You can still make free calls by using the Google Voice web interface or DialCentral on your N810.  In Google Voice, click “Call” in the upper left.  Enter the phone number you want to call.  Under “Phone to Ring,” select which of your forwarding phones you want to use for the call.  Google Voice will ring that phone.  When you answer, it will ring the number you are calling.  Gizmo will consider this an incoming call, so you will not be charged.

It’s always disappointing when a free service stops being free.   To the user, it feels like a bait and switch.  I was really excited when Gizmo Voice was first released, because I have two phones set up with an analog telephone adapter to receive Google Voice calls, and this seemed to be the missing link for seamless integration.  I was disappointed when I found out Gizmo would charge for use of this feature.

I’m not sure that Gizmo will make much money from this service.  The original incoming calls workaround still works.  For those of us who own N810’s, or who don’t mind dialing through the web interface, the Google Voice + Gizmo combination is still free and will be as long as Gizmo offers free incoming calls.

Happy dialing!

© 2009, Jonathan Johnson. All rights reserved.

Here’s how it works:

When you receive your Google Voice invitation, send it to a someone you trust in the United States, and ask them to set up the account for you.  You’ll have to trust them with your password, but you can change that later.  Have them set up the account and send you the login credentials.

Log in and change your password.  You should now have a fully operational Google Voice account.  It won’t forward to overseas numbers, but you can get around that by setting up an account with the Gizmo Project.  You can set up Google Voice to forward to a Gizmo Project SIP number, which will allow your your friends and family in the US call you for free anywhere in the world.  You can set up your Gizmo account for use with a computer, wifi phone, internet tablet, or wifi-capable smartphone.  You can even set up an analog telephone adapter with your Gizmo settings and receive calls on a regular landline phone.  All for free.

See the links below for more detailed instructions.

• How to set make and receive free phone calls using your N810, Google Voice, and Gizmo
• How to set up your Sunrocket ATA or “gizmo” for free phone service with Google Voice
• The original thread at Internet Tablet Talk (I post there as “hornartist.”)

© 2009, Jonathan Johnson. All rights reserved.

In this post, I’ll show you how to set up your Sunrocket ATA and landline phone for free domestic phone service (US only) using Google Voice and the Gizmo Project.  If you don’t already have an ATA, I’ve found the Linksys SPA2102 VoIP Phone Adapter with Router to be an excellent and reliable piece of equipment which can be configured for use with most SIP-based VoIP services.

Warning!

The phone service I’m about to help you set up does not provide 911 routing. I strongly recommend you either maintain a separate basic line for emergency calls, or find out the direct numbers for your local police, fire, and EMT services and keep them by the phone for direct dialing.  By continuing with these instructions, you agree that you are fully responsible for anything that goes wrong as a result of setting up your phone this way and you agree that I will not be held liable in any way for anything bad that happens to you, your loved ones, your pets, or your property.

Do not continue reading unless you understand and agree with the preceding paragraph.

What you’ll need

1. An unlocked analog telephone adapter (ATA).  These instructions are for the Linksys SPA2102 VoIP Phone Adapter with Router.  Owners of other devices may still find this article useful, but will have to figure some things out on their own.  If you haven’t unlocked your ATA yet, click here for unlocking instructions.
2. A Google Voice number.  These are free, but are currently available by invitation only.  You can request an invitation at https://services.google.com/fb/forms/googlevoiceinvite/.  You may have to wait a few days or weeks for your invitation to arrive, but it’s well worth the wait.  If you absolutely must have it today, you can purchase one on eBay.  Last time I checked they were going for $1-5 USD.
3. A free account with the Gizmo Project.  I’ll show you how to set that up.
4. A computer and ethernet cable (RJ45).
5. A touch-tone phone.  Not a cell phone.  This is the old fashioned kind that you plug into the wall.  Remember those? 

Part One: Setting up your Gizmo account

Note: If you already have a Gizmo account, skip to step 3.

1. Go to GizmoProject.com.  Click on “Download for Desktop.”  Follow the instructions for downloading and installing the Gizmo client
2. When you open the client program for the first time, you will have two choices: “Log in using an existing account name” or “Register a new account name.”  Select “Register a new account name.” You’ll be asked to pick a username and password, and provide an email address.  Follow the instructions to register your free account.  Don’t opt for any of the paid plans unless you already know you want to.
3. Return to GizmoProject.com.  Click on “Members Sign In” in the upper right corner.  Enter your username and password to sign in.
4. Scroll down until you see “Account Overview.”  Beneath “Account Overview” you should see “Sip Number:” followed by a 10 digit number that looks like a phone number.  Write this number down- you’ll need it to set up your Google Voice account and configure your ATA.
5. Near the top of the screen, you should see “Gizmo5 Call Out” on the left, and “Gizmo5 Call In” on the right.  Under “Gizmo5 Call In,” you should see, “Configure your IP phone or SIP device” and a link: “Learn More.”  Click on “Learn More.”  Find “SIP Settings” in bold near the top of the page.  Print or write down everything under this heading.  You’ll need it to configure your ATA.

