As some of you know, you can now place FREE calls to anywhere in the US or Canada using GMail and the "voice and video chat plugin". You can also receive calls from within GMail if you have a GoogleVoice account and you set it up to forward GoogleVoice calls to "Google Chat" as well as your phone(s).
This is awesome! I can now answer calls from GMail instead of my phone. I wish the desktop GoogleTalk app did that so I wouldn't have to always keep a webbrowser page open to GMail, but that is not what this post is about...
I got to thinking: if GMail can place and receive free phone calls, why can't I do that on my phone (or any device with internet)? I downloaded every available webbrowser for Android and tried to surf to GMail, but none of them even loaded the page (???), much less the plugin.
While searching for any possible solution, I learned that the required "voice and video chat plugin" is available for Linux. This fact makes me almost positive that it is somehow possible for someone to develop an Android app that loads that plugin, logs in to GMail (spoofing a desktop browser), and displays the Pop-out dial pad capable of placing and receiving free calls!
Is anyone up to the challenge? This is huge people! FREE phone where ever there is internet. I hope someone can make this happen on Android devices, since it already works perfect on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
EDIT: Lots of info in the SIPdroid thread I found after posting this, but it still would be nice to just make an XMPPdroid app and not have to deal with connecting Jabber to SIP. If my linux PC can make free Google VOIP calls without setting up additional SIP and PBXes accounts, then my Android phone should be able to too.
Great idea! Im sure others are working on it. Im all for free calling wherever there is internet. Not sure if the cell phone carriers ate gonna like it.
*** Sent from my Samsing Vibrant
+1
I've thought the same, currently I'm using SipDroid>pbxes>sipsorcery>sipgate>GV. Anything a bit simpler would be great. Plus when i try to hook up a friend, at least one of those sites aren't open to the public;gizmo is a simpler setup, hasnt been open since google bought it and has been sitting on it ever since. If I find anything I'll post here
this would be really nice. cell carriers are already ripping us off unnecessarily. this would give us some ways out
PBXes added support for the gtalk trunk recently and their latest sipdroid application can even set that all up for you today. In the end you'll have sipdroid->pbxes->gtalk with direct dialing.
I've been using it for a week or so now and it works better than any other solution I've tried, except for a sipdroid/android bug where a bluetooth disconnect causes the phone to reboot.
Related
As you all know... theres a new feature in gmail that allows us to call US & Canada for free... right from our Gmail page
i'm wondering if there is an app on our android that could do that..
If only the feature didn't require a plugin i bet the webkit browser could do it. I don't know why they didn't integrate this true VOIP feature into google voice app.
If any type of phone would ever get this first, it would undoubtedly be the Android OS. Having said that creating a VOIP for phone calls on a mobile device would unveil a huge pandora's box and will officially launch the Google vs. ALL cellular carriers wars. I think it will probably be some time before we see an official app that can do that.
Who know, maybe some developers can figure out how to piggyback the Gmail-call VOIP service.
As soon as I heard about this GMail Voice I thought about how great it would be to be able to use WiFi for calling where I don't have good cell phone service but unfortunately it looks like that's not possible... yet.
Any great ideas on how to replicate this feature on mobile?
Yes, lol Google Voice IS available for Android.
Latest APK for Google voice is within the HTC Vision Rom dump
Hope this helps
raven-inc said:
Latest APK for Google voice is within the HTC Vision Rom dump
Hope this helps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This just works as a forwarding service though. No VOIP support.
Just found that IM is actually quite useful....anyone recommend me the best app for the job ??
(need to cover both Gtalk and MSN, yahoo etc)
which is the best ?
I actually like Trillian. Sure, it's $5 (used to be a free Beta), but it's got a boatload of features, is quick, clean, and integrates perfectly with Trillian for Windows. I can be using it in bed/on the sofa, then go to my PC and the conversation I've just been having is there ready to pick up and carry on, and vice-versa.
Use EBuddy, works great and it's free.
Xda app
Thanks chaps
TheRedDrake said:
Use EBuddy, works great and it's free.
