Google Voice

[CivicFan]

I've been Google Voice for a little more than a year. While initially I had doubts about making it my primary phone number, the quality of service has been excellent. Add to that the transcription service for the voice mail and I was sold.

Google being Google, had to go ahead and improve it. Now they have a calling option from GMail where you make calls to phone numbers from your browser (by basically having a softphone functionality).

A couple months ago they opened the service to everyone so if you haven't signed up yet, it's worth to give it a try.

Disclaimer, I am not in any way affiliated with Google.

 

[saberz]

I too have been using it since it was beta. I use it for my personal computing business for side jobs and its on my business card. It is indeed a cool service, and can switch the number to other cell phones on the fly(very nice).

 

[beast3300]

Yeah I just made a call with it from my Gmail. Sound quality is pretty good.

 

[cryption]

I noticed it show up in my gmail today. It says it will continue being free the rest of 2010.

Who wants me to drunk dial them? haha

 

[CivicFan]

Today I went to my Yahoo page to do my quarterly email check. They are waaay behind. At least MSN (or whatever MS service is called nowadays) has something like Google Maps. Yahoo doesn't have anything interesting.

 

[Cutehumor]

Originally Posted By: cryption
I noticed it show up in my gmail today. It says it will continue being free the rest of 2010.



google voice won't be free next year?? gulp, my dad calls me long distance for free through google voice and the call is forwarded to my home number.

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted By: CivicFan
Today I went to my Yahoo page to do my quarterly email check. They are waaay behind. At least MSN (or whatever MS service is called nowadays) has something like Google Maps. Yahoo doesn't have anything interesting.


yahoo has map, and they have traffic condition in their map.

The ads slow it down so much it sucks though.

 

[CivicFan]

I think it's free for 1 year to make calls from your GMail account. But I have wondered about how they would monetize the service. I think an annual subscription is probably how they will do it for some premium features.

 

[JustinH]

I just picked up a microsoft usb headset on ebay for six dollars. Works great so far..

People still have landlines, amazing to ask why..

 

[javacontour]

I use it for things like selling items on Craigslist. I give out my google voice number and have it set not to ring my mobile after 10pm or before 8am.

That way, if any looney tunes call, I can block their number, etc.

I can even dial from the web browser on my phone, so return calls look like they are coming from my google voice number, and not my mobile number.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: Cutehumor
google voice won't be free next year?? gulp, my dad calls me long distance for free through google voice and the call is forwarded to my home number.

Calls within the US/Canada will most likely still be free. Just be prepared to be bombarded with ads, tailored based on Google eavesdropping on your voice calls, just like they do with email nowadays.

 

[StevieC]

One day we will all be driving Google cars, living in Google Houses, Google Cloud Computing, eating Organic Google branded food.

Sorry couldn't resist... Carry on...

 

[CivicFan]

They still don't have ads in the Google Voice inbox. But, obviously, if you set your VM transcript to go to GMail as well then some of the ads there will be tailored based on the content of the message.

 

[tmorris1]

Originally Posted By: JustinH
I just picked up a microsoft usb headset on ebay for six dollars. Works great so far..

People still have landlines, amazing to ask why..

Kids at home. Need to be able to call 911 or us. I am not paying for cell phones for my kids.

 

[StevieC]

When I moved to my first apartment and now this second one I didn't opt for a landline because I have unlimited incoming on my cell phone and a crazy amount of minutes and free evenings/weekends after 6pm and work picks up the bill so I didn't feel the need. I also have a Magic Jack for long distance calls and have all incoming calls on it forwarded to my cell phone.

 

[tmorris1]

I tried it out and the quality is great. As good or better than our land line. I tried our builtin laptop speaker and mic and a logitech usb headset on the desktop. Both worked fine.

I would be surprised if you start getting ads based on your conversation. Talking about drinking and Budweiser ad show up...

 

[StevieC]

Talk about WMD's and the FBI shows up at your door while you see adds for wholesale plutonium.

 

[Cutehumor]

the transcription voice mail doesn't work for my dad. he's a got a thick Filipino accent, so they muck up all his words. I wonder what kind of gmail ads I would get. haha

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: Cutehumor
the transcription voice mail doesn't work for my dad. he's a got a thick Filipino accent, so they muck up all his words. I wonder what kind of gmail ads I would get. haha

The funniest thing is when someone leaves me a voice mail in another language (not English), and google still transcripts it to English. It's hillarious.