First Look at Google Voice
I have been a user of Grand Central for about a year now, and have loved it. It lets me give out one number, and route calls to any, or all, or my phones simultaneously.\xa0 When I answer one phone, it connects the call to that number.
\nIt provided not only a voicemail system, but an opportunity to record a call, and even download the voicemail or recording for later use (even as podcasts!)\xa0\xa0 Oh, and just like a regular answering machine in your house, there is an option to screen the call, listen as it records the voicemail, and jump in if it is “critical.”
\nWell, Google bought them (a while ago) and just today announced they are remaking it as “Google Voice.”
\nI have just converted to the new account, and Aaron over on Twitter (@aaronaiken) politely tested it with me.\xa0 He called, and I let it go to voice mail.\xa0 You can listen to the actual audio file below.
\nI watched as it first delivered the mail to the webpage inbox, and was immediately available to listen to, and download.
\nThen, after 2 minutes, provided the coolest new feature:
\nVOICEMAIL CONVERTED TO TEXT.
\nYup, you read that right.\xa0 His voicemail was converted to text.\xa0 The darker the text in the display, the more confident the automated conversion system was of the words.\xa0 Here is a graphic of the actual voicemail.
\nAs you can see it was pretty confident.\xa0 And honestly, it should be.\xa0 It got most of the grey words correct as well.\xa0 I am sure “your mileage may vary” but it was quite good!\xa0 Perhaps most interesting, it deleted out all the “verbal pauses.”
\nWithin another minute I was not only notified by text message on my iPhone that I had a voicemail, but they delivered the text of that voicemail as well!
\nI hope to be testing out other features later today–so be on the lookout for a podcast, recorded using Google Voice, and the new “conference Call” feature!
\nOne more thing:\xa0 If you haven’t yet, please consider helping my son get to water polo camp.\xa0 Even a simple one, or two, dollar donation would be great!