Companies Are Firing Employees For Making Long Distance Phone Calls From Company Phones

While looking through news articles in the Telecom industry, I've seen a handful of issues that were related to employee theft with regard to long distance phone calls. Companies are actually firing employees for making phone calls on the company phones that the company ends up footing the bill for. These companies are figuring out ways to track their employee's phone calls by using long distance access codes or with products such as Telemate.

Instead of getting fired or reprimanded at work for making long distance phone calls from your desk, try using PhoneHog. You can earn free long distance minutes that are able to be used from any phone, much like a phone card. It's easy to sign up and it can save you your job!

Be honest, how many of you are making long distance phone calls from work? Post a comment to let us know - or if you work with someone who does this and it gets on your nerves - tell us about it!

Google Considering Bid on Mobile Airwaves

Any news about Google these days is interesting. I read an article stating that Google may bid in a mobile airwaves auction for 700-MHz band airwaves, which can go long distances and penetrate thick walls. Last week, Google executives met with the FCC Chairman and other officials to discuss the auction and they have started making the necessary preparations to bid. Google has not announced a final decision in the matter, however.

Right now, Google is all about openness in networks. Just this month, Google unveiled the GPhone and their plans to offer software for building internet cell phones and they are creating alliances with device and software makers to foster growth in that industry. It is a very competitive market that Google is about to enter, and it could potentially hurt the big players such as AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, and Nextel. But in reality, it could set Google back because it would cost billions of dollars to create another national wireless network, but I guess we'll see what happens. This could all just be a tactic to make sure the FCC's $4.6 billion minimum bid is met and that the open-access provision that Google fought for will stay intact.

I guess we'll just have to wait to see what happens. It should prove interesting, though, if Google makes this move because it could change the entire industry.

Keeping In Touch With Family During The Holidays

With Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve right around the corner, you should be thinking about keeping in touch with family during these holidays. Many of us neglect our families all year because, of course, we are all very busy.

When is the last time you called your parents just to chat and tell them you love them? Do you even know what your siblings or cousins are up to lately? It is easy to get caught up in our day-to-day lives and forget what is important. That is why I love the holidays. It is a chance for everyone to get together, catch up on what is going on, and to just spend quality time being with each other. The great meals and presents are just a bonus!The end of the year flies by so fast. Don't let these next couple of months pass you by without showing your family and friends how much you really care. Pick up the phone and call them! And when you are writing out your Christmas cards this year - try to be sincere. The task can seem daunting to write so many personal notes, but the people you send them to will notice that you took the time to write something special that lets them know you really do care.

Don't forget that you can sign up with PhoneHog to earn free long distance minutes. If your friends and family don't live close-by, let PhoneHog pay for your phone calls. It only takes a minute to sign up and you can start earning free calls right away. Happy Holidays!

VoIP Offering A Social Network?

With all of the buzz about social networks like MySpace and Facebook, it's no wonder VoIP is introducing its applications to these websites. If you think about how many conversations are initated electronically vs. over the phone, by people using email and instant messaging, it is no wonder that many people think these social networks will replace those forms of communication altogether.

VoIP has plans to embed the voice features as an upgrade, starting with a Facebook voicemail application. And even though I'm not a huge fan of Vonage and other such Voice Over IP products because of the security issues discussed earlier in this blog, this is something for the social networking websites that has a lot of potential.

What do you think about this as an upgrade feature for Facebook? Is it a feature that you would use? You obviously can't do this with traditional telephone service. Maybe I'm old-fashioned but I still trust my landline the most. I get local telephone service for about $25 a month, and I get free long distance with PhoneHog.

I have yet to sign up with Facebook, but if my friends keep making fun of me, I might have to give it a try.