 | | blah who cares... i am tired of them wanting me to have a google account... i hate it... i just wanted the grandcentral | |
|
 | iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Golden, CO
kudos:2 Reviews:
 ·Comcast
 ·Verizon Online DSL
| Re: blah It's the Google universe. having a Google account isn't really a big deal anyway. As accounts go, it's relatively info-poor (not much of a privacy concern) and if you want you can get listed as yourself in Google search results, though that's at the other end of the privacy scale. | |
|
| |  GbcueAlmost P.E.Premium
join:2001-09-30
Santa Rosa, CA
kudos:8
 ·AT&T U-Verse
| Re: blah said by iansltx:It's the Google universe. having a Google account isn't really a big deal anyway. As accounts go, it's relatively info-poor (not much of a privacy concern) Until you realize that Google is aggregating all info about you (searches, email, documents, voicemails (GV), text (GV). Then they know almost everything about you, sort of like Amazon.
--
My BLOG!
Black Friday Ads | |
|
| | | |
| | | |  bencPremium
join:2007-06-17
Glen Carbon, IL
·Charter
| Re: blah said by iansltx:I don't buy enough from Amazon for them to aggregate info about me. On Newegg, I buy a fair amount of stuff but it's for different people so they probably can't make heads or tails of what I do either. My grocery purchases may or may not be on my shopper card, and down here in Texas no retail chain even has shopper cards  As far as Google aggregating my info goes, so what? As long as they don't sell the info itself to anyone or turn it over to Sav...er...Uncle Bar...erm...Sam, I'm cool. If having all my info means they advertise hot cars, cool computers and college scholarships to me, I'm perfectly fine with that  Shopper Cards?
Here's an idea:
Swap shopper cards with friends, and trade them around. Then any information gained through them wouldn't be that helpful.
The more people where you swap shopper cards, the better. | |
|
| | | | | iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Golden, CO
kudos:2 Reviews:
·Comcast
·Verizon Online DSL
| Re: blah File that one under old news. Though you're forgetting something: if I'm simply targeted for products I'd probably like more anyway, I'm actually fine with that. If I start getting coupons at the register for stuff I want rather than random crap, the system is working correctly. | |
|
| | | | | One day you'll realize no one really cares about you- they only care about your net worth. | |
|
| | | | | The government knows it and now google will too.
no surprises | |
|
 ssj4androidRedefining Reality
join:2002-04-14
Wyoming, MI | I just put my name on the reservation list today Most likely after the Today show announcement, but before I read this. Lets see when I'll get it... | |
|
| |
 dadkinsCan you do Blu?Premium,MVM
join:2003-09-26
Hercules, CA
kudos:18 | Oh yeah.... .... I think I did signup for a reserved GC account - A LONG ASS TIME AGO!
Yawn!
--
Think outside the Fox... Opera | |
|
|  PhilRojo SolPremium
join:2001-06-11
Camarillo, CA
kudos:2 | Re: Oh yeah.... I also signed up many moons ago... | |
|
 wifi4milezBig Russ, 1918 to 2008. Rest in Peace
join:2004-08-07
New York, NY | Got mine last week... Out of nowhere, I got my invite last week. Joke's on Google however, as it was actually my second GV account. I now have two, and I use them both fairly often. There is still the latency issue however, and they need to sort that out ASAP. | |
|
|
| | | Re: Goggle Voice is great - been using a long time said by ThrowDemsOut: The calls are NOT VOIP. They are thru the regular switched phone network. [att=1] Actually the calls are VOIP. They are just using a web callback system and of course they terminate at the PSTN on both ends. But the call is definitely a VOIP call. There was a hack a while ago that allowed you to use a SIP phone to use Google Voice for free calls. But Google closed the gateway. But at least you can still use it for the web callback number. | |
|
| |  ThrowDemsOutIf you can't convince 'em, confuse 'emPremium
join:2002-03-03
Mullica Hill, NJ
kudos:4 | Re: Goggle Voice is great - been using a long time said by dcdeadbeat5:said by ThrowDemsOut: The calls are NOT VOIP. They are thru the regular switched phone network. [att=1] Actually the calls are VOIP. They are just using a web callback system and of course they terminate at the PSTN on both ends. But the call is definitely a VOIP call. There was a hack a while ago that allowed you to use a SIP phone to use Google Voice for free calls. But Google closed the gateway. But at least you can still use it for the web callback number. I don't consider it full VOIP unless the call isn't on the PSTN at all. All Google is doing is using the internet backbone for transport. It is more like Comcast's CDV than it is like Vonage.
