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Filed under: Google, VoIP

Rumor: Google buys Gizmo5, expanded VoIP service coming soon?

Gizmo5TechCrunch is reporting that Google has purchased VoIP company Gizmo5. Google has its own internet telephony service called Google Voice, which lets you route your calls to different phones, screen calls, and receive email notifications and automated transcripts of phone calls. But Google Voice doesn't let you make calls from a PC to a phone. Gizmo5 does.

If Google really has entered an agreement to acquire Gizmo5, it's a pretty safe bet that we're eventually going to see Google Voice add new features turning the service into a full-fledged Skype competitor. Gizmo already has services that let you make phone calls from a desktop client or a web site.

Gizmo5 also includes chat and video call capabilities, which would be a welcome addition to Google Voice, and which, as TechCrunch points out, would bridge the divide between Google Voice and Google Talk

Of course, right now the whole thing is just a rumor. But it's one that makes a lot of sense.

Filed under: Utilities, Macintosh, Google, VoIP

Voice Mac is a native Google Voice client for OS X

We recently told you about an Adobe AIR-based Google Voice client with a pretty small featureset. It puts your SMS and voicemail messages close at hand on your desktop, but that's all it does.

If you're on a Mac, though, you can do a bit better. Voice Mac is a Google Voice client with a threaded SMS view, voicemail downloading, and the ability to make calls and send texts, and Address Book integration.

Voice Mac is certainly not gorgeous, but it has a ton of functionality.

There's an SMS and voicemail/call history browser, and it also has a built-in reverse phone lookup, so you can try to figure out who any mystery calls are from. If you don't use your Voice account frequently, the web interface might be fine for you, but if you're a Voice addict - especially one who uses SMS constantly - Voice Mac is worth a download.


[via Lifehacker]

Filed under: Linux, Open Source, VoIP

Skype for Linux to go open source... eventually

Skype 2.1 beta for Linux
Skype has been providing cheap and free VoIP, chat, and video conferencing features for Windows, Mac, and Linux for years. But just because a program works on Linux doesn't mean it's open source, and the Linux client for Skype has been just as closed a platform as the Mac and Windows versions. That's not to say that developers haven't been able to build third party add-ons and tweaks for Skype. But the source code hasn't been available, which limits the ability of the open source community to really contribute to Skype for Linux.

But it looks like that's going to change. This weekend Olivier Faurax contact Skype customer support about the availability of an RPM package for installing Skype on Mandriva Linux, and he received a reply that indicated that the Linux client for Skype would be made open source in the near future.

I was a bit skeptical, since customer service folks don't always know what's going on in the minds of management, so I sent a request for more information to Skype's corporate communications office, and it turns out that yes, Skype does plan to make its Linux client open source in the future.

It's not entirely clear when the shift will take place. But it should make it much easier for third party Linux developers to ensure that there are up to date packages for Skype for a variety of popular Linux distributions including Mandriva, Ubuntu, PCLinuxOS, Fedora, and others. It also means that we could start seeing third party applications built around Skype code or more powerful third party plugins for Skype that enhance the application's functionality.

You can read the official statement from Skype after the break.

Read more →

Filed under: Google, VoIP, Beta

Coming soon: Invite friends to use Google Voice

Google Voice invite
Remember in the early days of Gmail when invites were hot property? Every new user who signed up for Google's email service got a few invitations to share with friends and the internet was flooded with invites being swapped in user forums, blog comments, and even eBay auctions.

Well, now we can relive those golden days, as Google is about to begin giving out invites to Google Voice users. Google Voice is a free service that lets you link all of your phone numbers to one number that you can give out. When someone calls that number, all of your phones will ring (or you can configure it to ring only certain phones at certain times), and if you miss a call you'll be able to check your voicemail from the web or get an automated transcript in your email.

Google Voice has been in private beta for a while now, and the only way to get in on the action was to request an invitation from the signup page and wait. Of course, users could send out invitiations to one another in the early days, back when the service was called GrandCentral and run as a separate company. But since Google purchased GrandCentral, invites have been hard to come by.

Google is rolling out the invite feature gradually. It's not in my account yet. But the company says that over the next few weeks existing users should notice a new "Invite a friend" link on the left-hand side of their inboxes.

Filed under: Google, VoIP

Google Voice now available in Hawaii, Alaska

Google Voice
Google Voice is a free service that lets you route all of your phone calls through a single number, access your voicemail on the web, receive automated transcripts of your voicemails via email, and make VoIP phone calls. There are just two catches:
  1. It's still in private beta, meaning you need to request an invitation to use the service.
  2. Google Voice is only available in the US.
Up until today, that second point would have read continental US. But today Google expanded the service to include Hawaii and Alaska. Google Voice users can now make free calls to and from Hawaii and Alaska. And you can forward your Google Voice phone number to a phone in either of those two states.

