Posts tagged Sms at Switched

Posts with tag sms

Pope Benedict XVI Texting Out Messages of Encouragement

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 16th 2008 at 10:10AM

Don't act like you didn't know that Pope Benedict XVI was down with modern technology. As part of World Youth Day, the man himself will begin sending out texts of encouragement to pilgrims who have signed up through Telstra to receive them.

A total of four gigantic "prayer walls" have been erected at the Sydney Opera House, the Domain, Darling Harbour and Randwick Racecourse in Australia, where folks will actually be able to send their own messages for all to presumably see. The first message sent out? "Young friend, God and his people expect much from u because u have within you the Fathers supreme gift: the Spirit of Jesus - BXVI." Hllujh, amn brtha. [Source: News.com.au]

[Thanks, zedster]

Fight Crime by Texting the Police

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jul 8th 2008 at 2:14PM

By now, crime stoppers hot lines and posters encouraging you to "say something" are old hat in the law enforcement tool box. Anonymous tips are an important part of the the crime fighting arsenal in many cities and police are looking for ways to update that weapon for the 21st century.

Many police outfits are taking the teen and twenty something's communication method of choice, text messaging, and collecting tips from those with speedy thumbs. Even major cities like Cincinnati and Boston are experimenting with the system and having measurable success. The very first text messaging tip received by the Boston police department resulted in an arrest in a New Hampshire murder case. In the first year of the program, the number of text messaging tips nearly matched the number of tips called in through the the old-school voice-based hotline.

All the text messages are routed through a server that encrypts the originating telephone number so that tracking them to their sender is virtually impossible, which should help calm the fears of those who don't want to be labeled as snitches. [Source: USA Today]

82% of Americans Never Use Text Messaging

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 8th 2008 at 1:12PM

While there has been quite the kerfuffle about banning texting while driving and educating Australian youngsters on text speak, a new survey shows that the vast majority of us haven't even sent a single SMS. Research firm Ipsos MediaCT polled individuals in a variety of countries and came to one general conclusion: If folks are using SMS, "they're using it frequently."

On the flip-side, those who aren't savvy with text messaging aren't apt to just dabble in it. For instance, 82% of respondents in America said "that they never used text messaging, while 3% said that they used it monthly or less" and 15% reported using it "every week or even more. Who knows what that figure would be if carriers stopping charging an arm and a leg for per-use messaging. [Source: New York Times via Textually, image courtesy of ugo]

Scale Sends Weight Via Text Message

by Tim Stevens, posted Jun 30th 2008 at 1:24PM

Scale Sends Weight Via SMS -- Not Necessarily to You

If you dreaded hopping on the scale this morning to gauge the impact of that pizza bender you went this past weekend, then artist Alice Wang has a handful of concept scales that may be of interest to you. Each one subtly tweaks the concept of the simple scale in some deliciously subversive ways. One, called Open Secret, doesn't even have a display on it; instead, it sends text messages to a single recipient, who then has the burden of telling you the results.

Another similar scale, called "Half-Truth," has a readout screen that can only be seen by another person who has to tell you what your weight is -- honestly or dishonestly. Finally, there's the "White Lies" scale, which reads lower if you lean backwards. These are not the sort of products you're likely to find on the shelves at your local Wal-Mart anytime soon, nor likely any shelves anywhere, but they would certainly make that most dreaded of morning rituals a bit more dramatic. [Source: Core77 via textually.org]

Text-Addicted Teen Sends 15,000 Messages a Month

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jun 26th 2008 at 4:58PM

Trust us when we say we make good use of our text messaging plans at Switched. Many of us simply could not survive without our unlimited (or at least hefty) text messaging packages, but one girl from Ohio sends more texts in a month than the entire Switched staff combined.

