How-To Feature
How to Read WebTV Mail via Telephone


By Bill Johnson aka Le Fantome
(January 21, 2001)

Would you like to be able to pick up a telephone - anywhere - and get your WebTV email? It's possible! Le Fantome ran across this amazing technology and is sharing it with our Net4TV readers.

Neatest trick of the new millennium!

Check your e-mail from any phone free! After you register with http://ragtime.weissman.org/email/register.cgi, you can dial Tellme at 1-800-555-TELL, say the word Extensions and then enter extension 36245 (which spells EMAIL on the touchtone pad).

First, set up remote mail on your WebTV via the Settings for remote mail on the WebTV Home page. You will need remote mail enabled with a password for the e-mail alias you want to hear via the phone.

You can now reply to messages! Just say "reply to sender," and send a reply in your own voice. After you have set up this service, enter your address and password to review or change your settings.

Directions for Use:

  1. Go to WebTV HomePage and click on Mail Settings
  2. Go to Remote Mail and then click on Remote WebTV Mail Settings.
  3. Choose a password and enable remote mail on the screens provided.
  4. Go to http://ragtime.weissman.org/email/register.cgi and enter your WebTV address you want to fetch and the password you used when setting up your WebTV remote mail settings.
  5. Fill out the remainder of the application using pop.webtv.net for the pop feature of your remote mail.
  6. After you submit; the service will test your pop mail by sending it a message and then deleting it and tell you if you have successfully enabled remote mail to their service.
  7. To then check your email by phone just dial Tellme at 1-800-555-TELL and say the word EXTENSIONS, and then dial in extension 36245 (which spells EMAIL on your touchtone pad). Then you say your special code you set up on the application and your PIN.

Security concerns

Yes, I'm afraid they really do need to get your password to provide this service. This is just like configuring your e-mail reader; it can't get your e-mail from your POP server unless you give it your password.

Tellme promises that your password is kept confidential and that they will not abuse it in any way. They promise to use it only for the purpose of allowing you to read your e-mail over the phone. In particular, they promise not to read any of your e-mail.

Also take advantage of the two-minute phone calls (unavailable from pay phones and limited to twice daily when calling a repeated number). Other free features on this site include info about restaurants, movies, taxi service, travel and ski reports, stock reports, traffic, horoscopes, soap operas and other topics.

Tellme is the free service you call to reach the people, businesses, and information you need every day by dialing 1-800-555-TELL (1-800-555-8355).

Once connected, you start at the Tellme Menu - from there, you can say one of the keywords such as Restaurants, Taxi, or Stock Quotes.

Tellme Studio lets anyone write and publish phone applications which would be available as extensions on Tellme. The service is free, supported by promotional messages.

For a list of all TellMe's capabilities, including keywords you can say, check out the Tellme Quick Reference Guide.


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