How 2 . . .Make call directly to voice mail

Etan Horowitz | Sentinel Staff Writer

September 14, 2008

Ever want to bypass the awkward small talk and go straight to someone's voice mail so you can leave a message? A free service called slydial lets you do just that.

1. Dial 1-267-SLYDIAL (759-3425) from any land line or mobile phone.

2. When prompted, dial the cell-phone number you want to call. You can only dial U.S. cell-phone numbers.

3. Listen to the advertisement and then leave your message after you hear the voice-mail greeting.

4. You can only leave a 90-second voice-mail message. If you want to leave longer messages and access other features, you can sign up for a premium version of the service at slydial.com.

5. Depending on the type of phone you are calling, the phone may ring briefly, but the other person will not be able to answer before the call goes to voice mail. Your phone number will show up in the caller ID.