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Google Voice Discovered Allowing Pure VoIP Calls

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the who-needs-landlines dept.

From the article "Google Voice users learned late Monday that the service now has a way of making purely Internet-based phone calls. Making a SIP call with a 'sip:' prefix, the Google Voice phone number and @sip.voice.google.com skips the conventional phone network entirely, saving users cellphone minutes. Disruptive Telephony tested it and found that a call worked 'great.'"

110 comments

  1. Intended? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is this intended by google? This would be wonderful if this was a feature and not a bug..

    1. Re:Intended? by Eponymous+Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      I remember one time I accidentally created a SIP client. I was just trying to compute some fibonacci numbers.

    2. Re:Intended? by cant_get_a_good_nick · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Is this intended by google? This would be wonderful if this was a feature and not a bug..

      Probably intentional. The fact that this happened after they closed Gizmo5 which allowed this feature, methinks isn't coincidental.

  2. Sniffing? by Stenchwarrior · · Score: 1, Interesting

    I'm too lazy to look it up. Do they encrypt the SIP data or can anyone in the middle listen in with WireShark?

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    1. Re:Sniffing? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Not encrypted at all.

      Plus Google records all your calls. I wouldn't trust Google for anything. I have no idea why people like Google.

    2. Re:Sniffing? by Onuma · · Score: 5, Informative

      Unless I'm misreading the chart, it seems like gvoice has SRTP encryption.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_VoIP_software

      --
      What else can happen when an unstoppable force collides with an immovable object?
    3. Re:Sniffing? by Stenchwarrior · · Score: 1, Redundant

      +5 informative to you, sir. Nice work.

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    4. Re:Sniffing? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

      Because they provide useful services to most of us, and unless you're storing gigabytes of child porn they probably don't have anything interesting to say about you anyway.

    5. Re:Sniffing? by suso · · Score: 2

      I'm too lazy to look it up. Do they encrypt the SIP data or can anyone in the middle listen in with WireShark?

      You can always speak in Swahili. Oh wait, Google Translate knows Swahili. Damnit!

    6. Re:Sniffing? by Conspiracy_Of_Doves · · Score: 1

      I forget where I heard this quote, but someone said something to the effect that "Google has control over a virtual army... that they don't actually want anything from".

      --

      Technoli
    7. Re:Sniffing? by devotedlhasa · · Score: 2

      You are misreading the chart

    8. Re:Sniffing? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      You could mean this: http://xkcd.com/792/

    9. Re:Sniffing? by paintballer1087 · · Score: 1

      Oblig. XKCD

    10. Re:Sniffing? by jeffmeden · · Score: 1

      Because they provide useful services to most of us, and unless you're storing gigabytes of child porn they probably don't have anything interesting to say about you anyway.

      I guess your definition of "probably" and my definition of "probably" are a bit different... What's to stop them from cataloging a massive amount of data (which by all accounts they already are) and then suffering a massive security breach that results in that data falling into the hands of people who "probably" DO have interesting things to say about anyone and everyone they disagree with.

      The fact that they are ambivalent to anything but the most egregious offenses is some temporary comfort, but once recorded data typically lives a LONG time.

    11. Re:Sniffing? by forand · · Score: 1

      How are you gleaning this from the link provided? The server software which Google Voice may be running, YATE, is not listed on the link you provided.

    12. Re:Sniffing? by Onuma · · Score: 1

      Then please, do interpret!

      --
      What else can happen when an unstoppable force collides with an immovable object?
    13. Re:Sniffing? by Stenchwarrior · · Score: 1

      I'm reading it the same way as Onuma; looks like zRTP to me.

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    14. Re:Sniffing? by gknoy · · Score: 1

      "U bent onjuiste lezing van de grafiek" - Charden Van Der Google

    15. Re:Sniffing? by Onuma · · Score: 1

      Now that's clever.

      --
      What else can happen when an unstoppable force collides with an immovable object?
    16. Re:Sniffing? by Conspiracy_Of_Doves · · Score: 1

      I shall now hang my head in shame for not knowing an XKCD reference.

