I was quite disappointed with the previous release (1.07), and ended up abandoning it in favor of Facebook Lite in Opera.  1.07 didn’t even offer basic features like viewing post comments or “liking” posts.

Version 1.2 includes these features, and an updated notification system.  It is the first version I’ve found usable, and I’m pleased that Microsoft has improved it.  Here’s hoping that trend continues.

© 2010, Jonathan Johnson. All rights reserved.

The good folks over at XDA-Developers Forum have a solution:

Apparently, Opera is configured out of the box to use a specific proxy server, which is only available when the phone is operating on AT&T’s data network.  If you try to connect through wifi, your phone can’t access the server, so Opera won’t work.

Here’s how you fix it:

1. Open your Opera Mobile browser.
2. Type “about:config” without quotes into the address bar.
3. Scroll down until you see “Proxy.”  Click on it.
4. When the Proxy section expands, uncheck every box and tap “Save.”
5. Close and restart Opera Mobile.

You should now be able to browse using Opera Mobile regardless of whether you are on data or wifi.

© 2010, Jonathan Johnson. All rights reserved.

Why would I want to use Google Voice with my cell phone?

1. Google Voice gives you a permanent number that forwards to the phone or phones of your choice.  If you change carriers or move, you don’t have to worry about “porting” your old phone number- you can just change your forwarding phone settings in Google Voice.  Additionally, your Google Voice number can ring your home, work, and cell phones at the same time, and you can answer whichever one you want.  You can block specific numbers, send others to specific phones, and determine what time of day you want each phone to ring.
2. Save money/minutes on calls.  US calls are free.  International calls are far less expensive than the exorbitant per-minute fees charged by cellular carriers.  For example, I can use Google Voice to call my sister in Germany for about 2 cents per minute.  AT&T would charge well over a dollar per minute for the same call.
3. Keep your cell/home numbers private.  You can use Google Voice as your outgoing number when you place calls.  This requires some additional software, but gives the advantage of not exposing numbers you want to keep private.  Only your Google Voice number will show up on caller ID when you place calls this way.
4. Save money on text messages.  You can send and receive text messages directly from Google Voice using your phone’s mobile browser.  If you don’t have a text plan, or if your text plan only gives you a limited number of monthly messages, this is a good way to maximize your usage while saving on message fees.  Alternatively, you can have your text messages forwarded to your phone.
5. Voicemail transcription.  Using your phone’s mobile browser, you can read transcriptions of voicemail messages minutes after they are left.  The transcriptions are not perfect, and are sometimes amusing, but the service is good enough that you can see who called and get the gist of what they wanted.

Disclaimer (Read this before you continue!): This is the part where I cover my butt.  Integrating Google Voice with your Windows Mobile phone requires installing and configuring several free third-party software programs. The procedure described below worked on my HTC Tilt 2 from AT&T running Windows Mobile 6.5.  I have not tried it on any other device and I make no guarantees that it will work on yours.  I do not offer any type of tech support.  If you choose to proceed, you do so at your own risk and agree that I am not responsible for anything that may go wrong as a result.

Still with me?  Good.

Things you’ll need

In addition to your phone, you’ll need several pieces of free software, and a couple of free user accounts.  I’ll show you where to get each of these things and how to configure them.

Hardware

1. A device running Windows Mobile.  I have version 6.5 on mine.  I’m under the impression that this should work with previous versions as well, but you may have to use different software or earlier versions of the same software.

Software

1. iDialer-gv from Supware.com.  This app comes in both Google Voice and regular flavors.  Make sure you get the one for Google Voice, which has the “gv” suffix.
2. iContact from Supware.com.  This app integrates your phone contacts with iDialer and provides some additional functionality.
3. iDialer configuration program.  Once you’ve installed iDialer, you use another program to configure it to your Google Voice account and dialing preferences.
4. Fring.  This is the VoIP client you will use for your Google Voice calls.  You can use another VoIP client if you prefer, as long as it is configurable and supports the SIP protocol.

Services

1. A wifi or 3G connection.
2. A Google Voice account.
3. A Gizmo5 account.  Your Google Voice account will forward to this service, which integrates directly with Fring.

Part One: Setting up Google Voice

Note: For this next part, you need a Google Voice account, or an invitation to set up a Google Voice account.  The service is available by invitation only.  If you already have an account or invitation, skip the next paragraph and go directly to the instructions. Update: Google Voice is now open to the public and invitations are no longer required.

Instructions:

I recommend using your desktop computer rather than your mobile browser for this part.

1. If you don’t already have a Google Voice account, click the link in your invitation email.  Follow the instructions to create your account.  If you don’t already have a Google account, you’ll be asked to set one up at this point.  You will have a choice of area codes, and the chance to enter any number sequences you want in your new phone number.
2. Once you’ve created your Google Voice account, log in and click “Settings” in the upper right corner.
3. Under “Settings,” select “Phones.”  This is where you set up Forwarding Phones, which are the phones you want your Google Voice number to forward to.  When you place a call through Google Voice, you will choose one of your forwarding phones for the call to be connected to.
4. Click “Add phone.”  You’ll be asked to enter the type of phone, the number, and a phone name that you select.
5. After you click “Save,” a message will pop up telling you that the number needs to be verified.  A 2-digit code will be displayed.
6. Click “Connect.”  Google Voice will call the phone number.  When you answer, you will be asked to enter the code displayed on the website using your phone’s numeric keypad.  After you have entered the code, you will be told, “your forwarding phone is set up.  Goodbye.”

