Gadgets and VoIP

Google Voice to Provide Free Telephone Calls Through 2011

Google Voice is one of my favorite applications. I use this telephone service several times a day. It has transformed the method I use for phone calls.

With Google Voice, there is no hardware to purchase and no new telephone equipment required. You can use it with or without a computer. The voice calls are never sent to your computer so you don't have to wear headphones or anything like that. You simply use the normal telephone(s) you already have.

Google had originally announced that all outgoing calls to US and Canadian telephone numbers would be free of charge until the end of this year. However, today Google announced the company is extending free calls through all of 2011.

A Dedicated Phone for Skype

The days of paying extravagant fees just to stay in touch with scattered family members are just about gone. The tools for calling around the country or even around the world for pennies per minute have been available for several years. Now those tools have reached a state that simplifies the use and makes this just about irresistible for anyone who wants to stay in touch with anyone else, anywhere.

I have written a number of times about Skype, an online VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service that allows you to make free voice calls to other Skype users all over the world. There is no monthly charge for basic Skype service.

For a small fee, you can also call regular telephones all over the world as well. I have used Skype for several years, and I love it. I typically place all my long distance calls on Skype or on Google Voice, either free of cost when calling others who have Skype accounts, or (when using Google Voice) free of charge when calling old-fashioned telephones in the U.S. and Canada, or prices ranging from two cents to five cents per minute when calling regular telephones in most other countries. Calls to some third world counties can cost more.

Several people have told me, "But I don't want to wear a headset and be tied to my computer when making phone calls. I also don't want to leave my computer on all the time." In fact, you don't need to do any of those. You don't even need a computer to use Skype! You will need a broadband Internet connection, however.

Why Do You Have a Landline Phone?

The American population increases every year, from 281 million in the year 2000 to 309 million today. Yet, according to a recent Federal Communications Commission report, the number of land line telephones in the United States has declined steadily each year during the same period: from about 192 million landline phones in 2000 to 163 million in 2007. That’s a 15 percent net loss. At the same time, the number of mobile wireless telephone subscribers in the United States has INCREASED from 114 million in 2001 to 238 million in 2007 — a 109 percent increase.

The reason is simple: we are seeing a big increase in the number of people getting rid of their land lines and just using cell phones. FCC statistics say almost one-fourth of American households have done that already, and the number appears to be growing.

Another handful of people are now using computer VoIP phones, something almost unheard of in 2000 but common today.

Google Voice is Now Open to All US Residents and Is Free

Google Voice is one of my favorite applications. I use this telephone service several times a day. It has transformed the method I use for phone calls. Google Voice has been in a restricted beta test, available only to those who earned invitations. I got my invitation a long time ago and Google Voice has become a part of my life.

With Google Voice, there is no hardware to purchase and no new telephone equipment required. You can use it with or without a computer. The voice calls are never sent to your computer so you don't have to wear headphones or anything like that. You simply use the normal telephone(s) you already have.

Google Voice is now out of the limited, invitation-only beta test and is open to anyone in the US.

Push-to-Talk Walkie-Talkie for the iPhone

I have always envied the combination cell phones and walkie-talkies sold by Nextel, now a division of Sprint. I see many plumbers, electricians, carpenters, truck drivers, and others using these handy devices. They are quick and easy to use. Unlike cell phones, these walkie-talkies make it easy to "broadcast" to a group: "Does anyone have a 12-millimeter metric socket wrench?" A new application for the Apple iPhone converts it into a push-to-talk walkie-talkie.

PushToTalk, developed by David Fletcher, will allow you to connect and communicate with friends and family in a “Push to Talk” and “Over and Out” fashion.  For it to work, all parties must have the PushToTalk application installed on their iPhones. It works over both wi-fi and 3G data networks, although it works better on wi-fi. You can communicate with your cohorts in the next building or across the world, all without toll charges.

iRiver Wave Home

Looking for something that can do a little more than just the usual VoIP or voice recording? iRiver’s Wave Home not only does VoIP, but it also many other multimedia functions.  It contains a 7″ LCD screen, and a wireless headset that not only does the duties of an average headset, but can be used as remote to control the Wave Home Station.   The gadget comes packed with a 1.3 megapixel camera, this will come in handy when you want to participate in a video chat.  The list of impressive features doesn’t stop there.

The device works as a cordless phone, placing free or low-cost calls over the web. Of course, it receives calls as well.

More Thoughts About "Skype versus Gizmo5"

I posted an article two days ago entitled "Skype versus Gizmo5." A number of obviously satisfied Skype customers sent e-mails to me with a more or less common theme: this would be a terrible thing for those who use Skype daily to talk with friends and relatives around the world.

I disagree.

Skype versus Gizmo5

Skype is presently embroiled in a legal battle that may force the popular service to shut down. Details may be found at http://www.theage.com.au/technology/biz-tech/shock-threat-to-shut-skype-20090731-e3qe.html. If Skype goes away, will more than 40 million active daily users around the world be left without service?

Not really. In fact, there are a number of similar services already in operation and many of them work as well as, or even better than, Skype.

Skype has a dozen or so small competitors, most of them are companies you never heard of. I use both Skype and Gizmo5, a competitor to Skype that offers a better service (in my opinion) and has almost identical pricing. Calls from a Gizmo5 user to another Gizmo5 user anywhere in the world are always free of charge, the same as calls from one Skype user to another Skype user.

Convert the iPod Touch Into a Mobile Phone

The Apple iPod Touch has often been described as an iPhone without the cell phone part. It does most everything the iPhone does except place and receive telephone calls. It is an MP3 player, a calendar, and much more. Now the iPod Touch can be transformed into a mobile phone with the help of a free application from Truphone.

Keep in mind that there is one major drawback to the Truphone product: it only works with a wi-fi network connection. It does not communicate with cell phone company networks. You can place and receive calls while at home or at the local Starbucks or McDonald's or other wi-fi equipped location. However, you won't be making calls while driving down the highway.

Given the safety implications, perhaps that should be listed as an improvement, not a drawback.

My London Telephone Number

Attention U.K. readers: I now have a London telephone number: +44 208 133 8002. That is in addition to my USA telephone number and my worldwide Skype number. I obtained the London number as a convenience for the U.K. readers of this web site: You can also make a toll-free telephone call to me from anywhere in the world if you use Skype.

Anyone anywhere in the world can always contact me by going to most any page on the newsletter's web site and clicking on "Contact Us" in the Navigation menu in the upper right part of the page. Once on the "Contact Us" page, you can send me an e-mail and you will also see my USA telephone number, my London telephone number, my Skype contact information and my FAX number.