Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Sending Text Messages From Your Computer

Happy day after Christmas. I hope everyone is taking a few days off, and looking forward to the New Year. I know I am. Well, not completely. I had to procure some emergency orders for a client last week, and now I am needing to communicate with the other party. The only means available to me is the sending of text messages. But I want to make sure I have a record of the communications, and I don't want to be sending from my very private smartphone.

I learned this morning that it is possible to send messages from my computer to a cell phone number.  Mark Coppock has a great instructional article at Digital Trends. From your Outlook, or Gmail, or other email program, in the "to" box you simply enter the recipient's cell phone number followed by the designation for the recipient's cell phone service provider, and off you go.  For example, 9251234567@text.att.net would get your email to an AT&T subscriber with the phone number (925)123-4567.

Here is a table for the most popular cell phone service providers:

  • AT&T: number@txt.att.net
  • T-Mobile: number@tmomail.net [You may have to put a 1 before the number for it to work with Mobile]
  • Verizon: number@vtext.com (text-only), number@vzwpix (text + photo)
  • Sprint: number@messaging.sprintpcs.com or number@pm.sprint.com
  • Virgin Mobile: number@vmobl.com
  • Tracfone: number@mmst5.tracfone.com
  • Metro PCS: number@mymetropcs.com
  • Boost Mobile: number@myboostmobile.com
  • Cricket: number@mms.cricketwireless.net
  • Ptel: number@ptel.com
  • Republic Wireless: number@text.republicwireless.com
  • Google Fi (Project Fi): number@msg.fi.google.com
  • Suncom: number@tms.suncom.com
  • Ting: number@message.ting.com
  • U.S. Cellular: number@email.uscc.net
  • Consumer Cellular: number@cingularme.com
  • C-Spire: number@cspire1.com
  • Page Plus: number@vtext.com
The beauty of this system is that I have a record of the message in the sent folder of my email program. I don't have to take a screen shot of my phone, I don't have to run an app to archive the message. Very handy...

Please visit hardinglaw.com for more information about Harding & Associates Family Law.

#textmessaging #Harding&AssociatesFamilyLaw #californiafamilylaw #divorce #family law #superlawyers #americanacademyofmatrimoniallawyers #Pleasantondivorce #AlamedaCountyDivorce #ContraCostaCountyDivorce #lawyers

Monday, December 11, 2017

USB Connections

It is amazing how much stuff I have plugged in to my computer. There is my internet phone. My webcam. Speakers. Multiple monitors. Wi-fi. A scanner. A printer. Chargers, and on and on.

Fortunately, someone somewhere invented USB ports. I have four built into my computer. What is great about USB, is the expandability. Each of the USB ports on your computer can be expanded, like a tree growing branches. Plug a hub into a USB port, and you create more capacity. Plug a hub into a hub, and you create more capacity. You can daisy chain to your heart's content, and expand your capacity without limit. Heck, I may plug a blender into my computer and make some margaritas!

I needed more USB capacity, so I went shopping. Turns out Amazon has its own 4-port hub, and it's quite good.

This little guy turns one USB port into four. It draws its power from your computer. And it works great. I am very happy with mine. Here's the best news: it costs $6.99 at Amazon Prime. That's a great bargain.

Please visit hardinglaw.com for more information about Harding & Associates Family Law 

#Harding&AssociatesFamilyLaw #californiafamilylaw #divorce #family law #superlawyers #americanacademyofmatrimoniallawyers #Pleasantondivorce #AlamedaCountyDivorce #ContraCostaCountyDivorce #lawyers

Solo nets Supreme Court win!

I know this has nothing to do with technology, but I think it is pretty cool. Andrew Simpson is a sole practitioner in the U.S. Virgin Is...