Part Two: Setting up your Gizmo account

Note: Parts Two and Three are optional.  You need them only if you want to make free VoIP calls with your cell phone that don’t use your minutes, or if you want to connect your Google Voice number with an analog telephone adapter for free home phone service.

Update: Since Gizmo5 is no longer allowing new signups, I recommend substituting a free SipGate account, available at https://secure.sipgate.com/register/code.  Enter your cell number to receive a text message with instructions for signing up.  Make sure you choose “SipGate One,” which is free.  Once you’ve signed up, download the SipGate softphone, available here.  Using the SipGate Softphone, register and confirm your SipGate number with your Google Voice account.

I recommend using your desktop computer rather than your mobile browser for this part.

1. Go to GizmoProject.com.  Click on “Download for Desktop.”  Follow the instructions for downloading and installing the Gizmo softphone client.
2. When you open the softphone program for the first time, you will have two choices: “Log in using an existing account name” or “Register a new account name.”  Select “Register a new account name.” You’ll be asked to pick a username and password, and provide an email address.  Follow the instructions to register your free account.  Don’t opt for any of the paid plans unless you already know you want to.
3. Return to GizmoProject.com.  Click on “Members Sign In” in the upper right corner.  Enter your username and password to sign in.
4. Scroll down until you see “Account Overview.”  Beneath “Account Overview” you should see “Sip Number:” followed by a 11 digit number that looks like a phone number.  Write this number down- you’ll need it to set up forwarding in your Google Voice account.
5. Click the “Google Voice” tab.  Enter your Google Voice number and click “Save.”  This enables Google Voice calling directly through Gizmo.  Your Google Voice number will show up as your outgoing caller ID.  Gizmo limits you to 3 minutes free on outgoing calls, after which you pay 2 cents per minute.  All incoming calls are free, which is why I’m going to show you how originate your calls from Google Voice such that Gizmo treats them as incoming calls.

Note: the Gizmo “Sip” number is not a regular phone number, and cannot be directly called from a cell phone or landline.  In order to take calls from regular phones, you have to set up a forwarding service, such as Google Voice.  For a few dollars per month, Gizmo will give you a regular phone number that forwards to your Sip number.  Google Voice does the same thing for free, and I’ll explain how to set that up.

Part Three: Set up forwarding from Google Voice to Gizmo

1. Log into your Google Voice account.  Click “Settings” then “Phones.”
2. Click “Add Phone.”
3. You’ll be asked to enter the type of phone, the number, and a phone name that you select. Make sure you select “Gizmo” under phone type.  Enter your 11 digit Gizmo Sip number.  (This is the number I told you to write down in Part Two.  If you didn’t write it down, return to Part Two step 3.)
4. Click “Save.”  After you click “Save,” a message will pop up telling you that the number needs to be verified.  A 2-digit code will be displayed.
5. Make sure the Gizmo softphone you downloaded to your desktop is open and logged in, and your speakers are turned on.
6. Click “Connect.”  Google Voice will call the phone number.  Your Gizmo desktop client will ring.  When you answer, you will be asked to enter the code displayed on the website.  This part is a little tricky, because you have to find and open the dialpad on your softphone.  Look for a button with a triangle with the point facing down.  This is the “Options” button.  Click it and select “Sound Blasts” from the drop-down menu.  This will bring up the dialpad, which you can use to enter the verification code.  After you have entered the code, you will be told, “your forwarding phone is set up.  Goodbye.”

Part Four: Install and configure iDialer and iContact

iDialer is a free dialpad for your Windows Mobile phone that integrates with Google Voice.  After you’ve installed it, you will use a second program to automatically configure it.  iContact integrates your phone contact list into iDialer, and provides additional functionality for Google Voice calling.

During the installation process, you’ll be given the choice of installing each program to your device memory or to the storage card.  I recommend installing to the storage card to save space on your phone’s limited internal memory.

I’ll walk you through the process.

1. Go to http://www.supware.net/iDialer/.  Scroll down to where it says “Download – Google Voice version.  Click on “iDialer-gv.cab.”  Save this file to your desktop.
2. Go to http://www.supware.net/iContact/.  Click on “iContact.cab” and save it to your desktop.
3. Go to http://www.supware.net/iDialer/config/.  You will see a set of 5 dropdown menus, labelled “Service 1″ through “Service 5.”  Under Service 1, select “Standard (Phone)” and give it a name in the “Title” field.  Under Service 2, select “Google Voice (Callback).”  Then enter your 10 digit cell number in the “Callback Number” field and give it a name in the “Title” field.  If you are using a Gizmo5 account, under Service 3, select “Google Voice (Callback),” and enter your 11 digit Gizmo Sip number.  Repeat the process until you’ve entered all your forwarding phone numbers.  Click “Generate Cab.”  When the download dialog pops up, save the file (iDialer-config.cab) to your desktop.
4. Use your USB cable or storage card to transfer the .cab files to your phone.  Use your phone’s File Explorer to navigate to where you saved the files.
5. Run iDialer-gv.cab.  Follow the onscreen prompts to install the program.
6. When installation has completed, find the iDialer icon under your Start or Programs menu, and tap it.  Enter your Google Voice username and password at the prompt.  Then close the program.
7. Open your phone’s File Explorer and return to where you saved the .cab files.
8. Run iContact.cab.  Follow the onscreen prompts to install the program.
9. Run iDialer-config.cab.  Follow the onscreen prompts to install the program.
10. Return to your Start or Programs menu and reopen iDialer.  If you installed all three .cab files, you should now see a dialpad with a row of buttons underneath.  Notice also the green “Call” button at the bottom of the dialpad.  Underneath the word “Call” you should see the name of one of your forwarding phones in small letters.  Use the button that looks like a phone to cycle through your forwarding phone numbers.  Each time you press the button, the phone name on your Call button should change.
11. Make a test call by selecting your cell phone, entering a number on the dialpad, and pressing the Call button.  After a few seconds, the dialpad will close and your cell phone will ring.  When you answer your phone, Google Voice will place the call to the number you dialed, and the person you called will see your Google Voice number on their caller ID.

