CallWave

Callwave is a free voicemail alternative for your cell phone. you don't have to do anything differently from what you do now, and it's actually easier to check your messages. There are several cool things about it:

1) you can screen your messages and pick up if it's someone you want to talk to
1.5) [a side effect of item 1] you have a second chance to answer the phone if you didn't reach it during the normal number of rings
2) you can get a text message when you have a voicemail (regular voicemail noticiation won't work). the text message tells you who called and how long the message was
3) you can screen and listen to your messages from your computer (windows only)
4) if you are screening from your computer, you can transfer the call to any number (i.e. your work line, your home line).

i've been using this for over a month now and i'm totally sold. the best part is seeing and listening to my messages on my computer. i hate having to dig my phone out of my bag to check my messages, and then i hate having to dial something and hold the phone up to my ear during the standard airtime-sucking voicemail retrieval process. now my little floating widget on my computer screen tells me if i have a new message. if i want to hear it, i press the play button. that's it.