PokeTALK Team Blog

The biggest obstacle users have in upgrading their account to Pro is payment methods. While credit cards are mainstream, there are many people who simply don’t enjoy using them in a virtual way. Luckily there are some creative new start-ups out there with solutions, such as Kwedit.

Kwedit now enables people to pay for on-line services without a credit or debit card. They operate 2 revolutionary new services, Kwedit direct and Kwedit promise. We recently integrated Kwedit direct which enables payments at  local retail store such a 7-Eleven.

To use Kwedit direct simply poke on the “pay by 7-11″ link in the Add Credit section and choose you location. You will receive the address to the nearest 7-Eleven where you can pay with a printable receipt. Its that simple !

We recently sent out a survey asking users about their favorite PokeTALK services and how they can be improved. Surprisingly, the send sms feature was at the top of the list for favorite features since using a keyboard is so easy to type, and because you have the ability to add a name or a number to send as id to the receiver.

In light of the adoration for the send sms, we have made some upgrades.

You can now view the last 20 sms’s sent and can resend them by simply poking on them. This is very useful if you want to sms the same person since it adds their number into the senders list, as well as if you want to send the same sms again.

Another feature to make sending sms even easier, you can now add numbers directly from your address book. If you want to sms your entire contact list, there is also an icon to add them in 1-click. This is all built into the sms interface so if you are a big sms’er you will love it.

As always, your sms’s will be free with your bonuses so enjoy !

Many new features have been released in the past month each one to make connectivity in your life just that little bit better.

We have received raving feedback for the local numbers service which is a one of a kind feature that makes international dialing as easy as possible. You simply receive a local number in your country which is already programmed to forward to your contact overseas, so you just  dial a local number in your country to call them. For example, if you are located in the USA, you will receive a unique US based number e.g 1215939xxx for all your overseas contacts. You can store each of the new numbers as a new contact in your phone because you wont need to dial long international numbers anymore.  Since PokeTALK offers calls to over 80 countries for under 2 cents per minute, you can  speak over 5 hours for $10.

You can also program the local numbers service for reverse usage. If you are usually calling your mom in France, you can set her up with a local number in France to call you (just don’t forget you will be paying for these calls but thats a small price to hear moms voice) ! Also make sure to add the numbers you are dialing from in the ‘My registered numbers’ which allows our system to recognize your account settings.

Pin code is similar to a standard calling card, only in virtual fashion. You simply dial the selected number in your country, enter your pin code, and then have an open line to dial any country. For numbers that you call frequently the local numbers is a preffered option because it forwards you directly, but if you are calling a number less often the pin code is handy to have around.

There is also now a beautifully designed desktop widget which you may download to make web activated calls from your desktop. The widget stores all your numbers and your contacts from your account, so dialling is as easy as in the website. Once you download the widget, it will appear on your desktop and in the gadgets option (right click on desktop this is next to screen resolution).

If you are a Facebook lover, you can now connect your account through PokeTALK. By connecting you can post details of your calls to all your friends, comment on calls, and invite all your friends in Facebook to join PokeTALK.

Lastly but most important, for a little fun you can add the ‘play’ service to enjoy the classic snake game. If you are on a long call this is some guaranteed entertainment :)  Happy poking.

We all enjoy a good love story. We sit in our chair and slip into the plot imagining it is all happening to us. We feel the hero’s pain as he wanders the world miserably before meeting his soul mate, only to discover it is an impossible relationship (as in the movie, Pretty Woman). We shed a tear when fate separates the two lovers and rejoice when finally, at the last scene, they fall madly in love and give us the happy ending we were rooting for.

Communication is a major factor in romantic movies. It is all about communication or should we say – lack thereof. If only the hero had the leading lady’s phone number…If she just told him the truth when she had the chance it could all be so easy (and fast!).

Imagine this scenario: boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love; boy goes out to sea and does not return. It’s the beginning of a great romance that goes on for years as the girl waits for the boy with a broken heart. If only they had e-mail, phones or even well trained pigeons to communicate with one another, they would not have to go through hell (literally) and back and it would all end differently. Then again, we wouldn’t have memorable quests like this:

Westley: I told you I would always come for you. Why didn’t you wait for me?

