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pluckgc
Anon
2009-Jun-25 1:30 pm
blahwho cares... i am tired of them wanting me to have a google account... i hate it... i just wanted the grandcentral | |
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Re: blahIt'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. | |
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| | Gbcue Premium Member join:2001-09-30 Santa Rosa, CA |
Gbcue
Premium Member
2009-Jun-25 3:36 pm
Re: blahsaid 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. | |
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Re: blahI 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 | |
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| | | | Ben Premium Member join:2007-06-17 Fort Worth, TX |
Ben
Premium Member
2009-Jun-26 1:13 am
Re: blahsaid 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. | |
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Re: blahFile 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. | |
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to Gbcue
One day you'll realize no one really cares about you- they only care about your net worth. | |
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to Gbcue
The government knows it and now google will too. no surprises | |
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ssj4androidRedefining Reality join:2002-04-14 Wyoming, MI |
I just put my name on the reservation list todayMost likely after the Today show announcement, but before I read this. Lets see when I'll get it... | |
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| L337 Premium Member join:2005-03-10 Chicago, IL
1 recommendation |
L337
Premium Member
2009-Jun-25 1:51 pm
Re: I just put my name on the reservation list todayWho ever wants to be in the invite list it's here » services.google.com/fb/f ··· einvite/ | |
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dadkinsCan you do Blu? MVM join:2003-09-26 Hercules, CA |
Oh yeah........ I think I did signup for a reserved GC account - A LONG ASS TIME AGO!
Yawn! | |
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| PhilRojo Sol Premium Member join:2001-06-11 Downers Grove, IL
1 recommendation |
Phil
Premium Member
2009-Jun-25 1:39 pm
Re: Oh yeah....I also signed up many moons ago... | |
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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. | |
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FFH5 Premium Member join:2002-03-03 Tavistock NJ 3 edits |
FFH5
Premium Member
2009-Jun-25 1:48 pm
Goggle Voice is great - been using a long timeI 1st was on GrandCentral & continued on as it morphed in to Google Voice. It works very well. In fact I downgraded my Verizon landline from unlimited calling at $50/mo to $15/mo(that includes all the fees & taxes) local only & inbound. You can use Google Voice to make unlimited free calls to US. You contact Google Voice(either thru web page or by phone) and it 1st calls you & then calls the party you want. The calls are NOT VOIP. They are thru the regular switched phone network.
It also can act as a voicemail system; call screener; call forwarder(to both landline and mobile); send alerts to mobile; and transcribe voicemail in to text and send transcription as an email. And it integrates with Gmail so that you can use the Gmail contact list to make any call you want. It is too bad it is taking this long to rollout, but if you can get it, it is a VERY USEFUL tool. You can check at all its features here: »www.google.com/support/voice/
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Re: Goggle Voice is great - been using a long timesaid by FFH5: 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. | |
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| | FFH5 Premium Member join:2002-03-03 Tavistock NJ |
FFH5
Premium Member
2009-Jun-25 2:09 pm
Re: Goggle Voice is great - been using a long timesaid by dcdeadbeat5:said by FFH5: 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. | |
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| | | ptrowskiGot Helix? Premium Member join:2005-03-14 Woodstock, CT |
ptrowski
Premium Member
2009-Jun-25 2:20 pm
Re: Goggle Voice is great - been using a long timesaid by FFH5:said by dcdeadbeat5:said by FFH5: 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. | |
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Re: Goggle Voice is great - been using a long timeYeah, 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). | |
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to FFH5
said by FFH5:said by dcdeadbeat5:said by FFH5: 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. | |
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Re: Goggle Voice is great - been using a long timeThen 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 | |
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Re: Goggle Voice is great - been using a long timesaid 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. | |
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Re: Goggle Voice is great - been using a long timeWhen 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 | |
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Re: Goggle Voice is great - been using a long timesaid 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. | |
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1 recommendation |
Re: Goggle Voice is great - been using a long timeGV 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 | |
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1 recommendation |
Waiting for number portabilityI'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. | |
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| pnh102Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty Premium Member join:2002-05-02 Mount Airy, MD |
pnh102
Premium Member
2009-Jun-25 2:12 pm
Re: Waiting for number portabilitysaid 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! | |
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| TechyDad Premium Member join:2001-07-13 USA |
to rsrussell
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. | |
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| | iolaire join:2001-06-29 Arlington, VA |
Re: Waiting for number portabilitySame here, as soon as portablitity comes I'll dump my $20 Vonage account. | |
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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.. | |
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| tiger72SexaT duorP Premium Member join:2001-03-28 Saint Louis, MO |
tiger72
Premium Member
2009-Jun-25 2:05 pm
Re: No thanks...Google can't arrest me or tax me, so i'll choose them over Uncle Sam any day. | |
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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. | |
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| TechyDad Premium Member join:2001-07-13 USA |
to ninjatutle
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.) | |
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to ninjatutle
So Uncle Sam spy is the good kind then is it? LOL | |
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pokesphIt Is Almost Fast Premium Member join:2001-06-25 Sacramento, CA |
pokesph
Premium Member
2009-Jun-25 2:12 pm
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. | |
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05211257 (banned) join:2009-06-21 Jamestown, CA |
05211257 (banned)
Member
2009-Jun-25 2:24 pm
what's the big deal Isn't it just like Skype? | |
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Re: what's the big dealsaid 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. | |
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| | 05211257 (banned) join:2009-06-21 Jamestown, CA |
05211257 (banned)
Member
2009-Jun-26 12:36 pm
Re: what's the big dealso if I have a smart phone, with Gmail account I can use this App and eliminate my cellphone service? | |
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I'm OblivousI'm clueless when it comes to Google Voice...what does this service do exactly? | |
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I dunnoOne 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. | |
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Re: I dunnoInteresting. 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 | |
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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. | |
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sweeti have been using it for quite some time now and have enjoyed it! I like how the voice mails translate into a text message to my real phone! and the fact that I got a free phone number out of the deal was pretty sweet.
I signed up for grand central ages ago then google bought it then converted it into Google voice | |
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Kramer Mod join:2000-08-03 Richmond, VA |
Kramer
Mod
2009-Jun-26 7:38 am
Free Outgoing Verizon Wireless Calls Using GVIf 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. | |
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Re: Free Outgoing Verizon Wireless Calls Using GVYou 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. | |
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