Google Voice is a new service from Google that is speculated to have an enormous impact in the lives of tech savvy people across the globe (even though it is only available for American users at the moment.) The service is centered around the idea that people are trying to get a hold of you not the phone that you pick up, meaning that when someone calls your Google Voice number, you can have it programmed so that up to six different phones ring simultaneously. People no longer have to figure out whether or not you are at home, at the office, near your cell phone, or at your vacation house. You can program your contacts so that they ring at only some of your six possible phones so that if your boss calls, only your work phone will ring. But if your son calls, all six phones will ring.

So what does it mean for your cell phone? Well, to really take advantage of Google Voice with your cell phone, you need a cell phone that has WIFI. The best part of Google Voice is that it’s totally FREE, but it is an Internet program so you need WIFI in order to get around being charged by your cell phone carrier. Once connected to the Internet via your cell, you can use Google Voice to call any cell phone or landline in the U.S. for free! You can also send and receive texts for free as well. In a nutshell, Google Voice is your new secretary who receives all of your calls/text messages and then forwards them to wherever you have instructed. Here is a list of some other features that make Google Voice appealing for the cell phone user:

Voicemail – Your Google Voice number comes with a cutting edge voice mail service. When someone starts leaving a voicemail, you can press a button on your cell and listen in on the message they are leaving. If you decide the call is important, you can answer it while they are leaving the message. Another great feature is that Google Voice’s voicemail program will transcribe the voicemails that are left into text and then send you the text via email and text message.

Call Recording – When someone calls you, you can press 4 at any time during the call, and Google Voice will start recording the call. When you press 4 again, the recording will stop, and the recorded segment of the call will then be forwarded to your in box. So when you are driving and can’t get to a pen and paper, just hit 4 and record whatever information you need.

Conference Calls – If you are having a conversation and someone else calls, you can add them to your call, and up to three more callers, creating a conference call.

Cheap International Rates – When using Google Voice to call overseas, you will receive much cheaper international rates than what your current service provider will charge. Calling a landline in London, for example, costs two cents per minute with Google Voice, where as it would cost $1.29 with AT&T or Verizon if you don’t have an international calling plan.

Spam Blocker – You can tag numbers as spam so any time the number calls again, it is automatically forwarded to a spam folder.

For more about Google Voice, visit their home page.