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Scott Shepherd
08-23-2009, 8:21 PM
SuperGeek question. I have a friend that has a kid starting college. They told him that the primary communication about all classes is sent via email. That means that if a class is canceled, then it's emailed. Could be sent 1 hour before class, who knows? Their kid showed up to school on Friday for a morning class, it had been canceled. Waited around all day for their afternoon class, when to class. Canceled.

His problem is that his kid doesn't have a phone with email on it and he can't afford to upgrade into the blackberry side of things for his kid just so they "might" get an email about class. They don't have high speed internet, just dialup, so even logging in and checking normal email can be a pain, much less something you want to have to do in a hurry for a 8:00 class you have to drive 1 hour to.

My question is whether or not there are any options out there that might convert an email to a text message and send that to his kids phone? The kid always has the phone, just doesn't always have internet.

Any ideas? I've looked at gmail to see if it had such an option, but I didn't see it. My hope was they had something, then they could forward the original email to a gmail address, which would convert it to text, but no luck so far. Or maybe something that transcribes email into voice mail and then calls your cell number?

Ideas anyone?

Dan Mages
08-23-2009, 8:59 PM
Sure. Most carriers allow you to email to a phone as a text message. Ususally, it is something along the line of 2025551212 @ carrier.com

mike holden
08-24-2009, 8:21 AM
Scott,
There may be an inexpensive work around here, get a wi-fi enabled palm. Used and refurbished ones go for less than a hundred bucks. Then, a gmail account and the nearest free wi-fi location will allow quick email access.
The local library, some McDonalds, coffee shops, etc. have free wi-fi.
Mike

Scott Shepherd
08-24-2009, 8:27 AM
Sure. Most carriers allow you to email to a phone as a text message. Ususally, it is something along the line of 2025551212 @ carrier.com

Does the carrier have to support MMS for that to work? I have AT&T and I tried it and got the email returned with an error, but I know we don't currently have MMS available on the AT&T network.


Mike, I'll pass the Palm info on. He talked about getting an Ipod Touch for the same reasons, but ideally, I think he'd rather not spend any more money at this time and he's already getting slammed with the expenses of books and all the unexpected things no one mentioned prior to his kid starting college.

Orion Henderson
08-24-2009, 9:47 AM
Sure. Most carriers allow you to email to a phone as a text message. Ususally, it is something along the line of 2025551212 @ carrier.com

X2-this is standard stuff. He has to get his cell phone to the appropriate people.

Scott Shepherd
08-24-2009, 9:52 AM
Looks like the address for verizon is vtext. So it's the number @ vtext. However, it does say that's SMS, for Short Messages, and it shows the limit at 160 characters. It seems unsure if it'll break up long emails into short messages or if it just cuts off at 160 and deletes the rest.

I've given it a test to a friend with verizon, so we'll see how it goes.

Mark Hix
08-24-2009, 6:41 PM
I learned a new trick last week w/ my cell phone. I thought I could not send to email because my phone's text options only typed numbers. Shows what I know huh! I hit the # key and it would allow me to send something to my email. Now I have my phones email address for texting and can send stuff the other way.

If your son's email has auto forward capability, have it forwarded to the phone's texting email address.

Scott Shepherd
08-24-2009, 7:11 PM
Seems it's a dead end. There is a 160 character limit on Verizon, so if you email him another longer, it just stops at 160 characters and that's the end of it.

He'll have to do something else, I've run out of options, I guess.

Kieran Kammerer
08-24-2009, 9:35 PM
Have a friend from each class call him if it is canceled.

Jim Mattheiss
08-24-2009, 10:01 PM
What are the capabilies of Gmail and other web providers?

Can he have them send to Gmail and have Gmail apply rules to forward it to his phone. At worst e gets an indication that somethings up and he has to check Gmail.

It's a little Rube Goldberg but it might work.

Jim

PS: I work with a number of non-native americans in the it field. A large percentage of the folks don't get Rube Goldberg as a pop culture reference when we are criticising an overly complicated design.

Matt Meiser
08-24-2009, 10:13 PM
GMail has the ability to set up filters. You can enter an email address to forward the message to based on a bunch of different criteria.

How old is the phone? I could read my Gmail on my Motorola RAZR. Make SURE you add a data plan though as it gets expensive quick. My basic data plan is only an extra $15. That doesn't give you notification of new messages, but forwarding from Gmail would give him that, then check with the browser.

Scott Shepherd
08-25-2009, 9:05 AM
That was part of my plan. I already have them setup with a gmail account, but if you forward that to the cell phone, it cuts off at 160 characters. To allow their phone to access gmail, it's $20 a month more, which is what they were trying to avoid.

It's a fairly new phone, they just don't pay the additional $20 a month to have access to all the features. I guess they will have to break down and pay for it.

Randal Stevenson
08-25-2009, 12:46 PM
SuperGeek question. I have a friend that has a kid starting college. They told him that the primary communication about all classes is sent via email. That means that if a class is canceled, then it's emailed. Could be sent 1 hour before class, who knows?
Ideas anyone?


OK, so what is the SECONDARY means, or are you providing us with email on the go access?


That is what I would ask.