N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

So some of you asked that I put together a guide about Google Voice and how to use it with the N900, so now that I'm sober from last night here we go.

First off, the N900 is going to have some kind GV support, either already coming built into the phone or through some kind of widget. If you watch the N900 videos of people playing with the contacts section, you'll notice there is a part where it says 'Google Voice', now this could just be a simple section ( but doubtful ), or it could be more. Okay so moving forward to the guide.

GV & N900

Google Voice is an application that allows you to combine all your numbers ( work, home, cell ) and tie it to a single number you choose through GV ( the number you choose can be changed at anytime ). GV can also be used on our wonderful N900 for visual voicemail ( explained in a bit ).

Switching Phones during Calls

So when someone calls your GV number all your phones will ring and lets say you answer on your cell but your battery is about to die. Simply press * on your cell, and your other phones will ring--go over and pick up one of your other phones, then end the call on your cell. The person on the line will never know that you switched phones.

Recording Calls

If you're on line with a pesky customer service person or just need to record the call ( abide by state laws ofc ) for whatever reason simply press 4 and you conversation will be recorded, and when you're done recording just hang up or press 4 again. After you've updated your inbox your recording should be their ( although I've noticed it sometimes takes an hour for it to happen.

Voicemail Eavesdropping

We all love to hit the reject button when someone calls whom we don't want to talk to, so instead we wait for their message. Well here's one of the best parts, simply hit the 2 button, wait a few secs and you'll start hearing their message as they are leaving it for you. As they are leaving the message if you hear something that is important just hit * and you'll be connected...kind of cool also if you want to mess with people as they are leaving the message.

N900 Visual Voicemail

Setting up GV to be used as visual voicemail on your N900 ( credit for this goes out to iKneaDough ). When someone calls and leaves a message on your GV account, it gets transcribed, emailed and text'd to you with the entire message. To set up the visual voicemail on your N900 using T-Mobile USA simply type in *004*yourGVnum# and hit send. This way all calls that would have been sent to your cell voicemail will go directly to your GV voice mail thus being transcribed, text'd and emailed to you ( you now have visual voicemail thanks to GV ). To take it off your account simply enter *004* and hit send--your original voice mail settings are back to itself. T-Mobile gives you 500 voicemail forwarding minutes a month, though if you have your GV number in your MyFav5 I don't know if it counts, maybe it does.

Unlimited Cell Minutes

Never use your N900 cell minutes ever again. T-Mobile has MyFav5, simply make one of these your GV number. When you call your GV number, it'll ask you for your pin, after you've entered it, you'll be told if you wish to make a call press 2. After you've pressed 2, enter the number you wish to call, area code first and BAM you've saved your minutes. Give out your GV number, so when someone calls, it goes to your cell and you're covered under the MyFav5 so again...minutes not used!

Connecting

We've seen the full Google Wave being run on the N900, GV is nowhere as intensive as Wave so running the full version on your phone shouldn't be a problem, but if it is just go to the GV mobile phone version of the site.

Everything Else

GV when logged in will also allow you to place calls and sms from your comp, as well as email all saved phone recordings, voice mails.

Caller specific voicemail recordings. This allows you to assign each specific number with it's own voice mail recording. EX: Jessica calls, I don't pick up, my voice mail recording says " Hey Jess I'm at the law library, phone is off just meet me here". It's a specific voicemail for a specific person and/or group of people.

Call Screening, unknown numbers and blocked id's. Phone isn't in your contacts or it's blocked, caller will be prompted to give their name, and after being notified you'll be prompted accept or reject.

Do Not Disturb. I'm going away for the weekend, so from 6PM Friday till 7AM Monday all calls go directly to voicemail and the caller is notified ( notification works 50% of the time, sometimes it tells you when I'll be back, sometimes not ) when you'll be available again.

Call widgets. Embed a direct link into your blog or website, or email. So when someone clicks on it, the caller is automatically connected to you.

Conclusion

All in all, GV has great potential ( just so long as the FCC investigation doesn't penalize them ) for us all. Never use minutes, never miss a call, and my favorite--Visual Voicemail on your N900.

GV is going to take an already awesome phone that is the N900 and make it 20 times more uberepicpwn.


