Google's Gmail service has become incredibly useful over the years. It's free, Web based so accessible from anywhere with an Internet connection and boasts tons of storage space. The addition of Google Voice capability has made it indispensible for business people, especially when traveling.
Making calls from Gmail is helpful in situations when cell phone reception is poor or nonexistent, or a very quick call needs to be made to arrange a meeting or social plans. The service is available anywhere there is an Internet connection, and through 2011, all calls within the U.S.A. or to Canada are free.
Here's how to get them:
The first step toward free calls from Gmail is setting up a Google voice number. This is very fast and easy to do, and the number will automatically be associated with the mail account. The number comes with forwarding, voice mail, text and message transcription. All activity is logged and all voice mails are recorded for easy reference later on.
Before placing a call from Gmail, the free Voice and Video chat plug-in must be installed. Afterward, click on the Call Phone icon for any contact. This will bring up a window with a numerical keypad that can be dialed like a regular phone. All calls made from Gmail will show the Google voice number on the recipient's caller ID.
Gmail users can receive free incoming calls, as well. To activate this feature, at least one outgoing call must be made from the mail account, and in voice settings the Chat box must be checked under the Phone tab. When an incoming call is received, a call window will appear with the choices to Answer or Ignore. There is also a screen feature to help prioritize calls. All unanswered calls go to voice mail.
All calls started in Gmail can be switched to the forwarding phone at any point by pressing the asterisk key.
A similar and popular product is Skype. Skype requires the download of software and is a peer-to-peer technology, which can use a lot of computer resources and bandwidth. Google Voice offers more convenience by running directly in the browser and being easily accessed from the email account. It's also gentler on the Internet connection, freeing up resources for multitasking.
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