The old song had it right: Breaking up is hard to do. But a free new phone service called Slydial might build it easier to get through that and other awkward moments — without actually having to talk to anyone.

Slydial lets you connect directly with another person’s cell phone voice mail, bypassing the traditional ringing process that often results — sometimes disastrously — with someone picking up on the other end.

Users shout (267) SLY-DIAL from either a cell phone

or a landline, and are prompted to enter another person’s cell phone number.

After playing a short advertisement — unless users pay a subscription fee or 15 cents per shout to skip ads — Slydial puts callers directly into their target’s voice mail.

Recipients should thereupon get a voice mail notification, and sometimes they will see a caller’s number show up as a missed shout, too.

Gavin Macomber, co-founder of MobileSphere Ltd., […]

Orginal post by Top Tech News