Google Voice Service to Launch Today – Check Back

Posted on 25. Jun, 2009 by Holly in Free Software, Social

Google’s New Voice service is set to launch today, June 25, 2009, according to a special report from the Today Show. According to the Google Voice website, this is a service that gives you one number for all your phones, voicemail that is easy as email, and many enhanced calling features like call blocking and screening, voicemail transcripts, call conferencing, international calls, and more.

The Today Show aired a special report announcing the launch and release of the service which is scheduled for sometime today. Some beta users were given access to this over the past few months, and many of them have really enjoyed the service and features. Some people have concerns about privacy and feel that Google has too much access to the personal lives of users. But, the service can help you manage your all your phones, voicemail and communications in one place. For full features & details visit the official Google Voice website.

For full details, please watch the video from the Today Show that aired earlier:

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Tags: Free Mobile Software, Free Software, free voicemail, google, google voice, today show

24 Responses to “Google Voice Service to Launch Today – Check Back”

Joe Jablonski

25. Jun, 2009

Wow… Holly

Thanks for the Info. Incredible stuff.

~ Joe J

Reply to this comment
- Holly
  
  25. Jun, 2009
  
  You’re welcome Joe It’ll be interesting to try it out. Anything to save time and make life easier!
Dustin

26. Jun, 2009

Want to hear something kinda sad? I have been on Google Voice since it started…and I’ve barely used it. The main reason is because I have been using the same cell number for about 6 years and don’t want to have to give everyone a new number. I am contemplating porting my number over to GV if they adopt that feature, but we’ll see. I’m not sure I want to hand my number over to the cloud.

The product really is pretty cool though…message transcription is pretty decent. I kinda wish I was using it more. Word is that they may come out with an iPhone app eventually. There’s a third party app now called GV Mobile, but I’m interested to see if Google develops one.

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Holly

26. Jun, 2009

Wow that’s great you are already signed up and have access to it Dustin! You should try it out and see how you like it and then tell us about it! Hopefully it will be open to the public soon – according to the Today Show’s report it was supposed to happen today. We will see!

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Garry Dufresne

26. Jun, 2009

I’ve been using what is now Google Voice for about 2 years now. It was called Grand Central before Google bought them out. It’s a great service, particularly for those that have several phone lines.
My favorite feature is the email notification of new messages, though the transcription of voice to text is sometimes hilarious.
You can have individualized greetings for each person in your address book if you wish. And have called routed to various phones depending on who is calling.
Too much to describe here and Google has recently added a few features that I really haven’t taken a look at yet.

Reply to this comment
- Holly
  
  26. Jun, 2009
  
  Wow that’s amazing Garry. I had no idea the service was available until now – and now it seems it is not yet fully available to the public. I guess Google started to send out the invitations to those who wanted signed up to use the service. I haven’t received mine yet though. I look forward to trying it out.
Deneil Merritt

26. Jun, 2009

Google has done it again. Their like the big company in movies. I over take everybody business. (evil lol)

Reply to this comment
- Holly
  
  26. Jun, 2009
  
  Yes It seems Google will be running the entire world The company just keeps getting bigger and bigger!
Tom

26. Jun, 2009

Nice one Holly.
I have heard about it and was waiting to see the reaction, but it is still not open to general use. You got to submit your name and email and it is by invitation only.
Only thing worries me about all this ultra new technology is the “Big Brother” syndrom…how much of this is linked to the Government sites where they can moniter and get to know your every move with just one number.
Also leaves it easier for hackers to get into your business.
I love the whole idea and don’t want to sound too negative, but as they say “buyer beware”.
Another piece of ” modern technology” is from AT&T pushing the new U-Verse and singing the praises of their new fibre optic technology. I had a guy at the door few days ago and when I told him I had fibre optic technology in Ireland almost 15 years ago, he argued it was brand new. Sorry, we did have it way back. It is a good system but you wouldn’t notice any difference using it, except for the higher price AT&T charge for it. Not worth the difference.
Thank goodness it is Friday and I can relax and enjoy my Birthday.
Have a great weekend
Tom

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Holly

26. Jun, 2009

Happy Birthday Tom!!! You’re right about big brother and all the technology. I think if you have a phone or passport you are being tracked anyway. The new passports all have RFID tracking chips in them already – and there will supposedly be a required National ID – the Real ID – http://www.dhs.gov/xprevprot/programs/gc_1200062053842.shtm which will be needed in order to have any freedom while living in the USA. Many states have objected to this but it is still supposed to happen and be mandatory. It’s hard to imagine what the future will be like for the next generations.

