Right when I thought Google hated me (A long story that I will try to type up later), I got an invite to Google Voice (GV). I have been playing around with it the last few days and I have to say I am very impressed.

In a nut shell, Google Voice assigns you a phone number. You can use that phone number to consolidate all our other phones. For example you get a number (405) 633-1111 (I made that up) from GV. You then add your other phones to the approved Google Voice list and when someone calls your GV number all the phones you have setup ring.

But GV goes beyond a standard call forwarding system. GV also allows you to define groups of users, based on phone numbers, and what phones ring when they call. So for another example your wife/girlfriend is calling, have your mobile and home phones ring. Your mother-in-law calls have it only your home phone ring. That telemarketer calls; no phones ring.

So far I have found the quality of the voice calls good. My mom did complain about it being “echoy” once, but I was on my iPhone calling her long distance for the opening day of Harry Potter. All the screaming girls did not help.

Wait there is more! If you miss a call GV has voicemail too. You can setup your own voicemail greeting and have all your missed calls recorded digitally. There are options that allow you to send the voicemail to your email address or listen to them from the web interface. Or if you prefer you can read a transcript of the voice mail before listening to it. A little note on the transcript, it is not very accurate. So far I have noticed a lot of wrong words so be sure to listen to the messages.

Placing a call through GV can be confusing. The easiest way I have found is to dial you own GV number from an approved phone and press 2. You will then be prompted to dial the number you want to call followed by the # key. Of course this being Google there are other options as well. You can place a call from the web interface or from the Android Google Voice application. No official iPhone application is out yet, but it is rumored to be coming.
Google Voice is a very cool service that allows you to make long distance calls (within the US) for free, Record Calls, Share Voicemail, Block Calls, Call Screen, and many many other features.  Google world domination is still in full effect.

Sign up for a Google Voice Invite here and leave me a voice mail using the Google Voice Widget so see how it sounds.