Buttercup: Well… you were dead.

Westley: Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while.

Buttercup: I will never doubt again.

Westley: There will never be a need.

(The Princess Bride)

Sometimes the whole plot is based on the lack of communication between the leading characters. In the movie Serendipity, Jonathan and Sara meet briefly, have an amazing night but do not exchange numbers or even last names, since they are both “unavailable.” It takes a few years (and a very funny story line) until they meet again and give us our fairytale ending. Why go through all that trouble if they could just call each other the next day? Oh, this is where fate (and the director) steps in to do its job and work its magic on our hearts…J

But it’s not all bad; some great romantic stories are based on a unique way of communication that allows our heroes to meet. We saw it in the classic movie, Sleepless in Seattle, when Meg Ryan hears Tom Hanks on the radio talking about his dead wife, falls in love, and decides to send him a letter:

“Well, it was a million tiny little things that, when you added them all up, they meant we were supposed to be together… and I knew it. I knew it the very first time I touched her. It was like coming home… only to no home I’d ever known… I was just taking her hand to help her out of a car and I knew. It was like… magic.”

We saw it in Message in a Bottle, where Robin Wright discovers a tragic love letter in a bottle washed to shore and decides to find the author of this letter. This journey brings the two together, but only after a long line of heart breaking scenes. At least we got the chance to hear Kevin Costner say these incredibly romantic lines:

“Every step I took since the moment I could walk was a step towards finding you.”

Last but not least, we have You’ve Got Mail, the modern version to sending love letters and getting to know one another without meeting in person. It’s the ultimate tangle where Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan are business rivals who hate each other, but fall in love online. In this tale, communication saves the day and gets the worst of enemies hugging and kissing in the end.

“I like to start my notes to you as if we’re already in the middle of a conversation. I pretend that we’re the oldest and dearest friends- as opposed to what we actually are- people who don’t know each other’s names and met in a chat room where we both claimed we’d never been before. What will NY152 say today, I wonder. I turn on my computer, I wait impatiently as it boots up. I go online, and my breath catches in my chest until I hear three little words: You’ve got mail. I hear nothing, not even a sound on the streets of New York, just the beat of my own heart. I have mail. From you”

When it comes to love and romance, communication and conversation is key. Next is listening. If you just gush your heart out every once in a while you might get to have a fairytale ending, just like in the movies.

So what are you waiting for? Your story begins today, right now. So reach out and touch someone because as a very wise man once said “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna’ get.” J

PokeTALK has been around for over 2 years, and every year we have revamped the site to accommodate the changing needs of our users and add more features. The first version of PokeTALK was extremely simple, with a box to enter your numbers, and some advertising. This version only had one feature, the web callback, whereby you could only call a few countries for free, because there was no pro version. That was it !

The second version was built with the idea to make the site  interactive with more features to make calling fun, as well as the Pro option allowing users to upgrade calls to all destinations. This version had many experimental ideas included such as games to play while on the call, a feed of all recent activities, and even  an option to comment on a phone number, so that when someone else called that number they would see the comment.

The latest version which is what is available today, was created with the intention to allow full customization of the interface. Today there are over 10 different features available (and growing), which you don’t need access to all the time. For this reason there is a services menu on the left side where you can add/remove  features. In addition the services can be arranged in any order that is convenient by dragging them up and down. This gives you access to all the features, all the while avoiding a cluttered interface. This version was also built upon an open API to allow any developer to build features into PokeTALK, or to use the code to build their own telephony services.

If you have any suggestions for improving the interface we are always available at pro@poketalk.com for all your feedback, because at the end of the day this service is built for you to enjoy !

The beginning of a new year makes us think about our life, past present and future.

We often decide on new directions, changes or improvements we want to make but most of us forget about these resolutions as we slip back to our routine. Our work, our family and our everyday chores keeps us from pursuing our goals to improve ourselves and become better people. It seems there is not too much we can do with so little free time, but it can be easier than you think.

