Wonderful Android: Using and Developing: August 2010

I'd like to propose adding Google Voice Android app settings to perform by default either Google Voice or direct phone call based on a contacts groups.

Currently, Google Voice Android app allows to wire all calls through Google Voice, to wire only international calls through Google Voice or to ask user on each call. I believe that there is a significant portion of mobile (Android) Google Voice users for whom this is not flexible enough.

Wireless providers commonly have a "family" type accounts which allow for placing calls between family members without spending wireless plan minutes. Obviously, by using Google Voice numbers to place calls between family members one will exclude this benefit: wireless provider won't see these calls as free inside-family ones.

I think that it would be logical to allow to set defaults for Google Voice versus direct calls on a mobile app per groups of contacts. So, I for example would set my Family Group to use direct calls by default and all other groups to use GV calls.

What do you think? Is it reasonable and feasible?

Discuss it on Google Buzz
See this proposal on Google Mobile Help Forum

An Update (9/1/2010):

Well, I got an answer on Google Help forum http://goo.gl/jerJ:
kworth082: _While I agree this should be built into Google Voice, there is a solution out there for this in the mean time. Download "Voice Choice" from the Android market. It allows you to save which numbers should be called without Google Voice. Just set the preference "Use Google Voice for all calls". Then when you call a number saved in Voice Choice it will abort Google Voice._
I've just bough this app and it works perfectly market://search?q=pname:com.voiceplus

An Update (9/3/2010):

terrylg has posted an answer to the question "To set defaults to either Google Voice or direct calls based on contact's Google Group?":

Hmmm ... this is only part of it.

The more valuable compliment to this is ... when using Google Voice app for Android, it defacto dials out using (random) Google Voice numbers.

The joy would come from having the Android GV App do a call back, like the desktop app does. For the desktop app, it calls you using your GV number every time, allowing me to set that number as a myFav (TMobile version of Family) and NOT use any minutes for ANY call.

Since the Android App automatically uses some other number, it will use my minutes for GV calls from the Android App.

I've been going into the browser on the phone to GV via html, entering the number, getting the call back, and using ZERO minutes. Really nice.

One problem is that browser version, while it finds my contacts, can't successfully search (bug).

new post

Notion Ink Adam Tablet

relations@

notionink

.co

Vladimir Kelman
http://www.google.com/profiles/vkelman

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Notion Ink <no-reply@wordpress.com>
Date: Thu, Aug 12, 2010 at 1:39 PM
Subject: [New post] Inception!
To: vkelman

Inception!

Rohan Shravan | August 12, 2010 at 23:08 | URL: http://wp.me/pvwUE-3m

I don’t think it makes any sense now to keep all the information intact specially since it is out from un-official sources.

Hello everyone!

2 Basic questions which everyone has been asking for, is the price and the launch dates.

Now there are variables which I cannot predict, cos they are variables. Once we reveal this information officially there will be a lot more pressure on us, but you all have been immensely patient and I believe being little more transparent will only help us. After all we believe in an open system.

I have always loved interacting with you, because I believe it is the first time in history when a product is made by not a firm but by masses. We want to convert this into a revolution, where we will interact in a much better way to get the product out which we really want. I have read each and every comment of yours and a lot has gone in improving the product and our mind-set (for example upgrading from A GPS to GPS, etc). I treat Adam like my son, and the effort will go on unless we have him out in this beautiful world. All the fathers will understand how they will feel if someone hurt their kids! Probably that's what we felt some time ago.

The product will shoot for FCC certifications in the second week of November. And then it depends on them. Add few more logistics issues to that and it can swing either way. (Don't get surprised it we hit for certification in October, cos there is some tight buffer, though that will be extremely good news).

About the launch dates in countries: The interest in a certain country is directly proportional to the number of “Application Developer Collaboration Requests” we get from that country. And we can only respect them by launching in their countries earlier. So if you want it to his sooner, come join us! World is not small when it comes to shipping, but we will try to reach wherever you are, and online shopping is the best option.

Coming back on pricing, we want is cheap as well. I don't think profit is in hardware. It lies in the ecosystem. And when the best hardware can be clubbed with a massive eco-system, you are talking about a revolution. There are unusual barriers in hardware which will not allow anyone to reduce prices below a certain level. Reason I think is, as soon as a component hits large-scale manufacturing to become cheaper, next generation, better and faster component is available at the same. You probably have noticed this with Apple a lot.

How do we break this? Well we have ideas. But probably I will explain that with Adam 2.

Currently we will ship LCD and PQ Variants. Both available in Wi-fi only and 3G modes. I believe you will get a range of around $399 to $498 for these four. (Please remember I haven’t taken the fluctuations, so be little sceptical). We are also working on reducing it further down (let’s leave the good news for the future).

I am really happy with our UI designers. Specially Andre. He is really brilliant and it took a while before I could find him. Probably Jeff Raskin for us (if we leave a mark in history). Finding a right design lead is as good as finding your soul mate. When it comes to design, I am very adamant (but with work load I have learnt to compromise a little), and even after his decade of experience he is fresh and thinks out of the box.

Andre and I will soon start the UI Blog for you all. You can see and play with the UI there and start understanding how Adam will work. We will convert it into an initiative to design better and better interfaces with you all as the feedback professors.

Application designers can get hold of devices and SDK much early and if you are one of them, join us at relations@notionink.com. We have some goodies for you!

I know I have already disappointed a lot of you guys by saying it's going to be there not before November, and probably this was also the reason I was not speaking up. But then, neither can I hold on to you forever, neither can I give you a buggy device! Let’s just hang on for little more, and you all will proudly be able to say, you help design it! I need your support.

With Warm and True feelings!

Regards

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