Cool technology alert: Gizmo

The Gizmo Project has a software telephone called Gizmo that lets you call any other Gizmo user in the world for free. Now there are other ways you can do that (Skype, AIM, iChat AV, etc) but Gizmo has a combination of features that give it an edge over the competition. I call it the first true contender to replace my landline phone.

Here's why:

- The sound quality is excellent. I generally use a USB headset to minimize background noise and echo. I also use a headset on my landline. The ability to adjust volume for both the speaker and the microphone make the Gizmo phone a much better option.
- It uses the industry-standard SIP protocol, so it can make direct calls to other SIP-compatible devices.
- Call recording is a free feature. This is huge. For me, it's the ability to record a call (with permission) and share the call with others who were not able to attend a meeting. Or, if I am interviewing someone, I can easily refer back to get their exact words. This will change the way I do some of my work.
- Small-scale conferencing (up to about 4 people) is possible over the Internet, and they include a link to FreeConferenceCall.com where you can set up calls with landline participants.
- Voice mail is included -- and it works even when the software is not loaded or your computer is turned off. Messages are sent to you via email.
- It has a "dial pad" feature so you can punch in conference codes and calling card numbers when that's necessary. It works better than on other products I've tried.
- The user interface is clean, simple, and intuitive.
- It's available for Mac, Windows, and Linux platforms. I've been testing the Mac version.
- For a small fee you can purchase blocks of outgoing time to call regular landline phone numbers. It's about 2 cents a minute to call just about anywhere.
- You can also purchase a regular number for incoming calls, so that people with land lines can call your Gizmo phone. In essence, you can now use your Gizmo phone as your primary phone number.

The technology is still in beta, but if you're adventurous, I highly recommend it. I can now go to my favorite wi-fi hot spot and make phone calls to my heart's content without holding a cell phone to my ear. What a treat!

(I've also used Skype fairly extensively and like it. However, it uses a proprietary protocol in place of SIP and the dial pad doesn't work as well. It also doesn't include call recording by default, so it gets slightly lower marks in my book.)