Tag Archives: google

Replacing Skype with Google Voice

I’ve been looking to move from Skype to Google Voice. To save cell phone minutes (yes I’m still on a family share plan), I try to use VoIP to make calls when I have access to reliable internet. Unfortunately I the Google Voice app for iOS doesn’t support VoIP, even though it has a dialpad. This is only a callback service that uses your normal cell phone minutes. This app looks like it is on it’s way out, as it hasn’t been updated since September 2013 and hasn’t been updated with an iOS 7 look and feel.

Fortunately, the Google Hangouts app has most of the features you’d expect from a calling/video chat app. It allows you to make VoIP calls to US phone numbers for free and lets you video chat with your other Google contacts. The downside is that you still need the Google Voice app to manage a few voice settings, view missed calls, and listen to voicemails.

Google Wallet Fixes Bug

For any iOS users that gave up on Google Wallet due to the inability to login using an Authenticator, Version 2.0.13611 Released February 4, 2014 fixes this bug. Now that I can authenticate, I happy to have another option to Passbook for the sake of having options and to add my rewards programs that don’t work with Passbook.

This bug made it impossible to authenticated to Google Wallet if you had a single device with Google Authenticator and Google Wallet as well as a long & complex password. Backgrounding the Google Wallet App, would cancel the authentication process, so you would have to copy your Authenticator code before entering your password. If it took longer than 30 seconds to switch apps and enter your password, your code would expire…

Google Chrome Print Selected

Chrome Print SelectedI accidentally stumbled upon this hint, because Marriott’s site as of January 2014 does not print nicely. The menus expand on their print css, so the real content shows up after a page long list.

Anyway, Google Chrome has a built in “Print Selected” function, but the option only appears when you have text selected. Just select the portion of the page you want to print, click on the “Menu” icon (3 horizontal lines), and select “Print…”. Near the bottom of the Chrome Print dialog, a new checkbox has appeared labeled “Selection only”. Check this option, and Chrome will update the preview.