One of the best resolutions you can make this year is to stay in touch with your friends. We are not talking about your next door neighbors or the cashier at your supermarket; we are referring to your best friends, the people who know you since you were a kid and have been there for you whenever you needed them. They held your hand when you got your braces, bought you ice-cream the first time you had your heart broken, helped you cheat when you didn’t study for a major exam and flew across the world to attend your wedding. These are the people that matters. They are the ones you turn to when things go bad, so why don’t we talk to them when everything is great? This is your opportunity to remind yourselves who are the important people in your life and let them know how important they are to you and how much you LOVE them.

In the era we live in, updating your Facebook or Twitter status can be considered as staying in touch and therefore excludes you from making any real effort to talk with your friends or actually listen to them. We are so wrapped up with ourselves and our lives that we tend to forget to ask people the most simple question: how are you?

Even when we ask this question, we don’t expect an answer. When was the last time someone asked you: “how are you doing” (Besides Joey from Friends) and you replayed with more than a simple “fine”? Talking to a friend can brighten up your day and offer you some new perspective. It helps you take some load off and relax   sometimes a little bit of venting can go a long way…).

So what are you waiting for? Make the decision and stick to it!

Take a few minutes to write down the names of some friends and family members you want to talk to and put their names in your dairy or online calendar with a reminder to call them every month. It seems like a very simple task but very few people do it in their everyday life and forget to communicate.

Meeting in person is a wonderful way to stay in touch with your friends, but it is not always a possibility due to schedule or distance so just pick up the phone and tell someone that you love them! We guarantee it will make you smile!

Happy New Year, PokeTALKers! We hope you all had an enjoyable New Years and that you celebrated with the people who are most important in your life.

PokeTALK wants to thank all of those who participated in the PokeTALK story contest – your stories were touching, heart-warming, and flat out good! And for those who didn’t participate in a story but commented on your fellow PokeTALKer’s stories – thanks for your support and for cheering on your friends and family members! They couldn’t have done it without you!

Congrats again to our 3 contest winners! 1^st place Grand Prize winner went to Giselle Aris with 43 comments on her story! 2^nd place winner was a close runner up with 40 comments on her story – Sharon Bar-Lev! And 3^rd place winner went to Antonia Greb! Your stories were enjoyable to read & very creative. Didn’t get a chance to read their stories? Read them now below!

Giselle Aris: “For the last several months I have been working in a small town in southern India where internet connections are very slow, which makes using a free telephony service like Skype impossible. Given its reasonable rates, PokeTALK is the perfect solution – I use it to call my grandma, my brothers, parents, friends, everyone! But it proved most useful to me when I was trying to get in touch with my former host family, the Gonnays, in the Philippines (where I did fieldwork while completing my Masters degree). The Gonnays live in an extremely remote region of the Philippines – no newspapers or radio, let alone internet so that we can keep in touch via e-mail. After Typhoon Pepeng hit their region of the country, I was desperate to know that they were ok – that they had not been harmed by the landslides and that their harvest had not been ruined for the year. Thanks to PokeTALK, I was finally able to reach them and learn that they were safe and sound. Thank you, PokeTALK!”

Sharon Bar-Lev: “My 80 year old mom just got her “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” bracelet that connects to the phone, but couldn’t figure out how to do the connection. I called her, via PokeTALK, and explained to her what to do. I’m sleeping much better now knowing that if something goes wrong she just presses the bracelet and help is on its way!”

Antonia Greb: “My dear grandma -we call her Omamimi- lives in the very south of Bavaria. A tiny picturesque town with the lovely name of Lenggries has become decades ago what she calls home. To date Omamimi often emphasizes how much she enjoys spending her days in a region that marks the beginning of the Alps. However, life in Lenggries does not only come along with conveniences: during the harsh winters snowfall is heavy and slippery streets prevent Omamimi not infrequently from leaving the house. We all consider it to be a blessing that Omamimi loves talking on the phone!”

Didn’t get a chance to join the contest? No worries – we are coming up with a new one real soon!

Happy New Year PokeTALKers & have a successful and healthy 2010. Have you made any big resolutions for the New Year? Comment on this post & tell us what your resolutions are for 2010!

