ZVRS is adding another device to its growing list of supported phones!

The next phone? The HTC EVO!

ZVRS finally found a way to make this happen and we’re glad to be able to make this available. You can download right away–you do not need to wait for an installer to come to your house to install it for you. You can call any videophone–VP-200, Z-150, Z-340, Z-Ojo and P3! Not like the other provider who restricts you to call just the VP-200!

Click on the link to watch the video–and wait until Tuesday, March 1, 2011 to download and you will experience FREEDOM!!

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.

You got an iPhone, iPodTouch, Epic, Tab, MyTouch and you look at your hearing friends and see that people can leave voicemail on his/her phone and you wish you had it–the answer is YES! Videomail! All the mobile phones that have Z4 Mobile downloaded on them have a full-blown answering machine feature in which any deaf or hard of hearing person calling you can leave a message on your mobile phone if you couldn’t answer the call. Hearing people who call through ZVRS can also leave a message on your Z4 Mobile. You can retrieve the message with the dialpad that comes on your Z4 Mobile and off you go!

The answering machine (My Mail) that is part of Z4 Mobile, Z4 and all the Z-phones (Z-150, Z-340 and Z-Ojo) has so many cool features and by giving it to you piece by piece will allow you to appreciate the power of the Z4! Some of these features may be documented, some may be hidden and some may not be documented–but don’t let this bother you–as a software pioneer himself, Dr. Z has found it best to not “read the stuff”, but play with the stuff–the actual experience is usually the best way to learn.

Most of the other VRS providers have the answering machine feature, but it is usually just for VRS calls OR for point to point calls. The Z4 (and all Z-phones) feature handles BOTH VRS and point-to-point calls. We call this the My Mail feature. Messages are forwarded to your pager or smartphone. Messages can be picked up on the Z4 or checked on the web.

The second thing to do is to customize (or create) a video message for point-to-point calls. To do that, call the SAME number or click “My Mail” in the directory on the videophone assigned to the Z4 Mobile, Z4 (or the Z-150, Z-340 and Z-Ojo). You will get as screen asking you to customize. At this point, you only need to enter the number assigned to what it is asking for, like “2″ for “Customize Settings.” Then “1″ for “Customize Greeting.” At that point, it will record the message of you telling the caller you are not available and to leave a message. That message will be saved and will be played whenever a caller calls you and you are not available (like a missed call.)

The next time a call comes in when you are not available, the message you recorded will be played and then a new message will come up on the caller’s screen asking them to leave a message. The My Mail feature will record the caller’s message which usually is something like “Sorry to have missed you, please call me at .,…” That message is then sent to the Zvrs website (in your profile), to the email (or pager) address you specified in the profile and to the Z-Phone. You can pick up your message in any of these places by clicking on “My Mail” in the address book (My Contacts.)

Try it! This gets you close to full functional equivalence. All the hearing folks out there have voicemail and we now have our own videomail which works even better.

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.

ZVRS has launched a new feature–ZVRS for FaceTime—it enables Mac users who use FaceTime for video communication to use FaceTime to call a ZVRS video interpreter. It uses the ZVRS address book (My Contacts) to select the hearing person you are calling.

Why FaceTime? and not iChat?

FaceTime has great video quality because it uses FaceTime to make the VRS call…far superior to iChat.

This is using the Apple’s future HD video product – FaceTime.

FaceTime automatically adjusts seamlessly to changes in bandwidth and maintains the video quality.

No waiting– just click the number (My Contacts) and then the interpreter is there…with iChat you have to talk to the AIM bot and then wait for an interpreter to call you.

Here’s the link to a video on ZVRS for FaceTime.

Get a Z-life…this means you get connected anywhere, anyplace with any device you want!

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.
Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.

Many of you have downloaded our Mobile Z4 app after buying your mobile phones during the holidays.  Some of you have been able to get it to work and some of you are still figuring things out how to make it work.

Got a new laptop? Samsung Epic 4G? Samsung Tab? iPhone4? iPod Touch wifi? Mytouch 4G? Need help with installing Z on your new device? Call 866-932-7891 and the people at ZVRS are more than happy to help you!

If you want, you can send a message to Dr., Z, he will forward the message to the people at ZVRS customer care and they will get in touch with you.

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.

With the holidays upon us, Dr. Z is in a tizzy with all those pricing promotions all over the place! What a way to gain freedom in communication with the help of Santa!

But Dr. Z would not want to tell you which car to get for the same reason he would not tell you which videophone to get.

Also, Dr. Z would not want to suggest one carrier (ATT, Sprint, Verizon or T Mobile) because coverage for each varies from place to place.

Also, there are many plans, voice plans, data plans, and so forth–you need to check carefully when you go out and buy one.  Most, if not all plans have a 2-year contract. For some plans you may be able to upgrade from your Blackberry or Sidekick.

Dr. Z spent some time on his computer tonite to browse for bargains that are out there as of Monday night, December 20th–some bargains may expire overnight–some may continue the next few days.

But as a consumer advocate, Dr. Z is listing those bargains he found tonite–Good luck!

T Mobile My Touch

$19.99 with voice/data plan at Costco

Buy 1, get 1 free at T-Mobile website

Apple iPhone 4

$149.99 at Radio Shack (you get credit if you upgrade your iPhone 3GS -if it is more than 18 months old on the contract)

$147 at Sam’s Club

Samsung Epic

$179 at Radio Shack

$99 at Amazon (now on backorder-may be unavailable)

Samsung Tab

$199 at US Cellular

$350 at T Mobile

Again, Dr. Z assumes no responsibility for the fine print with all those purchases.  Be sure to check carefully when you make your purchase.

All the videophones above work with Z4 or ZVRS software!

Feel free to contact Dr. Z with your thoughts using the contact form on the left side of the web page.

Happy shopping (and decisionmaking.)

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.