Cool. Much as I (used to) like Skype, it’s become very laggy and my folks’ ancient hardware gets in the way. Bypassing it and getting to their phone this easily will be nice.
It’s not gonna work from Taiwan.
Voice doesn’t work from Taiwan. Nav doesn’t work in Taiwan. Paid Android apps aren’t available in Taiwan. Google is really pissing me off. 
This one is a real kicker. I’ve been wanting to get a certain few apps since I got my phone. Of course, this should be mentioned in the Android thread. I’ll stop typing now
Yeah, when I read the article yesterday, I added the plugin to my browser, but no Google Voice icon in my Gmail chat box. How disappointing. What do they really care, anyway, about where the call is being made from? Since it’s carried over the Internet, there is no extra cost to them. They still get ad revenue since they have advertising around the globe.
And what do you mean paid Android apps aren’t available in Taiwan? They are selling Android phones here but people can’t get apps?
I wonder if using a US proxy server would work around these issues…
[quote=“pilam99”]It’s not gonna work from Taiwan.
Nav doesn’t work in Taiwan.[/quote]
It does if you install Brut navigation. Its what I use all the time. Its great.
Yeah, when I read the article yesterday, I added the plugin to my browser, but no Google Voice icon in my Gmail chat box. How disappointing. What do they really care, anyway, about where the call is being made from? Since it’s carried over the Internet, there is no extra cost to them. They still get ad revenue since they have advertising around the globe. [/quote]
mehhhh. at least video chat works.
[quote=“CraigTPE”]And what do you mean paid Android apps aren’t available in Taiwan? They are selling Android phones here but people can’t get apps?
I wonder if using a US proxy server would work around these issues…[/quote]
actually, that’s exactly the case. you can’t buy an app here. how this makes any sense, who knows.
proxy not gonna work for the android app thing. you have to fake the SIM location. you can do it with a jailbreak app called market enabler. i also have my old ATT SIM from the states i use to fake the location. it’s a bit silly - hopefully they work this out soon.
Carrying things “over the internet” is not, as common misconception states, free. This is particularly true for calls that terminate into telephone networks. As for why Google cannot offer the calling in GMail functionality to out-of-US customers (on the presumption that they would pay to make calls terminating outside the US like everyone else) I cannot say. There’s probably much more unseen technical and regulatory voodoo in the background to take care of.
On a lighter note, I’m really enjoying the new GMail call functionality. The best part: for users who have a Google Voice account setup, you can specify GMail/GChat as a forwarding endpoint. So you can take incoming calls in GMail too!
The cost is the fee paid for connecting the call from the Internet to the land line. It doesn’t matter whether the Internet portion originated in Toledo or Timbuktu. They hope to make up the amount they pay in those connection fees from International calls, or from the fees they will receive for connecting incoming calls.
There is no reason why Google couldn’t make GV work from anywhere in the world, just like MagicJack, Vonage or any other portable VoIP service. If I am in Taiwan, and use MagicJack to call Taiwan, it is an international call as defined by the terms of service and I pay the fee.
I’ve only been able to get this to work in Taiwan by going through Google Voice rather than Gmail. In Gmail, I do not get the “call phone” option in my chat menu. I have not tried a proxy, but am considering setting one up to test.
As a workaround, I needed to set up a Google Voice account with the same account as my Gmail. Setting up a Google Voice account requires that you connect to the website from the US (I think a proxy server will work, but have not tried it) and that you have a US phone number. In my case, I had a family member in the US set it up for me using their US phone number.
Once Google Voice is set up, log into both Gmail and Google Voice. Then in Google Voice, click the Call button, type in your destination phone number and select “Google Talk” as the phone to call with. You should then get a pop-up in your Gmail for an incoming voice chat. Accept the voice chat, and Google Voice will then try to connect you with the other phone number.
That takes care of outgoing calls. I still haven’t gotten incoming calls to work in Taiwan. If I’m logged into Gmail and somebody dials my Google Voice number, I get an incoming voice chat alert and I can accept it, but then a recorded voice asks me to “press 1 to accept the call,” which I can’t do from my computer microphone. Turning off Call Screening in Google Voice doesn’t seem to have any effect.
The cost is the fee paid for connecting the call from the Internet to the land line.[/quote]Erm, yes, and the pixies just drop these things out of the skies (the electricity comes out of the bells on the Head Pixie’s hat).
Still, I imagine that as Jashu says, there are other factors here.
This is confusing.
I get the impression you guys are talking about 5 different things: (1) Google Phone, (2) Google Voice, and (3) Gmail Call function that is integrated in Gmail.
I can not see the Gmail Call tab in my Gmail account. However, I was in Japan last week and it was visible in my Gmail e-mail account. Why is this not working in Taiwan?
Anyone?
The bytes lack passports.
We both got our passports. WTF does that have to do with it - Registration?
We both got our passports. WTF does that have to do with it - Registration?[/quote]
From what I understand Google voice or phone calls through gmail is blocked and not available in Taiwan. Sorry!
We both got our passports. WTF does that have to do with it - Registration?[/quote]
Is your name byte? Really?
I was referring to localization and country-by-country roll outs: borders in cyberspace, if you will.
Taiwan tends to be towards the middle of the pack when it comes to getting new toys (if it’s not blocked entirely due to lax copyright enforcement); Japan is one of the first. Don’t expect to get here, what they’ve got there.
[strike]I have the dialer in Gmail, so dunno what’s going on, although that said, I didn’t register my Gmail account in Taiwan or set my account as located in Taiwan, dunno if that makes any difference.[/strike]
Correction, I had the dialer, I even had an option to add cash to it, but it seems like it’s all gone now 