Technically Writer

And now for something completely different... I've been interested in minimalism lately and the new "web brutalism" -- basically, a backlash to bloated web design and a return to simple web pages for all (access them on any device, keep data charges low, create them with an emphasis on the words themselves). I heard some stuff about it on a segment on CBC Spark , one of my favourite radio shows. As an experiment,  here's a post I did on a minimalist website . It's titled "Good Invisibility." Enjoy!

In my first blog post, I reviewed the Fongo Mobile app. On its own, it's a great way to start saving money on your cell plan -- you could even consider using it as a landline replacement, too. It could be a generational thing, but I like to make most calls on a "real" phone (cordless, corded, etc). I've noticed that traditional landlines are quite expensive these days -- even voice over IP (VoIP) lines through the major services providers are way overpriced, and bandwidth is dirt cheap! Once again, Fongo has us covered with a great alternative. Fongo Home Phone -- For those who just want plug and play cheap phone service While I don't *technically* use Fongo home phone service, I feel I can still comment on it based on my experience with Freephoneline (the adjacent service they offer. More on that in the next section.) Here's a short and sweet blog post on Fongo's site that walks you through signing up for their home phone service. Yes, t...

There are a lot of alternative phone services out there, but I'm a long time user and fan of Fongo , a voice over IP (VoIP) service. VoIP just means your phone's audio connection goes through internet bandwidth instead of traditional landlines or cell towers. Fongo offers a free mobile app for Android/iPhone/BlackBerry, a low-priced home phone service, and (if you feel brave) a free home phone through their system company Freephoneline. I could go on about more technical details, but what you want to know is: will this save me money? YES. Will it be straightforward? Y...mostly. It depends. But stick with me as I walk you through the options. In this post, I'll start with Fongo for smartphones. Some background: I'm not a heavy smartphone user, but I like them. I've used a few Android devices and more recently BlackBerry 10. I never liked paying even $30 for a plan of which I used about 20% of the coverage, if that. Calls are potentially expensive ("is an ...