--
My BLOG .. .. Internet News .. .. My Web Page | |
|
| | |  ptrowskiGot Helix?Premium
join:2005-03-14
Putnam, CT
kudos:4
 ·VOIPo
·Choice One Commu..
| Re: Goggle Voice is great - been using a long time said by ThrowDemsOut:said by dcdeadbeat5:said by ThrowDemsOut: The calls are NOT VOIP. They are thru the regular switched phone network. [att=1] Actually the calls are VOIP. They are just using a web callback system and of course they terminate at the PSTN on both ends. But the call is definitely a VOIP call. There was a hack a while ago that allowed you to use a SIP phone to use Google Voice for free calls. But Google closed the gateway. But at least you can still use it for the web callback number. I don't consider it full VOIP unless the call isn't on the PSTN at all. All Google is doing is using the internet backbone for transport. It is more like Comcast's CDV than it is like Vonage. I would personally consider it VoIP if it goes from my ATA into the modem and out from there, no POTS line here.
That's VoIP to me and I would think the vast majority of VoIP providers out there.
--
"So, Lone Starr, now you see that evil will always triumph because good is dumb."
Have you been touched by his noodly appendage? »www.venganza.org | |
|
| | | | | | Re: Goggle Voice is great - been using a long time Yeah, it's a matter of "perspective". For the person with only a POTS landline, none of his/her calls are VoIP. For the person who only has VoIP service (for example, Vonage or CDV), all calls are VoIP. Whether it's packet-based or circuit-switched at different points in between is irrelevant to the customer (which says nothing about call quality).  | |
|
| | | | | said by ThrowDemsOut:said by dcdeadbeat5:said by ThrowDemsOut: The calls are NOT VOIP. They are thru the regular switched phone network. [att=1] Actually the calls are VOIP. They are just using a web callback system and of course they terminate at the PSTN on both ends. But the call is definitely a VOIP call. There was a hack a while ago that allowed you to use a SIP phone to use Google Voice for free calls. But Google closed the gateway. But at least you can still use it for the web callback number. I don't consider it full VOIP unless the call isn't on the PSTN at all. All Google is doing is using the internet backbone for transport. It is more like Comcast's CDV than it is like Vonage. But the fact that it travels over the Internet and not the entire PSTN from end to end makes it by definition VOIP.
Using your definition SKype-Out would not be VOIP either.
But the truth is that this is VOIP. It just terminates to the PSTN at two points instead of just one.
So it is definitely VOIP. | |
|
| | | | iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Golden, CO
kudos:2 Reviews:
·Comcast
·Verizon Online DSL
| Re: Goggle Voice is great - been using a long time Then again, your cheap LD providers probably also use packet-switched voice on the long haul. Seems what Google is doing here is just that, so it's no more VoIP-ish than, say, the penny-a-minute VoIP-powered LD plans out there these days.
Also FWIW Google Voice is awesome. I've used the callback feature several times to ring a landline and connect me to an otherwise-LD call. My family's landline (LifeLine for whatever reason is on there, so the bill is just a few bucks a month for unlimited local and inbound, nothing else) is suddenly empowered with GV, so I'm hapy.
As an added bonus, my 210 area code number effectively serves as a free calling card at San Antonio International Airport, in case my power-hungry cell goes dead | |
|
| | | | | | | Re: Goggle Voice is great - been using a long time said by iansltx:Then again, your cheap LD providers probably also use packet-switched voice on the long haul. Seems what Google is doing here is just that, so it's no more VoIP-ish than, say, the penny-a-minute VoIP-powered LD plans out there these days. Also FWIW Google Voice is awesome. I've used the callback feature several times to ring a landline and connect me to an otherwise-LD call. My family's landline (LifeLine for whatever reason is on there, so the bill is just a few bucks a month for unlimited local and inbound, nothing else) is suddenly empowered with GV, so I'm hapy. As an added bonus, my 210 area code number effectively serves as a free calling card at San Antonio International Airport, in case my power-hungry cell goes dead But it is VOIP. They use SIP for the connections and terminate with L3.
