Thought I’d quick post a few thoughts now that I’ve been using Google Voice for a couple weeks and have had a chance to get my hands dirty.

The basic functionality alone makes Google Voice totally worth using. Being able to have 1 number to give to friends, family, or co-workers and have that single number ring all your phones depending on different schedules is pretty much priceless. That, combined with unified voicemail that is also available online and is even transcribed has been amazing for me. But as I’ve used and explored Google Voice a bit deeper, I realize there’s a pretty good slew of features that I hadn’t even tried out.

Recording Calls.
Apparently you can press “4” to start/stop recording any phone call. These recordings are then saved and accessible via the web. This is something I haven’t really done too much with as of yet, but its nice to know that feature is available. The possibilities are endless here. My inner child longs to make prank calls using Arnold quotes and post them online for everyone. Just kidding! But seriously callers beware I may record your call and publish it. 😉

Transferring Calls.
While on a phone call via Google Voice, you simply have to press the * key. This keypress will then begin ringing all other phones that you’ve registered with Google Voice. This functionality I have used: Walking into my house while on my cell phone; I hit the * key and picked up my home phone which immediately began to ring. Nice, simple, easy functionality that allows you to switch phones without the person on the other end even having a clue that it happened.

VoiceMail ListenIn.
If you happen to just miss a call or send it to voicemail – Your GoogleVoice allows you to eavesdrop on the person currently leaving you a message. Even better, if you like what they’re saying you can press * to override the voicemail and pick the call back up. This one isn’t something I see myself doing very often, but it’s good to know that it’s there, and is a pretty cool added benefit.

Those are the main things I’ve found recently that were pleasant surprises. Overall, it seems like Google is constantly molding this service to do more with communications in general. Even in the beta stage it’s been a very solid product that I have really enjoyed having.

For about 3 years, I’ve lived totally without a “Land line” phone and used only a mobile phone.

At the same time, carrying two cell phones around was always a pain so I decided to cancel my “personal” cell phone and use only my employer provided blackberry. I recently got lucky enough (after weeks and weeks of pestering anyone I could find) to get an invite to Google voice, and that service has given me a completely new way of looking at phone service. I have been waiting for this forever.

Here’s what I’ve done this week:

1: Skype Unlimited Calling Subscription.
An unlimited US/Canada calling plan from Skype is about 34 dollars a year (2.79 / month). This unlimited calling plan allows me to call any phone in the continental US and Canada and talk as long as I want. For 2.79 a month, you just can’t beat that.

2: Skype Online Number.
When I signed up for an unlimited calling subscription, I got a discount on signing up for a Skype phone number at a 50% off. Subscribing to an online number is usually 60 bucks a month; but since I signed up for unlimited calling it was only 30 dollars for a 12 month subscription. This brings the TOTAL cost of Skype for a year of unlimited service with a callable phone number to about $64.

3: A Landline Phone VoIP Gateway USB adapter.
I ordered a Skype VoIP gateway which I will connect to my home server computer via USB. This product’s only (and very minimal, IMO) downside is that it must be connected to a PC in order to work. This adapter allows you to make and receive Skype calls from your normal phone handset. Plug in your standard cordless phone receiver with a couple satellite handsets, and you’ve got a pretty solid home phone that converts to VoIP using your Skype account. This product was 27 dollars and about 5 dollars shipping for a cost of $32.

4: Tie the Room Together with Google Voice.
Using Google Voice, I’ve set up a primary number that I use to forward to my Mobile phone and also my Skype number. So, anytime somebody calls me I have the option to answer it on my actual cell phone, on my computer with Skype’s soft client, or on a normal cordless phone handset hooked up through the VoIP gateway adapter.

I’m not a person that likes to spend hours on the phone, but at the same time I feel good about giving my employer a break and not using my work cell for 100% of my personal phone calls. And really, I feel like this setup is pretty “bad ass” from a techie perspective.

To give some perspective, here are the base prices for some other VoIP solutions:

Vonage: 24.99 / month
Charter Home Voice: 29.99 / month
Comcast “Digital Voice”: 24.95 / month

My setup, although a little more hands-on to set up, is VASTLY cheaper than these other options – and provides a unified voicemail that I can access online, amazing call forwarding features through Google voice, number blocking, call screening, and pretty awesome flexibility to make calls from cell/normal phone/computers running Skype.

With a setup that I like more than Vonage, Comcast, or Charter – my total cost per month for the first year of service will be about $8.05 per month. ($30 Skype number + $33 VoIP Gateway + 33.60 annual Skype subscription for Unlimited calls / 12 Months) And that number will go down significantly next year without having to purchase another gateway device adapter.

Google Voice is seriously changing the game, and I have officially jumped in.