Note: the Gizmo “Sip” number is not a regular phone number, and cannot be directly called from a cell phone or landline.  In order to take calls from regular phones, you have to set up a forwarding service, such as Google Voice.  For a few dollars per month, Gizmo will give you a regular phone number that forwards to your Sip number.  Google Voice does the same thing for free, and I’ll explain how to set that up.

Part Two: Setting up your Analog Telephone Adapter (ATA) for the Gizmo Project

Note: If you have multiple computers, I suggest you use one to read the instructions and one to configure the ATA. If you have only one computer, make sure you have your Gizmo “SIP Number” and “SIP Settings” written down or printed before you disconnect from the internet. Also, you may want to print these instructions before continuing.

1. Use the ethernet cable to connect your computer to the ATA’s “Ethernet” port.  This is the yellow port.
2. Open a web browser and go to the following address: http://192.168.0.1/admin/voice/advanced.  This will connect you with the ATA’s browser-based configuration panels.  You’ll be prompted for a username and password.  If you’ve just unlocked your ATA using the Live CD method, the username should be admin and the password should be qwe%zxc5.  If you followed my instructions for unlocking, skip to step 6.
3. Select Voice, then Provisioning.  Make sure “Provision Enable,” “Resync On Reset,” and “Resync From SIP” are set to “no.”  Click “Submit All Changes.”  This will ensure that your device cannot be hijacked and locked to another service provider.
4. Select “System.”  Make sure “Enable Web Admin Access” is set to “yes.”  Choose and enter secure and memorable passwords in the “Admin Password” and “User Password” fields.  Click “Submit All Changes.”  This will ensure that you can always get back in and change settings by using the URL above.
5. Select “Regional.”  You’ll see a lot of settings you don’t understand.  Ignore them.  Scroll to the bottom of the page.  Under “Miscellaneous,” set your local date and time zone.  Click “Submit All Changes.”  This will ensure that the time on your phone’s caller ID is correct.
6. Select “Line 1.”  For this part, you’ll need the information you printed out or wrote down earlier.  Again, you’ll see a lot of settings that look like gibberish.  Ignore these.  The only settings you need to worry about are under “Line Enable,” “SIP Settings,” “Proxy and Registration,” and “Subscriber Information.”  ”Line Enable” is at the very top.  Set this to “yes.”  Then, you’ll need to enter the information from the page you printed out.  Your settings will probably be similar to the following:   Under “SIP Settings,” “SIP Port” should be set to “5060.”  Under “Proxy and Registration,” set “Proxy” to “proxy01.sipphone.com.”  Under “Subscriber Information,” enter your name under “Display Name,” and your Gizmo Project password under “Password.”  Enter your 11-digit Gizmo “SIP Number” in the “User ID” and “Auth ID” fields.  Don’t worry about the “STUN Server” or “STUN Port.”  You don’t need to enter those for this device.  Make sure to click “Submit All Changes” when you’re finished.
7. The SPA2102 can support 2 phone lines.  If you have a second VoIP/SIP line, select “Line 2,” and enter its configuration information.
8. Your ATA is now configured.  To use it, connect an ethernet cable to the blue “Internet” port.  If you have a router, connect the ATA’s internet port to one of the ethernet ports on the router.  If you don’t have a router, connect the ATA’s internet port to your internet connection (cable or DSL modem), and connect your computer to the ATA’s ethernet port.  Connect your phone(s) to the ATA’s phone jacks.  You’re now set up to receive calls through the ATA.

Part Three: Setting up Google Voice

Note: For this next part, you need a free Google Voice account, or an invitation to set up a Google Voice account.  The service is available by invitation only.  If you already have an account or invitation, skip the next paragraph and go directly to the instructions.

There are two ways to get an invitation:  Request an invitation at: https://services.google.com/fb/forms/googlevoiceinvite/ and wait.  This may take weeks or months.  If you don’t want to wait, you can buy one on eBay.  They were selling for $20-30 just a few weeks ago, now you can get them for $1-5.   Here’s the link: http://shop.ebay.com/items/__google-voice?_trkparms=65%253A12%257C66%253A2%257C39%253A1%257C72%253A1240&_sop=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14.