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Garry Dufresne

26. Jun, 2009

I don’t remember how I originally heard about Grand Central (now Google Voice) but they had a limited time you could sign up while they worked the kinks out. A member could then sent and invitation to 10 other people. I just checked and don’t see that the Google Voice let’s us send out invitations or I would send you one Holly.

Regarding, BIG BROTHER . . . . I think I just gave up and surrendered. My passport is tracked, my phone is tracked, more states are getting “Smart” drivers licenses and any marketer will know how we are tracked on the internet. I finally said, “What have I got to hide anyway?” Coming from someone who has always had privacy and anonymity as a major concern, it’s a big surrender.

But ya know what? Life feels better for not worrying about it. I live right, try to not make too many mistakes and try to trust the process.

There are a few things that I think are hair brained at best. For example the drive to have chips in all domestic (farm and personal) animals so the government can track those chickens. But I’ll leave that for another forum.

Back to Google Voice, a feature I like is the ability to record a call at any point in the call . . . it’s come in handy a few times when they were involved conversations that I later had to relay to others. I always ask the callers permission first.

The whole technology of communication is changing so fast, it’s impossible for me to keep up with it all. Some of it is useful, some of it is just a new toy . . .

GARRY

Reply to this comment
Garry Dufresne

26. Jun, 2009

OK . . How did Tom and Deneil get there pictures in here? I’m not finding it.

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Irish Tom

26. Jun, 2009

Thanks Holly for that web site. It was very interesting. Just as a point of interest, when I arrived in CA in Dec 2004 and then started the Immigration proceedure, it took me about 8 months. Being married to a US citizen helped a lot. When I got my “green card” I went to get my driving licence, I was told I needed a SS # so I had to go and apply for that. But what shocked me was when I was told if you are turned down for your SS# you will get a letter from Sacramento, I could take it back in and they could organize me with a driving licence. So if a wannabe terrorist is turned down he can come in and get a CA driving licence.
Now that is crazy. I wrote to Sacramento to voice my concern and disapproval and got a letter back saying “they were reviewing the proceedure”..duh..
Crazy world. Personally, I like the added security. We had it tight in Northern Ireland for over 30 years during “the troubles”.
Have a great weekend.
Tom

PS. Sorry Garry, let me solve the mystery.
Two ways to go.
1. Go to http://en.gavatar.com and sign up.
2. Better in my opinion is to go in to http://www.wordpress.com and free sign up. Once on board, go to your profile and it will allow you to download your photo and it will appear everywhere that has Wordpress or other links. Hope this helps.

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Holly

26. Jun, 2009

Wow Garry thanks for your comment. That’s great you’ve been using Google Voice for a while now and I like your attitude on the whole “Big Brother” thing. I kind of feel the same as you do – as I understand so far what is happening with the RFID chips and at this point there isn’t much I can do but follow along and follow the law! haha. The only thing that majorly concerns me is the possibility of forced RFID chip implants like with Verichip. Some people are already getting the chip in their arm to keep all medical records on (or in) them in case of emergency. For me, that I will do without. If it is forced, I will not take it. I’m not a paranoid person and support our country of course, but I get concerned that there could be a crisis which leads to the govt stating we need a chip for our own safety, etc. Sorry I am getting a little off-topic.

Garry if you want your photo to appear when you are posting comments on this blog (and others) it will automatically show up – after you create a free account and upload your photo to this Gravatar site: http://en.gravatar.com/ then it will appear when commenting

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Davin

26. Jun, 2009

Holy man! I was just reading about the whole RFID stuff you’ve been talking about on here Holly. Implants in the arms and everything.

This type of stuff is written in the Bible, is it not?

The song “The Prisoner” from Iron Maiden comes to mind..

“I’m Am Not A Number, I Am A Free Man!”

I know that’s a little off topic, but, all the same, a little scary, if you ask me..

