GrandCentral about to get a WHOLE Lot Better

I’ve been a huge fan, though not an entirely avid user, of the ingenious cell phone service GrandCentral for, oh, almost a year.  [Update: I just retrieved the beta invitation email I got from them, and it is dated July 30, 2007.]
(Call me if you like.  The number is (909)740-3535, but keep in mind your call goes through a rigorous screening process before my cell phone even rings. I kid you not.)

If you’re unfamiliar with this service, prepare to have your socks knocked off.

First of all, the service is based on a particular number that you give out to people that want your phone number.  That phone number actually calls GrandCentral, which then calls your cell phone, announcing the call — either with CallerID of the person placing the call, or something to let you know that GrandCentral is handling the call.  From that point on, you can choose to take the call, let the call go to voicemail, or listen in on the call (as if it were a home answering machine).  If you choose to take the call, you still have options.  You can record the call by pressing a button or two, at which point both parties in the call will hear an announcement stating that the call will be recorded.  When you’re done recording, press a button again, and another announcement states recording is off.

The in-call recording, and all voicemail that goes through GrandCentral actually gets recorded at GrandCentral, after which time you can go to the website and listen to your messages.  No software to download (other than maybe a Adobe Flash plugin, which you likely have already if you’ve ever visited Youtube).

It goes without saying that, yes, you can totally block callers easily.

You can also input your personal contact list and associate people that call you into groups, and then specify ringtones, greetings, etc., based on group or individual person.

If you get a TON of phone calls on your cell phone, like me, this service is well worth having.  Even though its free, I would likely consider paying a few bucks a month just to keep it.  There are rumors that it will become a pay service…  but more on that later.

One other neato-mosquito feature of GrandCentral?  If you have multiple phones, GrandCentral performs a bit of technological magic.  Say you have registered both of your phones with GrandCentral…  and you get a call on one of your phones through the service…  if you want to switch phones, you just hit a button on your cell phone keypad.  GrandCentral will call your other phone, you pick up, and presto-gizmo the call is automagically transferred.

And now for the news…

Back when I was invited to the beta for GrandCentral, Google had just acquired the service.  Google, essentially, has been working on making it their own, in relative silence, for almost a year now.  Well, they’ve finally re-released the service as Google Voice, though still in closed beta.  “How do you know this,” you might say…?  “From what fountain of knowledge have you gleened this nugget of information, Dave,” you might inquire…?

Well, its all over the Internet, here and here, and here.  Oh, and also because when I logged into my GrandCentral account, I got this notification:

Your account will soon be available for upgrade to Google Voice. Thank you for your patience

The Google Voice Team – Read the blog