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Google Voice Opens To All

Posted by kdawson on from the is-this-the-party-to-whom-i-am-speaking dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Google Voice is now open to anyone in the US, removing the need to search for an invite. At the Google Voice site, anyone with a US IP address and a US phone number can sign up for an account. Non-US IPs are blocked, and non-US-based phone numbers are prevented from attaching to Google Voice (with the single odd exception of the 403 area code of southern Alberta)." Good timing on the part of Frontier Communications Corp., which just filed a lawsuit claiming that the Google Voice feature connecting a user's home, work, and cell phone numbers to another number infringes one of their patents.

19 of 185 comments (clear)

  1. WTF by linhares · · Score: 5, Insightful

    since when US=ALL?

    1. Re:WTF by camperdave · · Score: 2, Insightful

      What about Canada and Mexico?

      They were the ones who asked the question.

      --
      When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
    2. Re:WTF by linhares · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Allow me to introduce you to the concept of "context". This is a US-based, and US-centric site.

      Allow me to introduce you to the concept of "context". This is a US-based, and US-centric site, INSIDE the Internets.com!, which connects us all. The web is the context. If you think slashdot isn't a "global" entity because of its history and server location, tell me why it is always talking about things like Ubuntu or thepiratebay or linux or skype or; well i could go on but laziness is also global.

    3. Re:WTF by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      1) Slashdot has a significant number of users from other countries.
      2) Google is a multi-national corporation that provides most of its services to any country with Internet access that hasn't explicitly blocked them. The UK NHS isn't.

    4. Re:WTF by bernywork · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Apparently the Australians hung up when they heard the indian accent....

      --
      Curiosity was framed; ignorance killed the cat. -- Author unknown
    5. Re:WTF by ashridah · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Allow me to introduce you to the concept of "context". This is a US-based, and US-centric site. Surely you can understand this.

      That, for some reason, keeps posting stories about Australia. Riiiight.

    6. Re:WTF by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Wait, first people complain that US citizens are too self-centered and refuse to recognize the existence of the rest of the world, then when those same people show an interest in outside events, they get rebuked for not being US-centric enough?

    7. Re:WTF by MBGMorden · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Indeed. Complaining about Slashdot's US centric state is a bit like going to a friends house and complaining about what they cooked. They don't mind you hanging out, and they don't mind you taking part in dinner, but if you don't like what's being served - shut up or leave.

      --
      "People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
    8. Re:WTF by multi+io · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Allow me to introduce you to the concept of "context". This is a US-based, and US-centric site. Surely you can understand this.

      The fact that Slashdot is a US-centric site is obviously totally unrelated to the question of why Google opened Google Voice to US internet users only.

    9. Re:WTF by Eth1csGrad1ent · · Score: 3, Insightful

      except Slashdot is commercial enterprise, so its more like going to a friend's restaurant and complaining about the food that you ordered and paid for. They don't mind you paying to hang out, and they don't mind selling you dinner, but if you don't like whats being served - shut up or leave.

      and hey... nothing says you can't do that.

      But I would point out that the tag line ISN'T "News for Nerds (in the US). Stuff that matters (to nerds in the US)", and furthermore, that the site is built on and sustained by commentary, submissions and content from people ALL OVER the globe.
      ie. this "by Americans, for Americans" is pure BS.

    10. Re:WTF by LingNoi · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Allow me to introduce you to the concept of "context". This is a US-based, and US-centric site.

      No it's not dude. Your example of context is a .co.uk. As much as you hate it slashdot is a world-centric site. The company that runs slashdot is US based and has nothing to do with anything.

    11. Re:WTF by hitmark · · Score: 2, Insightful

      being any nation centric online, especially when using english, is in this day and age, futile.

      --
      comment first, facts later. http://chem.tufts.edu/AnswersInScience/RelativityofWrong.htm
  2. Still rather laggy. by jalano · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Google Voice has one critical flaw, and that is it has an inherent "processing delay" that it introduces into the voice path.

    The delay is slightly longer than the delay most cell phones have talking to another cell phone. When you add the Google Voice delay in, it's almost an unbearable 1/3 to 1/2 a second.

    I've used it from my land line calling calling out because of the free calling feature, and for that the delay is tolerable. But I can't justify having it forward to my cell phone because if anyone calls me from a cell phone, the combined lag makes the conversations really hard to have.

    1. Re:Still rather laggy. by yeshuawatso · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I've been with this beta since the first invites were sent out and have never experienced a lag. But then again, I stopped using it for voice since it's redundant when using a cell phone. I still lose minutes with or without it. Free text messaging with archive seems to be the best feature, as transcribing hasn't worked for me in a while and when it did, it didn't work very well.

  3. Gizmo5 by BiggoronSword · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I want VoIP! Give it to me Google!

    --
    interactive hologram, or it didn't happen.
  4. Re:I am still waiting... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I am still waiting for google finger, google ear, and google sight to go with google voice.

    I believe you have to be over 40 to qualify for the google finger...

  5. On patents... by Skuld-Chan · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I have the impression its impossible to do anything in this country without infringing on some patent somewhere.

  6. Re:403 is odd? by snowraver1 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Nobody cares about the workers; All the head offices are in Calgary.

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  7. Re:It's good but it could be great by Anaerin · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Caller pays is common sense. If you call me and blast telemarketing messages down my ear, why should I have to pay for the privilege? If you had to pay extra to receive a long-distance call, would you say that's fair?