Xda app
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Click to collapse
I second this.
TheRedDrake said:
Use EBuddy, works great and it's free.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use this one too, but I really dislike the fact, that it changes my quick message, and adds "on my mobile with ebuddy messenger"...
Anyone knows how to remove this?
PhillySaxon said:
I actually like Trillian. Sure, it's $5 (used to be a free Beta), but it's got a boatload of features, is quick, clean, and integrates perfectly with Trillian for Windows. I can be using it in bed/on the sofa, then go to my PC and the conversation I've just been having is there ready to pick up and carry on, and vice-versa.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
tried Trillian
Liked the look of it but had issues with it not letting me log into Yahoo, i could set my account ok but it would only connect for a micro second then diconnect, msn and google worked well tho.
shame
using Meebo at the moment as an alternative.
Also didnt like Nimbuzz much either
panos_ts said:
I use this one too, but I really dislike the fact, that it changes my quick message, and adds "on my mobile with ebuddy messenger"...
Anyone knows how to remove this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you use Facebook chat it posts "on my mobile with ebuddy messenger" as your Facebook status without your permission. That's the one annoying reason why I stopped using it and switched to nimbuzz!
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
It depends on what you're after I guess in a client. I have Meebo IM, MSN talk and eBuddy.
Meebo IM and eBuddy have more client support. But as an MSN client alone, MSN talk is very hard to beat in my opinion.
Try IM+ and IMO.
After I tried all, they have proven to be most reliable and stable.
And have support for all IM services.
Peace
Mercury MSN Messenger is the BEST for MSN.
- MSN Features:
File transfer
Voice clips
Group chat
Invisible signin
Multiple MSN accounts
Logging to sdcard
Offline messaging
Show current song (MSN Now playing)
Improved Launcher (Widget)
Fling (or swipe) between contact lists and conversations
Events notification (message received, contact signed in)
Notifications: status bar, vibrate, audio, led
Chat with your MSN and Yahoo contacts
- Other Features:
Multiple languages
Start on phone boot
Very stable and regular updates
I'm using Ebuddy because it integrates all Chat Clients (FB, MSN, Yahoo, etc.), got a good UI. Had no problem yet regarding to facebook posts like "online with ebuddy", did never posted it. Only drawback I would say is that you cannot send files (corrent me if I am wrong), for instance you cannot take a picture while you are in the chat window and send it. Nimbuzz could do it (used it before), but its quite big (5mb).
I just installed gtalk on my wife's iP4，and it turned out that could receive message from my gtalk on atrix, but mine could not receive any message from the iP4. Can someone help me?
Yeah, you should give her your google account username
I've given her my account name, and nothing's wrong with that account name.
Honestly I would drop gtalk and try pingchat. My wife has a BB and when we tried to use gtalk a month ago sometimes we would send messages that the other person never received. It caused some headaches (I missed a message with the grocery list). With pingchat there's the sent/received confirmation indicators. Gtalk does not have it.
check any computers that you have google logged into. I've noticed that if i start replying on a computer, messages stop going to my phone. But the first message always makes it to all devices.
Quite simple, Google Talk uses an other implementation on android devices (variant of XMPP). Therefore, you should be able to communicate with Google Talk to/from your phone to/from a browser, but when using other Google Talk clients that rely on pure XMPP protocol, it doesn't work.
So as said before, use an other IM then the default Google Talk.
cegna09 said:
check any computers that you have google logged into. I've noticed that if i start replying on a computer, messages stop going to my phone. But the first message always makes it to all devices.
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Click to collapse
I noticed this too, however I still do not receive messages sometimes even when I log off google on my computer.
thx guys i really appreciate ur help. now i just change to IM+. and u know these days it's hard to use google service in china, it sux really.
the most weird part was, when i started to use another computer client to send a message, my gtalk on phone can receive that message. but when i came back to GTalkPlus on the iP4, it failed. so ,it's all about the iP4 client?
