Phone calls from and to GMail

Technology continues to blur the distinctions between classical modes of communication.  Now Google has pulled off a really slick one that will fit any student who has abundant internet access but is on a tight budget that just doesn't make room for a cell phone bill.

1) Calls from GMail.
In GMail you can now call people.  Anyone in the US or Canada is absolutely free.  It works a lot like Skype but functions seemlessly within GMail.  

2) Calls to GMail.
If you sign up for a Google Voice account, you can get a phone number from Google.  People who call this number can be forwarded to any phones you use and/or any combinations of phones you use.  In fact you can even schedule it to ring your work phone during your normal work hours and your home phone in the evenings and you cell phone on the weekends when you're out running around. 

The thing that really amazed me is that now you can even forward callers who use you Google Voice number into your GMail account, but they didn't stop there.  In GMail you can screen these callings and pick up in the middle of the message someone is leaving in your Google Voice voicemail.  You can also record the conversation.  Amazing.  Check out the details at the Google Voice Blog entry- Get More out of GMail.

I can't wait for someone to call my Google Voice number.  I hope the brake repair guy will call soon about my car so that I can record every word he says and ask him what is wrong what it'll cost to fix it!

Once again, Google has accomplished more than I ever expected and made it available at no cost to me.  A hearty thanks, Google.