Part Five: Install and Configure Fring

Note: I recommend installing Fring to your device memory rather than to your memory card.

Fring is a free VoIP and chat client for Windows Mobile.  This is how you’ll make Google Voice calls without using your minutes.  Theoretically, any VoIP client that uses the SIP protocol should be compatible and can be used in place of Fring.

Unfortunately, Fring doesn’t integrate perfectly with your phone’s regular phone speaker.  You have the choice of using speakerphone or a Bluetooth headset.  Also, voice calls take precedence over Fring calls, so if someone calls your cell phone during a Fring VoIP call, your Fring call will be disconnected.

Update: If you’re configuring Fring to use your SipGate account, follow the instructions below, but substitute your SipGate SIP credentials.  To find them, sign into your SipGate account, click Settings, then SIP Credentials in the rightmost column.  A popup will appear with your SIP credentials, which you can print if you wish.  Use “sipgate.com” as your proxy.

1. Go to http://www.fring.com/default.asp.  Click “Download Fring to your mobile,” then follow the instructions to get the install program.  You’ll have to specify what device you are using and choose whether you want to install from your desktop or from a .cab file on the phone.  This part of the process will vary depending on your choices, so I’m not going to give detailed instructions.  If you have any difficulty downloading or installing Fring, here’s a link to the user manual: http://www.fring.com/support/user_guide/fring_user_manual_Windows_Mobile_334.pdf
2. Once you’ve installed Fring, you need to configure it with your SIP settings.  To do this, select the rightmost tab from the 3 tabs at the bottom of the screen.  This is the “Add-ons” tab.  From the list, double-tap “SIP.”  If you’re using Gizmo, then double-tap “Gizmo.”  If you’re using SipGate, double-tap “Other.”
3. Under “Username” enter your 11 digit Gizmo SIP number.  If you don’t know what this is, go back to Part Two Step 3 for instructions on how to find it.  If you’re using Sipgate, enter your SipGate SIP-ID.
4. Enter your password in the “Password” field.
5. Under “Proxy,” enter “proxy01@sipphone.com” if you’re using Gizmo, and “sipgate.com” if you’re using SipGate.
6. Tap “Subscribe.”

Part Six: Place calls using Fring and iDialer

This is the part where we put all the pieces together so you can make free Google Voice calls without using your cell phone minutes.

Gizmo does not charge for incoming calls.  If you’ve configured your account for Google Voice calling, the first 3 minutes of each outgoing call are free.  After that you pay a per minute rate.  We’re going to get around this by using iDialer to originate calls through Google Voice so that Gizmo treats each call as a free incoming call.

Here’s how you place calls:

1. Open Fring and leave it running.
2. Open iDialer.
3. Choose a contact or enter a phone number.
4. Press the phone icon until your Gizmo number is listed in the green Call button.
5. Press the green Call button.  iDialer will close and Fring will ring.  After you answer, Google Voice will ring the person you are calling.

If iDialer doesn’t work properly, you can use the Google Voice mobile interface to place calls.  Go to http://www.google.com/voice/m/.  Under “Settings” tap “My Mobile Number,” select your SipGate phone from the options and tap “Save.”  Now, when you place a call from the mobile interface, it will ring your SipGate/Fring phone before connecting you.

Switching between 3G and wifi

Fring works on AT&T’s 3G network, as well as on wifi.  To switch from one to the other, go to the Buddies (leftmost) tab in Fring, tap “Menu” then “Change Connection.”  To use wifi, select “Search for WLAN.”  To use AT&T’s 3G network, select “MEdia Net.”  Then tap “Connect.”

Part Seven: Additional Options for Google Voice and iDialer

Send and receive texts through Google Voice

From your mobile phone’s browser, go to http://www.google.com/voice/m.  This the mobile version of the Google Voice web interface.  From there, you can send and receive text messages, view your call history and voicemail transcriptions, and originate calls.

Make Google Voice calls without Fring

If you want to make a regular cellular call but have Google Voice show up as your outgoing caller ID, open iDialer, press the phone icon to select a Google Voice callback to your cell phone, then enter the number or select a contact and press “Call.”  iDialer will close, your cell will ring, and the call will go through after you answer.

Unlimited calls without using Fring

If you have a plan that includes unlimited calling to certain numbers, such as T-Mobile’s MyFaves, you can get unlimited calling to all your contacts by setting your Google Voice numbers as one of your faves, placing all your calls through Google Voice and having all your contacts call you at your Google Voice number instead of your cell number.

