Weekend Gadget Guidance: Navigate phone trees automatically

Imagine this: you have to make a phone call, but you don't want to sit through the umpteen-level phone tree awaiting your poor ear.

"Press one to hear your balance. Press two to pay your balance. Press three to open a new account."

By the time they get to '0' -- which, tragically, isn't the operator, sending a wave of anger through your very soul -- you've had enough.

Fonolo.com promises to fix all that. Magically, the company has mapped out companies' entire customer service phone trees just for you. So the next time you need to climb the dreaded phone tree, just go online and click on a chart to where you want to go. Fonolo does the work for you, calling the company, navigating to that point, then calling you on your phone when the call is ready for your sensitive ears.

It's like music to your ears -- without the endless loop of Kenny G's greatest hits. It's also free.

Appropriately, Consumerist reports that a forthcoming feature will allow users to record calls and publish them online at the click of a button.

Right now Fonolo's in closed beta, so enter your e-mail address on their front page for updates as they head toward release. Happy calling.