Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is CasaBlast?

A: CasaBlast™ is a unique and powerful Family Messaging and Management solution to help keep your family connected and organized. It combines a simple elegant family messaging solution with a shared online family calendar, address book, and to-do list. Coupled with CasaBlast™'s unique online alert 'tile' system that pushes new message and alerts to your CasaBlast Dashboard and links to your mobile phone, your family can stay current and spend more quality time 'doing' instead of organizing.

Q: What is a CasaBlast Number? How do I use it?

A: Your CasaBlast number is your login ID and your new family phone number. You can use it to send and receive FamilyBlasts, and receive CasaBlast alerts and reminders for calendar events. Give it out as your new voicemail number or forward your home phone to it, and access CasaBlast visual voicemail feature from any PC and receive voicemail notifications on your phone. Save your CasaBlast number into your contact list in your mobile phone to quickly recognize the sender for your CasaBlast messages and alerts.

Q: How much does CasaBlast cost? Free? What's the catch?

A: CasaBlast services are free. No catch. Sign up for an account, set up your family, and go.

Q: How do I access family information in CasaBlast when I'm not at home?

A: CasaBlast is an online service, so you can login to your CasaBlast account from wherever you have access to a computer and the Internet. You can also configure your mobile phone in your family profile to send and receive FamilyBlasts, receive Calendar reminders and Voicemail alerts, receive to-do lists, and more. Go to your family member profile under 'Family Member Settings' to configure and set your preferences.

Q: I live outside the United States. Can I use CasaBlast?

A: If you live outside the United States, you can use CasaBlast, but you will only be able to access a subset of features from the web.

Q: What do I need for CasaBlast to work? PC, Browser, Flash

A: CasaBlast works on any PC or Mac, all you need is a browser with Adobe Flash Player 10 installed.

Q: What web browsers does CasaBlast work on?

A: We know that CasaBlast works as designed on the following browsers:

• Internet Explorer, v6.0 and up
• Firefox, v3.0 and up
• Safari (Mac), v3.0 and up
• Safari (PC), v3.2 and up

Q: What versions of Adobe Flash does CasaBlast need?

A: CasaBlast will require Adobe Flash v10, at minimum. Once you've created a CasaBlast account, log in. If you don't have the right Adobe Flash version, your browser should prompt you to install.

Q: Is my family's information private and secure?

A: CasaBlast respects your family's privacy and uses the latest technologies and policies to ensure that your family information is kept safe and secure. You can find the latest CasaBlast Privacy Policy's here.

Q: What is CasaBlast's privacy policy?

A: You can find the latest CasaBlast Privacy Policy on our CasaBlast.com website. Click here.

Q: What are CasaBlast's Terms of Service?

A: You can find the latest CasaBlast Terms of Service on our CasaBlast.com website. Click here.

Q: How do I change the email address that I used to set up my account?

A: You can change your email in the CasaBlast application. Login to your CasaBlast account, and click on 'Settings', and in Settings, click on 'CasaBlast Settings'. You can change your email address under the 'System Settings' tab.

Q: I forgot my CasaBlast number. How do I retrieve it?

A: If you have forgotten your CasaBlast number, and you are trying to login to your CasaBlast account, you can go to the login screen and click on 'Forgot CasaBlast number or passcode' and follow the instructions. Within your CasaBlast account, you can go to 'Settings', and look under 'Family Member Settings'.

Q: How do I change my passcode?

A: You can change your passcode in the CasaBlast application. Login to your CasaBlast account, and click on 'Settings', and in Settings, click on 'CasaBlast Settings'. You can change your passcode under the 'System Settings' tab.

Q: I forgot my passcode. How do I retrieve it?

A: If you have forgotten your passcode, you can go to the login screen and click on 'Forgot CasaBlast number or passcode' and follow the instructions.

Q: How do I cancel my account? What happens to my CasaBlast number? What happens to my family's personal data - calendar events, messages, to-do lists, etc.?

A: We would hate to see you go, but if you want to cancel your account, please email us at . Once your account is cancelled, your CasaBlast number will no longer function for your family, and your family's personal data will be deleted.

Q: What are 'Tiles'? and what do they do? What can I do with them?

