Voicemail

I really really really hate voicemail. Think about it, if you have something to tell me and wish for an immediate response, why subject me to having to call into my voicemail service, wait for the annoying automated information (in your best stupid slow robotic voice: "Saturday Three Forty Six PM, Three One Two Five Nine Five One Two Three Four"), only to listen to your message which invariably requires a call back and if you're not available the need to start this cycle again? A text or an email can be scanned in seconds and replied to just as easily. Why make things harder when they need not be?



Google may have a solution. A couple years back, Google bought out Grandcentral, and is now preparing to launch the service after giving it the Google makeover. Grandcentral is basically an online switchboard for your cell phone. You tell the service your phone number (or multiple phone numbers if you have them) and all calls, texts, voicemails, etc. are first sent to Grandcentral and then forwarded to your cell phone. This may seem a little inefficient at first but by sending things to Google the service will 1) save and archive all of your texts, calls, etc., 2) convert your voicemail to text and forward that to your phone, and 3) a whole bunch of other cool stuff that I don't have the time to really delve into right now. I still hate voicemail but Grandcentral may have just made it a little more bearable.

The service is still in beta and you need an invite to join but should be open to all users soon.