      *hands in geek card and cries*

      --

      Technoli
    17. Re:Sniffing? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Two minutes too late. Ouch.

    18. Re:Sniffing? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Fine, here's a more solid one.

      They came out with their hands clean when they discovered the wifi logging / google street view cars breach within a couple of weeks, and were willing to work with authorities and pay any fines without contesting them. Every time it's not readily transparent that Google is accessing your location on Android phones (cell tower-Based GPS, Latitude), you are notified immediately. You can also access what they have about you online in your dashboard.

      Name one other company that has the same level of transparency.

      Sure, there's a few things like responsiveness / ability to contact them that would be nice if they improved, but we're talking about privacy atm.

    19. Re:Sniffing? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      SRTP doesn't provide end-to-end encryption - only as far as the SIP server, Google would still be able to decrypt the data.
      It's also useless unless the SIP packets are encrypted with TLS, as the encryption key is sent through the SIP signalling in plaintext.

      If they support ZRTP, that would provide end-to-end encryption.

      But since it's going out to the PSTN, they *are* the other end, so that they can decrypt the voice and sent it over the PSTN. There's no way to avoid that.

    20. Re:Sniffing? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      *hands in geek card and cries*

      Anonymous accepts your geek card and adds to collection

    21. Re:Sniffing? by Archwyrm · · Score: 1

      But there are thousands of languages that they don't translate. There are hundreds if not thousands of languages that are not documented either. So, all you have to do is make friends with some aging Native Americans and learn their language! Some native languages of (North and South) America only have a handful of speakers left and are sparsely documented or undocumented and dying out as national languages (English, Spanish, Portuguese) displace them. There are also lots of undocumented languages in remote areas of the world, particularly in rainforest areas (turns out high biodiversity in the environment correlates with high linguistic diversity among human populations).

      Or.. Many widely spoken languages have lots of dialects that are difficult if not impossible for non-dialect speakers to understand.

      Lastly, you could just make up your own language!

      --
      Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power. -- Mussolini
    22. Re:Sniffing? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Google voice uses zRTP (based on PGP), not SRTP (which is a more common standard).

    23. Re:Sniffing? by quickOnTheUptake · · Score: 1

      Lastly, you could just make up your own language!

      Thanks for the idea!
      I'll remember next time I have to use GV to call myself about something sensitive.

      --
      Mod points: Guaranteed to remove your sense of humor.
      Side effects may include gullibility and temporary retardation
    24. Re:Sniffing? by Miseph · · Score: 1

      I'm a big fan of "Thieves' Cant" personally.

      They'll have to pry it from my cold, dead hands.

      --
      Try not to take me more seriously than I take myself.
    25. Re:Sniffing? by ardle · · Score: 1

      Ok, I'm being lazy - but what were they logging and why?

  3. Not really news by danbert8 · · Score: 1

    With the Google Talk Voice and Video plugin, you have been able to make free internet calls for a long time now, and they will even remain free (in the US anyway) for the rest of the year at least. In fact, on the Google Voice page, it has the option of calling from gchat, and I do that now quite frequently as it's easier and better quality than my phone.

    --
    Yes it's an anecdote! Were you expecting original research in a Slashdot comment?
    1. Re:Not really news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      But it looks like now someone can call you OUTSIDE of gmail. Hopefully they'll add sip login so that google voice users can call too and not only receive.

    2. Re:Not really news by cant_get_a_good_nick · · Score: 1

      Now it seems i can hook up a sip client on my phone/ipod and use this. This is major news to me.

    3. Re:Not really news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I don't understand what you mean by this.

      Google Talk is based on XMPP and the service supports jingle (audio/video) and federation (connecting to other XMPP servers). I have been able to do audio and video calls from my jabber.org account to Google Talk users for quite awhile. If there is also SIP support that is not a bad thing but it's not like audio calls between Google Talk users and users of other servers is something new.