A: 'Tiles' are your message, notifications, and alerts that are 'pushed' to your Dashboard in your CasaBlast account. There are several types of tiles, and each has its own interactive properties. Move the mouse and click on each tile to see how each performs differently. For example, you can play voicemails directly from the voicemail tiles, while the weather tiles will expand and provide a 5-day forecast.

Q: What are the different tiles?

A: Each tile is optimized to provide you with the information that you need as quickly as possibly, thus each tile differs in its appearance and function. For details around each tile, see our description here.

Q: 'Explore' Tiles? How do I reset my 'Explore' Tiles?

A: Click on 'Settings', and on the Family Members Settings page, you will see your default Family Settings screen. On the bottom, click on the button labeled 'Reset 'Explore' Tiles'.

Q: Weather Tile? Can I add locations to my Weather Tiles?

A: Yes. Click on your Weather Tile on the Dashboard, and on the detailed view, click 'Edit Locations' - located at the top of the Weather Detailed view. You can add up to two additional zip codes to receive updated weather information.

Q: How do I delete a tile?

A: You may want to delete a tile to help manage your Dashboard. To dismiss a tile, click on the 'x' in the upper right hand corner of the tile. Note that for FamilyBlasts and Voicemails, dismissing the tile does not delete your message. You can still access the message in your CasaBlast inbox.

Q: Does deleting a tile delete my message?

A: No. If you delete a voicemail or FamilyBlast tile, your message will still exist in the Inbox. You will need to delete the message from the inbox to delete the message permanently.

Q: What are FamilyBlasts? How do I send a FamilyBlasts from my mobile?

A: FamilyBlasts are Family Messages that are posted onto your CasaBlast dashboard and are sent to every member of the family - at the same time! Think of it as the virtual version of the sticky note on the fridge or the door, but better. You can broadcast your entire family a message at once, and everyone can reply to that message. And to make it even easier, have every family member link their mobile phone with the family's CasaBlast account, and those FamilyBlasts go to everyone - regardless if they're at home or not. Send and receive FamilyBlasts from the CasaBlast web interface or from your mobile phone.

Q: How do I send a FamilyBlast from the application?

A: Log in to your CasaBlast account, and the FamilyBlast interface appears on the left hand side of your Dashboard. Just pick yourself as the sender, and write your quick note and hit 'Send'.

Q: How do I send a FamilyBlast from my mobile?

A: To send a FamilyBlast from your mobile, send a text message to your CasaBlast number, and your FamilyBlast will be sent to the entire family.

Q: What happens when I respond to a FamilyBlast on my phone?

A: When you reply to a FamilyBlast, the message goes to every family member. Think of FamilyBlasts as a 'Reply All' function.

Q: Why do I have to pick myself as a sender?

A: Since FamilyBlasts come from the CasaBlast number, your family will want to know who is sending the message. By picking yourself as the sender, your family will know who sent the FamilyBlast.

Q: What if I want to send a message to one or more members of the family and not the entire family?

A: FamilyBlasts are designed to reach the entire family, and not only a few people in the family.

Q: How do I set up my CasaBlast account to record voicemails from my home phone number?

A: To use your visual voicemail feature in your CasaBlast account, you will need to forward your home phone to your CasaBlast number. Check your telephone carrier's website to get the proper instructions to forward your home phone number. Note that different carriers support different types of Call Forwarding; pick the the type that best fits your needs. We recommend Call Forwading - Ring/No Answer, so that you can still hear the phone ring when you're at home, but your CasaBlast voicemail system will pick up the call if you are not around or decide not to answer.

Q: Can I still use my home phone number if I forward to my CasaBlast number?

A: Yes. You can still make outgoing calls, and if you have set up Ring/No Answer, you will receive calls as you normally would. If you choose not to pick up your calls, then your calls will be forwarded to your CasaBlast voicemail instead of your answering machine or voicemail system.

Q: How do I create a custom outgoing message?

A: Go to your 'Settings', and click on 'CasaBlast Settings'. Under 'CasaBlast Settings', click on the 'Voicemail ' tab, and you will see a section titled 'Voicemail Greetings'. Selet 'Custom' and click on 'Record'. Follow the instructions to record and save your custom greeting. Note that you will need a microphone connected to your computer to record a custom outgoing greeting.

