Home Inspirations

On March 10, 1876, Alexander Bell became the first person to speak into a telephone. Since that time, the telephone and telephone services have improved significantly.

In the 1890s to 1930s, the candlestick telephone was popular. These telephones separated the receiver and the mouthpiece and were generally large and clunky. Rotary phones were also common at one time. These phones had a dial that had to be rotated to dial a number. Push button phones became popular in the 1960s and 1970s, as they were easier to use than the rotary phones. Answering machines became popular in the 1960s and allowed people to receive messages even when they were not at home. The first answering machines used cassette tapes, but these were later replaced with miniature cassette tapes. Nowadays, most people use voicemail on their cell phones.

Portable or cordless phones became popular in the 1980s. This allowed people to take calls anywhere in their house. Mobile phones of course now allow us to talk to anyone, anywhere in the world. The first mobile phone appeared in 1973, and while these phones were not exactly small and they were very expensive, mobile phones soon became indispensable.

Today, the telephone is an important part of our lives, allowing us to stay in touch with friends and relatives no matter where they are. If you are moving to a new home, installing a new phone system is a great idea. With a new phone system, you can decide on the features that you want.

There are many different services that you can include in a home phone plan. Home phones have many convenient features such as call forwarding, speed dial, call waiting, call return and caller ID with name. Caller ID is a very useful feature that allows you to see who is calling, even if you are using another line.

Many of us these days are annoyed by unwanted calls, so any home phone system should include privacy and safety features such as caller ID block, enhanced 911 service, anonymous call rejection, last call return, last number redial and call forwarding selective. Visit www.lingo.com to take a look at some of the features you could have. Telephone service companies now offer lots of convenient options for paying for your telephone service. People can manage their accounts online for convenience and get information about recent activity, their account, mobile add-on service and other features.

Voicemail is a very handy feature of many modern phone systems. Whereas once you had to wait in for telephone calls or use an answering machine, today you can pick up your telephone messages anywhere and at any time. Messages can be picked up on your phone, online or even via email.

You might think that landlines are now outdated, but a 2013 census revealed that 71 percent of Americans still have a home phone system. These systems can be as sophisticated or simple as you want, and with some, you can add additional handsets without buying new hardware by using your smartphone or tablet. An app allows users to make calls over Wi-Fi in their home. So next time you move, why not update your home phone system to take advantage of new technology?