    4. Re:Not really news by darkmeridian · · Score: 1

      The awesome thing about this is that I can use an ATA to make a phone call directly from my desk phone without having to use the web interface or having Google call me. Also, I can use the SIP support built into Android 2.3 to make calls via wifi.

      --
      A NYC lawyer blogs. http://www.chuangblog.com/
    5. Re:Not really news by fangorious · · Score: 1

      You can make phone calls, to peoples' mobile phone, or home landline, using a data-only connection on your mobile phone running Google Voice. And they can call your Google Voice number from their home landline and it rings on your mobile phone thru the data connection. (Mobile phone without a minute plan).

    6. Re:Not really news by lee1 · · Score: 1

      Really? On what phones? It can not do this on the iPhone.

    7. Re:Not really news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I know others have already said it but they could always call you. On a recent trip to the UK, I used the hotels wifi and was sending and recieving calls on my laptop from my Google voice number. I was using the laptops speakers and built in microphone but it still worked fine and it was no cost.

      Unrelated but that was the first hotel I ever stayed in that had decent internet access. I stay at 40-50 hotels a year in the US and they all suck, forget trying to use it for voip, I can barely even browse the web with most of them and the worst part is unless you're at a cheaper hotel/motel next to the highway, they charge $10-15/day for that crappy internet access.

    8. Re:Not really news by gregrah · · Score: 1

      I currently use callcentric.com as a SIP provider to do just this. It's not free, but at $2.95 a month for a dial-in number, and $0.02 a minute for outbound calls to the US, it's pretty darn close. Call quality is comparable to land line phone calls.

      Is it just because SIP + Google Voice will presumably be free that people are getting so excited?

    9. Re:Not really news by Kadin2048 · · Score: 1

      Android 2.3 can make SIP calls over the phone's data connection, right from the built-in phonebook. My old Nokia E61 could do it too.

      --
      "Ladies and gentlemen, my killbot features Lotus Notes and a machine gun. It is the finest available."
    10. Re:Not really news by Kadin2048 · · Score: 1

      I use Callcentric as well, but I think the reason people are excited is because lots of people use Google Voice (for the follow-me services and voicemail-as-text, mostly), so the userbase is a lot larger than anything Callcentric is likely to have in the near future. And when you are talking about communications technology, "network effects" that depend on having a large number of users are very important.

      But the upshot for people who already have a SIP provider like Callcentric handling their home phone is that we can now make calls to Google Voice users for free -- not even the $0.02c/min that Callcentric charges for an outgoing PSTN call. The only problem is that dialing a SIP 'number' is a bit of a bear if you have an old analog phone connected to an ATA ... the easiest way I have found to call SIP 'numbers' is to use Callcentric's click-to-dial ringback service. (You put the address into their website, it will ring your phone and then connect you through.) Alternately you can put SIP addresses into the phonebook, I think.

      --
      "Ladies and gentlemen, my killbot features Lotus Notes and a machine gun. It is the finest available."
    11. Re:Not really news by cjb658 · · Score: 1

      I'm confused. The article makes it sound like this lets you call someone else's Google Voice number using any SIP client, but it doesn't help you make or receive calls if you have Google Voice?

      Here is what I'm trying to do. I have an Android phone and Google Voice. I get poor cell phone reception at my house, so I would like to be able to use Wifi on my phone to make, and more importantly, receive calls.

      Does this make that possible?

    12. Re:Not really news by caspy7 · · Score: 1

      Both of these comments are accurate.
      Data calls cannot be made using the iPhone's Google Voice App, but they can using Android's. The iPhone app forces you to use your carrier's phone network.

  4. Awesome by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    This works mint. I saw the Tweet this morning and tried it out and boy does it work. I use Sipdroid in London and top hole!

