Database Info

Free Gtalk phone calls throughout 2011

When I logged into Gmail this morning, a balloon popped out from the talk panel saying that all calls throughout 2011 were free!

its applicable in US only or other countries as well?

Sweet! Thanks google.

Well then, time to download Google Talk...

This is the best feature ever! I talk to my dad (who is in bosnia) every day for free, no more 100s of dollars of bills! Google is awsome!!!
And yeah, you can call any number in USA and Canada for free from any where in the world!

Does this apply anywhere in the world?

Sadly it doesn't apply to China. Would love to use this with my family back home in the states.

try to download and test it.

im gonna check if it works in Hungary...

xzpx said:
This is the best feature ever! I talk to my dad (who is in bosnia) every day for free, no more 100s of dollars of bills! Google is awsome!!!
And yeah, you can call any number in USA and Canada for free from any where in the world!
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How do u call bosnia for free from usa using gmaul/google talk? I thought u can only call us numbers for free!
*** Sent from my Samsung Vibrant (Bionix-V-1.2.1) using xda app

I Believe so.
Yeah... I believe that this is only for US and for US numbers.
Have anyone beeing able to make this otherway?

xzpx said:
This is the best feature ever! I talk to my dad (who is in bosnia) every day for free, no more 100s of dollars of bills! Google is awsome!!!
And yeah, you can call any number in USA and Canada for free from any where in the world!
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Click to collapse
Does the reverse work, calling in the USA to other countries?

[Q] Porting number to Google Voice, but also changing service to Verizon...thoughts?

OK so here's the story:
I've been an AT&T customer for over 10 years now. My dad has worked for AT&T for 42 years (through the company's various iterations) so I get a nice discount (just because I'm an adult doesn't mean I can't share a family plan). I should mention I also pay for the entirety of the account, since I forced my parents to get cell phones about 10 years ago.
Anyway, I'm moving to Verizon when the Galaxy Nexus is released (still hoping for the 8th, but who the heck knows). I was planning on just porting my number to Verizon, but now I'm kind of wondering if I should port my number to Google Voice, then just use it with my Verizon phone. Is this feasible? Will I have a seamless system, or will there be a number of steps I have to go through every time I want to make a phone call, send a text, etc...
The biggest questions I have are these:
I've heard GV can't send/receive MMS. The information I've found has been somewhat spotty. Is it possible to send and receive MMS using Google Voice as my primary system?
Are there are any big drawbacks to using GV for my main number?
If I port my number to GV, what will I have to do with my AT&T line until I move to Verizon?
Thanks in advance, all. Just trying to sort this stuff out before jumping ship to the Big Red. If I come up with any other questions I'll be sure to come back here =P

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Porting Number & Google Voice

I use Google Voice on a daily basis for working, getting all my phone calls forwarded, keeping voice & missed records, etc. SO I decided if I ever want to change service one day from AT&T to someone else which I have in the past I would port my number over to Google Voice. So I called AT&T to talk & find what fees I would incur. I spoke with a voice rep and a tech rep. Both said I could not port my phone number in anyway to another carrier without incurring a ETF of $305. I said I dont want to kill my service with AT&T but they said "I could not have the best of both worlds". Now I was really nice to let them know what I would like to do by keeping there service and porting my number.
Anyone got any ideas of whom I can speak with besides adding another line and not incurring a ETF?

You cannot port to another carrier while under contract without incurring the ETF. If your contract expires, without you making any changes that would renew it (changing your plan, for one, I think some carriers even re-up if you get a new phone) and you're on month-to-month, then you're free to port without any termination fees.
That's how I did it when I came from Verizon and Quest (home phone, no contract anyway) to AT&T.

mikerowes69 said:
I use Google Voice on a daily basis for working, getting all my phone calls forwarded, keeping voice & missed records, etc. SO I decided if I ever want to change service one day from AT&T to someone else which I have in the past I would port my number over to Google Voice. So I called AT&T to talk & find what fees I would incur. I spoke with a voice rep and a tech rep. Both said I could not port my phone number in anyway to another carrier without incurring a ETF of $305. I said I dont want to kill my service with AT&T but they said "I could not have the best of both worlds". Now I was really nice to let them know what I would like to do by keeping there service and porting my number.
Anyone got any ideas of whom I can speak with besides adding another line and not incurring a ETF?
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When I left Sprint, I forgot that none of the other carriers had Google Voice integration, and ported my number over to AT&T instead of Google Voice. Huge mistake. Unfortunately, I can tell you that I tried every angle I could think of to get AT&T to let me port my number out while maintaining my contract and there is just no way that they can do it. If you port your number out, you will incur the ETF. I must have spoken to every level of billing and technical service they have; all very nice, and though few understood what I wanted to do or what Google Voice is they all really did try in earnest to find a good solution for me, and sadly they all came to the same conclusion.
I've just kind of settled for waiting until my contract is up and then porting my number out. My fear at that point will be that I will have to sign a new contract to get another number from them, which will suck.