It's not exactly the international rollout many people are waiting for. But it's a baby step.

Filed under: VoIP, Web

Misplace your cellphone? This single-purpose web site can help

Where's My Cellphone
There was a time when mobile phones were the size of a small suitcase and they were firmly tethered to automobiles. These days they're small enough to easily lose track of. If you've ever left your phone in your jacket or pants pocket, dropped it under the couch, or just pulled your hair out trying to figure out where the thing is, you've probably realized that the easiest way to locate a phone (if it's in you're house) is to dial your own number using another phone.

If you don't happen to have a second phone handy, Where's My Cell Phone can help. The web site is covered with annoying ads, but it provides one marginally useful service. If you need to make your phone ring, all you have to do is enter your number and hit the "Make it Ring" button. Your phone should start ringing a few seconds later.

Once you place a call you have to wait a few minutes before making another, so make sure to spend the 30 seconds or so that you have while your phone rings wisely.

[via TechnoSpot]

Filed under: Macintosh, VoIP

Skype for Mac gets a Snow Leopard hotfix

The latest version of Skype 2.8 for OS X fixes a whole mess of Snow Leopard compatibility problems. The bugs include everything small UI problems - the field where you type in phone numbers was too dark - to serious problems (like four different crash bugs and a broken hold button). It also clears up some problems with adding new contacts.

In addition to the Snow Leopard fixes, there are also some improvement for users of OS X 10.3 Panther, which Skype surprisingly still supports. If you already have Skype 2.8, this update won't show up when you use File -> Check For Updates. You'll have to download it directly from the Skype website. If you don't have Skype 2.8, I highly recommend downloading it, because the audio and video quality improvements alone make it significantly better than previous Mac versions.

[via SkypeJournal]

Filed under: Google, VoIP

GrandCentral closes its doors - time to update to Google Voice

GrandCentral
Before there was Google Voice, there was GrandCentral. In 2007 Google acquired the internet telephony service that lets you ring all your phones from a single number, record calls, and set caller permissions. Eventually Google relaunched the service as Google Voice and added nifty new features like automatic voicemail transcription. But if you preferred the old interface you didn't have to upgrade... until now.

Tomorrow GrandCentral is shutting down and existing users will need to migrate their data to Google Voice if they want to keep using the service (and their phone numbers).

If you don't have a GrandCentral or Google Voice number, you can sign up at google.com/voice, but the service is still invite-only, which means you may have to wait a little while for an invitation before you can start using the service.

[via Lifehacker]

Filed under: Linux, VoIP, Beta

Skype 2.1 beta for Linux

Skype 2.1 for Linux
There's a new beta version of Skype for Linux. It's been nearly 2 years since Skype first added support for video to Skype 2.0 beta for Linux, and now that the Linux version of the popular VoIP client has hit 2.1 beta, Skype has cranked up the audio and video quality a bit. Now Skype for Linux uses the same SILK audio codec as the Windows and Mac clients, and packs support for high quality video.

Skype 2.1 beta for Linux also supports sending SMS messages, organizing contacts within contact groups, and a few chat enhancements. The update also brings support for Pulse Audio.

There's also a new panel icon that shows the number of missed events. Skype 2.1 is still beta software, so it might be rough around the edges. But if you're willing to put up with the occasional crash or dropped call, it's probably worth upgrading for the improved audio and video quality. Note that the image above was shot using a 0.3MP webcam and recorded over a Virtual Machine running Ubuntu 9.04, so there's a reason our screenshot doesn't exactly look stellar.

Skype 2.1 for Linux is available for Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, and OpenSUSE.

Filed under: Google, VoIP

Google Voice adds free calls to Canada (from the US)

Google Voice calling
Google Voice lets users make free calls to phone numbers in the United States. And starting this week, users can also make free calls to Canada, a feature that was available in GrandCentral before Google bought the service and turned it into Google Voice.

The only catch is that you can only make those free calls if you're in the US, because Google Voice isn't available in other countries yet.

In order to make a free phone call, you can login to your web-based inbox and hit the Call button, use a mobile application, or call your own Google Voice number from a registered phone and hit #2 to place a call.

Filed under: Business, Utilities, VoIP

Will a lawsuit spell the end of Skype?

A disagreement about the licensing terms for a key part of Skype's VoIP software has brought a legal battle that's threatening to shut the online phone service down. Don't panic yet if you're one of Skype's nearly 500 million users, though. The trial between Skype's parent company, eBay, and the company that produced the technology, Joltid, is not set for trial until June 2010.

