As long as there has been a world wide web to use as a media platform, those of us working with it have carried on a vigorous debate that might be called the "content vs. utility" question. Reasonable people can disagree on the question, and frequently do, staking out extreme...
If your iPhone service plan doesn't include text messages or you routinely burn through your monthly allotment, here's a trick for getting unlimited SMS without spending a penny. In a nutshell, you install the iPhone AIM client iTunes link, then add new AIM contacts in your desktop instant-messaging program (iChat, AIM,...
Amid all the talk about AT&T's data plan fees and the cost of buying an unlocked iPhone perhaps the most notable jump is the cost of texting. News.com's Maggie Reardon breaks it down: Since 2005, rates to send and receive text messages on all four major...
Opportunities to make an impact in the SMS space will never be better. The widely deployed mobile text messaging technology offers a fertile channel for communicating with interactivity-hungry 15-24 year olds through innovative campaigns and strategies. Puca is at the forefront of developing compelling application in this area. When the...
SMS has become the new buzzword for cellular operators as they look to enhance revenue and subscriber base. If the cellular industry's strategic response to the newly-evolved Short Messaging Service SMS market is anything to go by, it seems to have found a growth engine for its sagging revenue model....
While new business will certainly be created in wireless space, under the present arrangements, the most obvious area in which SMS may be useful to a wide range of companies is in marketing and promotion. A recent study by wireless services company, Quios, discovered a very ready acceptance of advertising...
Now you can cut back on expensive mobile calls to employees on-the-road by sending SMS messages to their mobiles - using Outlook! This fantastic paid-service lets you send Instant SMS messages from Microsoft Outlook 2003 to any mobile phone using your personal address book, Global Address List GAL or direct...
New Web service Alerts.com sends gas-price updates, traffic alerts, baseball scores, and more to your cell phone or inbox. The free service currently offers about a dozen alert choices, including a "free form" alert that lets you send yourself a reminder or any other tidbit of...
The Find: If you think text messaging is a distraction for your team, think again. A new study finds workers who use text messaging at the office actually report fewer interruptions. The Source: A recent study by researchers at Ohio State University and University...
So you're standing in the aisles of your local big-box store, about to spring for a color laser printer, when you stop and think: "I wonder if can get this cheaper somewhere else." Frucall gives you price comparisons on your cell phone: Just call the service (888-DO-FRUCALL) and enter the product's...
The Find: 85 percent of written correspondence among adults and business professionals contains grammatical errors. The Source: An analysis of more than 5,000 pieces of business and other writing from software firm WhiteSmoke Inc. The Takeaway: WhiteSmoke makes grammar checking software, so...
Sean Rad is a co-founder of Orgoo, a personal communications tool that organizes IM accounts, video chat, video mail, SMS and voice messaging in one place. Rad talks about how he found his target consumer base and the most valuable lessons he learned in starting a company.
You already know you can get driving directions via Google SMS, but what if you're on foot in a big city and want to get around via public transportation? Enter HopStop, a free service that lets you access subway and bus directions using only your cell...
Not looking forward to the Ides of April? A new startup called Sexat ("Taxes" backwards, get it?) has worked out a deal to let you SMS your 1099s and W2s directly to the IRS—no H&R Block schmoe needed. All you have to do is follow the simple guidelines on the...
Feel like you're drowning in a deluge of phone calls? If you're a Windows Mobile smartphone user, you can block unwanted calls with Call Firewall. Compatible with Windows Mobile 5 and 6, this utility lets you configure your phone to handle calls in several different ways. For...
Web-based Xpenser aims to take the hassle out of expense-tracking. The free service lets you submit expenses via e-mail, instant message, text message, Twitter, or even Jott. With so many options, it should be no trouble to record expenses no matter where you are. After signing up and...
Research firm, Basex has declared 2008 the "Year of Information Overload," and to add a cherry to the top of that sundae, they say $650 billion in productivity was lost in 2006 due to email, SMS messages, and IMs. One could guess it was even higher in 2007 (no thanks...
Beep-boop-boop, beep-boop-boop-beep. Ring. Ring. "Welcome to Jott. Who do you want to Jott?" "Google Calendar." "Beep." "Meet Dave for lunch at Panera tomorrow at 12:30." In much the same way you can...
Both Rick and I have pointed out the great newish Google products for cellphones: 1-800-GOOG-411 and Google SMS. Deciding which one to use is more than a matter of preferring to talk or use your thumbs, though. I use GOOG-411 when I'm driving or walking and need...
The more you travel, the tougher it gets to keep track of all your flights, hotels, car rentals, and other reservations. TripIt keeps everything organized under one roof, and without all the hassles of manually entering the details. All you do is forward the confirmation e-mails you...
