http://www.google.com/voice

Rumor going around that it will be open to the public today. Including the fact that it may allow number porting at some point.

Old discussion topic: GrandCentral is now Google Voice

I finally upgraded my GC account to Google Voice. The upgrade has been available for me for a long time, but I didn't feel like doing it until it was required to do so. I haven't really messed with it much yet, but seems cool so far.

Weren't accounts supposed to be credited with $1?? I only got 10 cents. Not that I'll be using the international features much anyway.

Looks like they changed it a while back:

http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/voic...32dcf&hl=en

That's what I get for waiting to convert my account.

Bwahahaha, I just left a test message to see how well the transcription worked (mostly just said a bunch of random names & even more random words). So hilarious. It's like playing a game of telephone... except this uses a real phone.

Okay, tested a few more things. This is definitely much more smartphone friendly than GrandCentral was. Before, I couldn't get GC voicemails to play on my phone - not by calling my own number and not from browsing their website from my phone. I like their mobile interface and playing voicemails works fine:



I'll try it out some more later. Like some of the SMS features.

It looks like the rumor was untrue. I've already got google voice, but I was hoping to get a friend signed up. Looks like we'll have to wait.

keep on the lookout, it sounds like it will happen relatively soon with their recent pickup of a million phone numbers

Google Grabs 1 Million Phone Numbers for Google Voice

Not quite public, but if you had signed up on their list for notification they twittered the following:

http://twitter.com/googlevoice

Thanks for the heads-up.

Sweet! I got an invitation, and are all signed up. No idea how I will use it, but at least I am in!

I just signed up as well. So far I really like it.

I will most likely use it when giving my phone number out to someone I don't necessarily want to have my number forever. So, for example, Papa Johns, or United Airlines, etc. If I start getting spam on that phone I can just disconnect it or block certain numbers.

Exactly. Best use I have found for it so far.

I have been using Google/Voice and Grand Central for a couple of years now. The best use I have found is that it offers configurable voice mail. It will email and text you a notification of a voice mail. You can quickly adjust which phone it rings or just keep it going to email. I have also been giving out this number to anyone and everyone who requires a phone number for contact. I also post it for my contact information on the few web site I have out there. It really cuts down on the crap phone calls.

I think a lot of people are using this as a screening service - and why not, its free and works well.

Just got my invite, need to check this thing out

Got my invite too - seems great, I love it.

Yeah, looks pretty cool. I haven't had time to play with it fully though.

I think it is really cool, it has become my main phone number to hand out.
screening
listen in live to voicemails
free SMS send/receive
transcribed voicemail to email
switch phones while talking
time controlled forwarding

frosh