Skype is working to develop its own version of the technology, so the Joltid license won't be necessary anymore. This is expensive and time-consuming, and eBay warns that it might not be successful. However, "Skype is confident of its legal position," so the sky isn't falling just yet. Interestingly, the reporting on this battle doesn't mention what part of Skype runs on the Joltid-licensed software, only quoting eBay as saying that Skype could not exist as is without the technology.

[via CNN]

Filed under: Audio, Video, Macintosh, VoIP

Skype 2.8 Gold for Mac adds screen sharing and more


Skype 2.8 Gold, the final version of Skype 2.8, is now available for Mac users to download. The list of impressive new features for the popular phone app includes screen sharing, improved audio and video quality, and Skype Access, which is a way to pay for wifi hotspot access with your Skype credit. There are a few cosmetic changes to the UI as well, which

Screen sharing has been in Skype Beta for a while, and it works pretty well. The ability to share just part of your screen is a nice touch, and could especially come in handy for presentations. Skype Access - which is currently only available for Mac users - gets you past the annoying signup process for many paid wifi hotspots. Instead of entering your information and your credit card number, you can just pay with your previously purchased Skype credit. Even better, you only pay for what you use, which means an end to paying for a full hour when you only need a 20-minute session.

Filed under: VoIP

Skype offering 25% off 12-month SkypeOut subscriptions

SkypeOut discount
If you make a lot of PC to phone calls using Skype but haven't already signed up for a 12 month unlimited plan, you might want to think about placing an order before May 6th. Because Skype is offering a 25% discount for customers who sign up for unlimited SkypeOut plan between now and then.

The cheapest plan starts at $2.95/month before the discount is applied for calls to landlines and celllphones in the US and Canada. You can also subscribe to a plan that lets you make unlimited calls to landlines in a single country, or an "Unlimited World" plan that lets you make calls to landlines in more than 40 countries for $12.95/month before the discount is applied.

[via GigaOm]

Filed under: Business, VoIP, Beta

Skype goes corporate, allows Skype calls from SIP phones

Skype for SIP
Skype has launched a new beta service that allows businesses using SIP telephone systems to make and receive Skype calls on their regular telephones. No headphone and computer needed.

Skype for SIP beta works a lot like Skype, in that you can call and receive calls from other Skype users for free, and pay Skype rates to make calls to domestic and international land lines or cellphones. Customers can also purchase Skype phone numbers that people can use to call in from traditional phones.

The service is aimed at medium to large sized businesses tht use PBX phone systems with Session Initiation Protocal, or SIP. Because the service hooks right into the PBX, users will be able to use their phone hardware to do things like route calls, engage in conference calls, record calls, and record voicemail.

Filed under: Google, VoIP

Google relaunches GrandCentral as Google Voice

Google Voice
Nearly two years after acquiring "one telephone for life" service GrandCentral, Google is finally preparing to relaunch the service with new features. GrandCentral has been in private beta for the last two years. Over the next few days Google will be prompting existing beta users to upgrade to Google Voice before rolling out the service to new users in a few weeks.

GrandCentral lets you set up a single phone number that you can give out to anyone. When they call that number, it will ring any phone number you've linked to the account. So you can print a single number on your business card, and people will be able to reach you on your home, work, and cellphones. The service also lets you record phone calls, screen calls, create rules for calls coming from specific numbers, and receive email notifications of voicemail messages.

Google Voice has all those features, plus a few new ones, like the ability to make free calls to US numbers and cheap calls to other numbers, make conference calls, and send, receive, store, and search SMS messages.

You'll also get transcripts of all your voicemail messages. That alone is pretty cool. Google will use an automated method to convert speech to text - a service other companies are charging for. Why? My guess is because Google wants to monetize GrandCentral the same way it has Gmail: With contextually relevant ads that will show up in your sidebar. And in order to determine what ads are relevant, Google needs to translate speech to text.

The company admits that the automated transcripts won't be perfect. But the company has been fine tuning its speech recognition software for the last year or two with the Goog-411 service.

You can find a more complete list of Google Voice features at the Google Voice homepage.

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With Halloween fast approaching, it's a great time to get in some practice defending your territory against zombies. In Graveyard Shift, you take aim at zombies and other creepy-crawlies, blasting them into splatters of cartoony green guts. It's a casual first-person shooter, and it's very easy to get the hang of - use the mouse to aim, click to fire. Graveyard Shift has at least 15 levels, and it might even have some secret stages I haven't unlocked yet. They key to getting good at Graveyard Shift is learning to use ...

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