We've set up a thread for GV invites. So if you have them, and want to give them out to the Maemo community please head over and post that you have some--same goes if you would like an invite. Invites will go to people who actually take part in the discussions we have on the various threads, so if you register yourself just for an invite and thats it, please go elsewhere.

http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php...169#post350169

Visual Voicemail Thread

http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php...834#post340834


If you have anything you'd like to add, just let me know and I'll edit it in. Hope you guys enjoy.

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

Very Useful thanks. Hope when I make a international calls from N900 it will use Google Voice automatically like it does in android phones, or may be have a settings to do that. That would come really handy and save a lot of money.

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

Awesome!

I wasn't sure if you were going to be sober today and actually do this. *lol*

Many, many thanks!

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

I read on LifeHacker that you had to change a GV setting to show the GV # when taking a call. But I've left it on showing whatever # is calling, theoretically since GV is the middleman between calls it shouldn't matter. But anyone test it themselves?

The problem with setting the GV setting to showing the GV # all the time is you have no idea who is calling you unless you leave presentation settings on and then it will tell you their # or name (if they followed directions) after you answer the phone.

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

I had no idea about the caller specific voicemail recordings. That's pretty spot on! :)

What programs are you running on your tablet, spinnukur?

Is it just Dial Central, RTCOMM beta 2 or something else?

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

don't forget you've got to add money to your gv account to make international calls

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

It's two settings. When someone calls you, you can either have it setup to show the person's number who is calling you, or you can show your GV number. That way you know the person calling you is actually calling you GV number, in case you only wanted them to have your GV number. It sucks because you can only have one turned on but at the same time, can also save you if you don't want that person having your cell, home, or work number. I just leave my setting on 'show caller phone number'.

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

Thanks for this - appreciated..

I was given a google voice invite, but Im in the UK, so it is of no use :mad:

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

Right, the rates are similar to what Skype charges for int'l calls.

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

Yes, I know. But what the Lifehacker post was saying was you need to have it on the show GV # in order for the incoming calls to be free. Though I was wondering if you could just leave it on the "show caller phone #" and still get incoming for free. Logically it should be yes since GV is the middle-man regardless. But I was wondering if someone had actually tested this.

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

Ahh, yes...it's free. Don't know why they'd say that.

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

Yeah know that been doing that from day 1 i had the invite because their rates is dirt cheap compared to others.

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

Do you need an invite to use it on the N900?

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

No thank you though. I got mine from Google when they frist started inviting for registered users.
i would still take the Wave invitation.;)

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

Anyone care to write up the various ways to implement this on the tablet?

DialCentral, RTCOMM, Fring, Gizmo, Skype, etc.

That part confuses me the most. :(

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

Yes, until GV actually opens up to the general public you need an invite to use GV. Using GV on the N900 is still the same software as if you were using it on your computer.

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

Could someone with an N900 please test the following and see if it should be added to the summary:

Receive and Send calls with Google Voice using only Data, not Voice Minutes

Google Voice Supports connecting calls made to Gizmo/SIPphone accounts. You can register for an SIPphone account here:

https://my.gizmo5.com/gizmo5/app?class=MySip;proc=start

Once you have that set up, you can add the SIP account to the N900. Follow the directions here:

https://my.gizmo5.com/gizmo5/app?class=MySip;proc=start

Finally, go to the Google Voice website and add your "747" number to the account. If you are in an area with strong 3g coverage or always around wifi, it may be wise to disable your normal phone number from call forwarding, that way, you don't get two incoming calls at the same time. When you receive calls, you will only be charged data. To send calls, you can use the Google Voice website and select "send to Gizmo". Again, you will only be charged for data.

---

I kind-of prefer this solution to the myfaves one. First of all, you can buy the individual 300 plan rather than the MyFaves 300 plan and save $10 per month. Also, I remember the T-mobile website saying that only certain phones supported MyFaves - is this incorrect or does the N900 have some sort of MyFaves software barried in it?

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

I don't think certain phones support MyFaves, it's more a plan thing than a phone thing (e.g. you tell TMobile through their website which #s you want to be on the Fav 5 plan).

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

MyFavs5 is a plan, it doesn't matter what phone you have. I currently have my E90 on T-Mobile till my N900 gets here and MyFavs5 works just fine.

Also on another note, GV does work data only. Through the browser in my phone I went to the GV Mobile Site, and yep, it works like a charm.

