Google Voice and Gmail Mix to Make U.S. Calls Free

I try to restrain myself from calling any new tech product or service a killer. But Google just announced that it's integrating Google Voice into Gmail, turning its e-mail service into a fully Web-based Voice-over-IP system that lets you talk to people with landlines and cell phones all over the world. Andwell, it looks like it could be an awfully compelling Skype alternative. Especially since calls to cell phones and landlines in the U.S. and Canada that you'd pay for with Skype are free.

The integration adds a cool new feature to Gmail

The integration adds a cool new feature to Gmail, but as a long-time Google Voice addict, I'm even more excited about what it does for that service. Now those of us with Google Voice numbers can use it in a new way, and without burning through mobile phone minutes.

-As before, Google Voice can ring multiple phones at once in order to reach you wherever you are-it's just that one of the "phones" it can now ring (once you've enabled the option) is Gmail;

-Google is touting the audio quality-and says that it's great even if you just use your computer's built-in microphone and speakers rather than a headset;

-Google doesn't have anything to say about the interesting idea of integrating Google Voice into the version of Gmail for mobile phones (you can already use Google Voice on your phone, but it's making and receiving standard calls, not free VoIP ones);