Comments on: Goodbye Ma Bell, Hello Google Voice http://jenngrover.com/2009/03/13/goodbye-ma-bell-hello-google-voice/ Sat, 21 May 2011 18:19:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Josh Calvetti http://jenngrover.com/2009/03/13/goodbye-ma-bell-hello-google-voice/comment-page-1/#comment-1034 Josh Calvetti Thu, 19 Mar 2009 02:45:29 +0000 http://jenngrover.com/?p=1363#comment-1034 With the way Google has been with developing apps, I wouldn't be surprised if they released an app for Android or iPhone. Here's my thought: Let's say they release an iPhone app. If the rumors of free internet from old TV space is true, you could buy an iPod touch for a flat fee, then use the Voice app as the phone. Voila, a free-service phone. I know it'd be more complicated than that, but still I can dream. And I'm sure there are other wi-fi enabled devices that could use this- netbooks especially- but an iPod would be a nice size... With the way Google has been with developing apps, I wouldn’t be surprised if they released an app for Android or iPhone. Here’s my thought: Let’s say they release an iPhone app. If the rumors of free internet from old TV space is true, you could buy an iPod touch for a flat fee, then use the Voice app as the phone. Voila, a free-service phone.

I know it’d be more complicated than that, but still I can dream. And I’m sure there are other wi-fi enabled devices that could use this- netbooks especially- but an iPod would be a nice size…

]]> By: Jon Daley http://jenngrover.com/2009/03/13/goodbye-ma-bell-hello-google-voice/comment-page-1/#comment-1031 Jon Daley Sat, 14 Mar 2009 12:06:02 +0000 http://jenngrover.com/?p=1363#comment-1031 I used grandcentral for a while, I have a very low tolerance for dropped calls and static, and so ended up not using it. Google bought grandcentral a long time ago (2 years?), and closed registration and never did anything with it, so I figured it was dead. They've had a "coming soon" message on their page for a long time. It is VOIP - I'm not sure why you are hesitating calling it that? I now run my own VOIP server (using VOIP wholesalers, and bypassing the residential services), and I am finally happy with VOIP - I have tried a VOIP service once or twice a year for the last four or five years, and been disappointed each time. It seems to me that people's expectations of phone quality has gotten lower, and people are so used to having issues that they assume it is their phone, and not the other guy. I think people have forgotten what phones were like 20 years ago - no static, no dropped calls, no non-completed calls. Our bills are a little hard to track now, since we deposit $50 into the phone company every once in a while, but I think our monthly costs are somewhere on the order of $12/month, including all long distance and international calling. $5 for the incoming dial-tone, and $.02/minute to landlines in most industrialized countries. And I get all sorts of cool features, since I can program anything in Asterisk's programming language. I used grandcentral for a while, I have a very low tolerance for dropped calls and static, and so ended up not using it. Google bought grandcentral a long time ago (2 years?), and closed registration and never did anything with it, so I figured it was dead. They’ve had a “coming soon” message on their page for a long time.

It is VOIP – I’m not sure why you are hesitating calling it that?

I now run my own VOIP server (using VOIP wholesalers, and bypassing the residential services), and I am finally happy with VOIP – I have tried a VOIP service once or twice a year for the last four or five years, and been disappointed each time. It seems to me that people’s expectations of phone quality has gotten lower, and people are so used to having issues that they assume it is their phone, and not the other guy. I think people have forgotten what phones were like 20 years ago – no static, no dropped calls, no non-completed calls.

Our bills are a little hard to track now, since we deposit $50 into the phone company every once in a while, but I think our monthly costs are somewhere on the order of $12/month, including all long distance and international calling. $5 for the incoming dial-tone, and $.02/minute to landlines in most industrialized countries. And I get all sorts of cool features, since I can program anything in Asterisk’s programming language.

]]> By: Jenn http://jenngrover.com/2009/03/13/goodbye-ma-bell-hello-google-voice/comment-page-1/#comment-1030 Jenn Fri, 13 Mar 2009 21:02:06 +0000 http://jenngrover.com/?p=1363#comment-1030 I am not sure, I haven't bothered to look at Grand Central. My best guess is that Google is going to re-use Grand Central's platform and "Googlize' it. I just hope it is better than Android and some of the other stuff Google has put out recently. Evidently there are a few bugs, but nothing that looked like a show-stopper to me. I am not sure, I haven’t bothered to look at Grand Central. My best guess is that Google is going to re-use Grand Central’s platform and “Googlize’ it. I just hope it is better than Android and some of the other stuff Google has put out recently. Evidently there are a few bugs, but nothing that looked like a show-stopper to me.

]]> By: Josh Calvetti http://jenngrover.com/2009/03/13/goodbye-ma-bell-hello-google-voice/comment-page-1/#comment-1029 Josh Calvetti Fri, 13 Mar 2009 20:33:04 +0000 http://jenngrover.com/?p=1363#comment-1029 Huh. Looks interesting. I'd be curious as to how it will truly work, as I don't fully understand GrandCentral. Is it basically an extension of the previous service, or is it completely different? Huh. Looks interesting. I’d be curious as to how it will truly work, as I don’t fully understand GrandCentral. Is it basically an extension of the previous service, or is it completely different?

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