According to WEWS TV, Cleveland, Paige Horne, 15, of Stark County, Ohio, sends an average of 15,000 text messages a month -- that's an average of 500 messages a day!. Even so, she somehow finds time to keep her GPA above 3.0 while also playing high school basketball and volleyball. Regarding her technique, Horne responded, "I just don't look. I guess I had the phone a long time and I just know where the buttons are and I just hit them." With texting skills like these, we're pretty sure she could give the 13-year-old texting champion of the world a run for her money.

At that pace, Paige must literally be texting all the time. While walking, in the car, in class, and even while sleeping. We just hope she learns to take a break before she gets her license. [Source: newsnet5 via Geeksugar]

Click Here to Find Tips To Lower Your Cell Phone Bill

Famous French News Anchor Allegedly Fired Via Text Message

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jun 16th 2008 at 1:26PM

Long time news anchor at French network TF1, Patrick Poivre d'Arvor (known also as PPDA), has been fired in (according to some reports) the most unceremonious way possible -- via text message.

The beloved TV news anchor is one of the biggest TV personalities in France and was seen nervously texting during the Roland Garros tennis tournament (aka, the French Open). PPDA was reportedly trading messages with Patrick Le Lay, chairman of the board of TF1, and, according to Paris Match, was looking pretty bummed.

Despite these speculatons, PPDA claims to have heard about his dismissal the same way as the rest of the public, via the news. In September, PPDA will be replaced by Laurence Ferrari.

Of course, this isn't the first time we've seen someone fired or dumped via impersonal electronic means, and we don't expect it to be the last! Do you think it's wrong? [Source: Textually.org]

SMS Is the New 'COPS' (in the UK, at Least)

by Christine Whitney, posted Jun 9th 2008 at 9:45AM

What is it that makes the British wanna fight so bad? (Rain-blood pudding-Amy Winehouse?) We hear that the kids over there will even jump you while you're waiting in line for fried chicken.

Our belligerent forefathers are searching for ways to cut down their crime rate, and SMS text messaging could be the answer. In East London schools, a new plan is being tested wherein students are encouraged to report their knife-wielding classmates to the authorities via anonymous text messages. Anti-crime partnership Crimestoppers, the mastermind behind the SMS tip plan, hopes to take a bite out of knife crime, which has become rampant among Brit youth.

Crimestoppers conjectures that kids will feel more comfortable snitching while cloaked behind a medium they know and love -- SMS. Messages are encrypted to ensure informants' security, and the text-informant plan is currently under way at three Tower Hamlets schools. If successful, the program could be expanded throughout London. [Source: Silicon.com, via Textually]

FEMA: Don't Worry About National SMS Alert System, We're On IT

by Chris Ziegler, posted Jun 9th 2008 at 7:30AM

The FCC has already given its stamp of approval on a system to modernize the US's ages-old emergency broadcast infrastructure, relying largely on voluntary participation by the nation's wireless carriers to help get the word out to their subscribers in the event of a crisis.

Left open, though, was the question of exactly who would be responsible for taking the reigns at the federal level, managing the system and overseeing alerts. After some initial concern that it didn't have the necessary legal authority to manage the system during non-emergencies, FEMA has finally taken the bull by the horns and thrown its hat in the ring to get the infrastructure in place.

The agency's first responsibility will be to develop and publish a protocol for the alerts -- something it hopes to have accomplished in the next one to two months -- with public availability of the production system coming in 12 to 18 months.

Christie's Using Text Messaging to Send Auction Alerts

by Blake Besharian, posted Jun 1st 2008 at 12:11PM

Christie's auction house is stepping into the 21st century. The auction house is using text messages to alert its clients to the impending auctions of items they may be interested in, as well as giving pricing updates before and during the bidding. Customers can use the service to track certain items and then choose to receive alerts by email and/or text.

The idea is to let clients go about their daily lives while still participating in auctions. "By providing text alerts, we are giving our customers instant access to auction and price updates anywhere, anytime – allowing them to be the first to know of unique or rare listings," said Andrew Seltzer, Assistant Vice President, Global Operations Project Manager for Christie's.

