

Call phones from Gmail - BlazingFrog
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/call-phones-from-gmail.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/MKuf+(Official+Google+Blog)

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Timothee
The bridge that this is adding between Google Voice and the browser is really
great. It really adds a lot of value to Google Voice, because you don't end up
starting a call from your browser to then have to pick up your phone. You can,
if you want to, do everything from your browser.

They put the accent on Gmail but I see the value more on the Google Voice side
where your computer really becomes part of it by being an end point as much as
your other phones.

addendum: in my personal case, this is a serious threat to my use of Skype.
And I also won't be surprised if a version of this makes it to Google TV. At
least, I wish it will: phone screening and conversations from your couch, easy
transfer to other phones, etc.

~~~
megamark16
And if you have Google Voice setup to handle voicemail for your cell phone it
will forward missed calls from your cell phone to Gmail before dropping them
into voicemail. This is awesome for me because sometimes I'd rather answer a
call through my headphones and keep my hands free than pick up my cell phone.
This integration is definitely going to increase my use of my Google Voice
account.

~~~
spydez
Too bad some of us have a Google account for Google Voice, and a different
account for Google Apps for Your Domain (email).

Guess my GV number will always be disjointed, unless they add GV to the Apps
and have some way of transferring an old account in...

~~~
rryyan
There was some news from a few weeks ago that Google is testing out this
functionality: [http://lifehacker.com/5578666/google-apps-vs-google-
accounts...](http://lifehacker.com/5578666/google-apps-vs-google-accounts-
parity-coming)

~~~
drivebyacct2
Yeah, but Google seems to continue to launch features with an opened ended ETA
for when it will reach Apps users. This is why I'm just sticking with my
Google account and using my Gapps account for my personal email and nothing
else Google related.

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jkincaid
One thing to note: the blog post says that calls in US and Canada are free at
least through the end of the year.

I asked about this during the Q&A (seemed like a pretty big asterisk) and they
said they have every intention of keeping it free as long as they can,
provided that the margins on international calls cover the expenses for the
free US/Canada calls. Fingers crossed.

~~~
ugh
Wait, what? They use the rest of the world to subsidize their free US/Canada
calls? That’s certainly a convincing reason for me (= rest of the world) to
never ever use that service.

~~~
tuxychandru
It can also be interpreted to mean that international call from US will be
charged. As long as these calls make up for the cost US-US and US-Canada calls
would remain free.

It is not that rest of the world that will subsidize. It is the international
callers who'll.

~~~
joezydeco
I don't think that's really the case. I can call Germany for $0.02 with gVoice
and that's pretty much the cheapest I've ever seen for a international rate.
Even my family over there can't call the USA for less than EUR 0.019 (which is
MORE than gVoice)

~~~
chronomex
My preferred carrier has it for about half that, even after markup:
<http://www.callwithus.com/showrates/G>

~~~
joezydeco
Holy crap that's cheap. How's the quality?

~~~
chronomex
Satisfactory to most destinations, speaking as a phreaker with sensitive ears.
I strongly recommend them.

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snorkel
Way to rain on Skype's IPO hype.

~~~
bradendouglass
Definitely a comment that is worth a prop. In addition, I am completely
impressed with the lack of lag in the voice calling that I constantly have
issues with in Skype.

If you could pick up in Gmail, have solid to no lag, Google could produce a
podcaster's wet dream

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shrikant
Currently not for _users_ also outside the USA. (I initially thought it'd be
for all users, but calls only to North America) This is as useful as Hulu
right now :)

~~~
Juha
Yep, can't see it either (I'm in Finland).

This would be useful for calling my own phone to find it from my apartment :)
(I dont have skype open usually).

~~~
camiller
I can't see it either (I'm in the US)

I'm going to guess that it will take a bit of time to propagate across all
Googles servers?

