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Will Google Voice be free in 2013

Started by jeff@jeffmusto.com, June 29, 2012, 04:59:40 PM

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Lavarock7

Quote from: Rick on November 07, 2012, 04:40:30 AM
As far as Google's voice to text capability, I agree that transcription of voicemails leaves a lot to be desired.  I love the feature that puts the voicemail file as an attachment I can listen to on my Smartphone though.

It's interesting, because on an Android phone Google's voice is amazingly accurate, i.e. speaking a text message or email, or issuing commands.  Untrained by the way.  Too bad it doesn't work near that well for voicemail transcription.

If I was Google and wanted to better the translation, I would not wait for people to sign up for GoogleVoice and then try to get them to call people and let me translate the call. Rather, I would find a way to put a translator in every users hand and get them to train the system to their voice... oh wait!
My websites: Kona Coffee: http://itskona.com and Web Hosting: http://planetaloha.info<br />A simplified Voip explanation: http://voip.planet-aloha.com

giqcass

Google Voice translation of voicemail can be poor at times.  I've seen threads dedicated to incorrect but funny translations.  Sometimes very amusing.  It's usually close enough that I know what I need to know.  That was very nice when I was using a text only device.

I think there are two reasons why Google translates better on Android.  The audio quality is better because it has not been compressed, distorted, or encoded in any way.  Number two when you are leaving a message for a person you talk normally but when you speak to your phone you enunciate more because you know you are talking to a machine.  I happily donate many messages to Google to improve translation capabilities.  I hear the biggest problem for most voice translation software is from Scottish people.

We are a little off topic I guess.  :P
Long live our new ObiLords!

lhm.


Mazal

John Boyle's comments are ridiculous. GV IS currently free for making and receiving calls in the US. Calls abroad are mostly cheaper than what competitors charge.
If Google makes money as a result of people  using GV (through advertising or otherwise) then kudos to Google for their business model.

Rick

Quote from: Mazal on November 10, 2012, 09:27:35 AM
John Boyle's comments are ridiculous. GV IS currently free for making and receiving calls in the US. Calls abroad are mostly cheaper than what competitors charge.
If Google makes money as a result of people  using GV (through advertising or otherwise) then kudos to Google for their business model.


If you meant John Bowler's comments, he made them 4 months ago...

onepolarbear

Quote from: jjtricket on September 12, 2012, 08:29:28 PM
We know a gal who is a fortune teller and she says GV will be Free in 2013.............

my fortune teller told me to buy 11 PowerBall tickets during the 3rd week of February 2013. I had to sign an agreement to give her 42% of the jackpot. 

HHinFlorida

I think we all understand that Google is not likely to make an announcement until at least a few more days (if ever), but does anyone have a good understanding of why they do this to us?

My situation is that, if I knew it was going to be free, or if I knew what the charge would be, then I could budget for it and make plans to release my GV number at a moment convenient to me.

But not knowing simply means I cannot give anyone a number that I am uncertain I can keep. Which makes GV unusable to me for incoming calls. My fears are:
1. I don't know what is going on or why google follows this policy of giving effectively no notice - which is unnerving in itself and doesn't pass the smell test of a reliable supplier in many other walks of life.
2. Or I fear that they may choose to make it gratis to googlefolk who are money cows as to all sorts of other google products (which are of little interest to me) and the most expensive in the industry to unwanted outsiders to a point of great needless expense. And I will be seen as an outsider. (I prefer the clarity of the words gratis and libre to the ambiguous free)

An incoming number with callcentric is basically $6/month with no per minute charges and for most general purposes. Excluding special offers that have strings or catches that is.  If google had announced they would charge less than that (anywhere between $0.00 and $6/month for unlimited incoming) then I could use their service. 

So my question, in simple terms is, why do they do this to us??

Rick

Because it's not a priority to them.  It's a free service.  They don't make anything off of it, so they announce it when they feel like it.  Your "if ever" makes no sense as they've announced in late December each year, so they should do so again.

Google doesn't care if you're uncertain, if you switch to Google Voice or not.  They don't care if you use an OBi, it's not even on their radar screen.  Google Voice is way, way, way down their list of important things, all the way to the list of "Hey Fred, did you take care of that before we go home for Christmas"?

That's why.   ;)

Lavarock7

Give people your Google Number. If Google changes things, they said for some fee, like $25 you can port away. Although other VOIP services usually charge to port TO them, I would bet that most of them would waive that fee to get the mass of GoogleVoice customers who would jump ship.

