Making Calls From GMail

Google now offers free "phone calls" from within its e-mail and chat client.

August 27, 2010

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Remember the good old days, when making a phone call meant using an actual phone? The world of telecommunications just got a bit more interesting.

Internet telephony services like Skype have already changed the way many people make phone calls. And Google offers a service called Google Talk that lets you place calls from a web browser, connecting them to your home phone or cell phone. And GTalk, Google's chat service, has offered voice and video chat services like those available through Skype.

Now, Google has stepped into the game of making phone calls without a phone. A new plug-for GMail lets you place phone calls from within your web browser, using your computer's microphone and speakers or a headset.

There are some things you can't do with GMail — like call 911. You can't get incoming calls in GMail, either. But calls within the US are free, and you can buy credit to make low-rate international calls like you can with Skype.

Skype still offers a few advantages, like an actual phone number you can associate with your Skype account to receive calls from regular phones. But GMail's calls in the US are free—and that makes it a great calling plan for those kids you're sending off to college.

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Comments

Anonymous | Sep 8, 2010

Your unsubscribe does not work!

Anonymous | Aug 31, 2010

Remember the good old days of dial up internet service? Installed software would alert us to an incoming call so we could hang up our computer and get a call. Okay...that has nothing to do with this new Google service, I was just reminiscing.

Anonymous | Aug 31, 2010

How do I get this free service??? Victoria

Joe P | Aug 31, 2010

All you need to do is create a Google Account, and then sign up for GMail.

You'll eventually be prompted to setup/try this as you're using it.

Marge Civil | Aug 30, 2010

A great way to save for people that make a bunch of calls, that is if anyone is not texting, tweeting or emailing.

Anonymous | Aug 30, 2010

Bigger,better and faster that is all about in this day and age. nothing to do for the real thing.

Joe P | Aug 31, 2010

That is, in part, true — but will you be singing the same tune when this 'bigger, better, faster' technology is responsible for replacing your hip, heart, or other vital organ?

I didn't think so ;)

Technology will continue to evolve, and at an exponential rate (as it grows upon itself), for better or worse.

Whether it be better or worse depends on mans utilization of it.

Nuclear power, for example, was one of the first significant cases of a technology we had developed that we were clearly not ready to handle, as we are still feeling the effects of our mishandling of it decades later.

Others may argue the Internet is another example. True, it's not as directly and obviously harmful as Nuclear power, but you can argue that since it was installed as a public tool accessible to the world, it grew and grew at such a rate, and without the necessary checks, balances, and laws, to govern its uses.

I'm going to stop myself before I go on a rant, but you get the idea.

The next few decades will be interesting to behold, I can tell you that much.

Anonymous | Aug 30, 2010

Bigger,better and faster that is all about in this day and age. nothing to do for the real thing.

aparke10 | Aug 28, 2010

It still amazes me at how far technology has come just in the last few years..

Ken Baron | Aug 30, 2010

Indeed! You said a mouthful.