Google Voice *&^%%^&*((^&%%$%^^

Don't get me wrong, I love Google Voice, except for my wife's account, she can't get phone calls from Virgin Mobile or CISCO they go to a Verizon error message saying the number is not in service, however if you call the number form any other carrier the call reaches her.  This is a minor annoyance, and my number doesn't have any issues, but there you go, the inability to call, email or any place to post this on support.google.com/voice is a problem after all.  I have tried all the obvious things like removing the forwarding numbers in case they are going to Verizon.  I think the only chance to get a new google voice number.

circular buffer fs

I was googling for a file system that will let me backup like a circular buffer, but didn't find it.  The idea is that I keep the disk full at all times, rather then deleting files to make space for new backups, the file system will then overwrite the oldest files with the newest data.

bitcoin counter

PS The post below is a bit dated now that InstaWallet folded. I was acutally able to move the .002 to another wallet after it folded through the recover process, it took 3 months, however the .2 cents are still there, not that I can do much with them.

OUTDATED POST: If you haven't used BitCoin before try this, it is free. It has occurred to me that I can test how many people who read my blog might actually try this bitcon transaction without it costing them anything or me.  Mind you I won't make anything either as I don't plan the spend the bitcoin that I get ever, I wil donate it to some worthy cause, maybe let the comments to this post inspire me what that might be.

So here is what you do if you haven't ever transacted in BitCoin, this is a fun experiment:

goto https://freebitcoins.appspot.com/ and send Balance: 0.001 BTC to
1LqRz7ZPvwbKt7RFj1jdwE87oSUpg7VgnF or even better create your own account at
https://www.instawallet.org this will be your first BTC transaction, so you see how not scarry it is :) If you choose to create your own account, you can further play with it by sending the .001 to 1LqRz7ZPvwbKt7RFj1jdwE87oSUpg7VgnF so that I can keep a tally of how many people tried this procedure.  I will publish the results at my blog: http://ralferix.blogspot.com/ and don't forget to give suggestions on where to donate the proceeds too in the comment section below.

So if you want to see how many have done this, check out the block explorer at: http://btc.to/746/be http://blockexplorer.com/address/1LqRz7ZPvwbKt7RFj1jdwE87oSUpg7VgnF. If you don't know what a BitCoin is worth, it changes all the time, there are charts available with past and present exchange rates to many currencies or this one is to the US$ at MtGox.

BitCoin

I wonder if the next leg might be up?  It seems like based on the BitCoinCharts we could be consolidating at these levels and might go up next, I would accept this currency for my work, as I have an expectation that it will hold value better then other options, so that in itself is a bullish sign, as long as I am not the only one feeling this way.  Since the bitcoin supply has been increasing as well, I guess bullish all around.  I might fund my Dwolla so that I can buy some one of these days, but more likely I will just go to a miner in cash as this will probably get me a better rate, as I did last time when I got reimbursed for dinner when I paid for a miner's burger at UUASC. I went to BitCoinFaucent and had it send me .001 to 1LqRz7ZPvwbKt7RFj1jdwE87oSUpg7VgnF and feel free to send any unused b$ there, as I could use more of it to play with, donations will go to free meals at user group meetings. So time will tell if now when bitcoin is around 6.78, it was a good time to buy, I suspect they might go up in price again.  Probably around the time when a big publication talks about them again, this is how it went to 32 last time was when lots of financial papers covered bitcoin, take a look at the all time graph, you will see when this happened back in spring of last year.

OBi100: Free Google Voice on a cordless phone $45

I guess it might include google talk as well, but who knows, I haven't played with one yet, I saw it on the GizWiz 1372, 27 min in, looks great for sale on Amazon for $44.41 new or $37.50 used. Free calls to US and Canada for the rest of the year, paid by Google and you get a free number, which I already have had one for a decade, used to be GrandCentral in the old days, get your free Google Voice number now, order the device and cancel your landline, I will finally be canceling mine this month, as I move and won't get one in Mountain View. The OBi should be enough for my telephone needs, no 911 though. Leo endorses it, good enough for me, let me know if it works for you as I want to order one, which is why I am blogging it as a reminder. I have taken some time off this week to pack, so the last thing I want right now is more stuff, in fact drop by and take some stuff, I have a 42" plasma to give away in El Segundo, mind you the plasma leaked the gas, but the electronics work if you need a processor or power supply for an old AKAI.

Plums

I am loving the room that I rented, today I walked by the peach tree, saw some fruit on the driveway, then went back inside and to the back of the property found a plum tree with about 100 plums that had fallen to the ground, collected a few dozen, washed them up and had breakfast. My employer also treats us very well and has a nicely stocked fridge, however we do have to pay for our meals at work, being a contractor and all.

too much work

there was a time not to long ago I could get up whenever I wanted, check the markets, trade, learn, but these days, I am pulling 60 hour weeks and by Thursday I feel drained and yesterday was pretty much propped up on coffee, which I normally never drink, trying to get my mind in gear, I need a vacation, lucky it is Saturday :) I want to check out some houses, need a place to live close to Palo Alto and would like to visit the twit.tv studios in Petaluma CA, looking for someone to carpool with.