Why is this so difficult fore people to understand? It is VOIP just like Skype, Vonage, Verizon Business, etc. | |
|
| | | | | | iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Golden, CO
kudos:2 Reviews:
·Comcast
·Verizon Online DSL
| Re: Goggle Voice is great - been using a long time When people think VoIP they think of having to have some box (ATA, computer, eMTA, MagicJack dongle, tin can with an Ethernet port) that's not the same as their typical RJ-11 or GSM/CDMA based fixed or mobile phone.
I agree that Google Voice is VoIP...what smart provider wouldn't be? However I'll bet some cellular companies route their calls over IP transport at this point, and VoIP-based long distance is what makes calling inside and outside the US cheap.
Yes, I'm blurring the line here but so is Google. GV isn't your daddy's VoIP and honestly the average Joe doesn't care how his call is routed (circuit-switched, packet-switched, laser beams, smoke signals, carrier pigeons) as long as the darned thing works | |
|
| | | | | | | | | Re: Goggle Voice is great - been using a long time said by iansltx:When people think VoIP they think of having to have some box (ATA, computer, eMTA, MagicJack dongle, tin can with an Ethernet port) that's not the same as their typical RJ-11 or GSM/CDMA based fixed or mobile phone. I agree that Google Voice is VoIP...what smart provider wouldn't be? However I'll bet some cellular companies route their calls over IP transport at this point, and VoIP-based long distance is what makes calling inside and outside the US cheap. Yes, I'm blurring the line here but so is Google. GV isn't your daddy's VoIP and honestly the average Joe doesn't care how his call is routed (circuit-switched, packet-switched, laser beams, smoke signals, carrier pigeons) as long as the darned thing works I agree that most people don't care how their phone calls are transported. The only reason this does matter is a legal one. VOIP providers don't have the same regulations (or uptime guarantee) that telcos (ILECS and CLECS) do.
People are accustomed to their traditional phone (PSTN) working all the time (and with 911). VOIP works when it works. There is no quality or regulatory control with VOIP.
So people need to be made aware of this when ditching their traditional phone lines for a service like Google Voice or Skype (Skype even warns about this on their website).
There are no guarantees with Google Voice or any VOIP provider. User beware on this one. | |
|
| | | | | | | | iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Golden, CO
kudos:2 Reviews:
·Comcast
·Verizon Online DSL
| Re: Goggle Voice is great - been using a long time GV can't be used as a traditional phone provider. At best it's a calling card that'll route wherever needed, but you still have to have some sort of phone at both ends from another company. As such, you also have a fallback when GV doesn't work: your regular phone provider | |
|
| | Waiting for number portability I'm just waiting for Google Voice to add the ability to port my mobile number into their service. Rumors abound that they've done this for a few test users, but it's not regularly available.
My cell number is my ID and Google Voice works well enough that I'd be happy to move it there and shop for better cell phone plans without porting my number. | |
|
|  pnh102Reptiles Are Cuddly And PrettyPremium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD | Re: Waiting for number portability said by rsrussell:I'm just waiting for Google Voice to add the ability to port my mobile number into their service. Same here... One less bill for me!
--
Blagojevich / Madoff 2012! | |
|
| | | That would be an interesting feature. People would be able to cancel their landlines, transfer the number to their Google Voice account, and forward those calls to their work phone/cell phones as desired. It would be one more nail in the land line coffin.
--
-Jason Levine
Support a children's charity. Buy a calendar and/or a photo book. Shooting For A Cause | |
|
| | iolaire
join:2001-06-29
Arlington, VA | Re: Waiting for number portability Same here, as soon as portablitity comes I'll dump my $20 Vonage account. | |
|
| | No thanks... At least the phone and cable co's spy on your voice calls for Uncle Sam. Google just does it for their own pocketbooks.. | |
|
|  tiger72SexaT duorPPremium
join:2001-03-28
Saint Louis, MO
kudos:1 | Re: No thanks... Google can't arrest me or tax me, so i'll choose them over Uncle Sam any day. | |
|
| | iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Golden, CO
kudos:2 Reviews:
·Comcast
·Verizon Online DSL
| Re: No thanks... +1 on that. Besides, if you use AT&T you're already getting spied upon, right?
