We've all had times when we've called people and hoped to get their voice mail because leaving a message would be preferable to actually talking to someone. A new service takes the guess work out of getting people's voice mail. Using the service, you can be guaranteed of getting their voice mail so there is no risk of actually having to talk to the person. Even better, with some cell phone providers it also shows up on their phone as a missed call so it looks like you actually made an attempt to call them.

The service is called SlyDial. You call their phone number at 267-slydial (759-3425). You then enter the phone number of the person you want to call. It only works with phone numbers that are cell phones, and it only works in the US. You then get connected directly to their voice mail.

The service is free, but you do have to listen to an ad. But isn't that better than having to talk to someone you are trying to avoid?