Free Phone Calls Using Google

Google has recently announced phone calls free within Canada and USA. This is done through your gmail account ( as seen below)

 

Google Google Voice inside Gmail

Internet-based phone service is not new. Skype has been around for years. Skype lets Americans talk to each other free of charge, or for a mere few pennies per minute for long distance.

Wednesday, Google started rolling out Internet phone service. The Google Phone interface is built into the Gmail interface. Google promotes it as a fallback feature for Gmail’s video chat system, just in case the other party isn’t sitting in front of a computer. It is not just for your video chat partners though, it is for use anytime!

Google Phone works like this: A new button is added to the Gmail interface, called 'Call Phones'. It launches a small window with a telephone-style keypad, or simply use the digit box to enter a name or a phone number. If they are a gmail contact, their number will come up from you Gmail address book.

To use the google phone feature, you need to install a plug-in for your browser from Google. Fortunately, it works with all the popular web browers - including Apple’s Safari on Macs.

Google Phone usee your computer’s built-in microphone and speakers, (or USB headset)Once you’ve installed the Google Phone plug-in, and configured your computer to use the audio hardware, making a call is easy.

The person you are calling will see the caller ID 760-705-8888, which is Google's network. You may use  Google Voice service and setup a Non-Google Voice number as well. Google Voice gives you a Google-assigned number so Google can handle your incoming calls and voicemail. You will need to sign up with Google Voice if you want to receive calls within Gmail. Like Skype, Google’s prices are hard to beat, best of all, calls within the United States and Canada are free. Calls to other countries average around two cents a minute. Google has posted its rates for each country.  (77 cents a minute for calls to North Korea.)