*thinks*
Hmm, if I routed a Google Voice call through to my brother's AT&T'powered Tracfone, the spies could really be confused, right? Since the personal information trail is shaky on both GV and Tracfone. Oh wait, I have auto-refill on Tracfone and paid storage on Google (PicasaWeb FTW). Back to the drawing board. | |
|
| |
| | | Re: No thanks... Just curious. Do you have any proof that Google is spying on voice calls? And by spying, I don't mean automatically running voice calls through a speech-to-text computer system so that users can read transcripts of their calls. (Unless you also have proof that Google employees are reading those transcripts.)
--
-Jason Levine
Support a children's charity. Buy a calendar and/or a photo book. Shooting For A Cause | |
|
| | | | Re: No thanks... I thought it's common knowledge by now... | |
|
| | wifi4milezBig Russ, 1918 to 2008. Rest in Peace
join:2004-08-07
New York, NY | said by Jason Levine:Just curious. Do you have any proof that Google is spying on voice calls? And by spying, I don't mean automatically running voice calls through a speech-to-text computer system so that users can read transcripts of their calls. (Unless you also have proof that Google employees are reading those transcripts.) Luckily for everyone (who is paranoid ), the GV transcription services arent very accurate. They work great if....you....speak....slowly....and.....clearly, but toss in an accent (or if the person speaks quickly) and the transcription tends to not make a whole lot of sense. Sure, you get the "hi this is XXXX", but it goes down hill from there. I do make a habit of checking the box when its a poor translation though, so I suspect they will get better very quickly once the app goes mainstream.
--
"You're Welcome"
-The United States of America and our Armed Forces-
Keeping the world safe since 1776
| |
|
| | | | Is free because they mine your voice for voice recognition software among other things. It was on the grand central tos and I assume on google voice after the transfer but I never bother saving them... It did specified that your conversation and or voicemauls will be used for resraech or studies | |
|
| | | wifi4milezBig Russ, 1918 to 2008. Rest in Peace
join:2004-08-07
New York, NY | Re: No thanks... said by googlevoiceuser :
Is free because they mine your voice for voice recognition software among other things. It was on the grand central tos and I assume on google voice after the transfer but I never bother saving them... It did specified that your conversation and or voicemauls will be used for resraech or studies
said by Google Voice TOS :
March 10th, 2009
The Google Privacy Policy describes how we treat personal information when you use Google's products and services, including information provided when you use Google Voice. In addition, the following describes our privacy practices that are specific to Google Voice.
Personal information
You need a Google Account to access Google Voice. Google asks for some personal information when you create a Google Account, including your alternate contact information and a password, which is used to protect your account from unauthorized access. A Google Account allows you to access many of our services that require registration. You will also be asked to choose a Google Voice phone number that will be assigned for your use, and any forwarding telephone numbers that may be used in conjunction with the service.
Google Voice stores, processes and maintains your call history, voicemail greeting(s), voicemail messages, Short Message Service (SMS) messages, recorded conversations, and other data related to your account in order to provide the service to you.
When you use Google Voice, Google's servers automatically record certain information about your use of Google Voice. Similar to other web services, Google Voice records information such as account activity (including storage usage, number of log-ins), data displayed or clicked on (including UI elements, links); and other log information (including browser type, IP-address, date and time of access, cookie ID, and referrer URL). Google's servers also automatically collect telephony log information (including calling-party number, forwarding numbers, time and date of calls, duration of calls, SMS routing information, and types of calls).
Uses
Google maintains and processes your Google Voice account and its contents to provide the Google Voice service to you and to improve our services.
Google's computers process the information in your messages for various purposes, including formatting and displaying the information to you, playing you your messages, backing up your messages, and other purposes relating to offering you Google Voice.
Google may send you information related to your Google Voice account or other Google services.
Voicemail Transcription - if you use Google Voice's voicemail transcription service, Google may transcribe voicemail messages into text and email and/or SMS the resulting text to the email account or phone number(s) designated in your user settings. Google's computers process the information in your messages for various purposes, including formatting and displaying the information to you, delivering related links, backing up your messages, and other purposes relating to offering you Google Voice.
Information sharing and onward transfer
We do not sell, rent or otherwise share your personal information with any third parties except in the limited circumstances described in the Google Privacy Policy, such as when we believe we are required to do so by law.
Your choices
You may change your Google Voice account settings and you may upgrade or downgrade your account through the "settings" section.
