Here's a neat way to get your SMS messages read over the phone to you, and be able to respond via voice-to-text transcription.

I just set this up myself after much googling.

1. Get a separate, new email address specifically for your SMS messages. (Like at gmx.com for example)

2. In Google Voice, go to Settings > Voicemail & SMS. Next to "Alert me when I have a new voicemail", you'll see a link "Add a new email address". Do this. Have the new email verified and all that's required.

3. Once you've added a new email address for voicemail notifications, it will appear in the dropdown for SMS messages. Since you can already call your Google Voice number for voicemails, uncheck the email notifications for them. Notice that when you check "forward SMS messages to my email" it will have your new, separate email address next to it.

4. Sign up for a http://dial2do.com account. Set up the email reading feature using the IMAP settings of your free email service (if you got one at gmx.com, they have free IMAP service. A lot of free email services don't, so use gmx or find one that does).

5. OPTIONAL: If you are a T-Mobile MyFaves user, add dial2do's number to your MyFaves for unlimited calling.

6. Call Dial2do's access number, say "listen to email", and you'll be rewarded with text-to-voice SMS messages with the ability to respond via voice!

And it's all for free!

Now if there were only a way to get a free phone call when someone SMSed you. I realize I could just pay for SMS messages via my cell provider and have them forwarded, but what would be the fun of that?

So check it out, and if you find any more useful ways to extend Google Voice, be sure to pipe up