I went to the link provided me in the invitation email, put in my zip code and tried to find an available number.. no number available. Okay.. it says in the help that zip codes are restrictive, so put in your area code instead. I put in my area code and… NO NUMBERS IN MY AREA CODE! ARRGH!

I suppose I will have to wait and read the reviews of other folks. Did you get an invitation?  Try it out and let me know what you think! If you would LIKE an invite, SIGN UP HERE ON GOOGLE and see what happens.

If you just want more information on Google Voice, check out this video provided by Google.

This is my first experience with a touch screen.  I feel the need to carry lens wipes with me all the time! The phone looks nice and sleek, though and I love using it, smudges and all.

In order to update our phones, we had to sign up for a new calling plan.  I finally have free texting (my  plan was so old, they had to call corporate to activate the upgrade).  Texting is easy because not only can I do it from the phone keys, but I can do it from a QWERTY keyboard at the touch of a button (I say button, but it’s just the smooth screen, of course.)  I have to pay close attention, though… it’s easy to hit the wrong key.  It’s no fault of the phone, I’m just used to FEELING the keys so I have to watch carefully. My daughter laughs that my texts can come in two parts since I sometimes hit the “send”  button when I mean to hit the space key.

The most interesting thing is that this phone picks up the mobile TV signal! The phone has a little antennae built in that I can extend, but I usually don’t need it if I’m in town.  I can watch news and entertainment channels directly from my phone. While this is handy when waiting in the school parking lot for the kids, I don’t think it’s quite worth the extra $15/month on my cell phone bill.

The LG Vu has a camera and internet access, plus it takes a microSD card for additional storage.  There is a charge for sending and receiving stuff over the internet, so I won’t be using those features that much, but it will be very handy on long road trips.

I do have a blue tooth headset with it and like it a lot, but I prefer to use the speaker phone feature.  The sound is nice and clear on both ends.

I have used this phone for a couple of weeks now and would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone who wants an updated, nicely featured phone.

P.S.  Now that I have free texting, I can Twitter on the go!  If you twitter, feel free to Follow Me.

Now that the holidays are behind us, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and get busy on goals for the new year.

In reviewing WitchyTech, I found that the article most popular by far is Lost Your Digital Camera Cord? If you got a new digital camera this holiday season, be sure to write down the model number of your cord in case you need to get a new one!

Here in the US, there will be no more analog TV broadcasts available after February.  You probably don’t need to adjust anything to get the new digital signals if you have a modern TV and antennae. Check out THIS ARTICLE on WitchyTech for the basics.

And those of you interested in the cell phone saga.. like why I love the latest of everything but am slow to upgrade to a real cell phone.. will be glad to know that the family got all new cell phones this weekend and have joined the ranks of those who must be in constant contact.  I doubt these new phones will survive going through the wash, though. (Yes, Mr. Wonderful was STILL using that phone up until this weekend!)

Rather than tell you to watch this space for more articles, I invite you to subscribe to the site’s RSS feed or sign up for my email list! That way, the new articles come to you.

Happy 2009, everyone!

A little while later, Mr. Wonderful decided to go pick up the kids from school for me.  He went to get his keys and came back saying, “Have you seen my cellphone?”

You guessed it!  Mr. Wonderful didn’t empty out the pockets of his jeans and his cellphone had now been washed and dried!  *blub blub blub*
Mr. Wonderful took the back off the cellphone and took out the battery and let it dry out overnight.  This morning, he put the phone back together and tested it out.  Wouldn’t you know? It worked! At least, he can call home and I can call him, which is the main thing.

It’s not anywhere near “good as new”… he can’t “lock” the keys to keep from accidentally dialing out, for example… I was completely surprised that it worked at all.  You hear so much about the delicacy of the microchips and connections.

In case you are interested, Mr. Wonderful’s cellphone is a two-year old Nokia.