by Caleb Johnson on March 1, 2011 at 10:40 AM

AT&T has launched a new service called ShopAlerts, which sends promotional text messages to subscribers who are near certain retailers. According to The New York Times, AT&T is now the first American carrier to push location-based ads via text messages. The free service will soon be available for subscribers in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco.
The technology AT&T ...
by Amar Toor on January 18, 2011 at 09:20 AM

The next time you find yourself trying to get the attention of a flighty waitress at a crowded restaurant, you might want to put down your hand and pull out your cell phone. Some restaurants have begun implementing a program called 'TextMyFood,' a service that allows patrons to directly communicate with their servers via text message. With 'TextMyFood,' customers can place orders, ask questions, ...
by Amar Toor on December 29, 2010 at 11:00 AM

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German researchers have discovered a brand new vulnerability in basic cell phones, which, if exploited properly, could easily cripple mobile networks on a scarily large scale.
Researchers Collin Mulliner and Nico Golde introduced the bug at the recent Chaos Computer Club Congress in Berlin. The pair reportedly discovered it after setting up their own private GSM network, which allowed ...
by Matt Evans on July 16, 2010 at 07:25 AM

The modern smartphone possesses the ability to surf the internet, scan retinas, fly a hovercraft and even make calls using your left hand. So, you'd think getting one of these hunks of plastic to send a sensible text would be a cinch. It's not, however. Auto-correction software for phones too often mutates a word into something completely nonsensical or embarrassing. [Ed. Note: We once had a ...
by Matthew Zuras on July 14, 2010 at 07:15 AM

Road SMS' is an Android app from the Samsung App Store, and we hate hate HATE it. It ingeniously encourages the silly, rude and sometimes lethal practice of texting-while-walking. 'Road SMS' purports to be some kind of safe alternative because it uses your phone's camera as a video background while you're tapping away at that text that is so damn important that you can't stop walking. Oh, ...
by Amar Toor on July 12, 2010 at 08:30 AM

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If you wanna spend your days sending disparaging text messages to yourself, that's fine. But if you do it and tell the police that the threats are coming from someone else, that's actually pretty illegal -- and pretty pathetic.
Santa Ana, California's Jeanne Mundango Manunga, you see, clearly had some pretty serious beef with her ex-boyfriend and his sister-in-law. Instead of punching a ...
by Amar Toor on April 20, 2010 at 11:10 AM

Texting your way to carpal tunnel syndrome at the age of 16 is extreme, but what about the rest of America's teenage youth? Has texting now replaced actual speech as teenage lingua franca? A recent survey conducted as part of the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project finds that 75-percent of teens now own cell phones, up from just 45-percent in 2004. Researchers also find that ...
by Leila Brillson on March 3, 2010 at 01:00 AM

As a Pearl user with small fingers, I rely solely on 'SureType,' the predictive-text typing system that lets me type fast, while occasionally leading me astray when I'm really tapping away. On the other hand my boyfriend has a Curve and since he tends to use irregular words (and types in several languages), he prefers 'MultiTap,' where each key stands for a letter (or letters). There are ...
by Leila Brillson on March 3, 2010 at 01:00 AM

To make sure your BlackBerry displays type in a readable, easy way, go to the 'Applications Menu' and select 'Options.' From there, hit 'Screen/Keyboard' and select from the items below to adjust them to suit your preferences.
Font Family: Experiment with different fonts. 'System' is small and thin, while 'BB Serif Fixed' is larger and easier to read.
Font Size: Choose the smallest size ...
by Leila Brillson on March 3, 2010 at 01:00 AM

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Copy/Paste: While typing, press and hold the 'Alt' key, and move the track ball to select. Release the 'Alt' key, press the track ball (or the 'OK' command), and select 'Copy.' To paste, put the cursor into the empty typing box, hit the track ball, and select 'Paste' from the drop-down menu.
Numbers or cap lock: At the same time press the 'Alt' key and the left 'Shift' key (the one ...
by Leila Brillson on March 3, 2010 at 01:00 AM

Though they have their own unique way of doing things in the Blackberry world, once you get the hang of it, BlackBerrys are a cinch to use and super speedy too.
To move the cursor in any direction and highlight items, roll the trackball in the middle of the phone. When passing something meant to be selected or checked (such as a checkbox) just scroll the cursor past it. If you're able to ...
by Leila Brillson on March 3, 2010 at 01:00 AM

Configuring your e-mail account can seem daunting, but most BlackBerry models have an easy-to-run setup program, either on the homescreen or in the 'Set Up Wizard.' If you are turning on your phone for the first time, the 'Set Up Wizard' may just automatically run. If not, head to the 'Set Up' icon, which looks like a phone with a gear next to it, and select it. Depending on your personal ...
by Leila Brillson on March 3, 2010 at 01:00 AM

There are several ways to make a phone call using a BlackBerry.
1. Traditional Dialing
From the main screen enter numbers as you would a traditional phone and then hit the green 'Call' button. To end a call hit the red button. And if you hadn't noticed them, the numbers are grouped like a traditional keypad above the letter keys.
2. Dial by Name
If a phone number is already programmed ...
by Leila Brillson on March 3, 2010 at 01:00 AM

If you're more comfortable navigating the Net than poking around on the Blackberry, then head online to setup your e-mail accounts for your phone.
Before you start you'll need some info about your phone. If you still have the box it came in, look for the PIN and ESN/MEID numbers, which should be located near the UPC code. If you can't find them no worries, you can find them inside the ...
by JP Mangalindan on January 15, 2010 at 05:45 PM

Now that most of us text at a decent rate (phone permitting, natch), it was inevitable that someone would go and make a competition out of it.
Yesterday, LG did just that with the first ever Mobile World Cup Championship in New York City (video after the jump). The culmination of an eight-month competition started back in May 2009, first-prize winners Young-Ho Bae and Mok-Min Ha of Korea, ...