VOIP hack to make free worldwide calls

We posted about the ultimate VOIP hack a few days back. It seems that the Jaxtr guys fixed that bug. I guess they should pay us for finding bugs in their VOIP applications :-)

Moving on, our regular reader Sriram has sent us another great hack for Jaxtr. Lets see how we can use this to make free voip calls worldwide.

1) Download iCall softphone (u get 5mins free calls to US n Canada per call)
2) Register for an account with iCall.
3) Goto ur friend's profile in Jaxtr. Click Call Me button. Select United States in country list.
4) Now enter the iCall PhoneOut number 6464657602. Click Get Number button.
5) You'll get a US phone number to dial. (like 1-646-xxx-xxxx) Save that number somewhere.
6) Now, login to iCall softphone.
7) Enter the number u got from Jaxtr here and dial.
8) iCall allows free 5min calls to US and Canada per call. (iCall Pro users get unlimited free minutes to US n Canada.)
9) Talk for 5mins. Ur call will get disconnected after that. (iCall Pro users can talk longer).
10) U can redial the same number untill you are taken to the voicemail box. :-)

You could possibly use this with other Free VOIP services which gives you Free incoming US number. The trick is jaxtr should recognise that number while dialing in.

Good luck making free worldwide calls!

Toktumi SOHO VOIP service

We first heard about Toktumi on Free VoIP Hacks forums. Later, looked up and did a research on this new VOIP company offering free usa incoming phone number and Forwarding service.

Toktumi categorise themselves as Home Office and Small Business VOIP service. The most exciting feature of Toktumi is "Free USA incoming number", which is given to you instantly when you register for the service.

For Small Busineses, Toktumi lets you set up an entire office in minutes - one line per PC. Start with one line add more any time. All this is offered FREE. You can even use voicemail, auto-attendant, Conferencing.

The registration however is a bit complicated. You need to download Toktumi Client and install it on your machine. This downloading and installation seem to take enormous time (over 15 minutes). Toktumi guys really need to fix this. During registration process they issue a free incoming usa number and attach it to your account. You need to verify your account with activation code and then you are live with toktumi. People can immediately start calling you on your number. You can also buy a toktumi adapter which they sell for $19.95 which will let you port Toktumi number to normal landline phone. Basically, you can get a Free USA number with a proper landline phone line.

Toktumi can be a great alternative to Skypein number. Why pay for skypein number when you get a Toktumi number free which people can call you on. I tried calling myself using Truphone and it worked pretty ok. There was a bit of delay in voice quality and some echo sound. I suspect it could be due to my microphone. Otherwise, the call went through OK. If you happed to test the audio quality on Toktumi, do let us know.

Overall a great addition to the VOIP market, Having a USA number is always handy.

GrandCentral VOIP open to Public Testing

After being in beta for a extended period of time, almost 6-8 months and during this time getting acquired by Google, put GrandCentral right on top of many other VOIP companies.

Grandcentral is a great way to make free US calls and of course, if used intelligently can serve as a great virtual PBX system. You can also club it with other services such as RingBranch which provided Auto attendant and PBX services for FREE.

GrandCentral is now official open to Public. What that means is you don't need a invite for GrandCentral anymore. However It's only available to people in the USA, so if you are not in USA and still want to test the service with Virtual Numbers you should first get a free incoming number and then use a USA proxy to get grandcentral account.

Google's official PR says,

With GrandCentral, a free service from Google, you can receive phone calls and post voicemails right on your blog. WebCall Button
When you add GrandCentral’s WebCall button to your blog, your readers can easily call your phone or leave voicemails without ever seeing your telephone number.

Honestly, GrandCentral is a great tool. You can get a free incoming number and then just attach your landline/Mobile numbers to the account. You don't have to give your regular numbers to people anymore. Setup your preferred settings and where you want to be reached. Its all FREE.

Now the way in Free USA calling business is ON and only best things are in store for customers. We are looking forward to the day when GrandCentral will be launched internationally. I however doubt it will ever come to India :-(

Go try GrandCentral