  5. Not responding SIP traffic now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    sip.voice.google.com now silent. See --> http://www.onsip.com/blog/rob/2011/03/08/google-voice-sip-address-no-longer-available-sipvoicegooglecom-now-silent

    1. Re:Not responding SIP traffic now by ColdWetDog · · Score: 2

      sip.voice.google.com now silent. See --> http://www.onsip.com/blog/rob/2011/03/08/google-voice-sip-address-no-longer-available-sipvoicegooglecom-now-silent

      Great. You broke it, Slashdot. Good going.

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    2. Re:Not responding SIP traffic now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      So basically Google gTalk is just SIP with some features (not very surprising) and they had an open gateway. Now they closed it.

      What is surprising is why people even care whether gTalk is accessible with SIP or not. SIP is freely available with tons of providers of hardware phones (eg. grandstream) as well as PBX software (eg. Asterisk) as well as termination/origination providers to/from PSTN networks (eg. les.net, callwithus.com, etc. etc. etc.)

      This is only inaccessible if you are behind some retarded NAT, and even then you can use the more expensive providers that will proxy your RTP traffic for you. Free, secure voice communication has been available for years now (IPsec + SIP would be one almost 100% secure method)

    3. Re:Not responding SIP traffic now by mysidia · · Score: 4, Insightful

      My (faint) suspicion is some VoIP telespammers/tele fraudsters saw the Slashdot article/blog and immediately started abusing the feature...

      As nice as 'free SIP access' to the POTS network through Google voice might sound, it's not sane.

      Even less sane than having offering open SMTP relays, anyways; since the telephone network is so poorly equipped to deal with any type of abuse (other than it actually being a crime if the perp happens to live in a 'civilized' country, and happens to be traceable).

    4. Re:Not responding SIP traffic now by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 1

      Crap.

      They bought out Gizmo5 a year and half ago, just about the time I was seriously looking at SIP for home use. One day it was there, the next .. nope. I saw this and figured that Google was finally tying Gizmo5 to gVoice. Well, crap. It doesn't seem to be so ... at least not yet.

      --
      Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
    5. Re:Not responding SIP traffic now by TheSpoom · · Score: 2

      I'm guessing they quickly got some very loud "feedback" from the cellular providers.

      --
      It's better to vote for what you want and not get it than to vote for what you don't want and get it.
      - E. Debs
    6. Re:Not responding SIP traffic now by Archwyrm · · Score: 2

      IIRC, you need to verify that you have a mobile (or POTS) number to sign up for a Voice account, so anyone who can get an account already has access to the POTS network.

      Also, if Gizmo5 offered the same access, why wasn't it a problem for them? Or was it?

      --
      Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power. -- Mussolini
    7. Re:Not responding SIP traffic now by assassinator42 · · Score: 1

      Why would they just start abusing it now rather than when it was introduced on GMail.com?

    8. Re:Not responding SIP traffic now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think you misunderstood what TFA said. People could call google voice numbers as a SIP URI. Not just any old 10 digit number.

    9. Re:Not responding SIP traffic now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      First of all, it's Google Voice, not Google Talk.

      Secondly, people care because they want to make and receive calls using their smartphones, without using their voice minutes. It would be really nice to have this capability work transparently, with non-SIP call recipients seeing your GV number on their Caller ID display, and you being able to receive SIP calls via your GV number.

    10. Re:Not responding SIP traffic now by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 1

      As nice as 'free SIP access' to the POTS network through Google voice might sound, it's not sane.

      I'd be happy with just inbound access to Google Voice via SIP. I forwarded my cell calls from Asterisk to Google Voice via PTSN - seems right silly.

      --
      My God, it's Full of Source!
      OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
    11. Re:Not responding SIP traffic now by mysidia · · Score: 1

      Why would they just start abusing it now rather than when it was introduced on GMail.com?

      Higher bar. Brute force SIP dialing against possible google voice phone numbers to spam them is a lot simpler than trying to automate access to a Web GUI that potentially has captchas involved.

    12. Re:Not responding SIP traffic now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      i did just get an email from "Gizmo" saying Hello,

      Gizmo5 is writing to let you know that we will no longer be providing service starting on April 3, 2011. A week from today, March 11, 2011, you will no longer be able to add credit to your account.