~~~
AndrewHampton
Same here, looks like they're rolling it out over the next few days:

[http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/chat/thread?tid=74c14d...](http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/chat/thread?tid=74c14d8ae82d4eec&hl=en)

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callahad
I wonder if this portends integrated VOIP calling in Android?

~~~
aplusbi
I was really lucky in that I got a Gizmo5 account shortly before they were
acquired by google. They created an Android app called Guava that did just
that (limited to 3 minutes at a time unless you pay). It comes in handy when
I'm traveling internationally as I can make free 3 minute phone calls to the
US.

Since Google owns Gizmo5 now and I'm assuming that this new browser calling
feature is a result of the acquisition I wouldn't be surprised if an Android
app is going to be out soon.

~~~
callahad
IIRC, Guava was actually based on Sipdroid, which is under active development.
If you pair your Gizmo5 number with your Google Voice account, and sign into
your Gizmo5 account with Sipdroid, you can easily make free Google Voice calls
on your device. It's just a little roundabout. For outgoing calls, I think you
have to initiate the via Google Voice's web interface, then answer the
connecting call with Sipdroid. Works like a charm.

<http://sipdroid.org/>

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pmjordan
I'm looking forward to this being rolled out beyond North America. I'd love a
sensible Skype alternative (I hate Skype's UI with a passion, and it drops my
calls _all the time_ ).

~~~
cryptoz
I'm looking forward to this being rolled out _to_ North America, which it
looks like is a long ways off. This is fully USA-only right now and for the
near future too.

Sure, Americans can call Canadians. But Canadians can't call Americans! What's
up with that?

~~~
Locke1689
As America's hat, Canadians aren't believed to have anything important to say.
However, we like to call you every once in a while to tell you how well we're
doing. ;)

~~~
MikeCapone
> However, we like to call you every once in a while to tell you how good
> we're doing. ;)

I guess that's why I haven't got a call recently. Not doing too well, eh? ;)

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johnthedebs
I don't see this in my Gmail account, and I didn't see any mention of how
they're rolling it out.

Any ideas as to when it'll be enabled for all US users?

Edit: Nevermind, found it.

"We’re rolling out this feature to U.S. based Gmail users over the next few
days, so you’ll be ready to get started once “Call Phones” shows up in your
chat list (you will need to install the voice and video plug-in if you haven’t
already)."

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Rhapso
Looks like Google Voice's integration of Gizmo5 is complete. And they they
rolled out to Gmail which gives a bigger starting user base then voice would.
I wonder what their profit angle on this is.

~~~
technomancy
Hopefully it's not complete until you can use the service from a third-party
SIP client.

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ceelee
Like many people here, I keep Gmail open all day long -- so this feature goes
a long way towards making Gmail a complete communications platform. Combined
with browser plugins like Rapportive, the utility of Gmail just keeps
increasing.

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pkulak
What a surprise, it's not available for Apps users.

~~~
BlazingFrog
I wonder how long can Google pretend to care about Apps users. The Gmail/Apps
fragmentation is rapidly heading toward unsustainability.

~~~
joezydeco
I'd be happy with some of the gmail labs being available in Apps. Like undo
send?

I'm with you. Tell us that Apps users matter, or don't. But say _something_.

~~~
joelhaus
They are; your admin needs to turn them on. Go to:

<https://www.google.com/a/cpanel/example.com/DomainSettings>

Under _New Services and Pre-release Features_

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ashishbharthi
I think now Skype has some real competitor. This is also going to add lots of
value to Google Apps product.

~~~
sandipagr
yeah it really does. I call international a lot and the prices are almost half
for me compared to skype. So, if the phone service is good, I am definitely
off from Skype.

------
megamark16
Because I have Google Voice setup to handle my voicemail for calls made to my
T-Mobile phone number, when I miss a call to my T-Mobile phone number (or send
it to voicemail) it pops up in Gmail and gives me a chance to accept the call
through Gmail. This is awesome.

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levesque
Now if only they could get us google voice in Canada...

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Bitmobrich
So when will this make it in to Google Apps?

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iamelgringo
I love the idea of Google voice, and I want to like it. I've installed it 3
times on my Android phone, and then uninstalled it.

But, then I realize that they already have my email, schedule, internet search
and probably have a very good idea about my web traffic even though I don't
use them for analytics.

I'll stick with Skype and Vonage rather than give GOOG access to a library of
my voice conversations.

