Phone Number for Life: GrandCentral

Do you have a phone number for life? Well, there is a new company – GrandCentral – that tries to do just that! It has been bought by Google. How do they do that?

You get a number which can be assigned to any – ANY – number you have already (cell, landline etc). So, no matter where you are – your “GrandCentral” number stays with you. The site is still in “Private Beta”.

Here is the official stuff on what is available:

# All your calls through a single number. Add your other numbers to your GrandCentral account and then make your own rules for how and when your phones ring. Go to the Settings tab and look under Phones to add forwarding numbers and change your settings.
# All your voicemails in one place, saved for as long as you want. If you don’t answer a GrandCentral call, your callers will be sent to your GrandCentral voicemail. You can then check messages by calling your GrandCentral number, by logging into your account, or by checking the GrandCentral notification email.
# Handy features that work the same way across all your phones:

* ListenIn as callers leave you a message
* Record calls on the fly so you never have to fumble for a pen again
* Switch phones mid-call without your caller knowing
* Block annoying callers at will
* Record custom greetings for different caller or groups of callers