      Although the standalone Gizmo5 client will no longer be available, we have since launched the ability to call phones from within Gmail at even more affordable rates.
       
      with link to the gizmo website where i could transfer my calling credit to google voice.

  6. Not News At All by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How is this news? This was a feature they were saying would come with the release of Android 2.3. Congrats on reposting a selling point?

  7. Coolness, but you can already do this. by morgandelra · · Score: 4, Interesting

    If you take an android device with google voice installed. Tell it use google voice for all calls. The get an Xlink device (http://www.myxlink.com/index.aspx). Peer the XLink to your android device via bluetooth. Now you have analog dial tone coming out of the XLink and you can put it into a PBX or regular analog phones.

    1. Re:Coolness, but you can already do this. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Yes, that is definitely just as easy and convenient!

    2. Re:Coolness, but you can already do this. by h4rr4r · · Score: 1

      So what was the point of that considering that you have to still have to pay for cellular minutes?

    3. Re:Coolness, but you can already do this. by LateArthurDent · · Score: 2

      If you take an android device with google voice installed. Tell it use google voice for all calls. The get an Xlink device (http://www.myxlink.com/index.aspx). Peer the XLink to your android device via bluetooth. Now you have analog dial tone coming out of the XLink and you can put it into a PBX or regular analog phones.

      Dude, the entire point is not needing to have a phone other than the google voice number.

    4. Re:Coolness, but you can already do this. by morgandelra · · Score: 1

      ... dirt cheap android tablet + wifi ftw

      just sayin'

    5. Re:Coolness, but you can already do this. by h4rr4r · · Score: 2

      I am just pissed that I cannot cancel the voice on my smartphone. I would much rather just use VOIP over wifi and 3G.

    6. Re:Coolness, but you can already do this. by morgandelra · · Score: 1

      I don't have that problem. But I am a special case, being that my cell carrier is my employer. I keep 15-20 numbers active on all sorts of phones for testing.

    7. Re:Coolness, but you can already do this. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      You don't. I cancelled my voice plan with Verizon. I'm at $50 a month right now for my data-only Droid contract.

    8. Re:Coolness, but you can already do this. by h4rr4r · · Score: 1

      My employer pays for my cell plan, but if I could have data only I would get to pocket about half the stipend.

    9. Re:Coolness, but you can already do this. by AncientPC · · Score: 1

      You can do this without the Bluetooth peering using a VoIP box.

    10. Re:Coolness, but you can already do this. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This setup would be awesome for getting old-school computers with only a modem onto BBSes without having to invest in a landline for only that purpose.
      Thanks for referring us to a device capable of that!

    11. Re:Coolness, but you can already do this. by bluemonq · · Score: 1

      Verizon and T-Mobile allow you to have a data-only plan on your smartphone, something like $50/mo. Not dirt cheap, mind you, but no sense in paying an extra $20 for voice that you're never going to use, right? Dunno about Sprint, though, and it's not an option o AT&T.

    12. Re:Coolness, but you can already do this. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dude, without a phone, how do you use the google voice number? compose SIP packets in your head and shout them into the ether? You need some sort of internet terminal, and a modern smartphone with a data-only plan is fully capable and the most portable option available.

      Unless you meant the PBX terminals -- if you can't figure out why you'd need a PBX, you probably don't, but lots of people do find them useful. Maybe for intercom purposes, maybe to let two or more local people join a call (maybe in different rooms), or maybe to handle multiple calling options (e.g. different VoIP providers for national and international cars, and maybe even POTS for local calls).

      What I don't get is why he wants to use bluetooth (single audio link) from the mobile to the PBX -- having the mobile have a SIP client (for direct usage) and also letting the PBX have a SIP client (using the mobile's data connection via PAN or WiFi) lets you have as many simultaneous calls as you have bandwidth. Asterix is good open-source software for this stuff, and while it's a little daunting to set up from scratch, there's several distros designed for home/small office PBX that take the fight out of it

    13. Re:Coolness, but you can already do this. by BlitzTech · · Score: 1

      SRDO: Sprint Relay Data Only http://www.sprintrelaystore.com/data_only_plan.htm Price competitive with T-mo, IIRC.

