Google Voice

A couple of days ago Google sent me and invitation to try out Google Voice before it’s released to everyone. I don’t know how they select their testers but I’m glad to be selected. For those of you who have never heard of Google Voice, I’ll explain the basics of it.

Google Voice is a way of having one phone number linked to multiple phones. Just add a phone to your connections and Google will call that phone. When you answer it you input a code and it will be activated. When someone calls your Google number all linked phones will ring and you can answer it on any of the phones. You can also set up options so that calls will be forwarded to certain phones at different times or certain people will be directed to specific phones. If you’re like me and are just using it with one phone, you can use it to give someone a number that is not your personal number so you can choose when they are directed right to your Google voicemail. Google’s voicemail is another really awesome service. You can access it online just as you would your mail through Gmail. Google Voicemail also automatically generates a transcript of the message so you can read the message if you don’t feel like listening to it. You can handle all voicemail, SMS or recorded phone calls just as you would your Gmail. You can also use Google voice to place calls. It’s free within the country and certain fees for international calls.

My current phone doesn’t support the Google.com/Voice web access nor does it have any other way of accessing the GV feature. So for right now I’ve just been messing around with the SMS. You could also call it and leave a voicemail. Once a voicemail is recorded and transcript is generated and I’m sent a notification by text message as well as by email to my Gmail account which I can listen to the voicemail right from the email.

I’m hoping I’ll have my Samsung Moment by early next month. Once I do I will be able to fully test out the Google Voice features like placing and receiving calls, recording calls, and checking voicemail along with it’s transcript.

It’s a pretty awesome new service and I think it will become very popular.

Google is taking over the world…. and I’m liking it.

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