Along with a number of new features in the latest update

Jan 23, 2010 11:33 GMT  ·  By

Google Voice is one of the most exciting products from the company at the moment. The service is still in a somewhat limited beta but it's clear that 2010 will be the year when Google becomes a very powerful player in the voice communications market. Google Voice is slowly making its way into every product the company has to offer, it's a default option in its Nexus One phone for example, and now the Google Chrome extension got a pretty big update adding much needed functionality like click-to-call.

Here's the full list of new features coming straight from Google:

- Adds a button to the toolbar, which displays the number of unread messages in your Google Voice inbox. - Gives you quick access to your most recent messages with transcripts. - Lets you initiate calls and send free text messages by just typing any number or contact name. - Makes phone numbers on websites callable via Google Voice by just clicking on them. Even though it's listed last, the click-to-call feature is definitely the main act. With the Voice Chrome extension installed, users will be able to click on any phone number online. They are then presented with a dialog box asking them which phone they'd like to use to make the call. Google Voice then calls that phone and after they pick up connects the call to the phone number in the web page. This all sounds a bit complicated but all the work is done behind the scenes, all you have to do is click the number and then pick up your phone.

The Voice extension is just like any typical Chrome extension, it ads a small button to the taskbar, which opens up in a small dialog box if you click on it. The extension also enables you to type in names or phone numbers and then call them or send an SMS from the browser. It allows you to read your voicemail transcripts. Things should get even more interesting when Google starts integrating the technology it acquired along with Gizmo5 and turns the browser into a softphone, something that's guaranteed to happen sooner rather than later.

Google Voice for Chrome is available for download here. Google Chrome for Windows is available for download here.