Google’s big announcement of the day is the introduction of Voice within Gmail, along with the ability to make free calls to landline numbers in the United States and Canada.
Just like video chat, the new voice service has been integrated directly into the Chat window, with voice cancellation technology to minimize echo effects. Users can make international phone calls, but with the exception of Canada, calls to anywhere else will cost you.
But not that much. Google looks to be targeting other cheap VoIP sites (read: Skype) with its low cost pricing. For example, a call to France cost $0.02 per minute. Within a few weeks, interested users can purchase calling credits via Google Checkout.
Voice is rolling out in the U.S. today, so be sure to look for the new service within your Chat window soon.
