make the transition. For us, a biggie was visual voicemail, and after a little trial and error, we found a cool way to add it into our device without even leaving the Google ecosystem -- and even better, it's totally free. Head on over to Engadget Mobile to find out how to do it.
Visual Voicemail hosed after an upgrade? Here's the likely solution
This happened to me last time I upgraded from my original iPhone to the 3G. I went to check messages, and instead of seeing the list of people who called, the phone simply dialed the voicemail number. The solution this time is the same as last time.Go to the AT&T web site, log in, and under Phone, Device Support you'll see an option to 'Reset Voicemail Password.' Go ahead and do that, and AT&T will send you a text message with a temporary password. Go to your iPhone, set up Visual Voicemail again as if your phone was new, and put your old password back in.It seems like AT&T could handle all this automatically, and it clearly works for some, but a quick check of friends who upgraded found quite a few with the problem. All this logging in and re-setting passwords is not the most elegant solution, but apparently it is the only solution.Hope this helps some of you.
T-Mobile rolling out visual voicemail this summer?
Newly-leaked projected training and launch dates on T-Mobile are revealing a treasure trove of goodies for the summer months, not the least of which seems to be a visual voicemail system -- a trend already validated by AT&T's and Verizon's past and future launches -- expected on July 16, though it's not clear what devices are lined up to get it. On the hardware front, we're getting some much-needed validation on dates we've already heard: we've got the Dash 3G (alias Snap, alias S522) in the mix for July 1, the 8 megapixel Sony Ericsson CS8 slider for June 24 (and its kid brother, the CS5, for July 8), and the HTC Rhodium / Touch Pro2 for July 22. We've also got a couple "hero" Samsungs listed in here, though we're fairly certain they're not Android devices -- Houdini, where are you?
Google, LG settle visual voicemail patent suits with Klausner
As expected, Google and LG have joined Apple, AT&T, and Verizon in settling their visual voicemail patent lawsuits with Klausner Technologies. The LG agreement is the more straightforward of the two, since it covers LG devices like the Versa directly, but things get more complicated with Google since it doesn't actually make its own phones -- Klausner wouldn't say if the agreement shielded Android licensees from patent claims. We're hoping Google's attorneys got it all sorted out, but we'll see who else is next on Klausner's naughty list. Read - Google Read - LG