Use iDialer to make regular cellular calls

If you followed my instructions for configuring iDialer, one of your dialing options will be to place normal cellular calls without using Google Voice.  Just press the phone icon until you see the title you entered for “Standard (Phone),” enter a phone number or choose a contact, then press the Call button.

Change iDialer dialing options

If at any time you wish to add, remove, or modify your iDialer dialing options, you can do so by returning to http://www.supware.net/iDialer/config/.  Just enter your new preferences, click “Generate CAB,” download the .cab file and run it on your phone.  The next time you use iDialer, your new preferences will show up.

iDialer can also be used with PortSIP, JaJah, calling cards, and Google Voice’s calling card option.

Use Google Voice as your landline

If you have an analog telephone adapter, you can configure it for use with Google Voice and your regular landline telephone.

Use Google Voice with your Nokia Internet Tablet

If you have a Nokia N-series internet tablet, you can configure it for use as a wifi phone using Google Voice and Gizmo.

Make cheap international calls

Domestic US calls with Google Voice are free.  You can also make international calls starting at about 2 cents per minute if you buy calling credit with GV.  Log into your Google Voice account at http://www.google.com/voice/ and go to Settings -> Billing -> Add Credit.

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© 2009 – 2010, Jonathan Johnson. All rights reserved.

The Tilt 2 is also available from T-Mobile and Verizon as the Touch Pro 2.

Photos

Here are a few pictures of the Tilt 2 next to an Mrs. Fencepost’s iPhone 3GS, a Sony Ericsson w580i Walkman phone, and a Nokia N810 internet tablet.  The stacked pictures are, top to bottom, Sony Ericsson, Tilt 2, iPhone, N810.

Things I liked

The keyboard: This is one of the main reasons I didn’t get an iPhone.  Even the best onscreen keyboards fail to measure up to hardware buttons and tactile feedback.  The Tilt 2 has a fantastic keyboard.  The buttons are just the right size for my thumbs, and are nicely spaced.  Frequently used characters like “/”, “@”, and “:” are intuitively placed, and there are shortcut keys for things like email, calendar, texting, and wifi.  I thought I liked the keyboard on my N810, but this one is even better.

The touch screen and included screen protector: The touch screen is oh-so-sensitive and finger friendly, and the included screen protector is slick and scratch resistant.  ‘Nuff said.

The user interface: The Tilt 2 runs Windows Mobile 6.5, but HTC has added an interface on top of that called Touch Flo 3D.  It’s slick, intuitive, and customizable, allowing you to have your email, stocks, weather, music, and programs just a flick of your finger away.  Or not, if you prefer.

Open application development: Unlike the iPhone, for which every app must be approved by Apple before being made available in the app store, Windows Mobile allows you to install whatever the heck you want from wherever you want.  This means that I can have functionality that isn’t available to iPhone users, like a Google Voice client.

GPS: I have Google Maps for Mobile on my Tilt 2, and I think it’s fantastic.  It uses the cell network to assist the GPS, so it finds my location extraordinarily fast, and I can download driving directions and view traffic reports or satellite images.

Web Browsing: When I bought my Nokia N810, I thought I was sticking it to the man by getting mobile internet access without a data plan.  I quickly learned that open wifi networks are hard to find and often overloaded and slow.  After just two days with my Tilt 2, I’ve concluded that an all-you-can-eat data plan is a quantum leap in convenience and worth the cost if you can afford it.

The Tilt 2 comes with two web browsers installed: Internet Explorer and Opera.  Both have features like kinetic scrolling and tap-to-zoom.  Opera is noticeably faster on most sites, when it works.  Sometimes it fails to load a page and displays an error message saying that it can’t find the proxy server.  I haven’t figured out why yet, but at least I have a second browser to fall back on when it happens. (Update: This problem occurs because of Opera Mobile’s default proxy settings.  Click here for a quick and easy fix.)

Fit and finish: The Tilt 2 feels solidly built.  There is enough resistance in the slide and tilt mechanism that it doesn’t feel flimsy.  Everything fits together the way it should, and there are no wobbles or squeaks.

Charging cable doubles as USB cable: To charge the phone, you just plug the USB cable into a small wall adapter.  This reduces the number of cables I have to deal with, and it means the phone can charge while plugged into my computer.

Things I hated

Opera’s tendency to not work: As mentioned above, the Opera browser sometimes fails to work and displays an error message about failing to find a proxy server.  This is frustrating, because it is probably the best mobile browser I have ever used, and I’d really like it to work all the time.  Internet Explorer is fine, but not as quick or polished.  This is one of those areas where the iPhone has the advantage- everything “just works,” and frankly I’m a little jealous. (Update: This problem occurs because of Opera Mobile’s default proxy settings.  Click here for a quick and easy fix.)

Proprietary charging/USB plug, and no standard headphone jack: The Tilt has one plug.  It looks like a mini-USB port, but it’s shaped a little differently.  If you want to use headphones, you have to plug in a dongle and plug the headphones into that.  If I had planned to use this phone as a media player, that might have been a deal killer.  Also, in the 21st Century, I really think it’s not too much to ask that I only have to take one charging cable when I go on vacation.  Europe has figured this out- why can’t we? (Update: As posted below in the comments, the Tilt’s USB plug works with a standard mini-USB cable for charging and synchronization.  Still no standard headphone jack though.)