    14. Re:Coolness, but you can already do this. by morgandelra · · Score: 1

      I could just as easily get direct SIP trunking to my PBX. I like this because it merges my cell number and google voice into my existing PBX. No fuss, no settings to deal with. I come home, put my phone my desk, it automatically peers with the XLink, and now I can access its trunks from any phone on my PBX, and use my PBX to route calls in ways google voice does not support. This, for me, gets me the best of both worlds. Mobile when I am mobile, features when I am stationary.

    15. Re:Coolness, but you can already do this. by randallman · · Score: 1

      Or you can by an SIP phone.

    16. Re:Coolness, but you can already do this. by MoeDumb · · Score: 1

      Thanks for the link.

      --
      Mod Me Up. You'll make a grown man cry.
  8. Full SIP Endpoint? by cant_get_a_good_nick · · Score: 1

    Would this necessarily mean they'd allow a SIP client to connect and receive incoming calls?

    This move makes sense now that they really killed Gizmo5. In effect, they've finally pushed that feature set to all Google voice numbers.

  9. slightly offtopic but maybe of interest by thanasakis · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Gizmo5 (acquired by Google) will be shutting down on April 3rd. So no more SIP from them. Does anyone know whether it will become possible to make calls to normal numbers by using a google account? Right now it is possible to make calls from within gmail by adding credit to one's account. What is not possible is to use SIP equipment (many good adsl routers and ATA devices have fxp ports and VoIP SIP functionality) to make these calls. So many of us that were using gizmo5 SIP are left in the cold. Any good gizmo5 alternatives anyone?

    1. Re:slightly offtopic but maybe of interest by mmmmbeer · · Score: 2

      Try pbxes.com. They have an integration with gtalk so you can use gvoice as a trunk without a separate service. If you have an android phone, you can download sipdroid and it will give you the option to automatically set up a pbxes account linked to your gvoice account. You can then point other sip devices to your pbxes account as well. Works great for me.

    2. Re:slightly offtopic but maybe of interest by bryansj · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I use an Obi110 device to make and receive calls on my home phone using Google Voice. It was the best $50 I've spent on a VoIP solution. It will remain free until at least the end of the year while GV is still free. Before that I used a Linksys PAP2 connected to an Asterisk server to do the same thing.

    3. Re:slightly offtopic but maybe of interest by LanMan04 · · Score: 1

      I set up an account there using Sipdroid, the only issue is that when I call my GV number, my phone will ring like normal (due to my real cell number being set as a number to call in the GV settings) AND over SIP, so the phone is ringing 2 things at the same time. Weird. :)

      --
      With the first link, the chain is forged.
    4. Re:slightly offtopic but maybe of interest by bendodge · · Score: 1

      Yes, I've been making real, 100% VOIP calls on my Android device over WiFi with my GV for a while. There's a whole project dedicated to it: http://code.google.com/p/google-voice-sipsorcery-dialplans/
      Personally, I use the IPKall + Sipsorcery method, but I hear signups at Sipsorcery are currently closed. I'm not sure what's available in the meantime.

      --
      The government can't save you.
    5. Re:slightly offtopic but maybe of interest by enFi · · Score: 1

      I tried this (and was very excited to find it), but sipdroid seems to have trouble staying logged in to pbxes, so I only sometimes get incoming calls (or can make outgoing calls); and call quality is ok-to-poor (but it is free).

    6. Re:slightly offtopic but maybe of interest by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Whoa! I was the original author of the document and that website. Thanks for the mention!

