<![CDATA[Gizmodo: text message]]> http://tags.gizmodo.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/gizmodo.com.png <![CDATA[Gizmodo: text message]]> http://gizmodo.com/tag/textmessage http://gizmodo.com/tag/textmessage <![CDATA[TiVo Gets Text Message Scheduling via kwiry]]> kwiry, the web application which enables commands via text messaging, has now added support for TiVo Scheduling. The service is open to any phone capable of texting and no web connection is needed.

Once you've set up an account with kwiry and linked your TiVo account you'll be able to text a short command to kwiry's short code # 59479 (k-w-i-r-y). By texting something like "TiVo The City" it will instruct your kwiry account to schedule the next available recording of The City on your broadband connected TiVo.

For those times when you forget to record something being able to quickly instruct your TiVo via text message seems like a pretty simple alternative to finding a computer or using a slow web-phone connection. So next time you're out eating last minute pho and you realize one of your guilty pleasure shows is on in 20-minutes and you never set up a season pass because you don't want people to know you watch stupid teen girl shows, don't panic kwiry and TiVo have your back.

kwiry Makes Your Life Even Simpler; Adds New Text Message Shortcuts and Facebook Connect Integration

Free Mobile and Online Service Adds more text messaging services: TiVo Scheduling, Yelp results, and more; Integrates with Facebook Connect to let users simply import their social graph.

San Francisco, Calif., January 14, 2009 — kwiry, the company that helps you text it before you forget it, today further enhanced its free service that turns text messages into helpful online reminders. kwiry’s latest additions to its recently launched Shortcuts platform include the ability to schedule a TV show recording on a TiVo® DVR. kwiry launched its Shortcuts service in August with Netflix and Amazon integrations.

As an example, if a co-worker raves about the latest episode of a TV show, simply text “TiVo” followed by the TV program title (e.g. “TiVo the office” to kwiry’s Text Messaging shortcode, 59479 (k-w-i-r-y). kwiry automatically schedules the next episode of the show to be recorded on your TiVo DVR. No need to rush home or remember to schedule it on your computer. The service complements other ways for TiVo subscribers to schedule their TiVo box while on the go including the TiVo Mobile web site. kwiry’s service extends TiVo scheduling to all cell phones with text messaging capabilities with no need for a browser or a data plan. With a one-time account link, all TiVo Series2™ and Series3™ DVR users can have the capability to instantly schedule a recording whenever and wherever they want.

“kwiry Shortcuts like Netflix have been very popular with new and existing users – we’ve had many requests for new Shortcuts and are excited about the new integrations with popular services like TiVo and Yelp,” said kwiry Co-founder and CEO Ron Feldman.

kwiry’s has recently added the following new Shortcuts to its free service:

TiVo (beta): Text “tivo the office” to schedule a recording of the next episode to your TiVo DVR.
Yelp: Text “yelp Grimaldis Pizza” and get contact info, reviews and more from Yelp sent to your e-mail inbox.
Contact Info: Text “contact johndoe@gmail.com” to email contact info and vCard attachment while on the go.
Status Updates: Text “status headed to the gym” and kwiry will update your Facebook and/or Twitter accounts.

kwiry has now also integrated with Facebook Connect, allowing people to sign-in to kwiry.com with their Facebook accounts, instantly adding their Facebook profile info to kwiry and allowing connections to their Facebook Friends.

“The integration with Facebook Connect simplifies the kwiry sign-up process and allows users to integrate the social aspects of Facebook into the kwiry website as well as the kwiry experience into Facebook,” Feldman continued.

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<![CDATA[Lenovo Lets You Disable Your Stolen Laptop With a Stern Text Message]]> In the next couple months Lenovo will be rolling out a BIOS update for its Montevina laptop users which enables remote shutdown and subsequent encryption via text message. The tech relies on the laptop having a WWAN connection and activates when a custom string, defined by the user and sent from a single, paired phone, is received. In other words, you can choose whatever you want as the shutdown signal, from a cool "Kill" or "Self-Destruct" to a long, patronizing multi-part message about the thieving youth of today.

