• Ars Technica, Wednesday, June 24, 2009 3 PM

Google is preparing a new service called Google Voice that provides users with a single phone number that seamlessly routes calls to their existing phones. The service also has built-in voicemail that can be accessed from any phone or through a Web browser. It features automatic message transcription (converting voicemails to text, which will be searchable) and free SMS delivery. Users can also forward their voicemail transcripts directly to their email accounts. Other cool features: recording incoming (but not outgoing) calls with the touch of a button, playing back recorded calls and voicemails directly through the browser, or even downloading them as MP3 files.

According to reports, Google recently obtained a million new phone numbers from Level 3, an Internet backbone operator, signaling that the search giant is preparing to open Google Voice to a broader audience. Reports also claim that Voice customers will be offered number portability, enabling them to move existing phone numbers to the Google infrastructure.

Ars Technica, which has participated in the service's closed beta program, says Google Voice is "remarkably powerful and easy to use" and "has the potential to get a lot more interesting as Google integrates its capabilities into its Android smartphone platform."

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