Google Voice

Google Voice Invite Contest Redux

In the spirit of having new toys to play with over the weekend, I’m giving away three (3) Google Voice invites.

And because Google Wave nominations are apparently as popular as fruitcake, each winner of a Google Voice invite will receive be nominated for Google Wave. What can I say, I’m feeling generous.

To participate, simply leave a comment on this post describing how you will benefit from Google Voice. I will select three entrants who provide particularly compelling responses.

Google Voice Comments must be posted by 8:30pm EST (20:30 EST) today. I will announce the winners and send along the invitations shortly thereafter.

When commenting, be aware that all comments are moderated, so your entry will not appear immediately.

BONUS: If you would like to be separately considered for a Google Wave nomination, check out my Google Wave Invite Contest Redux.

Google Voice Invites A Promising Sign

I logged into my Google Voice account today to discover I can now invite others to the service. As up until this time Google was controlling the invites as it scaled up its Voice infrastructure, allowing users to send invites is a positive sign that the system is handling growth well.

In the roughly four months I’ve been using the service, Google has made many enhancements to the service, from the user interface to its ability to collect calls to more numbers. AJAX improvements to the user interface support one-click marking of messages as read, a drop-down menu on messages to provide additional options, and a tabbed settings pane. I no longer encounter busy signals when calling numbers in certain regions, nor do text messages fail to reach their destination. At the same time, Google has released a BlackBerry application, added support for the service to phones running its Android platform, and attempted to release an iPhone app as well. Add to that users’ ability to send invites and it would seem the beta is progressing well.

AT&T Takes Aim at Google Voice

It was only a matter of time until AT&T jumped into the fight over Google Voice. As The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday, AT&T sent a letter to the FCC on Friday alleging that because Google Voice does not connect calls to certain numbers, Google’s service violates FCC regulations governing phone carriers. The AT&T letter also accuses Google of violating the FCC’s “net neutrality” rules by blocking certain calls. AT&T’s arguments, however, are flawed for multiple reasons.

Continue reading AT&T Takes Aim at Google Voice

Google Voice Invite Contest

Interested in Google Voice? As it happens, I have an additional invitation.

For a chance to win the GV invite, head to https://disparate.info/2009/07/29/google-voice/ and leave a comment on that post. Then browse around disparate.info and comment on a second post.

You have until the end of today’s Red Sox-Yankees game to leave two comments (4:10pm EDT start time, but as with every Sox-Yankees matchup, the end time is a mystery). A winner will be randomly selected from those who qualify.

Google Voice Invites for Military Personnel

Google announced yesterday that it is giving priority to Google Voice invitation requests from members of the military with a .mil email address. According to the post on Google’s official blog, invitation requests made with a .mil address should be answered within a day. This is quite the gesture from Google, and a positive sign that Google Voice is scaling well as the invites continue to roll out.

If you’re a member of the military with a .mil email address and you’d like an invite to Google Voice, go to http://www.google.com/militaryinvite/.

I’ve been using Google Voice (http://www.google.com/voice) for a month now and I love it. With the service, you are provided a central phone number that allows you to receive your calls on a variety of phones.

In my case, I have a smartphone and a dumbphone. When I’m using the GPS on my smartphone, I don’t want to take calls because it interrupts my data connection (the joys of CDMA). With Google Voice, I can take the calls on the dumbphone and still use the smartphone for data purposes. The callers are none the wiser. If I need to switch phones during an incoming call, it’s as easy as pressing star.

It’s also useful if one travels to areas where cellphone service can be spotty. I, for example, am spending a few days in New Hampshire. While cell service is spotty, there is a landline phone where I’m staying. With Google Voice, I can add temporary phones for just this situation. By doing so, I can still be reached by phone without having to give out a different number or worry about checking various voicemail systems.

Invites are going out now with fury, so if you’re interested, add your name to the list at https://services.google.com/fb/forms/googlevoiceinvite/.