Thinking outside the box!

Google Voice

I have had a Grand Central number for about 2 years but I will confess that I never did much with it. I was always too afraid that the service might fail and I would loose my number. Well, with Google taking over I figured that it was now safe. I will continue to test and mark any tips or issues that I face with the service.

I really like the service, especially being able to dial out my entire addressbook right from my PC! What a huge time saver. I found a new Blackberry & iPhone App that will really improve your experience. Its called GVDialer. It integrates GV into the out bound mobile calls. I just installed it and will start testing.

Issues:

  1. I have experienced situations where after making a Google Voice call from my home phone that the land line would remain connected even after I hung up. I may have to lift the phone to get a dial tone again or wait for a moment before telling GV to dial the new number.

Here is a list of the features that I have submitted to Google Voice (GV) as requests for enhancements. As a reference; Google uses a unque 406 area code and references that # with your # and the # that you are calling. For instance, to call Jane (202-555-1234) from your home (214-555-1234), Google has a unque number assigned - 406-555-0001. Now all calls from one of your registered phone to 406-555-0001 will call Jane. This is also the number you would send an SMS text message in order to text Jane.

  1. Note Taking: I would like to be able to record a message back to myself and have GV translate it back to Gmail inbox.
  2. I want GV to pre-pop all of the Googel Voice 406 #s into Gmail Contacts list. Then I can use Google Blackberry Sync and use the GV 406 # from both the desktop and Mobile device.
  3. I want to manage multiple Google Voice #s from one inbox. At least give me two GV #s so I can have a work and a personal #. Then if a client calls me from a phone that is not in my Contacts list I can set it to NOT call my house after 6PM. But calls to my personal # route to cell and home.
  4. Give me more control over call routing per GROUP. Let me schedule on/off times per group and per person. I want to be able to ignore ALL but let FAMILY still go thru. This is easy to do on my Blackberry and should be a standard for Google Voice.
  5. The ability to change the Google Voice forwarded phone via SMS and/or phone call. Right now I have to use my Blackberry Internet Browser if I need to make a change while mobile. It takes too long. A simple call with voice prompts, a SMS message or even a GV 406 number could be designated to handle this.
  6. I need to be able to set the # of rings before GV goes to VM. Ideally this could be a global setting but can be dependent on the phones activated. For example: my default would be 6 rings, but if I activate the home phone then its setting of 4 rings now over rides the default.
  7. Let me use the GV 406 SMS # to ring mulitple contact's #s at once. Like a reverse Google Voice.
  8. I want a quick dial page with my main friends for fast easy access. I just click for GV to auto dial me. There should be a drop menu at the top with a list of my GV call to phone lines.

 

The Google Voice SMS email address is 1Number@txt.voice.google.com. This is outbound only so you cannot send yourself anything.

 

Additional reference sites: