Grand Central and Gizmo - First Impressions

Recently, I ranted. Realizing that I have been on this constant cycle of new contracts for cell phone service for apparently no good reason. I got miffed.

I'm over it.

But my actions mentioned at the end of the article have forked. Through Grand Central I have discovered Gizmo. You see, back in February, Grand Central added support for Gizmo, replacing my need to have a Skype-in number. Kind of cool. I am sure Grand Central/Google sees the need to bring up a service that competes against Skype's dominance.

Looking in to Gizmo, it seems like a pretty reasonable service in as far as costs. It is 1.9 cents per minute in the U.S. for calls that are pre-purchased in $10 and $20 chunks. You can also buy yourself a Gizmo Call in number for about $35 per year, but the free Grand Central number obviates that need.

And then there is the SIP hardware that has been flying under my radar because I have been so "Skype-centric" in my thinking. Linksys has put out what is call a Wireless-G IP which is available for $139 at Amazon, which works with Wi-Fi. This product has the obvious advantage of being able to get into your Wi-Fi access point directly and allows you walk away from your computer (or home if you have an open access point available).

Now, for some real juice. If you did not have to have a cell phone, here is what you can possibly do now to live completely off your Internet connection for phone service. FOR FREE.

For Free? If I was in college now, this would be brilliant...

1. Get a Grand Central Number (right now, it is not that easy, but can be done at grandcentralinvite.com.)
2. Get Gizmo and attach it to Grand Central.
3. Get a copy of VOIPstunt which allows you to make outbound 1/2 hour calls in the states for free. (Update: VOIPstunt gives you 300 minutes per week of free calls, taken in 30 minute chunks. Or, better stated, 10 calls total.) Update: I do not even like the idea of VoIPStunt. Forget it.

Now of course, all of this depends on the "generosity" of the companies involved. They may get greedy and stop, or realize that their business model doesn't work and stop, or just stop. You will then have to find other alternatives. But right now, this would work, for incoming and outgoing calls.