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Locke1689
I wonder how it will integrate with Google Voice. Unfortunately, I'll probably
continue to use Skype because Skype has a working iPhone client.

~~~
saturdayplace
I just logged into my Voice account. It shows I have a $1.00 calling credit,
but when I click on the question mark next to that note, I get the following:

    
    
        Calling Credit shows how much credit you have available to make international calls from Google Voice. Calls made within the U.S. and Canada are free and don't affect your balance.

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mad44
Wouldn't this improve the number of spam calls I get? It looks like there
won't be any cost to the caller to place a call.

~~~
nooneelse
I would dearly love a "report spam" button for phone calls. But then, the land
line which needs it most will be the last line to get it.

~~~
joeyo
Google Voice effectively has this feature in the form of "block call".

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RoyceFullerton
I can't call my Google Voice number from Skype out. It says the number doesn't
exist or is not in service. Is it possible that Skype could be blocking known
Google Voice numbers? It seems unlikely but possible. Has anybody else
encountered this problem?

------
qusiba
Anyone know if it's going to be available in Canada?

~~~
oldpatricka
I'm a Canadian gmail user, and I can use it.

~~~
qusiba
Thanks. So it's just a matter of time then.

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senjin
Now if only my Google voice number wouldn't give a busy signal to half of the
people that try to call me, I would love this.

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swolchok
Fantastic, now I don't have to pay for Skype Out any more.

~~~
ashishbharthi
only till end of this year.

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fjabre
API?

~~~
sandipagr
it would be awesome to have an api for this.

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thisorthat
why isn't this feature in google voice instead?

~~~
invisible
Or both :)?

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ramki
how do they make money out of calls?

~~~
rman666
They listen for good stock tips and act on them.

~~~
d2viant
Such as the Skype IPO

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fjabre
Why is this a plugin?

~~~
gvb
To get reasonable (any) access to your computer's microphone, speaker, and
video.

~~~
fjabre
I guess Flash isn't reasonable...

~~~
ja27
It just showed up in my Gmail and I got a message "Flash is required to make a
call." (I keep plugins disabled for most sites.) So it looks like you have to
have both Flash and Google's voice plugin installed and enabled.

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drivebyacct2
Why on earth is this not available through, you know,
<http://google.com/voice>. Or is Voice going to get rolled into Gmail?

~~~
Timothee
I believe that Google sees Gmail as the primary app that people use and are
rolling the other one into it. One is much more likely to keep a Gmail tab
open all day long than a Google Voice one, so it makes sense to have it in
Gmail.

Note that it integrates with Google Voice: the outbound calls show up with
your GV number and inbound GV calls can ring inside Gmail. I would be
surprised if ultimately GV is not completely inside Gmail.

~~~
drivebyacct2
With the overhaul of the Gmail UI (especially Mail/Contacts/Tasks being where
they are, I would not at all be surprised to find that you are correct.

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gcb
"free" calls in the US is a lie. as most operators bill you for received call
minutes.

And calls to google voice (even the call back feature) does not count as "free
cell phone minutes" according to bloodsucking at&t

~~~
bricestacey
It's free for the person initiating the call on their computer. Cell phone
companies never, as far as I know, extended free minutes to incoming calls as
is the case for land lines. So, obviously any minutes on a cell phone would be
charged any fees regardless.

~~~
chronomex
The per-minute charge for cellphone minutes is intended to cover the cost of
delivering the call over a radio channel, which is an expensive and limited
resource. European cellular carriers will often charge the caller the full
cost of the call (using a special area code which has a higher per-minute
rate) and allow customers to receive calls without using up their own money.

This was tried in the United States with area codes 500 and 533. It didn't
take off, probably because callers didn't like the cost of a call being
unpredictable (carriers could set a different call cost for each 500-NXX
block).

~~~
gcb
in Brazil any number starting with 7,8,9 are cell phones. you know you will be
paying cellphone call price. Just like it is with VoIP.

In California i waste most of my minutes receiving "usted ganhaste la loteria"
calls.

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vecter
Wow, that dialpad looks remarkably like the iPhone dialpad.

