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May 18, 2007

Phone Calls in Google Talk

We didn't see any update for Google Talk in the last 5 months (the latest major feature was Vista support), so next release must add something important. A plausible hypothesis is phone calls. Google inserted this screenshot "from the future" in a presentation for Google Apps. We can see revealing messages like: "Show dialpad", "Call details", "Enter a name or phone number".


{ via Blogoscoped Forum }

31 comments:

  1. Awesome! Can't wait to get that Version.
    Congrats on beating Customize Talk to the punch.

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  2. Uhmm, It's good news but now I use Ubuntu OS, I use google talk by GAIM. I hope develop team creates google talk program for Linux(Ubuntu) in coming soon.

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  3. I am in the same situation than aoddy, am using ubuntu. If Google is "opensourcist" should have an ubuntu's version for everything. Specially when they USE that OS.

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  4. They'll do linux version through wine emulation like Google Earth and Picasa

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  5. Google Earth for Linux is a native application built on Qt and OpenGL.

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  6. same for me, now using ubuntu, but want these features, i hope google listens

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  7. I use Google talk through gmail in browser and ichat through my mac. I hope Google starts developing clients for various platforms

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  8. Just use Windows and everything works fine.

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  9. Internally at Google, this feature is already active since long and I just saw a demo today. Co-incidentally, you've posted about the same today only :)

    however, the internal version offering this feature has no "dialpad bar" as seen in the pic. It has a direct - add number, dial - feature.

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  10. whadda ya mean by gone...
    it's still there. click crossed out link to the slideshowand go to Google Talk slide. then slide bar at botttom to about 20 seconds.

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  11. It has been removed then put it back.

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  12. it is definitely a plausible feature, for some future version if not the next one. google already allows calling businesses from google maps and linking them to your phone. why not integrate it within google talk? they would kick skype in the butt of course, if they offered it for free.

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  13. I wish they'd come out with Google Talk, the full app, for Macs... :(

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  14. Thats all fine and dandy until you use anything other than Windows. And if you look at how many people are using gTalk (I am but sill) compared to AIM, MSN Messenger or even ICQ its scarce. Adding FREE calling to landlines would certantly bring tons of users to gTalk in fact everyone I know would switch to gTalk!! But theres a prolbem with that and Google should release gTalk under a WINE shell like they did with Picasa. You can make gTalk fun through WINE anyways. One could argue that thats hard for a basic Linux user but Basic Linux User is an oxymoron.

    So yeah: Exellent if you boot Windows but otherwise gTalk = :( Horrible

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  15. I use Ubuntu too. XP was grinding for me, workable but a bit annoying. Then I had a hiccough with installing software which threw my Windows drive into chaos, set up a dual boot while waiting to get it fixed and, well, have no desire to switch back, since I have nothing so far that I haven't been able to do in Linux.

    I use Google Talk right now, but only through the flash applet; I'd like the ability to voice talk to my contacts back. I was hoping someone would know if the present client works through Wine or Cedega, but I'm not hearing any success stories here. No failure stories either, so I'm still puzzled.

    I'd like to see a Linux native client myself, or at least a client set up to be run in Linux.

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  16. what a wonder! even after six months there is no sign of google talk for linux. I use ubuntu and will be certainly pleased to have gtalk voice on ubuntu.

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  17. I love Google, but sometimes the things you expect doesn't come. For example: a more stylish look for gtalk, a native Linux version (they have money and good developers, i don't see why this couldn't happen).
    Phone calls and a good integration of gtalk to the Android platform, that's would be amazing.

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  18. Google should start working on making their apps to work with Linux. I too have shifted to ubuntu and I'm sure that the linux ppopulation will definitely increase rapidly.

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  19. I left linux Ubuntu because of no support for Voice call PC to PC which I use very much.. google talk is my main app for my comunications .. when google makes it happen i will come back to Ubuntu .. :(

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  20. We're now in September 2008 and still no Google-talk support. I have been using Ubuntu 8.04 waiting endlessly for voice support, but to no avail ... it's really disappointing...

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  21. You can try Skype ( www.skype.com ) for voice chat on linux. It's very good. I am expecting some third party gtalk client application that will have voice chat ( like Gyach for Yahoo messenger ). The problem here is not because of money or developers, it's because voice codec patents the core gtalk engine uses. It doesn't support pulse audio or ALSA. Linux used any one as sound arch in OS

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  22. hey guys ... i just installed ubuntu 8.0.4 .... no doubt had problem with gtalk and yahoo messenger .... but skype works fine ..... so just a change thats all ..

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  23. there is a workaround of making calls to google contacts through liPhone, step by step procedure here

    http://sriramblox.blogspot.com/2008/08/making-voice-call-to-google-contact.html

    http://sriramblox.blogspot.com/2008/10/voice-chat-with-google-talk-user-using.html

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  24. For me I had installed skype on ubuntu Desktop 8.04, it works perfectly even better than gtalk on windows...

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  25. I also use Ubuntu. My friends are spread all over the world, so I need to have PC to PC voice call. Unfortunately, there is no support for Yahoo! vioce or Gtalk voice call on linux. I tried many alternatives that claim that they provide voice support for linux, but none of them worked for me. I think I have to start using skype now and tell all of my friends to switch to skype..!! (Skype works on linux)

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  26. can i call regular phones by google talk ? and how ?

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  27. @moe

    No, there wasn’t any update for years. Client is dead. Use another software. Skype, Yahoo!Messenger...

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  28. through talkster you can call landline & mobile phones for free

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  29. I need a number how do I get one?

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  30. google does not want a linux version, they will soon have chrome, and a linux for chrome app is a MUST. However, like windows, google does not like competence. look at firefox and h264 html5 and youtube.
    sure, there must be already a linux version

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  31. Can I call a contact on google talk for free from my phone. I am currently in the USA and I would like to call internationally. Just like we do in skype on PC, can I do that by black berry phone ?

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