GizmoCall - Cheap, Easy, VoIP Calling
Look out Skype there's a new player in town. A new low cost VoIP service, GizmoCall, launched earlier this week. GizmoCall is Flash-based, requires no download, is cross platform, and, like many VoIP services, offers a combination of free and low-cost calling. The allure of GizmoCall, however, is what it includes for free. Along with calls between other GizmoCall and Gizmo5 members, users can make free calls to toll-free numbers and Session Initiation Protocol addresses.
SIP is used to enable telephone calls over the internet. A SIP address, which consists of a domain name and username, allows people to make and receive internet calls all over the world. Currently, services such as Net2Max provide SIP addresses.
Registration to GizmoCall is simple, just enter a user name, password, and email address in the Flash application. Once registered, users can also call landline and cell numbers for low rates, and for an additional fee, can accept calls as well. Calls made to US numbers run less than 2 cents a minute.
Some of the interesting additions to GizmoCall are the internet features available via Firefox Add-ons. The GizmoCall Add-on automatically makes any phone number on a web page clickable to make calls.
To begin making non-internet calls, $10 call-out credits can be purchased, but be sure to get the credit well in advance of your first calls, as there have been complaints about the time lag between charging your credit card and crediting your account. GizmoCall claims the lag is due to is the extensive credit card checks they often use because of large amounts of fraudulent activity.
Overall, GizmoCall seems to be a nice addition to the growing lineup of VoIP services, and the free toll-free calling is welcome, but we are still waiting for someone to come up with a completely free service, wherever you call. Here's hoping that happens one day.
SIP is used to enable telephone calls over the internet. A SIP address, which consists of a domain name and username, allows people to make and receive internet calls all over the world. Currently, services such as Net2Max provide SIP addresses.Registration to GizmoCall is simple, just enter a user name, password, and email address in the Flash application. Once registered, users can also call landline and cell numbers for low rates, and for an additional fee, can accept calls as well. Calls made to US numbers run less than 2 cents a minute.
Some of the interesting additions to GizmoCall are the internet features available via Firefox Add-ons. The GizmoCall Add-on automatically makes any phone number on a web page clickable to make calls.
To begin making non-internet calls, $10 call-out credits can be purchased, but be sure to get the credit well in advance of your first calls, as there have been complaints about the time lag between charging your credit card and crediting your account. GizmoCall claims the lag is due to is the extensive credit card checks they often use because of large amounts of fraudulent activity.
Overall, GizmoCall seems to be a nice addition to the growing lineup of VoIP services, and the free toll-free calling is welcome, but we are still waiting for someone to come up with a completely free service, wherever you call. Here's hoping that happens one day.