You may organize or delete your call history, voicemail greeting(s), voicemail messages (both audio and/or transcriptions), Short Message Service (SMS) messages, and recorded conversations through your Google Voice account or terminate your account through the Google Account section of Google Voice settings. Such deletions or terminations will take immediate effect in your account view. Residual copies of deleted data and accounts may take up to 90 days to be deleted from our active servers and may remain in our offline backup systems. Call history for billable calls will remain visible on your account and be retained in Google systems for accounting purposes. Call history for billable calls will retained in Google systems for accounting purposes.
--
"You're Welcome"
-The United States of America and our Armed Forces-
Keeping the world safe since 1776
| |
|
| | | | I wonder how well that works with foreign languages? I use Skype and couple of the Betamax services for international phone calls. Good luck transcripting them ... | |
|
| | | So Uncle Sam spy is the good kind then is it? LOL | |
|
 pokesphIt Is Almost FastPremium
join:2001-06-25
Sacramento, CA
kudos:1 | invites? most of us who had/have Grand Central have already been updated to GV. It seems to be good stuff, and quite useful once you get your Google number out there.
move along, nothing to see here. YMMV. the check's in the mail. +processing and handling. not available in all areas. | |
|
| | what's the big deal Isn't it just like Skype? | |
|
| | | Re: what's the big deal said by 05211257: Isn't it just like Skype? Skype cannot direct a phone call to multiple phone numbers and they charge for Skype Out calls.
SipGate offers a similar one phone call to multiple calls but charges for outbound calls. | |
|
| | | | Re: what's the big deal so if I have a smart phone, with Gmail account
I can use this App and eliminate my cellphone service? | |
|
| |  I'm Oblivous
| |
|
|
See 6 replies to this post |
|
| | I dunno One of my coworkers uses it, and apart from the speech to text, I can do everything on my asterisk server.
He's also had a few technical problems ranging from delayed echos to dropped calls which he's never had before. | |
|
| iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Golden, CO
kudos:2 Reviews:
·Comcast
·Verizon Online DSL
| Re: I dunno Interesting. I haven't had any problems with GV.
As far as the Asterisk server side of things goes, you're right. Wouldn't be surprised if Google had a few custom Asterisk boxes routing calls. However this is for people who on't want to muck with Asterisk for a single person | |
|
| | I'm currious. Would there be a way to cancel my voip service and switch to google? I guess I'm asking, would google offer a device that I could plug my phone and internet into to make calls like a traditional voip provider? I don't know how much longer my voip is going to be around and it would be nice to have a provider that is strong enough to take on all of the challenges out there. I don't want a bundled phone service.
--
Vonage user since Mar 2004. | |
|
| |
| watice
join:2008-11-01
New York, NY | said by strange_69:Would there be a way to cancel my voip service and switch to google? I guess I'm asking, would google offer a device that I could plug my phone and internet into to make calls like a traditional voip provider? No. | |
|
| | | | Re: I'm currious. Too bad. I would like to still be able to use my traditional phones.
--
Vonage user since Mar 2004. | |
|
| | | | Well, not yet... never say never, though. Maybe Google will eventually offer some type of SIP-based VoIP service of their own in the not too distant future. Who's ripe for being purchased? | |
|
| | | | | Re: I'm currious. Vonage if they would want them.
--
Vonage user since Mar 2004. | |
|
|
 KramerPremium,Mod
join:2000-08-03
Richmond, VA
kudos:1
·Verizon FiOS
Host:
Microsoft Help
Satellite Radio
Wireless Security
| Free Outgoing Verizon Wireless Calls Using GV If you pay for a plan that allows friends and family, put your Google Voice number on it. Then use Google Voice to make all your cell calls. You will never exceed your allocated minutes (if I am correct) because all calls going to the GV number are free, 24/7. I just use the reply function when listening to a voice mail to do this on some calls. I don't need any extra minutes. You need a 1400 minute plan or higher to qualify for friends and family.
I don't think incoming calls will be free, because the number reported by caller ID is the callers number, not my GV number. I'm just not sure how Verizon logs the call in their database... I guess it is possible they are logged as coming from the GV number. I just haven't checked. | |
|
| | | Re: Free Outgoing Verizon Wireless Calls Using GV You can change how the Caller ID is displayed if you goto the Settings, Caller ID and select Display my Google Voice number. I hope this helps. | |
|
|
|
Goggle Voice is great - been using a long time
·