Constant Secure Remote Disable, as it's called, isn't being touted as a first line of defense. In fact, quite the opposite: "This is kind of like a morning-after pill, I guess" said Stacy Cannady, Lenovo's product manager for security and apparently the only person at Lenovo to miss the company-wide memo about not using awkward reproductive metaphors in PR. The update will be available as a free download for compatible laptops in the next few months. [Crave]

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<![CDATA[Giz Tip: Don't Hire A Hit Man via Text Message]]> Oklahoma native and rebellious speller Tonia Mullins, in a spectacular act of self-incrimination, used text messages to contact a hit man to "take care" of her lover's wife. Mullins conspired with her beau, Army soldier Michael Andrew Crawford, to have the poor Mrs. Crawford killed and her insurance money used to buy Mullins and her beau a nice house. Thankfully, Mullins was far too stupid to actually hurt anybody, and the text messages are absolutely priceless.

The texts are written in a hybrid of English, texting shorthand, and whatever English-like language they speak in Oklahoma, so I can't 100% translate all of them. I can say that they are way less subtle than you'd expect from somebody trying to hire an assassin. This exchange I particularly don't understand:

Co-conspirator Robin Berry: "Well maybe I can het friend n trade something he owes me big favors anyway"
Tonia Mullins: "If I can do ne thang let me know. Robin I swear I will give the $ when it comes n ... that is n no way a problem ... as long as accident I."

Mullins had asked her friend, Robin Berry, to help her contact a hit man, and the two got no further than discussing price between themselves before the police were tipped off and the whole silly enterprise ended. An undercover agent with the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation arrested Mullins and her co-conspirators easily, and the deliciously inept plotters plead guilty earlier this month. [Wired]

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<![CDATA[Democrats Still Most Tech Savvy, Rent Digital Billboard to Text Message Sarah Palin at Rally]]> Need more evidence that Democrats are more grassroots tech savvy than their elephantine counterparts? At a Sarah Palin rally in LA on Saturday, the California Democratic party rented a digital billboard across the street which displayed questions for the veep candiate sent by text message. Granted, even if Palin did read them, she wouldn't be able to recall which ones she read specifically. But still, quite awesome—I hope both parties get creative with tech like this, it's a fantastic way to reach voters. [CA Dems via Online Video Watch via Textually]

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<![CDATA[Announce Fake Obama Running Mate with Text Messages]]> Barack Obama is set to notify his subscribed fans supporters via text message when he selects a vice-presidential candidate. Verizon's website lets you send a free text message to anyone on their network, so use Obama's short code (62262) and announce the running mate of your choice. The picture above, unfortunately for followers of His Steveness, is only real in our hearts. McCain, of course, is set to notify Republicans via carrier pigeon. [Wonkette]

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<![CDATA[Finnish Spitzer Sends 200 Sex SMS to Exotic Dancer and Her Sister]]> An SMS-savvy Finnish Foreign Minister has joined former New York governor Eliot Spitzer in the "thinks with the wrong head" club this week. The 60-year-old Ilkka Kanerva was discovered to have sent more than 200 text messages to an exotic dancer named Johanna Tukiainen, 29. And her sister! Despite the fact that Kanerva's longtime parter said she's not bothered by her man's wandering eyes (or should that be fingers?), people are still calling for a resignation. More below.

The Finnish press got a hold of a few text gems sent by the minister, including this vague pick up line that may or may not be related to musical waterbeds: "Would you like to do it in an exotic place? Where could it be?" When asked if 'it' meant sex, Kanerva said it was obvious that the message was an answer to an earlier inquiry from Tukiainen.

We at Gizmodo are inclined to believe the minister; he was probably referring to their upcoming coffeehouse debate about the subtle differences between the Centre Party of Finland and the more even-handed (although no less capable) approach to governing taken by the National Coalition Party. Or maybe he was just trying to get laid with the exotic dancer, and her sister. We think her name's Debra.

[HELSINGIN SANOMAT]

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<![CDATA[Valentine's Day Is Most Popular Texting Holiday]]> benq-siemens-m81%20copy.jpgMaybe it was induced by the shorthand we'd read for years off Necco Sweethearts, but according to AT&T, Valentine's Day is the most popular holiday for text messaging. From February 13th to the 14th, there's a 33% spike in texting traffic. Yes, you know what that means. The cellphone owning population is trying 33% harder to get laid than on a normal day. For a full list of officially sanctioned booty call shorthand, hit the jump. We don't recommend a single, nonsensical letter of it. No one ever made out after calling someone a QT. (But if so, let us know in the comments. We may have expensive jewelry to return).