No dedicated camera shutter button: With my Sony Ericsson w580i, I had one of the hardware buttons set to bring up the camera.  I used to pull it out while driving and take pictures without taking my eyes off the road.  I won’t be doing that with the Tilt.  It doesn’t even have a dedicated shutter button- you tap a spot on the screen to take pictures.  Forget about opening the camera without looking at the screen.

Heat: The Tilt 2 gets quite warm while in use- enough to be uncomfortable when held against the side of your head during a long conversation.  I’ll be relying heavily on my Bluetooth headset.

The low battery alarm: I thought I had disabled noisy notifications for things that aren’t calls, but apparently I missed this one.  It’s loud and obnoxious, and it woke up my wife last night.  And again tonight.

Removing the SIM card: A lot of manufacturers make it really difficult to remove SIM cards, and HTC is no exception.  The Tilt’s SIM card slides under a little sleeve, and getting it out involved a knife blade, a finger, and more bending than I am comfortable with.  There are plenty of good reasons why someone might want to switch to their “beater” phone for a day or two, and it bugs me that manufacturers make this more difficult than it has to be.

Placement of the Reset button: To perform a soft reset on the Tilt, you have to take off the battery cover.  This means that the battery cover’s latching mechanism will be subjected to unnecessary wear.

Things I’m still not sure about

Battery life: It’s probably too early to comment on this, because the novelty hasn’t worn off yet and I’m using my phone nearly every spare minute.  That said, I’ve managed to run the battery down to almost nothing during each of the two days I’ve had it.  I’ll be using a lot of internet and GPS, and I could see having to carry the charger around with me during long days.

Carrying around a phone that’s worth more than my car: It just feels weird.

Why not an iPhone?

My wife got an iPhone when I got my Tilt, so I’ve had the chance to compare the two devices a bit.

If the Tilt 2 hadn’t been available from my carrier, I probably would have chosen the iPhone.  I love the iPhone’s size, shape and user interface, and I’m impressed with the way it just works seamlessly.  Windows Mobile by contrast is a bit finicky at times, requiring occasional tinkering or resetting, and applications don’t always work the way they’re supposed to.

That said, there are four major reasons I chose the Tilt: the slide-out keyboard, the user-replaceable battery, expandable storage, and the iPhone’s App Store approval process.

• Keyboard: As I mentioned, I gotta have my hardware keyboard.  I’ve written blog posts and taken notes on my N810’s thumb keyboard.  I’m faster on that keyboard than the average person touch-typing on a full-size keyboard.  I’ve used the iPhone’s onscreen keyboard enough to know that I hate it.  Until manufacturers figure out a way for a touchscreen to reshape itself into individual “bumps” for each key I’ll stick with my hardware buttons and tactile feedback.
• User-replaceable battery: The Tilt’s battery is user-replaceable- you just pop off the back cover to access it.  The iPhone battery is not.  I don’t like equipment that isn’t user-serviceable, especially when even a no-brainer like changing the battery isn’t allowed.  I change my own oil- I think I can handle changing a battery in my phone.
• Expandable storage: The iPhone comes with a fixed amount of storage.  The Tilt comes with a micro SD slot.  You can’t expand the amount of storage an iPhone has, but my Tilt is limited only by the size of available memory cards.  Admittedly this is less significant with the advent of 16 and 32 gigabyte iPhones, but it’s the principle of the thing.  I like devices that are flexible and expandable.
• The App Store: Unless you’ve jailbroken your iPhone, the App Store is the only place to get applications for it.  Every app must be approved by a committee before being made available, which means that sometimes a quality app that provides a valuable service gets rejected for no good reason.  The recent rejection of the Google Voice app for iPhone is a case in point.  Windows Mobile has no such approval process.  If I find an application I want, I download it and install it.  Neither Microsoft, AT&T, or HTC have any say in the matter, nor should they.  It’s my phone, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let someone else tell me what I can and can’t do with it.

Conclusion

I don’t think the perfect smartphone exists yet.  Every device available involves some tradeoffs.  That said, I like this phone and I think I’ll keep it.  For my use case (phone, email, GPS and heavy web surfing) it’s a good fit.

One of my top priorities with this phone is getting it to work with Google Voice and Gizmo the way I did with my N810.  (Update: Click here to read about setting up free Google Voice calls on your Windows Mobile phone.)  I’m also going to see what I can do with the wife’s iPhone, although I don’t think she’ll let me jailbreak it.    Whatever happens, you’ll read about it here, so why not save yourself some time and subscribe to my RSS feed.

© 2009 – 2010, Jonathan Johnson. All rights reserved.

I knew this was illegal, but wasn’t quite sure how to handle it at first, so I sought guidance from the Google God, and found some excellent information and tools for dealing with plagiarism.

Brent Ozar (http://www.brentozar.com/archive/2009/06/how-to-take-action-when-your-content-is-plagiarized/) recommends first sending a cease and desist letter to the webmaster, followed by a Digital Millenium Copyright Act take-down notice to the plagiarist’s internet service provider and/or web hosting service.  If you don’t get a response from the webmaster or ISP, you can send a DMCA notice to the major search engines, who will delist the offending site.  He even provides links to sample cease and desist letters at PlagiarismToday.com which can be customized for your situation.