Q: How do I send my voicemails to my email address?

A: In your family member profile under 'Family Member Settings', you can enter the email address that you would like to receive voicemail email alerts, and toggle the switch to 'On' under 'Receive Voicemail Email Alerts.'

Q: How do I create and edit a new family calendar event?

A: To create a new event, go to the Calendar feature by clicking the Calendar tab, and then click on 'New Event' button. To edit an event, click on the event to edit, and the 'read' version of the event details will appear. Click on 'Edit', which will put the calendar event into 'Edit' mode. Click on 'OK' to save changes or 'Cancel' to reject changes.

Q: How do I add a few family members and not the entire family to an event?

A: Click on 'New Event', and under 'Invite', select the family members that you would like to invite to the event. The default setting is 'All Family'.

Q: What do the color bars mean in the Monthly Calendar?

A: In your monthly calendar view, the family and each individual family member is represented by a color bar. The color associated with each family member is picked when the family member profile is created. Move the mouse over each color bar, and you will see a pop-up that details the family's or individual's events for that day.

Q: How do I see an individual family member's calendar?

A: Each family member can view the entire family's calendar or view an individual family member's calendar. Click the 'Calendar' tab at the bottom of the Daily View on the left hand side. Select the family member that you want to view, and click 'OK'. The monthly calendar view will show all the events that the selected family member is a required participant, including 'All Family' events.

Q: Does the Calendar work with Google Calendar?

A: Yes. In your CasaBlast Family profile settings, under 'Personal Calendar Integration', enter your Gmail email address, and switch 'Link Events with Personal Calendar' to 'ON'. Your Gmail account will now receive calendar invitations from your CasaBlast account.

Q: How do I integrate my CasaBlast calendar with Microsoft Outlook?

A: Yes. In your CasaBlast Family profile settings, under 'Personal Calendar Integration', enter your Outlook email address, and switch 'Link Events with Personal Calendar' to 'ON'. Your Outlook account will now receive calendar invitations from your CasaBlast account.

Q: What do I need to do when creating an event on my Outlook Calendar or Google calendar to link it to my CasaBlast account?

A: Make sure that you have configured your family member profile to link events with your Outlook or Google calendar (refer to FAQ 'How do I integrate my CasaBlast calendar with Microsoft Outlook?' or 'Does the Calendar work with Google Calendar?') . Once configured, create an event in your Outlook or Google calendar and include as a participant. You will see the event appear in your CasaBlast calendar.

Q: What do I need to do when creating an event on my CasaBlast account and link it to my Outlook or Google Calendar?

A: Make sure that you have configured your family member profile to link events with your Outlook or Google calendar (refer to FAQ 'How do I integrate my CasaBlast calendar with Microsoft Outlook?' or 'Does the Calendar work with Google Calendar?') . Once configured, create an event in the CasaBlast calendar and include yourself as a participant. You will receive an invitiation in your Outlook or Google inbox, and you can accept that invitation to place that event on your Outlook or Google calendar.

Q: What happens when I change an event that is linked to my Outlook or Google calendar?

A: When you create a new event on your CasaBlast calendar, your Outlook account will receive an Outlook invite from CasaBlast. When you change or cancel your appointment on CasaBlast, your Outlook account will receive an updated invite with the changes to the appointment. The same process will happen with a Google calendar as well.

Q: How do I set up recurring events?

A: As you create a new event, click on 'Show More Options' at the bottom right hand view. You will see the options for creating and editing recurring events under "Recurring". You can create 'Daily', 'Weekly', 'Monthly', and 'Yearly' recurring events with a specific end date or no end date at all.

Q: Can I receive just the calendar reminders for my events and not the entire family's events?

A: Yes, you can. In your family member profile under 'Family Member Settings', select your family profile, and under 'Mobile Alerts', set the 'Send Calendar Reminders' setting to 'My Events'. If you just want to receive calendar reminders to all family member events, regardless if you are a participant, select 'All Events' from the pull-down selection.

Q: Can I receive the entire family calendar reminders, regardless if I'm invited or not, and not just mine?