The service is free to all Christie's customers who enroll through a simple registration process. Clients will then receive alerts anytime, anywhere in the world. This is a big step for the auction house and reflects a willingness on Christie's part to learn from other businesses that offer similar SMS services. Who says you can't teach an old auctioneer new tricks? [Source: 160 Characters]

With 78 Million Text Messages, 'American Idol' Breaks Records

by Terrence O'Brien, posted May 23rd 2008 at 6:01PM

Despite what many of us predicted, 'American Idol' has not only just survived, but has gotten more popular as it continues its march through our pop-culture consciousness. Proof of that fact may lie in recent news from AT&T that this season of 'American Idol' broke text-messaging records by generating 78 million text messages through votes, trivia contests and other SMS content.

This record-setting seventh season also speaks to the increasing ubiquity of text messaging and the popularity of devices such as the T-Mobile Sidekick. It looks as though text messaging is well on its way to replacing 900 numbers and phone banks. [Source: I4U News via Textually.org]

Pope Sending Text Messages to Australians

by Tim Stevens, posted May 7th 2008 at 9:37AM

When the Pope arrived on our shores last month, much of the nation was subject to the pomp and fanfare that surrounded his every move. Now the Pope is making a trip Down Under for Sydney's World Youth Day next month, and those who can't watch him live (or online) will be able to follow the Pontiff via SMS.

The Pope (or one of his lackeys) will be sending "daily messages of inspiration" to the phones of thousands of Catholics during the event, which despite being called "World Youth Day," actually covers an entire week.

The Catholic church will also be setting up a social networking site similar to MySpace or Facebook, enabling believers to hook up -- and pray, of course. [Source: I4U/Reuters, via Textually.org]

Survey Finds 37% of Gen Y-ers Text While Driving

by Darren Murph, posted May 3rd 2008 at 3:42PM

Oh sure, Americans are adamantly against texting while driving (in theory), but that's not stopping those mischievous Gen Y-ers from getting their SMS on while behind the wheel. According to a new survey of 1,200 people conducted by Nationwide Mutual Insurance (we know, we know), a third of the Gen Y-ers admitted to "always multitasking while driving," and while the "always" bit does indeed frighten us a tad, the real juice was in the next statistic: 37-percent said they sent text messages while driving. Before you start belaboring the imprudent youth, think long and hard about your own in-car cellphone usage -- remember that time you just had to reply "y w pep plz" in order to salvage your friend's pizza order? Tsk tsk. [Source: BusinessWIre via About]

Parents To Get Lice-Outbreak Text-Message Alerts

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Apr 10th 2008 at 12:45PM

Get Text Message Alerts of Lice Outbreaks

You may think of serious lice outbreaks as a thing of the past, but you'd be wrong. In fact, at least in England, Lice is still a major issue for school children and their parents. A new initiative, with heavy funding from head lice treatment manufacturer Hedrin, is taking aim at educating parents and reducing the number of serious outbreaks in the country.

In addition to traditional educational materials like pamphlets, the program is testing a text alert system. Parents sign up at a school's Outbreak Alert facility and commit to inform the school if they find lice on their child's head during their weekly check for infestation. During a one-term test run at the Wootton Primary School in Northampton, six cases of head lice were identified. Parents in the child's class promptly received SMS alerts asking them to check their children and family for lice.

Check out the web site for the program, the "Once a Week, Take a Peek" initiative.

From Textually

Related links:

National SMS Alert System Closer to Reality

by Chris Ziegler, posted Apr 9th 2008 at 9:46PM

The FCC is expected to get real with a nationwide SMS-based alert system on Wednesday, revealing the details of a program that will likely be adopted by all four national carriers in the US -- and very likely, we'd assume, most of the regionals as well. The program will be designed to send messages to in-the-know subscribers in the event of a natural disaster, attack, or child abduction, and naturally, folks will be able to opt out if they prefer the "ignorance is bliss" approach.

