I recently received an invite to Google Voice which is a very interesting VoIP product from Google. Before I continue, I’d recommend you request an invite now. The invitation process is definitely a little quirky as some have reported receiving invites very fast, while others have waited for weeks now with no word.
Google Voice (GV) allows you to pick any number that they have available and use that number as a centralized phone number for all of your phones. You are able to forward calls to your cell or home landline. On top of all this, it allows outgoing text messages and management of your texts and voicemails right from the web interface. GV will also make an attempt at transcribing your voicemail to text and has the option of forwarding these to your cell phone.
Probably the best part of all is the ability to combine GV with Gizmo5 to receive free VoIP! This can be achieved because Google Voice can initiate a call by you calling it and Gizmo5 provides free calls to the US. Not only that, but Gizmo5 makes it easy and all you have to do is go to your account settings and login to GV and it will do the rest of the work for you. A decent VoIP box would allow you to rig your entire house with this service. For more information on that, see the SlickDeals thread.
Now don’t forget to request your invitation!