We saw the same behavior on my Atrix and my wife's BB 9000, so it's not just IP4.
so since apple released whatever 'iMessage' for all apple products and its exclusive and what not, and all blackberry devices have BBM, how much do you gander android will release its own form of IM within the coming months before the release of icecream sandwich?
revamp of G-Talk... maybe? LOL that thing seriously need a big overhaul anyway.
a penny for your thoughts?
I personally like the idea of GTalk how it is now. They could just make sure its installed on every phone and maybe even put it on the first screen.
I like having it cross-platform and even available on the desktop.
Most of my friends have Android now, so more and more people are moving to GTalk.
I wish they would come out with a better desktop client though that'll do video rather than relying on the web one.
I think GTalk should be a feature they advertise more. Its already available on every Android phone, uses push for 2.2+ and works really well.
It would be cool
I would like to see google sync google talk across devices. Not sure if it could kill off SMS like everyone thinks though.
ethridgt said:
I would like to see google sync google talk across devices. Not sure if it could kill off SMS like everyone thinks though.
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The nice thing is that it uses Jabber, so there's lots of clients out there that will support it...all with their own feature sets. So its easily cross-platform, just not always the official app.
I think iMessage is going to be hugely popular as it looks like it's built right into the normal SMS messaging application in iOS and is going to be automaticly used any time you are sending a message to another iPhone user. Once people get used to using the combined messaging app, it's going to be nearly impossible to convince iPhone users to install a 3rd party chat app.
I now think it makes sense for RIM to open up BBM to other platforms, as they have the best chance of getting people to install their app, and if they are going to lose customers to iPhones and Androids (which is clearly happening), it would be in their best interest to at least keep them as BBM users.
Frankly, Google really dropped the ball by not seeing what a big problem all of these propietary chatting protocols are going to be for alternative mobile platforms. Many people in places like Canada (where blackberry and BBM are very popular) fear switching from blackberry as it means giving up all of your BBM contacts, and it's going to be the same thing for iPhone users soon. We needed an open spec protocol like XMPP to be the dominant protocol so that anyone can make a client for any device, but there are parts of Google Talk that just don't meet what people are looking for.
Google Talk needs at least the following, in my opinion:
- Remove the ability to log out
- Delivery (and maybe read) status for messages
- Improved group chat (currently the implementation is clumsy and inconsistent)
- Improved media transfers (photos and videos, but also contacts and locations)
- Combine SMS and Google Talk applications into one messaging super app, like iMessage.
The biggest problem with Google talk is its currently not widely available on every android phone.
Google doesn't need to revamp gtalk. It just needs to make Disco the default messaging program like Apple has done with iMessage. It would need to add MMS and remove the requirement for creating groups before sending messages but I can't imaging either would be too difficult to do before ICS is released.
http://techcrunch.com/2011/05/23/google-disco-2/
Been wishing this was in gtalk since 1.6. I dont think they need to combine it with the SMS app if they keep the green circle next the contacts name when they are signed on in Gtalk.
If they updated the BB and IOS apps to work with the new Gtalk apps it could dominate. But like google maps with navigation, they reserve group chats and video chatting to the web client and android users.
http://www.cultofmac.com/androids-going-to-help-apples-imessage-kill-off-sms/99831
PrawnPoBoy said:
I think iMessage is going to be hugely popular as it looks like it's built right into the normal SMS messaging application in iOS and is going to be automaticly used any time you are sending a message to another iPhone user. Once people get used to using the combined messaging app, it's going to be nearly impossible to convince iPhone users to install a 3rd party chat app.
I now think it makes sense for RIM to open up BBM to other platforms, as they have the best chance of getting people to install their app, and if they are going to lose customers to iPhones and Androids (which is clearly happening), it would be in their best interest to at least keep them as BBM users.
Frankly, Google really dropped the ball by not seeing what a big problem all of these propietary chatting protocols are going to be for alternative mobile platforms. Many people in places like Canada (where blackberry and BBM are very popular) fear switching from blackberry as it means giving up all of your BBM contacts, and it's going to be the same thing for iPhone users soon. We needed an open spec protocol like XMPP to be the dominant protocol so that anyone can make a client for any device, but there are parts of Google Talk that just don't meet what people are looking for.
