Skip to main content

U.S. military can make free calls home using Gmail

LAT_Aghan_151351a
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Earlier today, Google announced that all active members of the Unites States military with a valid .mil email address can use Gmail’s calling service to place calls to home completely free of charge. In order to active this feature, members of the military need to register their .mil email address with a Google account and install the voice and video Gmail plugin to get started. Once that is installed, they simply click “Call phone” in the chat sidebar and dial a number in the Unites States using the pop-up keypad. 

gmail-callThis promotion will remain free for the remainder of 2011, but it’s likely that Google will continue the promotion beyond 2011. This promotion acts both as a gesture of good will and a promotional tool to market Google’s version of Skype. Family members in the United States can use the service to call members of the military stationed overseas, but will be subject to a per minute rate. For instance, calling an active member of the military that’s stationed in Afghanistan costs 27 cents a minute. While Skype charges 30 cents a minute for Afghanistan calls, they also offer a 400 minute package that brings the cost down to about 15 cents a minute.  

This addition to Google’s calling service adds to the current promotion of free calls to cell phones or land lines within the United States for anyone with a Google account. That promotion is scheduled to last through the end of 2011. Google also recently added a call waiting function to the calling service. If a second call is incoming to a user account, they have the ability to place the first call on hold and answer the second call. Users can also put a caller on hold to place a second call as well as switch between the two calls if needed.

Topics
Mike Flacy
By day, I'm the content and social media manager for High-Def Digest, Steve's Digicams and The CheckOut on Ben's Bargains…
How to change your language in Google Chrome on desktop
Chrome OS

Google Chrome supports a wide range of languages. While it'll default to English in most cases, there's nothing stopping you from changing its settings and displaying pages in Spanish, French, or dozens of other languages.

Changing your default language in Chrome takes only a few seconds, and the technique used is the same across Windows and Mac. Aside from changing your language, note that Chrome now gives you the option to automatically translate pages written in another language – making it easy to read content from around the globe.

Read more
23 of the best Netflix hacks, tips, and tricks
The Netflix home screen.

Netflix is one of the most popular streaming platforms for all things movies and TV shows. Home to an immense library of titles, the Netflix archive is constantly changing and evolving, and so are the many ways you can use your Netflix account. 

For instance, did you know you can access region-locked Netflix shows and flicks by using a VPN? Or that you can disable that pesky Autoplay feature? There are tons of Netflix hacks, tips, and tricks out there, so we’ve gone ahead and rounded up all of our favorites! 
Expand your streaming with a VPN

Read more
How to make a GIF from a YouTube video
woman sitting and using laptop

Sometimes, whether you're chatting with friends or posting on social media, words just aren't enough -- you need a GIF to fully convey your feelings. If there's a moment from a YouTube video that you want to snip into a GIF, the good news is that you don't need complex software to so it. There are now a bunch of ways to make a GIF from a YouTube video right in your browser.

If you want to use desktop software like Photoshop to make a GIF, then you'll need to download the YouTube video first before you can start making a GIF. However, if you don't want to go through that bother then there are several ways you can make a GIF right in your browser, without the need to download anything. That's ideal if you're working with a low-specced laptop or on a phone, as all the processing to make the GIF is done in the cloud rather than on your machine. With these options you can make quick and fun GIFs from YouTube videos in just a few minutes.
Use GIFs.com for great customization
Step 1: Find the YouTube video that you want to turn into a GIF (perhaps a NASA archive?) and copy its URL.

Read more