Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Subscribe
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Subscribe
    Home Latest News
    • Reviews

    Newber Connects the iPhone

    Written by

    Andrew Garcia
    Published September 10, 2008
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      I don’t have a work-provided cell phone, but I frequently want to use my personal phone for work. However, I use a personal number on the phone, so I am loath to give it out to people I don’t know that well. Many times I have asked that my cell number only be used for a specific instance, but that request often gets ignored, and suddenly I’m getting cold called.

      To solve this dilemma, I’ve been using Google’s GrandCentral for about a year, and I like it well enough despite some obvious flaws it has when used with an iPhone. I can give my GrandCentral number out, and the service looks for me at my desk, lab bench, cell phone and (occasionally) my home number. And with the GrandDialer application that showed up in Apple’s App Store a few weeks ago, I also can easily place outbound calls through GrandCentral without giving up my iPhone’s caller ID info.

      However, GrandCentral leaves a lot to be desired. Foremost, I can’t check my GrandCentral voice mail from my iPhone, because 1) the iPhone doesn’t support Flash, which GrandCentral uses for its visual voice mail functionality, and 2) the iPhone won’t let me download WAV files as the alternative method of message checking. I also can’t move in-progress calls between lines.

      At the ShowStoppers show in San Francisco last night, I ran across Newber, a new GrandCentral clone specifically designed to work with the iPhone, (although I see no reason why support won’t be added for other devices in short order). In beta right now, Newber gives the user one phone number to give out–and like GrandCentral, Newber will find you on your iPhone or any land lines you may have preprogrammed. Newber also claims that its software lets you transfer in-progress calls between your various lines, and Newber will also utilize the iPhone’s locationing technology (GPS or the Wi-Fi/cell tower triangulation for first-generation iPhones), to identify your lines that are nearby.

      No word on what, if any, voice mail services will be available through Newber, but the company is promising better dialing options down the road, allowing users to automatically dial every number they have on file for a contact–to find them with just a click of a button.

      The downside, when compared with GrandCentral, appears to be cost. While GrandCentral remains free at this time due to Google’s never-ending beta cycles, Newber looks like it will cost $5 a month/2 cents a minute–although I am unclear whether those charges are either/or or cumulative.

      Andrew Garcia
      Andrew Garcia
      Andrew cut his teeth as a systems administrator at the University of California, learning the ins and outs of server migration, Windows desktop management, Unix and Novell administration. After a tour of duty as a team leader for PC Magazine's Labs, Andrew turned to system integration - providing network, server, and desktop consulting services for small businesses throughout the Bay Area. With eWEEK Labs since 2003, Andrew concentrates on wireless networking technologies while moonlighting with Microsoft Windows, mobile devices and management, and unified communications. He produces product reviews, technology analysis and opinion pieces for eWEEK.com, eWEEK magazine, and the Labs' Release Notes blog. Follow Andrew on Twitter at andrewrgarcia, or reach him by email at [email protected].

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.