Oct. 11, 2011 at 3:49 PM ET
With T-Mobile's expanded and free "Bobsled" service, you can now make free calls to friends and family from most Web browsers, Android phones and from the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. (Yes, T-Mobile on an iPhone — at last — kind of.)
When T-Mobile launched Bobsled last spring, it was as a Facebook app that let Facebook users call each other for free on their computers.
The much-enhanced Bobsled lets you make calls to any mobile or landline number in the United States, Canada or Puerto Rico, and those you're calling do not need to have the Bobsled program. (Note: Bobsled does not work for emergency calls.)
"Earlier this year we brought voice to social networking with Bobsled for Facebook. Now we are expanding the capabilities of Bobsled, allowing users to easily communicate with friends from anywhere on the Web and even dial out for free to mobile and landline numbers,” said Brad Duea, senior vice president, T-Mobile USA, in a press release.
"Users can also now jump on Bobsled from Android phones and tablets as well as from Apple iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch. Bobsled allows users to be heard across borders, websites, carriers and platforms.”
Android users can download Bobsled from the Android Market; iOS users, from Apple's App Store.
In order to use Bobsled from your computer, you'll need Adobe Flash 10.0.2 or later. Here's the list of supported operating systems and Web browsers that will work with Bobsled:
Windows: Vista, Win7, XP
IE8, IE9 (only 32-bit browser version)
Chrome 10+
Firefox 3.6+
Mac OS X: 10.5+
Safari 5
Chrome 10+
Firefox 3.6+
T-Mobile is using Vivox's VoiceEverywhere program for Bobsled. To learn more about the program, and see it in action, visit the Bobsled website.
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