The system is also apparently going to feature specific provisions requiring participating carriers to make sure disabled users can get the alert via special vibration or audiable alerts, though it's not clear how those will differ from the vibrates and beeps the rest of the populace receives.

If all goes well, carriers who opt to implement the system will have to have it running within 10 months, so we'll finally be able to get that "OMG TRNDO" text we've always wanted to receive.

From Phone Scoop (via Engadget)

Related Links:

Texting Students Force Professor to Walk Out of Class

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Apr 7th 2008 at 1:10PM

We've all had professors who had some absurdly strict class room rules, or a bizarre passive aggressive streak, but Syracuse University professor Laurence Thomas has combined both, much to the ire of his students and their parents.

The rule: No texting in class. A perfectly understandable rule. And one that really the students should have no problem following. But professor Thomas' way of dealing with texting students is more akin to an six year-old holding his breath until he gets that toy he so badly wants. No, Thomas isn't holding his breath at the front of the lecture hall until he simply passes out -- that would be hilarious. Instead, when professor Thomas catches a student texting, he simply walks out of class.

Naturally parents and students, who are spending over $30K a year on this education, are a little peeved. They claim that Thomas has a responsibility to teach or pay up. Thomas on the other hand seems to think his students need to learn a thing or two about respect.

Undeniably, the students shouldn't be texting during class, but the professor's sweeping punishment of the entire class for the actions of one student lead us to believe this guy was teaching sixth graders not that long ago. Then again, at least he's not reacting like the guy in the video above.

From Jossip

Related Links:

Older Posts →

Joystiq E3 hands-on: Wii Sports Resort Joystiq E3 hands-on: Wii Music Miyamoto says Nintendo not targeting core with E3	StumbleAudio: Find music you've never heard of but might like Flock 2 beta 2 makes Firefox 3 more social Flipping the Linux switch: Linux web tools - Pt. 6
iPhone 101: Geocaching with an iPhone 3G Rulers for everyone Behold, the iQueue	Do you feel better about the Dow? You shouldn't! Comfort Zone Investing: Exploit volatility with constant dollar investing Spokesperson fiasco #13: Akon's sexy dancing for Verizon
Series 2 Halo figures and points websites now live Shinedown and more NIN added to Rock Band E308 X3F Sticker Gallery: The final entry	$85k Gibbs aquatic car could be built in Auburn Hills, MI Rumormill: 350 hp Volvo C30 R in the works In The Autoblog Garage: 2008 Mercedes SLK55 AMG
E3 08: Silent Hill Homecoming set for PC release E3 08: Dragon Age Origins impressions BigCast 004 -- English Is Hard!	Rush Limbaugh's Ex-Wife Pays $57,100 for ESPN's Mike & Mike to Come to Her Home The 2008 Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year Awards Former Fresno State Sexual Harrasment Trial Winner Set to Become Minor League GM

Pope Benedict XVI Texting Out Messages of Encouragement

Fight Crime by Texting the Police

82% of Americans Never Use Text Messaging

Scale Sends Weight Via Text Message

Text-Addicted Teen Sends 15,000 Messages a Month

Famous French News Anchor Allegedly Fired Via Text Message

SMS Is the New 'COPS' (in the UK, at Least)

FEMA: Don't Worry About National SMS Alert System, We're On IT

Christie's Using Text Messaging to Send Auction Alerts

With 78 Million Text Messages, 'American Idol' Breaks Records

Pope Sending Text Messages to Australians

Survey Finds 37% of Gen Y-ers Text While Driving

Parents To Get Lice-Outbreak Text-Message Alerts

National SMS Alert System Closer to Reality

Texting Students Force Professor to Walk Out of Class

Breaking news Feed

Featured stories Feed

AOL Tech Network

Resources

Categories

cnet reviews

downloads

Features

Hot Topics

Latest Reviews from CNET.com

Top Product Reviews