      With a gun to my head, I would say the current best way to do this for free is either by using pbxes or by forwarding IPKall to a free VoIP account at Localphone.com. I've played a bit with IncrediblePBX but we may never get back to the easy days of sipgate and SIP Sorcery :)

    7. Re:slightly offtopic but maybe of interest by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think the version I'm using on my Ipod touch is called sipgate, but it's only free incoming calls, which means I have to initiate the call from an actual computer using google voice and use the outgoing number as my sipgate number, so it then rings the number I dialed, and connects it to a "landline" which is my sipgate number, making my ipod "ring" with the call.

      Sounds a bit confusing from my description, but the bottom line is that I have to be near wifi any time I want to use my ipod to make an outgoing call or receive incoming calls via SIP, and I'm usually near a computer at the same time. I ask a friend to borrow their computer, log in to google and make a "call" using google voice, which rings my ipod and the number I'm calling, and then I can logout of their computer while continuing my call.

    8. Re:slightly offtopic but maybe of interest by atomicxblue · · Score: 1

      I switched away from Gizmo5 when I noticed there was high latency on the line and a delay in ringing the IP phone. You could try to use sipgate.com. They are a PSTN to SIP broker and provide a telephone number for free. You could forward your Google Voice to this number and calls route normally inbound.

  10. Obligatory V for Vendetta Reference by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    beware, GoogleFinger (tm) men carrying a black bag with your name on it are on their way to your residence...

  11. Gizmo5 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    After purchasing gizmo5, they destroyed my home phone service. I was not allowed to renew my call in number forcing me to use google voice to rout my incoming calls. At the same time, they took away my year subscription to modify my outgoing caller id with the purchase caller ID option, they refunded me by giving me $4 of call out minutes (dumb asses!). Every time I call out, the call appears to be coming from a number that has now been canceled for about a year, and cannot be modified. Now, about a week ago, they informed gizmo5 users that they are recalling all call out minutes. I have not been able to contact Google/gizmo5 ever since this all started, about a year ago. This is my home phone service they keep fucking with, and they offered no support (which was originally included in my gizmo5 purchase agreement).

    This is no different to me then AT&T deciding they would quit supporting my land line because there are more profitable things to do with it. I was not even given the opportunity to yell at anyone, and now I am a ticking time bomb because of it. FUCK GOOGLE!!! Sony is the new Microsoft, and Google is the new sonny. I am going to have to resort to bing? What's this world coming to?

    1. Re:Gizmo5 by Bert64 · · Score: 1

      Not sure about where you are, but some countries have telecoms regulators giving you the legal right to port your telephone service to another provider...
      I would never let myself depend on such a service without having an exit strategy, and being able to take your number and move it to a different provider at will is a pretty good one.

      --
      http://spamdecoy.net - free throwaway anonymous email - avoid spam!
  12. jquery phono by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    http://phono.com/

    Phono is a simple jQuery plugin and JavaScript library that turns any web browser into a phone; capable of making phone calls and sending instant messages. You can even connect to SIP clients; all with a simple unified API.

  13. Not news - Gmail already does this by SoopahMan · · Score: 1

    You can already make this sort of call via the Gmail interface.

    1. Re:Not news - Gmail already does this by h4rr4r · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Newsflash, we have smartphones so we can leave the basement and travel out into the world without being computerless. Your solution would restrict us once again to the basement.

    2. Re:Not news - Gmail already does this by TheGratefulNet · · Score: 1

      no, just that when in the real world, real people don't NEED computers at their fingertips 24x7.

      you are an addict.

      --

      --
      "It is now safe to switch off your computer."
    3. Re:Not news - Gmail already does this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't worry, I'm sure your mom will call you on your smartphone when it is time to come back to your basement for food. You're not telling me you've got actual friends you might want to call, are you?

  14. Too late. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    By emailing me (a up-to-now satisfied Gizmo5 user) about discontinuation of the gizmo5 service less than a month from now, without having a viable SIP-compatible alternative already prepared, I've already made other arrangements that don't involve Google.

