I received an invitation this morning that they are opening up more spots for the beta version of GrandCentral...recently acquired by Google. The features on this really are nice...even nicer because it's free ;)

If any of you use RealPing, or even visual voicemail on your iPhone, these same features are seen on GrandCentral. While receiving a call, I can pick it up and accept the call, send it to voicemail, or "ListenIn™" as the message is being left. This is what I miss about old answering machines, figuring out who it really is and how important it is before I decide if I want to listen.

GrandCentral lets you pick out an available number in your area code, so for me I actually have to let people know about a new number that isn't as easy to remember sometimes. Thankfully, I searched the state and found one that my friends and family can remember :) The last four is HUNY :)

Other features that I love so far (in the 2 hours since I started it), You can block calls, set it up as SPAM voicemail for those annoying telemarketers that seem to call a million times no matter how much you tell them that you need to be taken off their list. You can even have it set to give a "disconnected" message, so the computers take them out of their system.

Fun features are things such as custom ring calls, so instead of the regular Dial tone people listen to while they call you, it's music or voice over or chimes.

I hope you all get a chance to check it out, and possibly receive an invite...as I already used up my 10 invitations!

Oh, if you try and call me, it will call your phone number first, and then call me. Don't freak out when you have some strange guy calling you saying, Ring Ring !