Talkatone Turns Your iPod touch (And iPhone) Into A Social Phone

The new Talkatone app makes communicating with co-workers, friends, and family members easier than ever. Best of all, you don’t need an iPhone to use the app; it works just as easily on an iPod touch! Created by TalkMe.IM, Inc., the app is a free Google Talk client, which includes instant messaging, voice calling over Wi-Fi and 3G (iPhone only), and location sharing features.

Talkatone requires an existing Gmail account to work, but you aren’t required to setup a special Talkatone account to use the app. Calls to regular phones require an existing Google Voice account which is integrated with Google Talk. Video calling is not available with this release.

Features include:

• Portrait and Landscape modes supported
• Voice Calls over 3G and Wi-Fi
• Supports avatars from Google Talk server and from your iPhone’s address book
• Basic Bluetooth headset support

Overall, I was impressed with the Talkatone app. It took me about two minutes to integrate it with both my Google Talk and Google Voice accounts. From there, I was able to communicate with friends using Google Talk and by making calls to landlines. Calls made on my iPhone 4 using the app over 3G were extremely choppy. Some calls were actually dropped. I would strongly suggest making your calls using Wi-Fi, which is obviously the only way possible on the iPod touch. The app is supported by a thorough (and often updated) blog, which answers many of the questions you’d expect from first time Talkatone users. The site also includes an F.A.Q. section too. Both are great resources. The free Talkatone app is available in the App Store.

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