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

Hi,
I just got a GV acct courtest of the GV request thread. Thanx Thommy!! I had some test calls made to me. The caller ID info is passed perfectly. That's nice, but ATT has a service called A-List, that's like my Favs, etc. In my call log on my phone, it also shows the caller ID/Contact info. Since the call is being tagged with that caller ID info and that's not the GV number in my A-List, will these calls count against my minutes even though they were placed to the GV number? I confused about how that works.

Thanx!

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

You might try logging into Google Voice via the web, going to "Settings", choosing the "Calls" tab, and switching "Caller ID" from "Display caller's number" to "Display my Google Voice number".

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

Hi,
That's my question. Do I need to do that? I would prefer the caller id to pass thru obviously.

Les

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

If anyone knows any details on this, please let me know.

I have updated Dialcentral to work on the n900 and several people are already enjoying it (please try it out and vote on it so it can move from extras-testing to extras).

I have plans and have started working on a telepathy connection manager for GoogleVoice which would allow integrated googlevoice support in the contacts, conversations, and dialpad (hopefully). Various issues with Dialcentral have slowed me down on it though. If someone else is working on this I'd like to know so I don't have to duplicate their efforts.

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

You do have to set the GV acct to show your GV number, or else you get charged for regular minutes used. The bad part is you won't get caller ID (all calls show up as Google Voice from my phonebook), the good news is you don't use up minutes since it's a myFaves. Last month I used 0 regular minutes, even though I used about 400 myFaves.
According to what I just read myFaves is going away with Project Dark, but users will be grandfathered in. If you want it, make up your mind in the next few days.
No minutes used, free SMS via my GV app, what's not to love?

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

That sucks, I guess you actually tested it thunderstruck? Oh well at least if you leave caller presentation on they still have to say their name or it will tell you their phone # when you pick up.

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

It's annoying not having caller ID, but it's worth the hassle of not worrying about going over on minutes. If you have my phone number you are someone I would answer for anyway. With GV you can also set it to force blocked calls to announce their name before you take the call.
I tested it in the sense that when I first got it I had it turned to pass the number through and it ate up my minutes like a regular call. If you are going to do that, may as well have them call direct and avoid GV.

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

Thanks for the clarification! I will be sure to change it over. I haven't really been able to test that myself since I'm on Sprint and I get charged minutes either way so it's hard to tell.

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

Anybody wanna spare google wave invite?

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

x61, i appreciate your generosity, but you might want to post this in the thread for gw invites.

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

PM sent! with requisite begging!

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

I'm using caller id, and every time someone calls me through GV, my minutes aren't being used. I've looked online after every GV phone call. GV is also one of MyFav 5's

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

Yep. Same here. No minutes are being used so not sure why thunderstruck is seeing different results than us.

Also, if you turn off call presentation in your GV settings, when you answer a phone call on your tablet, you don't need to mess around with the dial pad and pressing 1 to be connected.

Just a little tip for those who didn't know. :)

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

On ATT's A-List, the minutes are used. I had to set it to show the GV number and then it is tagged correctly to be an A-list call.

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

What service provider are you using?


@ les:

Must be AT&T then because Addison's minutes are also not being used.

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

I just buy my minutes, Spin.

Actually the wife does this for me so I'm not exactly sure how she set this up.

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

I'm sure that's the deal. They're antiques!

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

Interesting, I have more minutes then I know what to do with so the "free calling" isn't all that useful to me until my contract expires but the ability to have visual voicemail like what was described is amazing. Now I just need to get a Google Voice account :)

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

I'm a little confused about how this is going to work over wifi only. Where i live t-mobile has 0 coverage and i'm getting an N900 no matter what. Is there going to be a way to make/receive calls easily over wifi only? Also, this was just posted on engadget: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/27/g...nes-voicemail/ stating that we can now use our existing # with google voice? Will that work over wifi? Thanks!

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

yes to both; how-to instructions are available in the forum threads and wiki.

Re: N900 and Google Voice Guide
 

"Unlimited Cell Minutes

Never use your N900 cell minutes ever again. T-Mobile has MyFav5, simply make one of these your GV number. When you call your GV number, it'll ask you for your pin, after you've entered it, you'll be told if you wish to make a call press 2. After you've pressed 2, enter the number you wish to call, area code first and BAM you've saved your minutes. Give out your GV number, so when someone calls, it goes to your cell and you're covered under the MyFav5 so again...minutes not used!"

say i didnt think about that function :\
hmm....