Posts Tagged iphone
Google Voice + Gizmo5 + Siphon = iPhone App Calls
(VOICETALK.ORG) — Imagine receiving free calls to your Google Voice number on your iPhone anywhere in the world —or at the most — for outgoing calls just a few cents per minute. Now that Gizmo5 has enabled support for Google Voice, this is now made possible on the iPhone. While there is no native Gizmo5 app for the iPhone, you can configure Siphon which is available via Cydia for jailbroken iPhones.
Here are the steps to perform this operation, and don’t worry — it doesn’t involve any high tech wizardry or jumping through hoops of fire. To perform this gravity defying feat, you’ll need the following:
- WIFI or a broadband data plan like 3G or EDGE
- Google Voice account (invites take about a week)
- Gizmo5 account (account setup is free)
- Jailbroken iPhone or iPod Touch
- Siphon App via Cydia
Steps
1) Login to gizmo5
2) Enter your Google Voice phone number in the My Account section and click the ON radio button then Save. Don’t modify the settings in the lower sections such as Call Forwarding (no forwarding / none) or else the validation in step 4 may not work.
3) After installing Siphon from Cydia, go to your Settings on the iPhone and look for the Siphon section. Enter the following configuration data:
Username: Gizmo5 SIP Number
Password: Gizmo5 Password
Server: proxy01.sipphone.com
Under Network Settings, set “Siphon over EDGE/3G” to ON.
4) Login to Google Voice to verify your Gizmo5 number by going to Settings (top right corner) > Phones (tab). For the Phone Type, select Gizmo in the drop down box. Make sure Siphon is open on your iPhone. Pick up the call when you receive it on your iPhone and enter the verification code.
After validation, you can receive incoming calls for free or make outgoing calls at 1.9 cents per minute after the first 3 minutes which are free plus your recipients will see your Google Voice number in their caller ID.
Optional: If you have Google Voice already forwarding to your iPhone, in order to receive calls via Siphon you would need to disable your GSM number within the Google Voice settings since the iPhone will answer using the GSM provider first. This is simply done with unchecking the check mark.
The blue GSM button on the Siphon dial pad is to use your normal mobile phone carrier’s network while the green SIP button is for your VOIP usage through Gizmo5.
NOTE: There are other Jailbroken iPhone apps that can enhance your experience. (1) Backgrounder can keep Siphon running in the background to get free incoming calls.
FCC Questions Apple & AT&T About Google Voice Rejections
(VOICETALK.ORG) — Both Apple and AT&T are getting a little heat in regards to fair trade practices. Friday, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) sent letters to Apple and AT&T questioning the rejection of the official Google’s iPhone application for Google Voice and the prompt removal earlier this week of two previously available App Store submissions GV Mobile and VoiceCentral. Apple was asked if they acted alone or if there was any influence by AT&T, the exclusive wireless provider for the iPhone.
A Google spokesperson said earlier this week that they would continue to pursue other possible technologies that would possibly involve the web browser to deliver the Google Voice service to the iPhone.
The head of the FCC’s wireless division, James D. Schlichting asked in the letter:
Did Apple act alone, or in consultation with AT&T, in deciding to reject the Google Voice application and related applications? If the latter, please describe the communications between Apple and AT&T in connection with the decision to reject Google Voice.
Chairman Julius Genachowski stated that the FCC “has a mission to foster a competitive wireless marketplace, protect and empower consumers, and promote innovation and investment,” adding, “Recent news reports raise questions about practices in the mobile marketplace.” Both companies have been asked to respond by August 21. It should be noted that the letters are not formal investigations.
Apple Rejects Google Voice iPhone Apps
(VOICETALK.ORG) — In a shocking blow to iPhone users, the official Google Voice app by Google has been denied by Apple. Caught in the sweep were two leading third party applications for Google Voice that were removed from the Apple’s App Store on Tuesday — both GV Mobile and VoiceCentral. The reasons cited by Apple to Sean Kovacs, GV Mobile developer, was that his application duplicates features already available on the iPhone such as SMS messaging. GV Mobile is now available for jailbroken iPhones via Cydia. GV Mobile developer Sean Kovacs wrote on twitter noting Phil Schiller — Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing,
Existing user(s) will be able to keep GV Mobile… Funny how my app gets approved personally by Phil Schiller, now to get pulled. WTH Phil!!?
A Google spokeswoman told wired.com, “We work hard to bring Google applications to a number of mobile platforms, including the iPhone,” adding “Apple did not approve the Google Voice application we submitted six weeks ago to the Apple App Store. We will continue to work to bring our services to iPhone users — for example, by taking advantage of advances in mobile browsers.”
If we examine this move in more details, it’s likely that AT&T — the exclusive iPhone provider — may have influenced the removal of these applications. Google Voice software can hurt their bottom line if customers begin sending SMS messages via Google Voice rather than the AT&T network. For example, it costs $20 a month for an unlimited SMS plan. Most can now get away with the lowest AT&T plan of $5 for 200 messages when implementing Google Voice.
iPhone App – GV Mobile Review
(VOICETALK.ORG) — Use of Google Voice in many respects, has been impractical for many. For your contacts to see your Google Voice number on their caller ID instead of your real phone number that you’re trying to hide, you would either need to call your Google Voice number, hit option #2 to make an outgoing call, then hope you can remember your contact’s phone number. The alternative is to make the call from a computer after logging into your Google Voice account.
For users of the Apple iPhone, GV Mobile solves dial-out problems allowing you to have your full iPhone contact list at your disposal for dialing as if you were at your computer. GV Mobile was previously available at the iTunes Apps Store for $3 with a free version for outbound calls but is now available on Cydia for jailbroken iPhones.
Configuration is simple. On the opening screen, just put in your username and password. I had to do some troubleshoting for the Dial-Out phone number field. Apparently, this is the phone number of the phone you are intending on using, not your Google Voice number which I typed in originally. Overall, it’s a great application and a must-have for Google Voice users with an iPhone.
Pros:
- Dial, SMS, and retrieve Voicemail from GV Mobile
- Uses your iPhone Contacts
Cons:
- No push notification. No biggie for me, since I have my Google Voice setup to send me SMS messages when I receive a voicemail. But it would help since you wouldn’t need an SMS plan from your phone provider. Future development is highly unlikely now that GV Mobile has been removed from the App store.
- Slow on 3G (though quick on WIFI) – it can take up to a minute sometimes from the time you click the GV Mobile icon to login, then find your contact, then to the time the switchboard calls you back on your mobile phone. While this is all dependent on your Internet connection speed, there should at least be a message that tells you “Calling…”
- No offline support for Voicemail or SMS. As with most Internet applications, GV Mobile needs internet access so when encountering dead zones, GV Mobile will not open due to the inability to log in. For voicemail or to make a call, you can call your Google Voice number and hit the appropriate option.
- No Support for Horizontal Keyboard, Voice Dailing, Copy and Paste, or Magnifying Glass.
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