I wondered what Google had up its sleeve this year for April Fool’s. The rest of our team did too.
Did you notice the link below the Google search box today? “New Gmail Motion: Turn your email into a true body of work.”
Really?
The Search Circus team all use Google Apps including Gmail, so of course we were intrigued. We even watched the video – it sounds so real, no one was laughing, well, except us (and hopefully you too).
Watch it here!
Google is planning on launching a new service that competes with Groupon. Photo courtesy of TheRealTimer.com.
According to Mashable, after attempting to buy out Groupon with a $6-billion offer and failing, Google has now decided to launch its own competing service. Google just announced that the company will be creating their own brand of online coupons for local deals called Google Offers.
The service will send subscribers a daily email with deals in their neighborhood with a time limit on when they can use the coupon. Then like just like Groupon, after enough people sign up, the deal is triggered and users get a $10 for $20 deal.
Google Offers also includes sharing options through Facebook, Twitter, Google Reader, Google Buzz and email. According to the article, Google has been trying to attract businesses to participate in Offers and even has a writing team ready to create the write-up for the different offers.
To read the full search engine news story, visit Mashable.com.
Google’s latest creation, Google Voice, is a phone integration for Gmail Chat that is similar to Skype but works within your Web browser. You can also use Google Voice to make and receive calls from regular phone numbers. Best of all, calls are free in the U.S. and Canada. Google Voice allows users to choose between getting a Google number or using a non-Google phone number. Both of these options come with an impressive list of features.
With a Google Voice number you can:
- Use one number to manage all of your phones. Your Google number is tied to you, not a particular device or location.
- Save voicemail messages for as long as you want, star important voicemails and search through them.
- Have voicemails automatically transcribed to text and sent to your through email and/or SMS.
- Customize your caller’s experience, i.e. record custom voicemail greetings, decide which of your phones ring based on who is calling, send some callers straight to voicemail.
- Make low-priced international phone calls from your phone or the Web.
Without a Google Voice number you can:
- Save voicemail messages for as long as you want, star important voicemails and search through them.
- Have voicemails automatically transcribed to text and sent to your through email and/or SMS.
- Customize your voicemail greeting based on who is calling.
Make low-priced international phone calls from your phone or the Web.
The main appeal to Google Voice is that you can get all of your calls through a single number, whether the caller dialed your home phone, cell phone or work phone number. Just add the other numbers to Google Voice and then you’re able to make your own rules for how your phone rings. You can make calls from your phone and the Web, block annoying callers and record custom greetings for different callers or caller groups. You can also get all of your voicemails in one place and even listen in as someone is leaving a voicemail. Google Voice also allows users to record calls, put restricted hours on when your phone is able to ring and more.
All you need to sign up for Google Voice is a Gmail account. To sign up for Google Voice or find out more information about the new service visit the official Google Voice site.
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