Google Voice Tab Missing from My Gizmo5

A few days after Google confirmed the acquisition of Gizmo5, I logged on to my Gizmo5 account and noticed the Google Voice tab is no longer there. What gives?? I guess Google is now busy integrating Google Voice, Google Talk and Gizmo5 to give us a new voice portal. You could call it "Skype on steroid". :)

Google Has Acquired Gizmo5

Sources at Tech Crunch have confirmed that Google has acquired Gizmo5. It looks like talks between Skype and Gizmo5 went to a dead end last month and Google saw the opportunity and snatched up the peer-to-peer VoIP startup company. Gizmo5 is based on the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and can interoperate with other SIP-based networks directly, including the public switched telephone network (PSTN). Gizmo5 has the service features, CallOut/CallIn, available at a fee. Maybe, when Google integrates Google Voice with Gizmo5, these features will be free. But we all know there is no such thing as free lunch. Google will serve up their ad network in your so-called voice portal like they do with Gmail.

Exclusive - Google has Acquired Gizmo5...

Google Voice with your number

Google announced yesterday that you can now sign up with Google Voice using your existing mobile phone number. However, you do lose a few features like call screening and recording. But what do I care, I never use these features anyway.



Google Voice with Your Existing Number

Google Voice Invites

Google announced today they are giving out Google Voice invites so that you can share it with your friends and family. Like gmail, you will probably see these invites on auction sites, like Ebay. :)

Don't worry, I will be giving them out for free when I get my hands on them. Go to Google Voice if you have never heard of it before.

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AT&T Reports To FCC Regarding Google Blocking Calls To Consumers Using Google Voice

From eWeek.com:

ATandT sent a letter to the FCC protesting Google's blocking of telephone calls from consumers that use its Google Voice service to call phone numbers with inflated access charges in certain rural areas. By blocking these calls, Google reduces its access expenses, giving it an advantage phone carriers are prevented from enjoying and thus skewering the competition principles in U.S. network neutrality laws, ATandT claims. Google argued that Google Voice must not be accorded the same treatment as services from phone carriers.


AT&T Tells FCC Google Voice Violates Network Neutrality Laws

Google response to AT&T's letter to FCC:

Tags: Google, google voice, AT&T, Net Neutrality,

Google Voice for Blackberry update

Just installed the newer version of Google Voice for the blackberry. The only changes that I can see are two additional options under Dialer Settings and they are:

1. Preload voicemails (Yes, No)
2. Update interval (Never, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 min, and 1 hour)

Download the latest version by going to http://m.google.com/voice on your blackberry browser.

Tags: Google, google voice, update