You must know that whether a phone number or email address remains forever is not that big a deal. With a search engine or call forwarding, etc, it is easy enough to change business cards and stationary.

Delta Airlines used to not own Delta.Com. In fact, they started out on the web as DeltaAir.Com. Imagine their cost to change a domain name.

I guess also, that if $6 a month is a deciding factor for you as to which service you choose, perhaps pay the $6 and be done. I would not use GoogleVoice for a mission critical (ie business use) if the changeove to someone else it that much of a worry for you.
My websites: Kona Coffee: http://itskona.com and Web Hosting: http://planetaloha.info<br />A simplified Voip explanation: http://voip.planet-aloha.com

northernarizona

I'm thinking if there were fees to be charged in January, wouldn't we have been given a notice by now?   ???


Rick

Quote from: northernarizona on December 05, 2012, 07:52:53 AM
I'm thinking if there were fees to be charged in January, wouldn't we have been given a notice by now?   ???


Logically, yes?  Have you read the T&C to see if a notice period is required?  Nothing in there.  So they could easily give 2 weeks notice, or even 1 week notice.  If they felt more notice was needed, they wouldn't wait until Dec 13th last year to say it would still be free.  ;)

northernarizona

I guess we will have to sit tight then.

CarlNH

I'm going to hazard a guess that GV will remain free for 2013.  There just seem to be too many things GV does not offer that others do offer for short money.  Eg. CNAM, no porting in some area codes (like 603), no numbers available in some areas, no e911, etc.  Right now, I use GV for outgoing calls and Anveo (at $2.80 per month including 911) for unlimited incoming calls and they ported my previous telco number for free.  I can use Anveo for outbound at .01 per minute if I choose. 

As others have mentioned, GV is not important to Google and the service has some catching up to do if they were to compete in the paid-service space.  Just my opinion and it's worth exactly what you paid  ;D

ShermanObi

#53
Hi Everybody,

Please see the below-linked Google "Official Blog" article that mentions adding telephone users to hangouts.

Dial-in friends and family, from all over the world
Not everyone has a webcam or a front-facing mobile camera, but that shouldn't stop them from spending time with the people they're close to. Fortunately, nearly everyone has a telephone, and today we're making it possible to dial-in anyone, from almost any country, directly into your hangout. Calls to the U.S. and Canada are free, and international calling rates are super, super low.

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/google-hangouts-going-beyond-status.html


... now discuss!  :-)

From your friends at Obihai, we hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday season.



goob

I've been checking the google voice blog almost every day (sometimes a few times a day) for about a week or 2.  I also check the official GV forum at the same time.  So far I keep seeing no announcements and it's already the 17th.  I've very much enjoyed my OBi and my GV account for well over a year.  A nice holiday gift would be another year of free phone service. lol

Rick

Quote from: goob on December 17, 2012, 10:30:41 AM
I've been checking the google voice blog almost every day (sometimes a few times a day) for about a week or 2.  I also check the official GV forum at the same time.  So far I keep seeing no announcements and it's already the 17th.  I've very much enjoyed my OBi and my GV account for well over a year.  A nice holiday gift would be another year of free phone service. lol

Several times a day?  Really?  Wow...

I set a Google Alert.  :)

SimianJobe

Blogger Mukesh Agarwal at FreeCallsHub thinks "Google Voice will be free for 2013."

http://www.freecallshub.com/2012/12/google-voice-will-be-free-for-2013/

This part is sort-of funny...
"I have done my homework to draw the conclusion that Google voice has to be free. If Google Voice is not free for 2013, I promise I will never make a prediction (officially) and post it on free calls hub."

:)

NewbieBill

Seeing has how they have dropped any reference to an end-date for it being free, it's entirely possible that there will not be an official announcement coming, it's just now a free product until they change their minds.

ant17

There's no scam going on.

My phone bill went from 64 to 19 after porting to GV. The voice portion of my bill was 35 plus 9.32 in taxes. That part of my life is OVER!

I'll never pay those PH co. rip off prices again. IF GV ever decides to charge, the competition fees are around $30 or less PER YEAR!!!!! not month.

I'm guessing GV would be near that IF they charge. If not, I take my number and run. I already ported this number our family has had for 85+ years, its mine as long as I want it.

ribbles