Google makes Gizmo5 acquisition official, offers few details
By Donald Melanson 
posted Nov 13th 2009 1:57PM
posted Nov 13th 2009 1:57PM
This one wasn't exactly the best kept secret of the week, but Google has now come out and officially announced that it has acquired VoIP company Gizmo5, and that Gizmo5's engineers will expectedly be joining the Google Voice team. This being Google, however, it isn't saying much more than that it's looking forward to "working together to bringing more useful features to Google Voice," although that's no doubt more than enough to make the folks at Skype have a slightly less relaxing weekend. Current Gizmo5 users can also expect their service to continue as normal, but Google has suspended new signups "for the time being," and existing users can no longer sign up for a call in number.
Next Google will acquire Engadget. lol :)
We can only hope.
would that involve us maybe possibly getting a working comment system?!?!
@crawdad
Second.
/Scruffy
If Google acquires Engadget then maybe they'll get a kick in the ass to fix the comment system.
you realize that AOL beat them to it, right? They are blogsmith media's parent company.
Is your cat making TOO MUCH NOISE ALL THE TIME?
Is your sherbert polishing its noodles?
Get some Kitten Mittons!!!
Can't wait for google to make the traditional phone system obsolete. I'm porting my number to GV the day they launch that feature.
They can approximate it today, if you forward your number to GV.
1 step closer to becoming SkyNet!!!!!!!
Now all they need is white spaces used for a free nationwide 4G network and they will form Voltron!
Android+Google Voice+High Speed 4G= WIN
we can free ourselves from the clutches of the Death Star, Douche Telekom, and Big Red.
+9999999999
Why doesn't anyone say anything against Sprint?
I'm sorry I forgot Sprint existed... probably because the Palm Pre is the only phone they have as far as I'm concerned. But yes we will be free of America's Most Shoddy 3G Network as well!
Sure is!!!
If you don't mind paying for what GV gives you free :-/
http://www.ribbit.com/mobile/plans-pricing.php
I use Gizmo5, and I have nothing against Google, but I'm a little worried about this. I have been very happy with Gizmo5, and I am not sure Google do anything but screw it up.
I use GV and I am excited about this. I'm pretty sure Gizmo5 is gonna improve google voice.
What has Google ever screwed up?
Umm... there was that one time... that they let some peoples' GV voicemails free for the whole world to listen to.
There was this one guy, Nguyen Thach, who was talking to his motivational speaker for A LONG time. And the motivational speaker recorded it and made it public. Not very cool for Nguyen, but I *did* get motivated that day.
@Jason: "that they let some peoples' GV voicemails free for the whole world to listen to."
Wrong... the people that owned those voice mails let them out themselves by sharing them.
I have both Google Voice and Gizmo 5. I can tell you this. Google Voice is one of the best things to ever happen to Communications......but.....sadly it is far from perfect. Kinda glitchy with lag time dealing with SMS and even voicemail sometimes. Voicemail does get sent to you as a text which is great when the computer generated message is not in Ebonics. Most of the time I can get AT LEAST the gist of what the person was trying to say if I am in a meeting or something and cannot listen to the VM. Some quirks need to be worked out like if you listen to a voice message you cannot call your number and listen to it again(only new ones).....maybe I am missing something though. Finally Gizmo 5 is great and I think this will result in free international calling if I am not mistaken which is the best thing to happen since Wonder made bread. Might want to check on that though because I have not been able to actually try it yet. Anyway, Goog is great and this can only help us.
I've been using Gizmo5 with GV on my MyTouch 3G since the release of the phone.
I was wondering why they need gizmo when they got grand central already. I'm a user of both grand central now google voice and gizmo. Used gizmo on my nokia internet tablet(s). But I gave away all my tablets. I'm not buying anymore of those stuff.
Now I can forward my Google Voice number to Gizmo, and my Gizmo number to Google Voice and RIP A HOLE IN THE UNIVERSE! Mwahahaha!
im so glad i made an account 2 days before to set up free voip on my g1 its great i made sure i was not using tmobile network bye clicking at&t on network selections no signal great turned on wfi and bam worked like a charm called my sister over wifi it was the coolest thing i ever accomplished on my g1 ever thanx to google voice and sippdriod on the market
Soon as i heard the rumour, i signed up knowing it would be closed to new members. Lets see if it was worth my time..
You can already call out from Gizmo5 via WiFi to the PSN using GV- but linking back to your Gizmo5 number doesn't work with a free account yet.
This spells the end for Vonage!!!!
I just got off a google voice call using gizmo. Before the aquisition went official on the website it said google voice calls would be limited to 3 minutes, but I just did a 6 minute call. Maybe it was a lie in the first place, maybe it's the first decree of the new owner?
That was a SMART buy. Gizmo5 has the endorsers and now Google has the hookup to multiple IM networks.