Just in time for the winter holidays, we have officially released the dial in service to the UK and Israel community, allowing you to speak to over 80% of the world, for the same cost as a local call. This service is exclusively offered by PokeTALK in both the UK and Israel, as the most convenient option to dial overseas from your mobile. In both countries, no payments are needed, you just dial the numbers available in your selected countries.

If you live in the UK, you can call you friends and family in over 60 countries for the cost of a local UK mobile call, by dialling 07624 100 180. Once the line is answered, enter the number you wish to dial in international format followed by a #. Your call will be connected with no time limit.  Popular countries include Russia, India, and USA – to view the full list poke here.

If you live in Israel, you can call 1900 72 0000 and speak to over 80 countries for the cost of a local  call, which is at a fixed price of ₪0.50/minute (If you call from a mobile phone your operator also charges airtime). You can call all the available countries right now from your landline for just 50 agurot, and from your mobile for 50 agurot + the standard airtime. All charges are automatically billed  by your fixed line/mobile operator with no time limits for the call. Popular countries including USA, Canada, Thailand, India, China, Russia, and Malaysia are all included – to view the full list of countries poke here. Again users don’t have to be registered at PokeTALK to use this service so anyone can call at any time from any phone. Just dial 1900 72 000, enter the destination number in international format, and press the #  button, to experience great quality international calling at local rates ! This service is one of its kind in Israel which only PokeTALK is able to provide by working closely with operators to find the best techniques for international calling.

If you want to receive a printable e-version of the dial in cards so you can store in your wallet or keep handy, email us to pro@poketalk.com and we will be happy to send you one.

PokeTALK’s Facebook Fan page continues to grow, reaching over 1200 fans! We thank you all for your support and loyalty, If you not yet a fan become one now, you can also follow us on twitter for daily updates on low rates, discounts, and general PokeTALK updates.

In spirit of the holiday season, PokeTALK wishes you all Happy Holidays!

Whether you’re celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Noel, and all other holidays, PokeTALK hopes your holiday season is filled with joy, great food, and plenty of PokeTALKing!

We continue to thank you for all your support – our Facebook Fan page has grown exponentially in the past month- we have just reached 1000 fans. We would like to send out a special thank you to Amihai Bannett who was the 1000th fan, and to all the support we have received as we couldn’t have done it without YOU! If you are not yet a fan become one now on our Facebook and Twitter pages to get daily updates on coupons, low rates, new features and PokeTALK news.

In our last post, we honored PokeTALK fans calling to and from the USA during the Thanksgiving holiday. We asked our readers and fans to comment and post the holidays YOU celebrate which are unique to your country. We have heard your comments and want to grant you free calls to give your family, friends, and colleagues in light of the December holidays.

For the FULL month of December, every invite that you send  your friends will have a coupon with free Pro credits to call anywhere they want! You can login to  share and  invite all your family and friends to call free these holidays! Each invite will have a different amount of credit between $1-$10, so your friends will be able to call you for hours. Once your friend receives the coupon and registers, they enter it in the ‘Got a coupon’ link.  If you want to invite multiple friends quickly you also have the option to import your full email contacts.

Happy Holidays Poking!

During the month of November in the US, Americans celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday and its traditions. This is a time to offer thanks, gather families, and enjoy a big holiday meal. During Thanksgiving people take the time to recognize what they are grateful for and celebrate their health, career accomplishments, relationships, and items they cherise most in life.

In honor of the Thanksgiving holiday, PokeTALK wants to give “thanks” to all of our loyal customers – as we truly value your business ! As a way of showing thanks, the rate to the USA will be practically free  at 0.00001 cent per minute – during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend (which starts Thursday, November 26th and ends Sunday, November 29th).

As PokeTALK continues to grow worldwide, we have begun to create a calendar of holidays to provide special bonuses and discounts during holidays that are celebrated around the globe by our unique users. Please post us a comment in the blog or in the Facebook fan page about a holiday you celebrate and what country you are from so we can work on providing you discounts to use during your special holidays.

Happy thanksgiving from PokeTALK !