A little more Googling yielded WhoIsHostingThis.com, a remarkable tool where you enter a site’s web address to find out who their web host is.  Using this tool, I learned that my plagiarist had hosted his site with Bluehost.  I visited Bluehost.com, clicked the “Contact” link, and found the email address for their abuse department.

Using one of the sample letters as a template, I sent an aggressively worded email to the content thief, CC’ed back to me, referring to relevant federal laws, including the DMCA, mentioning things like his potential liability for “statutory damages as high as $100,000,” and demanding that he take down the stolen content and post an apology on his site indicating that I was the real author of the stolen content.

After sending this email, I started preparing an email to Bluehost, again using a sample letter as a template.  One of the requirements for a DMCA take-down notice is that you provide links to the pages where the original content and the plagiarized content appear.  I revisited the plagiarist’s site to get a link, and discovered that the offending post had already been taken down.  Not long after that, an apology appeared, along with a lame excuse about “accidentally” copying and pasting my article while “testing” his site.  (Newsflash: that’s what a lorem ipsum generator is for, genius.)

My thoughts on the experience

I’m fairly satisfied with how this turned out.  I caught the plagiarism the same day it occurred, my stolen content has been taken down, and I got my apology.  That said, next time I get plagiarized, I’m going to handle it slightly differently:

I’ll take a screenshot of the offending page, so I have proof even if the plagiarist takes down the post.  I’ll also save a copy of the page on my hard drive.  There will be no delay between the cease and desist sent to the plagiarist and the DMCA take-down notice sent to the web host.  In fact, I’ll probably send the take-down notice first.  If he is running AdSense ads, I’ll notify Google.  There’s a good chance the plagiarist’s web hosting account and AdSense account will be shut-down as a result, and he may lose money.  If someone is going to rip off my original content and present it as their own work, then I’m going to cause them as much inconvenience and hassle as the law and my resources allow.

No excuses

There is no excuse for plagiarism.  If you are web-savvy enough to build a site or set up a WordPress blog, you are smart enough to understand enough about copyright law to know or learn what is and isn’t acceptable.  If you’re not sure, a quick Google search on such things as “plagiarism” and “fair use” will tell you all you need to know.  If you don’t want to write your own content or don’t feel qualified to do so, you can pay someone else to do it, or find original content that is licensed for syndication.  If this guy had bothered to ask, I might have even written him a guest post in exchange for a link back to my site.

© 2009, Jonathan Johnson. All rights reserved.

Share class notes with Google Docs

Google Docs is like having Microsoft Word in your email account.  Once you sign up, you have access to a word processor and spreadsheet application that can import and export files to and from Microsoft and Open Document formats.  It doesn’t have all the features of Microsoft Office, but it’s good enough for most of the writing you’ll have to do during college.  Best of all, you can give your friends access and editing privileges for your documents, enabling easy sharing of class notes and study guides, and efficient collaboration on projects.

A few years ago, getting notes for a class I missed meant I had to set up a time to meet, and either copy by hand or find a copy machine.  Now, if I’m getting notes from a colleague who uses Google Docs, sharing notes with me takes 30 seconds and a couple of mouse clicks.

I’ve also used Google Docs to collaborate on study guides.  I imported the review sheet into a Google Doc and shared it with friends.  Each of us could log in, see what questions had been answered, and address the ones that remained.

Google Docs is free.

Click here to learn more about Google Docs

Earn money or merchandise for sharing class notes with Knetwit

Knetwit is like a giant online warehouse for sharing class notes, organized by university and course.  It is free to join, because it is supported by advertising, and shares the revenue with its users.  You can upload your own notes, or view notes posted by others.  Each time you upload a note, you receive points, called “Koin.”  Koin can be redeemed for money or merchandise at the Knetwit Store.  Your notes are available to other Knetwit users, and you receive Koin each time that happens.

Knetwit is most valuable to freshmen and sophomores taking large general education classes, because there is a larger potential pool of notes to draw from.  Grad students in smaller, more specialized classes will find it less useful, but can still upload their notes.

For more about Knetwit read my review here.

Disclaimer: Make sure you aren’t violating any university or class policies before you share your notes in this manner.

Get a permanent phone number, screen calls, and make free phone calls with Google Voice

If you’re anything like me, you moved and changed phone numbers several times during college.  Updating your contacts can be a pain, and sometimes people slip through the cracks.  At one point I almost didn’t get into my intended academic program because my college was trying to contact me at an outdated phone number.

Google Voice solves that problem.  When you sign up, you get a free phone number that is yours for life.  You then set it up to forward to the phone(s) of your choice with rules based on who is calling and what time it is.  You can even screen calls by listening to voicemail messages as they are being left and interrupt if you want to talk to the caller.  Google Voice can also receive text messages and forward them to your cell phone.

Google Voice is useful if you’ve moved to a new area and want to keep your old cell phone number but also have a local number for things like apartment security gates.

If you have a computer and an internet connection, you can use Google Voice to make free phone calls within the US.  This involves some setup, detailed here.

Google Voice is currently available by invitation only.  You can request an invitation here.

