A Free Extra Home Phone Line

By Wayne Maruna

 

            You’d have to be living under a rock not to know about Google.  Known mainly for their famous search engine, the company is also the force behind the Android operating system that powers the largest share of smart phones, and they’re the company that brings you the free Gmail system.  Many people have also discovered their “cloud-based” Google Docs applications which provide office-type utilities (e.g. word processing and spreadsheets).  Some folks I know also make use of Google Voice which provides a free phone number that can ring at your home phone and cell phone simultaneously so that you are never out of reach – which can be a blessing or a curse depending on your perspective.  But did you know that Google also provides a free way to make calls from your computer using your Gmail account?  I sure didn’t, not until I read an article by Andy Wolber in the Nov. 14th   issue of the daily Tech Republic e-letter.

 

            First let’s talk about why you might want this. There have been occasions when I’ve wanted to make a phone call while sitting at my computer, only to find the phone line tied up by another family member.  Depending on the person on the other end of the line, such conversations can be rather lengthy.  I know that if I don’t make my call right then I will likely forget about it until I am lying in bed at 3 in the morning.  In our particular location, cell phone access is spotty at best.  So using my cell to make the call may mean walking outside to make a connection, and that’s not always convenient.

 

            Using Google’s phone call placement service from within Gmail solves this problem.  There are prerequisites, of course:  1) a Gmail account, which has become quite common – it is the second most popular email domain on TabMail, distantly following Suddenlink; 2) a computer; 3) a broadband internet connection (cable or DSL); 4) speakers; and 5) a microphone.  If you don’t have a stand-alone microphone but you do have a webcam, chances are you’re covered, as most webcams today (and laptops that contain them) have built-in microphones.

 

            You’re also going to need a piece of software called a plug-in which you can download from this link: http://www.google.com/chat/voice . Download it and install it. Easy peasy.

 

            With that done, the actual placing of the call is a snap.  Sit down with your computer and bring up your web-based Gmail account.  If you already use Google Chat, you should see an entry for “Call Phone” in your chat list.  Otherwise, you should see a very small phone icon on the left side of your Gmail screen.  Click that, and a dialer pad should pop up.  Using your mouse, click on the ten digits that make up the phone number, including area code. Then click the ‘Call’ bar at the bottom of the dialer window.  You should hear a phone ringing through your speakers, and when the person answers, ask them if they have Prince Albert in the can.  If they ask “Who is this?!” you’ll know your microphone is working, and you can immediately hang up and giggle.

 

            With the hurdle of your first call out of the way, hopefully you will find ways to make better use of your new VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol ) line.

 

            There are ways to receive calls over your computer as well, but that gets a bit trickier.  To learn the magic behind that, you’re going to have to read the entirety of Andy’s article which can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/cqjl8bc