Wednesday, October 17, 2007 -- 10:59 p.m. -- at my desk

Tonight, I was informed about something called TalkPlus.

I'll admit ... I'm not sure I understand the true benefit yet. But that doesn't mean I'm any less intrigued.

Oh, and now it's 100 percent optimized for the iPhone (see photo for a taste).

This information is directly from the site at talkplus.com.

TalkPlus Allows you to:
* Add a 2nd phone number your iPhone:
-- have that number ring your mobile, home, and office phones all at once.

Quickly view and manage voicemail to your TalkPlus number using TalkPlus visual voicemail.

Screen your voicemail - listen as your callers leave you a message on your TalkPlus number.

Make low cost international calls using TalkPlus.

And as I read and type at the same time, I'm starting to get it:

When you get a TalkPlus number, our system forwards calls to that number to whatever number(s) you have specified.

When you make a call using your TalkPlus number, you will use one of our mobile applications or WAP to initiate the call. TalkPlus will then use your mobile phone to place a call to a local number provided by our system, which then will connect you to the friend you are calling. This allows TalkPlus to show the TalkPlus number on your friend's callerID, instead of your mobile phone's callerID. This also allows you to place low cost international calls by dialing a local number to connect your call through TalkPlus.

So that means you call a local number and that number places the call. Interesting. And you have an account that you use to place international calls -- not too unlike a Skype account.

There's much more at the TalkPlus FAQ site here.

Anyone try this? If you have or do, please let us know about it.

Thanks for calling.

There's also the interesting trick of being able to make calls from you iPhone and present the caller ID of your home, work, or other number that you control. This is useful for people who don't want to give out their "real" iPhone cell phone number because of privacy issues (and blocking caller ID results in unanswered calls.) There's also the argument that this is good for phoning in sick from what appears to be home when you're actually on the beach, but that's something we can't condone. :-)

SCOTT'S REPLY: And that's something I can't condone either, John. :-D

I have family in Mexico and it was very expense for them to call me. Now, they just call my "Mexico" number and it's a local call for them. They don't have to pay international costs!! Family stays in touch and we're all happy!

SCOTT'S REPLY: That's great! And it works well with your iPhone, I assume? Sounds like it.

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