Use email as a backup for term papers and projects

Hopefully you’ve never had the experience of losing a critical assignment to a lost or corrupted flash drive.  I have, and that’s why I always use my Gmail account to keep a backup.  Here’s how it works:

1. When you finish working on an assignment, attach a copy of the file to an email and send it to yourself.  You can use the subject line for keywords that will help you find it in your mailbox later.  You an also use Gmail’s labels or Yahoo’s folders to make a category just for your backups.
2. Each time you change the file, delete the email and send an updated copy.

If you lose, forget, or damage your flash drive, you can retrieve and print the assignment from any computer with an internet connection.

Keep business and pleasure separate with virtual desktops

Are you the type of student who likes to keep email, Facebook, Twitter and LOLCats open while you work on school assignments?  Ever wish you had multiple monitors so you could keep your fun stuff open on one while you slave away undistracted at the other?

Virtual Dimension allows you to separate your open programs and windows into multiple desktops as if you had multiple monitors.  You can switch between them with a mouse click or a keystroke.

Right now, I have my email, calendar and Facebook open in one virtual desktop, and I’m blogging in the second.  That helps me stay focused on writing without getting distracted by extra buttons in my task bar.

Virtual Dimension is free and can be downloaded here: http://virt-dimension.sourceforge.net/

Run your favorite programs from a flash drive with Portable Apps

A portable app is a program that has been adapted to run from a flash drive, allowing you to carry around your favorite programs, preferences, and bookmarks and use them on any Windows computer.  Many open source programs are available as portable apps, including web browsers like FireFox, office suites like Open Office, and image editing and developer tools like the GIMP, Kompozer, and Notepad++.  You can set up your flash drive to include only the programs you want.

Portable Apps is free.  You can learn more and download it at PortableApps.com.

Save money with open source software

Last summer, I blogged about how I’ve saved over $1,200 by using free, open source alternatives to commercial programs.  This includes using Open Office instead of Microsoft Office, and free developer tools like Kompozer and the GIMP instead of Dreamweaver and Photoshop.  Read the full post here.

Have something to say?  Tell us about it in the comments.

© 2009, Jonathan Johnson. All rights reserved.

More information here: http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?p=312525#post312525

—Original Post—

If you are running DialCentral on your Nokia N810, you need to be aware of this:

The latest version of DialCentral has some bugs that cause the program to not work properly.  The developer is working on a fix.

For now, if your N810 asks you to install updates for DialCentral, don’t allow it or it will break the program.

© 2009, Jonathan Johnson. All rights reserved.

Disclaimer: This post is intended for people who are smart, responsible, and organized.  If you are majoring in beer and the opposite sex, this advice is not for you.  You need to read college advice written by people who will tell you to put your nose to the grindstone and never let up.

Myth Number 1: Never miss a class

This is generally good advice.  Most professors test heavily on material covered in lectures, so you need to either be there or get notes from someone else.  You can often get a feel for how the professor will test by listening to lectures.  Some professors require attendance and base part of your grade on it.  However, there are a few situations in which skipping class can actually help you work more efficiently.

• The professor is an ineffective lecturer and you can learn the material by studying the textbook.  This works best with math and science classes.  I once had a trigonometry class where the textbook was so well written that I could learn the material better by staying home and studying than by listening to lectures.  Homework assignments were posted on the course website, and the professor did not require attendance.  I made sure I had tests and due dates on my calendar, and I dropped off homework at the professor’s office each week.  I earned a B in that class.  It would have been an A, but I got lazy during finals week.
• Recitation sessions that slow you down.  I spread my general education classes throughout all four years, which meant I took several freshman-level classes as an upperclassman.  Some of the 100 level classes had “recitation sessions” in addition to the lectures.  The recitation sections were run by teaching assistants, and provided a way to reinforce concepts and collaborate on homework.  After a couple of sessions in one class, I realized that I could do the work faster on my own.  I talked to the TA, who told me I could just turn in my homework and leave if I preferred.  I did that for the rest of the semester and earned an A in the class.
• You have a test or project in another class that is distracting you from the one you are sitting in.  If you are sitting in Class A worrying about the paper you have to turn in tomorrow for Class B, you should probably go work on your paper.  Just make sure you get notes from someone later.

Myth Number 2: Always buy the textbook

I nearly choked on my morning orange juice when I read this one.  This is good advice some of the time, but with the exorbitant price of textbooks, you don’t want to buy anything you don’t absolutely have to have.  You also don’t want to have to haul extra weight around if you don’t have to.

Unfortunately, it took me a long time to wise up on this one.  I bought a lot of books that I never even touched between the first week of classes and textbook buyback at the bookstore.  Among other things, I was concerned about paying the higher price of a new book later if I didn’t buy the used book now.

Here are some suggestions for determining whether you really need the book:

• Talk to a friend who has already taken the class from that professor.  Find out which books they used and which they didn’t.
• Talk to the professor on the first day of class.  Find out whether you will be tested on material that is in the book but not covered in lectures.  Find out whether the book will be used in class.  If the answer to these questions is no, then you don’t need the book.  Even if the book will be used in class, you might be able to work out some kind of sharing arrangement with another student.

Myth Number 3: You need the latest edition of the textbook

Textbook publishers gratuitously print new editions every few years, even if there is no new material.  It’s a scam, and is usually done for no other reason than to make more money.  Mrs. Fencepost once painstakingly compared a current edition to the previous edition, and found them to be nearly identical.  The publisher had moved one chapter and changed a few of the end of chapter questions.  Ironically, some of the changes included errors in the new edition that weren’t in the old.