Instructions:

1. If you don’t already have a Google voice account, click the link in your invitation email.  Follow the instructions to create your account.  If you don’t already have a Google account, you’ll be asked to set one up at this point.  You will have a choice of area codes, and the chance to enter any number sequences you want in your new phone number.
2. Once you’ve created your Google Voice account, log in and click “Settings” in the upper right corner.
3. Under “Settings,” select “Phones.”  This is where you enter the phones you want your Google Voice number to forward to.
4. Click “Add phone.”  You’ll be asked to enter the type of phone, the number, and a phone name that you select.  If you are setting up forwarding to your Gizmo number, make sure you select “Gizmo” under “Phone Type.” Click “Save.”
5. After you click “Save,” a message will pop up telling you that the number needs to be verified.  A 2-digit code will be displayed.
6. Click “Connect.”  Google Voice will call the phone number.  If you’ve correctly configured your ATA, your phone will ring.  You’ll be asked to enter the 2-digit code.  After you have entered the code, you will be told, “your forwarding phone is set up.  Goodbye.”  From now on, whenever someone calls your Google Voice number, it will ring your phone.

Part Four: Integrating your Gizmo Project account with your Google Voice account using Gizmo Voice

Update (8/2/09): The Gizmo Voice service is no longer completely free.  Incoming calls are still free, and outgoing calls are free during the first 3 minutes.  After that Gizmo will charge you $0.02 per minute for domestic US calls.  You can avoid these charges by using the Google Voice web interface or DialCentral to place your calls.

1. Go back to your the Gizmo Project page.  Click “Members Sign In” and enter your username and password.
2. Under “Google Voice,” select “Use for US calls only” and enter your Google Voice username and password.  Click “Save.”
3. You should now be able to make and receive free domestic US calls to and from the phone connected to your ATA.  Make some test calls to verify this.

Was this post useful? If so, please consider making a donation.

© 2009, Jonathan Johnson. All rights reserved.

Things You’ll Need

1. A Nokia N800 or N810 Internet Tablet.   If you don’t yet have one, you can purchase it here. This can also be done with a Wifi capable Blackberry or Windows Mobile device, but since I don’t have either of those, my instructions will focus on the N810.  Setting up other devices should be similar- you’ll just have to find the specific client programs yourself, and they may not be free.
2. A desktop or laptop computer.  This may not be absolutely necessary, but it is probably faster and easier if you have it.
3. A free account with the Gizmo Project.  I’ll show you how to set that up.
4. A free Google Voice account.  These are currently available by invitation only.  You can request an invitation at https://services.google.com/fb/forms/googlevoiceinvite/.  You may have to wait several weeks or months to receive your invitation.  In the meantime, there is another way, which I will discuss.
5. Dial Central installed on your N810.  I’ll show you how to set that up.

Part One: Setting up your Gizmo account

This part is easiest if you use your desktop or laptop computer rather than the internet tablet.

1. Go to GizmoProject.com.  Click on “Download for Desktop.”  Follow the instructions for downloading and installing the Gizmo client
2. When you open the client program for the first time, you will have two choices: “Log in using an existing account name” or “Register a new account name.”  Select “Register a new account name.” You’ll be asked to pick a username and password, and provide an email address.  Follow the instructions to register your free account.  Don’t opt for any of the paid plans unless you already know you want to.
3. Return to GizmoProject.com.  Click on “Members Sign In” in the upper right corner.  Enter your username and password to sign in.
4. Scroll down until you see “Account Overview.”  Beneath “Account Overview” you should see “Sip Number:” followed by a 10 digit number that looks like a phone number.  Write this number down- you’ll need it to set up your Google Voice account.

Note: the Gizmo “Sip” number is not a regular phone number, and cannot be directly called from a cell phone or landline.  In order to take calls from regular phones, you have to set up a forwarding service, such as Google Voice.  For a few dollars per month, Gizmo will give you a regular phone number that forwards to your Sip number.  Google Voice does the same thing for free, and I’ll explain how to set that up.

Part Two: Setting up your N810 to receive Gizmo calls

There are two ways to do this.  The way that I will show you uses the N810’s built in internet call client.  It involves some basic configuration, but has the advantage of saving about 10 megabytes of device memory, and will ring when a call comes in, even if you don’t have the client open. The other way is to install the Gizmo client through the N810’s Application Manager.  Feel free to try them both and see which one you prefer.

