How ironic that I would find this video in YouTube (it was recommended to me, lol). Everyone knows how embedded google is in our everyday lives from google maps, to gmail, and more – but watch this video and learn how MUCH MORE google is trying to get into your personal lives (and business!). Did you know they want your DNA and health records?! It probably won’t stop me from using google anymore, but this is a REALLY eye opening video!
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.
Is there a google shell, a google command line, or a google operating system?
There is a version of Linux supposedly used within google called Goobuntu, or google on “Ubuntu” linux. Many have speculated for years that google intends to market this, but they have repeatedly denied it. I myself have installed “gOS” which stands for “green OS” – many mistakenly call “google OS” because it such an insanely web based version of linux. Their new catch phrase is “Linux meets MySpace”. I can attest it works well because I replaced relatives Windows XP with this install and they are fine with it. They still don’t understand that they don’t have Windows – and they don’t even know what Linux means. Despite this, they’ve had no problems using their computer for the last year, and I’ve not received one single phone call regarding a virus, trojan, or other crippling PC problems like they used to have.
Get a live preview of gOS here (I’m not sure which version it is):
I found something cool today that calls itself the “unofficial google shell“. Really it’s just an ajax app that allows you to do a cool “command line like” web search. Check it out – I think you’ll really dig it!
