When SunRocket imploded last summer, I was anxious to find cheap replacements for some of the features that SR offered. One of the things I found was GizmoProject, now Gizmo5, a softphone for the computer as well as a free text message gateway for cellphones. Because I don't have a Internet package through my cell provider, that part of their service doesn't interest me at this point.
But with the new 4.0 version of their softphone, they've added the ability to do video calling as well as regular voice and instant messaging too. The biggest caveat is that to get video/audio calling free, you have to be calling another Gizmo5 participant. If you're so inclined, you can also configure the service to work with an analog telephone adapter so you can use a normal phone handset easily. I had that setup briefly using my old SR adapter, but didn't really use it at all.
To get incoming calls free from non-Gizmo5 users, you need a GrandCentral account too. All you do is give people your GC number and configure it to ring your Gizmo account. But with the ability for GC to also ring your home phone and cell phone too, that service was redundant for me. Outbound calling to non-Gizmo5 users requires that you buy minutes from them. For calls in the US, $10 buys about 8 hours of talk time. Another nice feature, but redundant when you've already got an unlimited calling plan on your home phone.
Interestingly, it appears that some of the link between Gizmo and GrandCentral might be going away. Some users report that GC will no longer dial Gizmo numbers using GC's dialout feature. One theory is that since Google acquired GC they are working on integrating GoogleTalk with GrandCentral to eventually offer a competing service to Gizmo.
At any rate, the Gizmo IM client and softphone are well worth the effort to get setup just for the ability to use video and also the ability to chat with AOL, GTalk and MSN clients. And the price is right.
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