1. Open the N810’s “Internet Call” client.  This should be under “Communication,” or under the button with the 3 little people on your home screen.
2. Open the program menu.  Select “Tools,” then “Accounts.”  When the Accounts wizard opens, tap “New.”
3. Under “User name:” you will see 2 blank fields separated by the “@” character.  Enter your Gizmo username in the left field, and “proxy01.sipphone.com” in the right field.  Enter your password in the password field.  Check “Use for PSTN calls.”
4. Tap the “Advanced” button.  Change “Transport:” to UDP.  Tap “OK.”  The Advanced options will close.
   
5. Tap “Next.”  Enter an Account name of your choice.  I called this account “Gizmo.”
6. Tap “Next,” then “Finish,” then “Close” to close the Accounts wizard.

Congratulations!  You’ve finished the hardest part.

Part Three: Setting up Google Voice

Note: For this next part, you need a Google Voice account, or an invitation to set up a Google Voice account.  The service is available by invitation only.  If you already have an account or invitation, skip the next paragraph and go directly to the instructions.

There are two ways to get an invitation:  Request an invitation at: https://services.google.com/fb/forms/googlevoiceinvite/ and wait.  This may take weeks or months.  If you don’t want to wait, you can buy one on eBay.  I kid you not.  Here’s the link if you don’t believe me: http://shop.ebay.com/items/__google-voice?_trkparms=65%253A12%257C66%253A2%257C39%253A1%257C72%253A1240&_sop=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14.  I recently watched two auctions close at $30 and $26 respectively.

Before you ask, I don’t have any spare invitations.  If I did, they’d be on eBay. 

Instructions:

1. If you don’t already have a Google Voice account, click the link in your invitation email.  Follow the instructions to create your account.  If you don’t already have a Google account, you’ll be asked to set one up at this point.  You will have a choice of area codes, and the chance to enter any number sequences you want in your new phone number.
2. Once you’ve created your Google Voice account, log in and click “Settings” in the upper right corner.
3. Under “Settings,” select “Phones.”  This is where you set up Forwarding Phones, which are the phones you want your Google Voice number to forward to.  When you place a call through Google Voice, you will choose one of your forwarding phones for the call to be connected to.
4. Click “Add phone.”  You’ll be asked to enter the type of phone, the number, and a phone name that you select.  If you are setting up forwarding to your Gizmo number, make sure you select “Gizmo” under “Phone Type.” Click “Save.”
5. After you click “Save,” a message will pop up telling you that the number needs to be verified.  A 2-digit code will be displayed.
6. Click “Connect.”  Google Voice will call the phone number.  When you answer, you will be asked to enter the code displayed on the website.  This part is a little tricky with the N810.  As soon as you answer the call, tap the “Internet Call” program menu.  Under “Internet Call,” select “DTMF dialing.”  A numeric keypad will appear on which you can enter your activation code.  After you have entered the code, you will be told, “your forwarding phone is set up.  Goodbye.”

Check these settings on your N810

1. Under Settings, open Control Panel.
2. Double-tap “Presence.”
3. When the Presence menu opens, make sure “Status when connected” is set to On, and “Auto-away” is disabled.  You should see a small green circle in your status bar near your battery meter.
4. Open the Internet Call program menu.  Under “Tools,” tap “Settings.”  Make sure “Receive calls from” is set to “All.”  You can also select a ringtone by tapping “Tools” then “Ringtones.”
5. Test your setup by calling your Google Voice number from another phone.  If your settings are correctly configured the call should ring on your N810.

Part Four: Setting up DialCentral for free outgoing calls on your N810

DialCentral is a Google Voice client for the Nokia N810.  You can use it to view your contacts, send text messages from your Google Voice number, view your text messages and transcribed voicemails, and place calls through Google Voice.

Update (8/13/09): Some readers have found this next part confusing.  For clarity, I’ll define a couple of technical terms you need to know:

Forwarding Phone: This refers to any phone number that you set your Google Voice number to forward to.  This is the same as a Callback Number in DialCentral.  You can add forwarding phones by signing into your Google Voice account at http://google.com/voice, clicking “Settings” then “Phones.”

Callback Number: When you place a call through DialCentral, it doesn’t call out directly.  Instead, you tell it which of your forwarding phones you would like the call connected to.  Google Voice will call you on that phone, then connect you with the number you are calling.  Google Voice does not charge for calls within the US. DialCentral refers to this as your “Callback Number.” I’ll explain how this works below.  If you still have questions after reading this section, this post may help.