  15. "Discovered?" - how about "Announced by linuxwrangler · · Score: 0

    http://developer.android.com/sdk/android-2.3-highlights.html

    See first entry under "New ways of communicating"

    --

    ~~~~~~~
    "You are not remembered for doing what is expected of you." - Atul Chitnis
    1. Re:"Discovered?" - how about "Announced by amRadioHed · · Score: 2

      Do you see something in that link about using Google Voice as a VoIP service? I don't.

      --
      We hope your rules and wisdom choke you / Now we are one in everlasting peace
  16. Backswan by nurb432 · · Score: 1

    Isnt this how they already do it?

    --
    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
  17. Shutting down Gizmo Re:Not responding SIP traff by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I received an email from Gizmo5 stating that they will be shutting down service as of April 3, 2011.

    Last call to add credit is March 11 - drink, er use it before they shut the doors on April 3 !

    They note that they "have added the ability to call phones from within Gmail at even more affordable rates."

    My n800+Gizmo setup was very handy while it lasted.

  18. Just another example of data is data is data by Maxo-Texas · · Score: 1

    When are we going to get rid of the echos of the 1920's and just treat data as data.

    Then I guess there will be a "data" tax instead of a gazillion weird phone taxes.

    --
    She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
  19. Now let me forward to a SIP URI by z_gringo · · Score: 2

    Now if Google Voice would only let me forward my google voice number to a SIP URI, then I would be in great shape.


    I have been doing this with Gizmo for some time and it worked great, now that its disapearing. I could forward GV to Gizmo and then send Gizmo to a SIP URI that terminated in my hosted Asterisk server and from there I could do basically whatever I wanted.

    I would also like the ability to forward my Google Voice number to an international number, which Google Voice doesn't offer even as a paid service.

    While I'm complaining, It would also be great if I could purchase GV credit and send outbound traffic from my Asterisk or Kamailio to GV via SIP.

    --
    -- -- Warning. Do not stare directly at the sun.
    1. Re:Now let me forward to a SIP URI by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Register for a number at IPKall and forward all calls to your Asterisk server. Then add the "front side" of the IPKall account as a managed phone in GV. Yes, you will get a number from Washington State, but since you're not giving it to anyone, it doesn't matter.

      Done.

    2. Re:Now let me forward to a SIP URI by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      update your asterisk! 1.8 supports the gtalk channel and you can now send gv to gtalk. the beauty to this is it gives you unlimited incoming and outgoing calls simultaneously over the same gv number ;) brilliant I say.
      Then you can turn around and do what ever you want with the call ... send it anywhere!

    3. Re:Now let me forward to a SIP URI by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm dreaming of this too!

  20. call me a fan boy... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...but I could dial sip:xxxx "numbers" years ago on my nokia N95.
    I used to have and asterisk gateway hooked up to my employer's VOIP infrastructure and it was perfect.

    I really hate when people goes crazy about some "new" feature of the "modern" smartphones and they are just doing something that my 5 year old N95 did right out of the box.

    Bleh.

    1. Re:call me a fan boy... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Agreed, the N95 8GB has a SIP client on the phone, not some stupid offsite gateway crap. It also has flash and java that actually work. Plus, I can develop freely whatever I like and load onto it what I like without too much hassle.

  21. What I want to know is... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How will this affect my magic jack?

  22. For fuck's sake by Legion303 · · Score: 1

    "Google Voice Discovered Allowing Pure VoIP Calls"

    Can someone translate this abortion of a sentence into English? Slashdot needs to hire some editors.

  23. Red 5 by unlocked · · Score: 1

    Man would of been nice to point a red 5 server at it.

  24. asterisk, sip server not working by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    bah.. i pointed an extension on my SIP server at the my google voice sip uri.. no luck.

    I wish Google would implement this already... been waiting *forever* for it.

    *fingers crossed*

  25. Obligatory by Illicon · · Score: 1

    http://xkcd.com/257/

  26. Update - more developments by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Google to launch stand alone VoIP services? Reading the signs
    http://www.onsip.com/blog/leo/2011/03/09/google-to-launch-stand-alone-voip-service-reading-the-signs