Some professors are more sympathetic than others in this regard.  Some will go so far as to include page numbers in the syllabus for the previous edition.  Others don’t care which edition you use, but you are on your own for finding and reading the right section.  It helps if you have a friend in the class who will let you compare your book with theirs when necessary.

Myth Number 4: Always pick classes that challenge you

All universities have a core curriculum, often called general education, that all students must take to graduate.  The idea is that you will graduate as a well-rounded individual, able to understand and converse on a variety of topics- not just your specialty.  I applaud this idea.  My degrees are in music performance, but some of my favorite classes were on history, economics, and psychology.  I use concepts from my major to make a living, but I use concepts from general ed classes to understand the world and the people around me.

That said, the fact is that during most semesters, you will eventually go into what I call “survival mode.”  In other words, no matter how jazzed you were about your classes at the beginning of the semester, you will eventually get to a point where you are struggling just to keep up with all of them.  Homework, tests, and papers all blur together, and YOU JUST WANT TO NOT BE STRESSED OUT ANYMORE!!!  Having one or two “easy A’s” can be a real sanity-saver and prevent burnout.

Myth Number 5: Work hard all the time and don’t party

Even the most dedicated students need to unwind sometimes.  Find some things to do for fun, and a few friends to do them with.  You’ll be happier and more efficient if you do.  If you don’t have time for fun, you are probably taking too many credits.  No one is going to die if you take longer than 4 years to complete your double-major in chemical engineering and microbiology with minors in owl stuffing and didgeridoo performance.  You can have all the academic and monetary success in the world, but if you don’t take some time to enjoy it, what’s the point?

Besides that, much of your success in life will happen through your friends.  Socializing isn’t a waste of time- it’s an opportunity to build connections that just might help you find a job, fund a business, or get a promotion some day.

The most important learning you do in college won’t happen in class.  Moving away from home, taking control of your life, and trying new things (some of which your mother wouldn’t approve of) is part of growing up.  Along the way, you’ll learn what works and doesn’t work for you.  It’s fairly likely that you’ll change your major at some point, possibly more than once.  You may decide to study abroad for a semester, or take some time off and travel.  The beauty of being an adult is that you can make those choices, and you don’t have to apologize for them.  What kind of life you choose to build for yourself is up to you.

© 2009, Jonathan Johnson. All rights reserved.

I am not very techie, but I can usually read and follow directions.
Somehow, I managed to mess this up. Everything was fine until I got to
the Dial Central forwarding phone section at the very end. Will you
please write out explicitly what the “forwarding phone” number is
supposed to be? Google Voice? or The SIP number from Gizmo or something
else entirely?

Thanks So Much For A Great Post,

Q

Dear Q,

I reread my tutorial, and I can see how you might have become confused.  I’ll try to clarify:

Forwarding Phone: This refers to any phone number that you set your Google Voice number to forward to.  This is the same as a Callback Number in DialCentral.  You can add forwarding phones by signing into your Google Voice account at http://google.com/voice, clicking “Settings” then “Phones.”

Callback Number: When you place a call through DialCentral, it doesn’t call out directly.  Instead, you tell it which of your forwarding phones you would like the call connected to.  DialCentral refers to this as your “Callback Number.” The menu for this feature is found under the Accounts tab.  When you place a call, Google Voice first calls the Forwarding Phone you choose through the Callback Number menu.  After you pick up the phone, you will hear it ringing through to the person you are calling.  Here’s how to do this:

Instructions:

1. When you start DialCentral for the first time, you have to sign in with your Google Voice credentials.  On the login dialogue, select “Google Voice” then enter your username and password. (Update 10/9/09: It’s no longer necessary to select account type during this step.  Just enter your Google Voice username and password when prompted.)
2. Tap the “Account” button at the bottom left corner. Near the bottom of the screen, you will see “Callback Number:” with a dropdown menu next to it.  Any forwarding phones you have set up in your Google Voice account will be listed in the dropdown menu.
3. Choose the phone you want to use for the call. If you have set up forwarding to your Gizmo5 account as described in my tutorial, your Gizmo SIP number will be listed as one of the options under the Callback Number menu.  If you want to use your Nokia N810 as a wifi phone, you must configure the Internet Call application with your Gizmo SIP settings so that calls to your Gizmo SIP number will ring through to the N810.  Instructions for setting this up are available under Parts Two and Three of this tutorial.
4. To place a call through DialCentral, you have two options.  You can either dial the number you want to call by tapping “Keypad,” entering the number, and tapping “Dial,” or you can select a number from your list of contacts by tapping “Contacts.”  If you dial from “Contacts,” you will have to select “Google Voice” from the Contacts dropdown menu before your contacts will be displayed.  To call a contact, double tap their name and tap “Dial.”  If you have entered more than one phone number for a contact, you will be given a choice of which number to call.
5. The phone you selected under “Account” will ring.  Answer it.  You will then hear your call ringing through as if you had dialed it directly from your phone.  Placing a call through your Nokia N810 works best if you have the Internet Call application already open and running in the background.  If it has to start cold, it sometimes takes too long and the call fails.

Hopefully this clears things up a bit.  If you have additional questions, you can ask me through my email contact form or by posting a comment below.

© 2009, Jonathan Johnson. All rights reserved.