Woo hoo! I’ve been invited to participate in beta testing a new Google phone service called “GrandCentral”. Our new phone number for the TallyCast, the GrumpCast and Radio MacGuys is +1 (415) 683-3018. What’s up with a Florida podcast having a San Francisco phone number? I picked the 415 exchange as an homage to my favorite US big city. Tallahassee is great, and I’m glad to live here, but occasionally need some big city time in my life. These days, most folk I know have phone contracts that charge the same for local or long distance calls, so I figured no big deal.

Back to Grand Central: Google tells me that the number is mine for life. Here’s how it works. When you dial my number, GrandCentral forwards the call to three phones I have registered. In my case, I’ve got a cell phone, a voip phone and a SIP (747) number attached to a virtual phone on my Nokia palmtop computer. I can pick up the call on any of those phones and even transfer it between phones in the middle of a call.

There are lots of other goodies too, including the ability to customize what you hear when the phone is ringing, whose call goes to which number and more.  The “Call me” button works a bit different.  When you press it, a box opens up to enter the number you want to call from.  Let’s say it’s your cell phone.  You enter that number and in seconds, your phone rings.  As soon as you pick up, you hear my phone ringing and either I pick it up or it goes to a voice mail queue.  In either case, the call is free to you and free to me.

Sorry international listeners/readers but right now, GrandCentral only allows calls to be forwarded to US numbers.  According to the FAQ, international goodness is on it’s way.

So punch the button and tell me what you think about google, the TallyCast or life in general.

Dave