As far as we know, the service is now rolling out to Chrome users in the US and you should be able to use it right now, although it may take some time to appear for the whole of US.

Basically the feature is self explanatory and Google now allows you to search for content by using your voice only. And the accuracy of the search is very impressive as well, as you can see in the included test video over at Mashable below.

According to them, they have the accuracy of Google Voice search for Chrome at around 85%, but of course this will vary depending on the nature of your search. If you have Chrome and you see the voice icon on the right-hand side of your search bar, try it out now and let us know how you get on.

How accurate is Google Voice for you? Did it have any problems with some of your searches or not?

The app is completely free and can be found here, this application allows you to access your Google Voice account, receive push notification when you receives text / voicemail messages, make cheap international calls, send free text messages to U.S. numbers, listen to voicemail, read transcripts of your voicemail and display your Google Voice number as your caller ID when making calls.

To use the Google Voice application you must sign up to Google Voice here, you can find out more about this service check out this link.

Initially Apple blocked the app as it offered functionality which was banned from the App Store, it is unclear as to why Apple had such a change of heart, however I’m sure it will be welcomed by thousands, perhaps millions of iPhone users.

We would love to hear if you have used Google Voice on your iPhone, therefore let us know in the comments section below.

Source: IntoMobile

Although not yet official, word on the street is that these two companies who know all about social networking are about to announce the deal anytime now that would bring a whole new spin on how social networking operates and could also challenge the uprising of Google Voice released just a small time ago.

Facebook have not kept quiet but did not confirm or deny the rumors by saying that they did not wish to comment on speculation. If the rumors are correct then it is thought that Facebook’s integration would start with Skype 5.0 that is due sometime in October.

Skype, already a big hitter in the world of communication could expand their horizons by integrating with arguably the worlds biggest social networking portal and showing off Facebook Connect. There is also talk of making support for video calling via webcam.

Exciting stuff, don’t you agree? If this becomes a formality then would you embrace it?

Source: Telegraph

While Google Voice and Gmail integration is not perfect, we love the option of placing calls in a browser for free or cheaper than most other international services, add to that the new Google Voice calls in US phone booths and we can see Google’s aim is clear and simple.

Phone call rates have been too high for some time, and as the Telegraph points out, Google Gmail calls could be calling time on the standard telephone. How many people just use cell phones for calls and do not even use the home phone to make a call?

Google would love to make calling from the computer the normal way of making calls. The Washington Post also sees Google’s clear assault on the phone call price, and points to the problems of Google’s Voice service launched in June compared to the new Gmail call option, which requires a small plug-in to be installed rather than the more complicated service they first launched.

The telecom firms are still pretty secure for many reasons including charging too much for text messaging, so Google or another company will need to take a more serious approach to change the industry as a whole.

Would you like to see the phone industry changed, and how would you like that done? What do you think of the new Gmail call option? You can see more details on rates via Google Gmail.

Overall the addition is great news for all Gmail users, and may convince some of you to switch from Skype to Google Voice. That said, there are still a few changes and additions that users like me would like to see.

Calling Packages – Although the service is only limited to users in the US for the time being, all calls to the United States and Canada are free for the foreseeable future. If you want to make international calls, you will be charged 2 cents per minute, but what if you make regular calls internationally? Like Skype, Google should implement calling packages to other countries for a specific rate. You could even add region specific packages that let you call European countries, or even the world for a monthly (or yearly) fee.

Make The Service Global – Gmail is currently available worldwide, therefore the entire Google-sphere should be able to access the service no matter where you are. As we stated earlier, the service is only active in the US for the time being, and I’m sure that users will want to take advantage of Google Voice within Europe, Asia and the rest of the world. Google do have plans to roll out the service internationally, but no immediate word from Google on that yet.

Add-ons – We all love add-ons and extensions for our browser, heck, we’ve already got a Google Voice add-on for Chrome, as well as Firefox too. But it would be ideal for Google Voice to be added to the add-ons department aswell. Skype already have this feature, so I think it is only a matter of time before Google offers the same service.

If Google could agree and to all these things above, Google Voice has the potential to become the best VoIP service out there. But until they do, i’ll be happy with what they are offering at present. Skype users shouldn’t feel the need to switch, but give it a look just for the sake of it. You may even prefer it.

Google Voice or Skype — what is your preference?

Source: PC World

As reported from Engadget, anyone with a Gmail account will be able to make calls to other users, straight from your laptop or computer. With the upcoming placement of special booths, you’ll even be able to make the experience more fun by phoning friends or family from a Google Voice booth.

You won’t see these booths everywhere though. Google states that they will start appearing in airports and college campuses. Will the public just see this as an unnecessary gimmick, or will it really attract them to the wonderful world of Google Call?

If you’re in the US or Canada, you should particularly pay attention, since you’ll be able to make free landline calls in these booths, using pre-paid credits from Google Checkout.

Take a look at the booth below and let us know what you think of it. Smart idea or not?

The feature should be implemented within your Gmail chat list over the coming days, where the service will be free to all US and Canadian numbers with international rates coming in at $0.02 per minute.

For those of you who are wondering, you do not need to have a Google Voice account to use Gmail voice calls, but the benefit of having one is that when you make outgoing calls, that will be used as your global caller ID. If you are unsure about the service, and do not have a Google Voice account but would like to take advantage of the phone call service, check out these instructions provided by Google themselves.

Google have also released a short video promoting the use of the feature that can be seen after the break below.

Google Voice in Gmail? Is it a revolution?

Source: SlashGear

Google Voice was released by the search giant as a free service which lets users combine phone numbers such as personal, work, home and mobile into one number, so if you receive a call, you can take it from any phone of your choice.

The petition states “We have asked, begged, and pleaded for a desktop VoIP application…This petition is brought forth to show you the overwhelming demand for such an application,” which can be found at GiveUsVDeskop.com. The petition has had more that 2,400 signatures and aims to reach the 500,000 mark.

If you are interested in signing the petition, check out the above link and click on “Sign This Petition.” You can then sign up using your Facebook, MySpace or Twitter usernames if you please.

Are you going to sign the petition?

Source: PC World

A recent post on SlashGear suggests that Google Voice is completely open, I checked it out and sure enough the Google Voice website features a message reading “We’re open — no invitation required! Create an account or just sign in with your existing Google Account”.

If you are not sure what Google Voice is all about perhaps watch the videos on this page, these 11 videos should clear up any questions you may have, one thing to remember is that it is only available to users in the U.S.

Source: SlashGear

Senior Product Manager Vincent Paquet has said that the new web app will work on any HTML 5 device, although the current app has only been formatted to work with Apple’s iPhone OS and Palm’s webOS. Engadget has been looking more closely at the new web app to see how it works.

Google Voice now works like its mobile Gmail site, with the app caching your contacts list when you visit your web browser page. All the features are there, such as checking your inbox, SMS messages as well as a voicemail feature.

You can even make a call on the new app, you will have to dial them though Google. Although this is a long-winded way, it helps you get much lower rates through the search engine giant. This is perfect if you have to make a number of international calls.

Engadget points out that this is not the best solution as there are a number of downsides. However, this is the best that Google has to offer until the likes of Apple play ball and decide to reinstate Google Voice back on the App Store.