Google Talk needs at least the following, in my opinion:
- Remove the ability to log out
- Delivery (and maybe read) status for messages
- Improved group chat (currently the implementation is clumsy and inconsistent)
- Improved media transfers (photos and videos, but also contacts and locations)
- Combine SMS and Google Talk applications into one messaging super app, like iMessage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1, I totally agree with you.
It really has to be promoted. I have a lot of friends with Android devices whom doesn't even know that Gtalk exists, it's a real pain. It needs the option to login with a kind of a "PIN" maybe just like RIM has.
VicToR_AC said:
+1, I totally agree with you.
It really has to be promoted. I have a lot of friends with Android devices whom doesn't even know that Gtalk exists, it's a real pain. It needs the option to login with a kind of a "PIN" maybe just like RIM has.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
why use a pin though? that just creates more hassle for everyone. why not just tell them to add your gaccount which has everything integrated... your number/whatever you want to share.
FaithCry said:
why use a pin though? that just creates more hassle for everyone. why not just tell them to add your gaccount which has everything integrated... your number/whatever you want to share.
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Click to collapse
Because as I can see, some of my friends with an Android device don't even use Gmail accounts, and there's when the problem using Gtalk begin!
VicToR_AC said:
Because as I can see, some of my friends with an Android device don't even use Gmail accounts, and there's when the problem using Gtalk begin!
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Click to collapse
Fair enough...but then are you telling me they aren't downloading any apps from the market then? And thus not optimizing the android system already? Because if they can access the market they should be able to use g chat ...
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
For it to work, any message system has to integrate with the default messaging app. Otherwise, it will be a failure. Apple did get iMessage right by integrating it with the sms app and make using it automatic (without any user input to setup).
^wait, so how does the phone know if the receiver is an iOS user and that the receiver has an internet connection? For iPads, there are no phone numbers associated with the devices. So how does iMessage integrate with the SMS app?
Currently you can see if the person is on gtalk in the SMS app by a green dot next to their name. That seems perfectly fine by me.
NexusDro said:
^wait, so how does the phone know if the receiver is an iOS user and that the receiver has an internet connection? For iPads, there are no phone numbers associated with the devices. So how does iMessage integrate with the SMS app?
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Click to collapse
Actually, even iPad 3G users have a phone number (it just isn't visible to the user). My guess is it will do contact matching (which will check the contact's email against itunes accounts and the phone number). The phone number will probably be automatically registered to your account when you login to your phone with your itunes account. So it isn't hard to do that simple matching.
moelester518 said:
Currently you can see if the person is on gtalk in the SMS app by a green dot next to their name. That seems perfectly fine by me.
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Click to collapse
Which sms app? I don't see any green dots (or spaces for them) in the default app, or handcent.
I'm on CM7. Is this a feature in stock roms?
bozzykid said:
Actually, even iPad 3G users have a phone number (it just isn't visible to the user). My guess is it will do contact matching (which will check the contact's email against itunes accounts and the phone number). The phone number will probably be automatically registered to your account when you login to your phone with your itunes account. So it isn't hard to do that simple matching.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But what if I switch between iphones and other phones all the time?
J.L.C. said:
Which sms app? I don't see any green dots (or spaces for them) in the default app, or handcent.
I'm on CM7. Is this a feature in stock roms?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can see who's online on Gtalk on the stock contact list.
NexusDro said:
You can see who's online on Gtalk on the stock contact list.
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Click to collapse
Yep, you can. But the contact list isn't an sms app
Dont know if anyoine knows this but google talk(pc app) allows free calling to any number in canada and the usa. since everyone has a google account of course already to use android its as simple as opening gmail on your pc, then look for the tab that says talk. it opens a reg phone dialer and away you go. Not restricted to contacts, or nothing. Sorry if its already posted. I use wifi on my laptop and calls are fairly good quality, some static but its free!!