Google just found another way to enter your life and make it that much more easy (and its free to boot!) Google voice is a (semi) new service offered by, you guessed, the giant that is Google. So when you start off you need an invite (You can request one from Google here http://services.google.com/fb/forms/googlevoiceinvite/. Once you’re in, by the way my invite took a few days; you need to decide if you want to keep your current number or if you want to have a new number.

The advantages of keep your current number do not need to be expressed, as most people have experienced the pain of getting an all new number, but if you get a new ‘Google number’ then you get several advantages that I personally took advantage of. First off you can set up call forwarding so that your Google number will ring to your cell, home or business phone number. Second you get FREE SMS (text) messaging, with all of them saved online (you can delete them if you so choose). Third you get several calling feature which either you pay extra for on your cell phone plan, or no not get at all. These features include blocking calls, record calls, conference calls and screening callers.

Now this may sound too good to be true, but I guarantee you it is NOT. All of your calls to anywhere in the United States are completely free. International calls will cost you but google does give you 10 cents free to make a international call. I can’t comment on the call quality of international calls as I don’t know many people out of the friendly confines of Michigan, but from the reviews I have read online the call quality is the same as it is from domestic calls, excellent.

Google rarely drops the ball and this is not one of those times. The call quality itself is enough to make you switch from your current VoIP provider, but add the fact that Google voice is nearly completely free and offers free text messaging make joining Google voice a literal no brain.