2G2BT [Too good to be true]
4EAE [Forever and ever]
4U [For you]
AML [All my love]
D8 [Date]
FTBOMH [From the bottom of my heart]
GNSD [Good night, sweet dreams]
H2CUS [Hope to see you soon]
ILU [I love you]
IMU [I miss you]
ISLY [I still love you]
IWALU [I will always love you]
KOTC [Kiss on the cheek]
KOTL [Kiss on the lips]
MUSM [Miss you so much]
QT [Cutie]
TY [Thank you]
TOY [Thinking of you]
URH [You are hot]
UW [You're welcome]
XOXOXO [Hugs & Kisses]

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<![CDATA[Ikea Mobile Syncs Bar Codes, Weekly Deals to Your Phone]]> "Shopping" at Ikea is more of an enjoyable afternoon outing than an quick in-and-out errand, so anything that helps make the experience even more pleasant gets a thumbs-up from us. This Ikea Mobile kiosk was found in Seattle by Unpluggd, and allows you to scan bar codes for products to get sent via SMS to your phone.

By doing so you also opt-in to get access to coupons and specials for the week, as well as "regular updates via text message for deals and discounts." Cool while you're in the store, but somewhat annoying if you're getting pinged by Ikea about Poang chairs every week. [Unpluggd via New Launches via Oh Gizmo]

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<![CDATA[iPhone 1.1.3 Mixing Up Your SMS Order? Here's How You Fix It]]> If your iPhone's displaying SMS messages out of order on firmware version 1.1.3, it's because your phone has a different time/date setting from your cellular provider. To fix it, just switch your phone to auto-sync from the network. [Apple]

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<![CDATA[New Zealander Diagnosed With Text Messager's Thumb]]> A student in New Zealand has been diagnosed with the first recorded occurrence of Text Messeager's Thumb in the country. The 20-year old student is thought to have sent up to 100-text messages/day, which resulted in inflammation of the tendons in her thumb, causing grave discomfort.

The condition, otherwise known as tenosynovitis, could have been easily avoided with the utilization of Blue Phone Elite 2, which I use to relieve my opposable thumbs of any undue strain. Better yet, why not just text less? We are sure discussing how cute Tom Cruise looks in a black polo sweater is really important gossip, but is it really worth the ensuing pollex paralysis? We think so—gosh, Tom does look hot in a black sweater. [Brisbane Times via Textually]

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<![CDATA[An 18-year-old in Cincinnati was hit by a...]]> An 18-year-old in Cincinnati was hit by a train, unaware that it was coming, because he was sending a text message as he walked across the tracks. Despite being thrown 50 feet by the train, Zachariah Smith lived. [The Enquirer via Boing Boing]

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<![CDATA[GPS Text Message Device Acts Like an Emergency Beacon]]> Did you know that when dialing 911 from your cellphone, the police can't pinpoint your location exactly? And that if you're dialing from a rural area, it becomes even worse—up to a five-mile radius? That's why this Freedom GPS text message unit is useful.

By programming in five numbers beforehand, you can activate the Freedom unit to send out your exact GPS location by SMS. This way your family members know exactly where you are when you get lost or stranded, which makes their "officer, I had no idea where to look for them, I swear!" excuse not hold up in court.

Product Page [Globalsources via Slashgear via Crunchgear]

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<![CDATA[Divorced By SMS: The Exact Moment K-Fed Gets Britney's Text Message Caught On Video]]> This video apparently shows the exact moment that Kevin Federline gets the SMS from Britney telling them that it's over. According to the video, cameras were following him around the entire day in order to conduct an interview, part of which was him gushing about his wife and kids.

At about 1:46, you can see as K-Fed's soul gets crushed as Brit-Brit drops the text-bomb on him via Sidekick—that is a Sidekick, right? Being divorced over the phone, wow. The Federlines truly are were America's royalty.

Video [YouTube via Digg]

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<![CDATA[Get Out Of Your Sprint Contract Free Until October 31]]> Good news for anyone who wants to doff their Sprint shackles but was unwilling to pay an eye-gouging cancellation fee. See, Sprint's just raised their text-messaging fees to $0.15 per, which constitutes a "material change" to your contract. Any time there's a material change, you're capable of canceling your service without facing a fine.

Good news for you, oh disloyal Sprint customer.

Oct31 Deadline For Free Sprint Contract Killing [Consumerist]

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