I signed up to get a beta invite for Google Voice a couple of weeks ago. I got the invite today, and set up my account. In the setup process I was able to choose my area code and look for a mix of numbers and letters to be my phone. I ended up getting one that was a combination of my first name and birth year. Makes it easy for me to remember, anyway.

This one number can ring multiple phones at once. I was able to set up my office, cell, and home number. You can decide what rings when (weekends, nights, days, however.) While testing, Kathy immediately objected and told me to get google off our home phone.

Grant called me right away and tested it. The Google lady on the phone acts as an operator and screens the calls. She asked me if I wanted to take the call or not from “brothu Grant” which was what he said when she asked his name.

What is amazing is that someone can leave a voicemail message, and a text transcript of the voicemail message goes to youre e-mail and is text messaged to your cell phone. You can also see your voicemails over the web, like an e-mail box. In the attached snapshot you can see where Google Voice did a pretty good job of translating two messages. The little button above each message lets me listen to the original over the PC.

Look in the lower left corner. I’m accumulating credits that can be used for international long distance. I’ve already earned 10 cents.

This is extraordinary. I assume I will see and hear some ads along the way that funds all of this.