MaxCarnage said:
When I left Sprint, I forgot that none of the other carriers had Google Voice integration, and ported my number over to AT&T instead of Google Voice. Huge mistake. Unfortunately, I can tell you that I tried every angle I could think of to get AT&T to let me port my number out while maintaining my contract and there is just no way that they can do it. If you port your number out, you will incur the ETF. I must have spoken to every level of billing and technical service they have; all very nice, and though few understood what I wanted to do or what Google Voice is they all really did try in earnest to find a good solution for me, and sadly they all came to the same conclusion.
I've just kind of settled for waiting until my contract is up and then porting my number out. My fear at that point will be that I will have to sign a new contract to get another number from them, which will suck.
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My notion is now I believe that whomever is with Verizon or AT&T will incur shortly NEW higher fees based off the new plans they are going to implement. I do not have multiple devices or use alot of data so their new plans will not work for me. Straight Talk or some other low cost carrier might. However I just signed up in March so I am not looking to change my plans yet or until the economy starts to get worse. Either way I am stuck till my contract runs out or pay the $305. http://www.yahoo.com/_ylt=AqlTQl9rp7Z2.oyZbfF69wybvZx4;_ylu=X3oDMTRtY2hwdWkyBGEDTmV3IEZyb250IE9wZW5zIGluIFdpcmVsZXNzIEJhdHRsZQRjY29kZQNwemJ1YWxsY2FoNQRjcG9zAzgEZwNpZC0yMzY3NjQ4BGludGwDdXMEbWNvZGUDcHpidWFsbGNhaDUEbXBvcwMwBHBrZ3QDMgRwb3MDMQRzZWMDdGQtZmluBHNsawN0aXRsZQR0ZXN0AzUyNg--/SIG=132qrou5f/EXP=1339683498/**http://finance.yahoo.com/news/front-opens-wireless-battle-040100608.html?l=1

mikerowes69 said:
My notion is now I believe that whomever is with Verizon or AT&T will incur shortly NEW higher fees based off the new plans they are going to implement. I do not have multiple devices or use alot of data so their new plans will not work for me. Straight Talk or some other low cost carrier might. However I just signed up in March so I am not looking to change my plans yet or until the economy starts to get worse. Either way I am stuck till my contract runs out or pay the $305. http://www.yahoo.com/_ylt=AqlTQl9rp7Z2.oyZbfF69wybvZx4;_ylu=X3oDMTRtY2hwdWkyBGEDTmV3IEZyb250IE9wZW5zIGluIFdpcmVsZXNzIEJhdHRsZQRjY29kZQNwemJ1YWxsY2FoNQRjcG9zAzgEZwNpZC0yMzY3NjQ4BGludGwDdXMEbWNvZGUDcHpidWFsbGNhaDUEbXBvcwMwBHBrZ3QDMgRwb3MDMQRzZWMDdGQtZmluBHNsawN0aXRsZQR0ZXN0AzUyNg--/SIG=132qrou5f/EXP=1339683498/**http://finance.yahoo.com/news/front-opens-wireless-battle-040100608.html?l=1
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If your plan costs change you can always try to get out your contract. We'll have to wait and see what the future holds.

Interesting. It looks like a number port in or out kills the line and starts a new one as I experienced when I ported my google voice number to ATT. I was in contract and remained in contract without an ETF, but billing showed it as a line termination and a new line start with the remaining months
I suspect the system isn't set to allow it by design. Maybe if you go high enough you can find someone in corporate who can waive/credit the ETF?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using XDA

Please use the Q&A forum. Moved to Q&A
Cheers

[Q] Net10 Wireless Assigned Spam Number?

Hello I recently switched from Verizon to Net10 Wireless (AT&T MVNO) and the number Net10 assigned has a lot of spam. I've had over four calls, one for some guy named Adam and it was about his business going under, another was some kid saying "DAD, DAD, Hello, DAD!". It's very annoying. The other calls were for Merchant services and other crap, but honestly my question to the XDA community is: How many have been assigned a number from StraightTalk, Simple Mobile, Net10 and other MVNO's that receives a lot of spam calls/texts? I meant to port my number, but I was worried about the extra ETF fees since I was leaving a family plan (was paying over $70 a month for 5GB data). Verizon had quoted me around $240 and with taxes under $300 for early termination, but I was worried the cost would be like $350+ if I ported the my old number. Anyhow I plan to use Net10 with a new Nexus 4 (its on the way).
Thank you,
Thomas

Is that really "spam" ? That sounds like just wrong numbers probably because it used to be someone's and they don't have it any more. I mean, I've tried to text someone and gotten a wrong number because he'd changed it - it happens.
I got some dude's calls for a while when I was on Sprint - it was a year in, even. I think he just gave out the wrong number or something. I got calls from his parents, some girls, a pharmacy, library, and a car dealership. I mostly just found it amusing.

Pennycake said:
Is that really "spam" ? That sounds like just wrong numbers probably because it used to be someone's and they don't have it any more. I mean, I've tried to text someone and gotten a wrong number because he'd changed it - it happens.
I got some dude's calls for a while when I was on Sprint - it was a year in, even. I think he just gave out the wrong number or something. I got calls from his parents, some girls, a pharmacy, library, and a car dealership. I mostly just found it amusing.
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Oh, well it just worries me, because when I switched from Tmobile to verizon back in 08 the new number NEVER had spam. It is not the same with Net10, hence my question and this thread.

[Q] regarding blacklisting phone

Normally when you buy the phone from a carrier, and if you loose your phone, call in and get it blacklisted and people can check the database to see if it blacklisted and all that good stuff...
I bought my N5 from Google Play and can use it on any carrier, so if its lost/stolen, do I call the current carrier and have them blacklist it?
What if someone got a hold of my IMEI and called to get it blacklisted.. how would I go about getting it unblacklisted if I wasnt the one who called it in???
Does google have their own blacklisting database?

I'm pretty sure your carrier will not blacklist the phone till the caller can confirm that they are the owner of the phone (maybe by carrier's records, or by proof of purchase etc).
But since the N5 can be used on other carriers, a carrier blacklist is really not sufficient (if the phone is stolen). I would certainly hope that Google has their own blacklist that will prevent the device from accessing any google services.

I found a story on somewere else of an user whose Google play. N5 got blacklisted by Spring
These are 2 quotes fro the same person:
AIO's website says my Google Nexus 5 is on the lost and stolen list?
Device Reported Lost or Stolen
Our records show that this device is on the national lost and stolen list. Please contact the company that previously provided wireless service for this device for help.
Aio Wireless cannot activate a device that another wireless company added to this list.
This phone was purchased from the Google Play Store. It's been on RingPlus, and StraightTalk (which it's currently on). Is it possible that someone marked it lost or stolen, but it's still working without any problems on ST? It might have been on Net10, I did have the SIM card in it, but I don't think it was active.
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I just got off the phone with Google support. That took around an hour of my time. The Google rep was quite lost on to why in the world Sprint would EVER blacklist phones that were not lost or stolen and have no contracts with them. I was put on hold a couple of times, and I explained what happened. After talking to him, I was transferred to the shipping dept (which apparently takes care of all returns for any reason).
The rep in the shipping dept was very nice, but he kept wanting to give me a refurbished phone for something I never did anything wrong with to begin with. My battery is charged at 50% all the time and I don't want to get stuck with a used phone or a bad battery. I kept telling the rep that I even have an email from RingPlus explaining the situation and that my phone was activated before they knew of this secret blacklist that included Google Play store purchases. He told me he would talk to his lead, came back, and claims that they will be sending me a new device. I don't know if I'm actually getting a used or new device, but at least when it comes it will hopefully not be blacklisted.
I was hoping to switch over to another carrier to save a few dollars each month. So after a $431 dollar hold was put onto my credit card, I guess I wait 3-5 business days and see what I end up receiving in the mail. I'll have to reorder one of the glass screen protectors for my device.
I guess this was a learning experience. Be very careful what CDMA carriers can do to your devices, because they need to have the numbers for it as they can't just pop in a SIM card and go. I'm not sure I will ever be using a Sprint or Verizon MVNO again, or at least for quite a while, and wouldn't ever do it with any devices less then a few months old.
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Original article. http://www.howardforums.com/showthr...Google-Nexus-5-is-on-the-lost-and-stolen-list

Not sure about the US, but in europe some countries/carriers have joint IMEI databases. If one carrier marks the IMEI as stolen the phone won't work on any carrier in that country.
Sent from my Nexus 5

liud said:
Not sure about the US, but in europe some countries/carriers have joint IMEI databases. If one carrier marks the IMEI as stolen the phone won't work on any carrier in that country.
Sent from my Nexus 5
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I know this.. thats the situation with in Canada, US and so on... that wasnt my question...