Friday, August 7, 2009

Google Voice -- Compelling phone service trumps Skype for Boomers and Seniors | Aging In Place Technology Watch

 

Yeah, yeah, Skype is cool for boomers and seniors -- especially grandparents. Free video conferencing with the grandkids and free long-distance calls -- even if some of them are a bit flaky in quality, probably due to a poor Internet connection. And the teaser (of course) is to upgrade you to their low, low international long distance phone plans. Okay, sounds good -- and I know folks love it -- "Do you Skype?" is a frequent starter for planning a meeting. But let's just forget Skype for a minute -- a jaw-dropping service may be around the corner -- Google Voice.

Google has snuck up on the long distance world -- and said 'Boo'. Google grabbed a million phone numbers from Level 3, according to NetworkWorld, and in the past few weeks has enabled users to sign up online and be 'invited' to select one of those numbers, which can be in your standard local area code, selected by you from a displayed list. What can you do with that number? Well that's the game changer, as they like to say in the tech world……

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Google Voice -- Compelling phone service trumps Skype for Boomers and Seniors | Aging In Place Technology Watch

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