To install DialCentral, you’ll need to enable the “maemo Extras” repository in Application Manager.  Here’s how:

1. Go into Application manager.
2. Tap the menu, then “Tools” then “Application catalog.”
3. Double-tap “maemo Extras.”
4. Make sure “Disabled” is not checked.

To install DialCentral:

1. In Application Manager select “Browse installable applications” then “All.”
2. Scroll down until you see DialCentral.  Double-tap it, then tap “OK.”
3. When the Nokia warning notice pops up, select “OK.”  DialCentral will install.

To configure DialCentral:

1. Start DialCentral.  Enter your Google Voice username and password when prompted.  Make sure you select Google Voice from the drop-down menu. (Update 10/9/09: It is no longer necessary to select the account type during this step.  All you have to do is enter your Google Voice username and password)
2. Under “Accounts” choose a “Callback Number.”  This is the number of the phone you are “calling from” when you place a call.
3. To make a call either enter the number on the keypad and tap “Dial,” or double-tap one of your contacts and tap “Dial.”  Google Voice will call your designated Callback Number, then connect you with the phone you want to reach.

What if I don’t have a Google Voice account?

If the Google God is ignoring your intreaties, and you absolutely must have your free wifi phone working right now, try IPKall.com.  You will receive a phone number with a Washington State area code that will forward to your Gizmo Sip number (remember that?).  You won’t have all the features and toys of Google Voice, and you won’t be able to call out, but you’ll be able to receive free incoming phone calls on your internet tablet until your Google Voice invitation arrives.

1. Go to IPKall.com.  Click on “Sign-up.”
2. Choose SIP, and an area code.
3. Enter your Gizmo Sip number.  If you don’t remember what this is, refer back to Part One: Setting up your Gizmo account.
4. Enter “proxy01.sipphone.com” in the “SIP Proxy:” field.
5. Provide an email address and password.

IPKall will take a couple of days to review your application.  I submitted mine on a Tuesday and received a reply the following Friday.  You will receive an email with your IPKall number (this is the one you give to your friends).  Once your N810 is configured to receive Gizmo calls, it should ring when you dial the IPKall number on a regular phone.

Whew, that was a long post!

I know.  I spent all afternoon writing it.  I hope it’s helpful.  Feel free to ask questions or share your experiences in the comments.  If you are still on the fence and don’t own a Nokia N810, I invite you to purchase it here.

Was this post useful? If so, please consider making a donation.

© 2009, Jonathan Johnson. All rights reserved.

Spiralfrog.com is a website that offers free music downloads.  It is legal because it is ad-supported, and has agreements to share its revenue with the labels.

The Good:

• Free, legal music downloads

The Bad:

• Digital rights management: Spiralfrog has very restrictive DRM.  The tracks only work with devices that support Windows Media Player DRM, and expire after 60 days if you don’t continue visiting the site.  This means I can play the tracks on my Creative Zen Vision M, but not on my Nokia N810.  Mac users are out of luck.
• Some of the major record labels are not on board with Spiralfrog’s business model, so their selection is not as broad as Amazon.com or iTunes.  I have downloaded Aerosmith, Diana Krall, Norah Jones, Paul Anka, Oscar Peterson, John Coltrane, and many others, but was unable to find Led Zeppelin or the Rolling Stones.
• The website is a bit clunky.  Sometimes a download fails and you have to try again.  This happens more frequently if you continue browsing the site while your tracks are downloading.  I find it best to download one album at a time and do something else while it downloads.  My advice is to make friends with the “Try Again” button.
• The search feature is not very impressive.  It is very sensitive to misspellngs, and you sometimes have to get creative to find what you are looking for.

Conclusion

If you are on a tight budget and are willing to be a little bit patient, Spiralfrog.com is a good place to legally download free music.  If you have a little cash to spend, I recommend downloading MP3’s from Amazon.com.  Most of their tracks come as standard MP3’s with no DRM protection, so you can play them on any device and burn them to CD’s.

This article was written and posted from my Nokia N810.

© 2009, Jonathan Johnson. All rights reserved.

[ratings]

Review excerpt:

The Four Hour Workweek challenges our assumptions about money and employment. Most of us grow up, go to college, spend the best years of our lives working, and hope that when we retire that we will have enough money to survive until we die. Ferriss asserts that this is unnecessary. His model is to live life as a series of distributed “mini-retirements,” enjoying life while we still have our health and energy. He advocates what he calls “lifestyle design,” determining what we really want out of life, and finding creative ways to make it happen.

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© 2008, Jonathan Johnson. All rights reserved.