A: Yes, you can. In your family member profile under 'Family Member Settings', select your family profile, and under 'Mobile Alerts', set the 'Send Calendar Reminders' setting to 'All Events'. If you just want to receive calendar reminders to the events that you are a participant, select 'My Events' from the pull-down selection.

Q: How do I add and edit the name of an existing to-do list?

A: Move the mouse arrow over the to-do list in the left hand view, and a 'edit' button will appear. Click on the 'edit' button to edit the name, type your changes, and then click on 'OK' to save your changes.

Q: How do I delete a to-do list?

A: Move the mouse arrow over the to-do list in the left hand view, and a 'X' will appear. Click on the 'X' to delete the selected to-do list.

Q: How do I move a to-do list?

A: Move the mouse arrow over the to-do list in the left hand view, and click on the selected to-do list to move. 'Drag and drop' the list into the preferred position, i.e., click on the selected to-do list, and hold down the mouse button. Move the to-do list to its desired position, and release the mouse button.

Q: How do I add a new task?

A: Click on the top empty field on the right hand view, and type in your task. You can hit 'Enter' on your keyboard or click on 'Add' to save the new task.

Q: How do I edit an existing task?

A: On the selected task, click the 'edit' button. Type your changes, and then click on 'OK' to save your changes.

Q: How do I delete a task?

A: On the selected task, click the 'X' button to delete.

Q: How do I move a task?

A: Move the mouse over the to-do item, and click on the selected to-do item to move. 'Drag and drop' the item into the preferred position, i.e., click on the selected to-do item, and hold down the mouse button. Move the to-do item to its desired position, and release the mouse button.

Q: How do I send a to-do list to a family member?

A: You can send a selected to-do list to any family member. Select the to-do list that you would like to send, and click 'Send List' button at the bottom right hand corner. Select the family member, and click 'OK'.

Q: How do I print my to-do list?

A: You can print a selected to-do list by clicking on 'Print list' button at the bottom right hand corner. A new browser window will pop-up with the to-do list, and automatically prompt you to print. Click on 'Print', and then take the list with you wherever you want.

Q: How can I access my list from my mobile phone?

A: You can send the list to your mobile phone. Refer to FAQ 'How do I send a to-do list to a family member?'

Q: Is the family member profile linked to my contact in the address book?

A: Yes. When you create a family member profile in 'Family Member Settings', you create a contact entry in your address book. Any changes to your mobile phone number that you make in your address book will be reflected in your family member profile. You can only change your family nickname and family color from the 'Family Member Settings' page.

Q: Can I import other external address books? What 3rd party address books are supported?

A: Yes. Currently, you can import your Plaxo and Google address book to your CasaBlast address book. Check back periodically. We are adding support for additional 3rd parties on an on-going basis.

Q: How do I create a family member?

A: Go to 'Family Member Settings' under 'Settings' and click the green '+' button. You will see a form to fill out the name and associated information to configure that family member's preferences. Remember to check the 'Child' checkbox, if you are setting up your child's profile.

Q: Why does each family member need a color?

A: To make viewing family events more efficient, the CasaBlast calendar is color-coded by family member, and each individual family member is represented by the color as assigned in his family member profile. When viewing the calendar, 'All Family' events are coded in purple, multiple participant events in the daily view appear in grey, and individual family member events are shown in their assigned colors. In the month view, move the mouse over the associated color bar to display that individual's events that day including 'All Family' and multiple participant events.

Q: Is the family member profile linked to my contact in the address book?

A: Yes. When you create a family member profile in 'Family Member Settings', you create a contact entry in your address book. Any changes to your mobile phone number that you make in your address book will be reflected in your family member profile. You can only change your family nickname and family color from the 'Family Member Settings' page.

Q: How do I manage my CasaBlast text alerts from my FamilyBlast and Calendar?

A: Go to 'Family Member Settings' under 'Settings', and you can change the preferences for each individual family member. Under 'Mobile Alerts', you can switch your mobile alert preferences 'On' or 'Off'.

Q: Do I get charged for my CasaBlast text messages?

A: CasaBlast does not charge for the use of any CasaBlast features, but your mobile service provider may do so. Check your rate plan with your carrier as standard message and data rates may apply. Note that you can opt-out of text messages at any time.