Thanx Holly

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Dustin

27. Jun, 2009

Davin, if you’re referring to the mark of the beast, it sure is. But what the mark of the beast will actually has had several interpretations from names of Satan, to the literal number 666, to required RFID chips on the right hand or forehead.

As for Google Voice – I’m with those who have said what they have about the government already tracking us. If you have a cell phone, a credit card, a bank account, heck, probably even any utility bills at all, the government is watching. I’m not paranoid or a conspiracy theorist, but I think it’s naive to think otherwise. But…I really want to start using Google Voice…I just don’t want to have to start telling everyone to call a different number. Plus, you have to go through extra steps to call others from your Google Voice number, which is one of the reasons I was hoping to wait until Google releases some kind of iPhone app. I should start testing it out tho…Anyone want to call me? LOL.

Reply to this comment
Davin-The Viral Sanctuary

27. Jun, 2009

Hey Dustin,

No I wasn’t really talking about the number of the beast.

Actually, I was referring to how people will become so tracked that they will no longer have any freedom. Each person will become known as a number pretty much losing their identity, becoming prisoners and not being able to act, feel, live life, the way they would like to because they are always being watched, and to scared to do anything that might be considered even remotely wrong is the eyes of “so called” law and government.

I could have swore there was talk about this in the Bible as we are reaching the end of times. I could be mistaken though, perhaps it was Nostradamus predictions I was thinking of.

Dav

Reply to this comment
Irish Tom

27. Jun, 2009

A question Dustin,
I am still very interested in this new Google Voice and one thing I haven’t had made clear, are we able to keep our own cell number?
I have it for almost 5 years and all my contacts and family group both here and in Ireland have it, so it would be a pain to have to try and circulate a new number.
I guess the answer would be to keep the existing phone and number and then add the Google Voice as a secondry phone?
I would ask Big Brother, but I don’t have his number..haha..
Have a great day
Tom

Reply to this comment
Garry Dufresne

27. Jun, 2009

Irish Tom,

I’m not Dustin, but I have been using Google Voice for between 2 & 3 years.

If by “using your cell number,” you are asking if you can your port that number over to GoogleVoice the answer is “No.” Google says they would like to provide that service in the future.

But of course you can keep your cell number for your cell. GoogleVoice works like central station that rings out to all of your physical phones, plus a lot more. You can set it to allow some calls to go to your cell, some to your landline and some to both. I don’t know the current limit of physical phones, but it used to be 5. And it’s easy to change the phones so if I am going to be at a particular number for a week, I can easily set and delete that number.

For me, all those folks who already had my cell just kept it. The calls come in and don’t go through GoogleVoice. For my business card and new contacts, I give the GoogleVoice number so I can use the features it provides. Over time, more and more people have the GoogeVoice number. On a person by person basis I may suggest people use the GoogleVoice number because then they don’t have to think about what number to call to reach me.

Every person’s needs are different, but for me, if I would port one of my cell or land lines over to Google, I’d just have to replace it with a new one anyway . . .as I still need a cell and land line. I don’t know if Google has anything special in the works for the Google phones, but time will tell.

One last comment, while the features of GoogleVoice have always been great, the sound quality hasn’t. Usually it works fine, but every once in a while the calls either break up or it’s hard to hear. So I just call the folks back. Hopefully this won’t be an issue as GoogleVoice goes public.

GARRY

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Paul

27. Jun, 2009

Hey Holly,

I just joined as a member. You go girl :0)

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Dustin

27. Jun, 2009

Yeah, what Garry said!

Actually, Garry, I like your idea of giving new contacts your GV number. Not sure why, mentally, I was convinced that if I was going to use GV, I had to tell everyone to use my new number.

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Garry

16. Jul, 2009

Great NYT article on updates to the Google Voice service.

Essentially, they are addressing the issue of caller ID not showing the Google Voice number

http://bit.ly/14S7OX

Reply to this comment
- Holly
  
  17. Jul, 2009
  
  Thanks Garry! Look forward to reading it. I still haven’t received an invite to use Google Voice!
Reverse Detective

17. Jul, 2009

It’s pretty amazing what you can do online ..It was not that long ago that you were wondering who just called your when you were not
at home. Now you can only see who’s the unknown caller .. and also spy on who’s talking to your lover )

It’s crazy … You can even find the address by a simple phone number.. Wonder what’s gonna come next ?

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