Gizmodo: Text Messages

B&D Messenger Helps the Blind Read SMS

Elaine Chow — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 12:30:00 EDT

The B&D messenger, designed by Okada Noriaki, bills itself as a way for both blind and deaf people to communicate via text message. Though there are several Braille phone products already in the market, Noriaki device is much smaller in size and pretty inexpensive. On one side of the gadget is twelve points that rise and fall in braille lettering; on the other side is a small LCD screen and a regular numerical touch pad. Users must connect the B&D messenger to a computer for it to receive and translate texts.

Noriaki lowered the B&D's cost by building it's chassis out of cardboard (the entire thing can be put together yourself), and by running its braille lettering program off an open source platform. I'm not completely sure how this technology helps deaf people any more regular phones, but it's a cool concept for helping out the visually impaired. [B&D Messenger via Tuvie]

OMG! Air Traffic Controller Helps Land Plane With SMS

Jack Loftus — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 22:00:00 EDT

In light of this thrilling aviation story out of Ireland today, let's rethink this whole banning of the in-flight cell phone conversations, shall we? Sure, allowing for calls during that 6-hour red eye from San Francisco to Boston will bring out the jerkoff in a lot of people, but then again one of those jackasses could save your life! This was the case during a flight from Kerry to Jersey last Thursday, when a pilot lost all electrical power, radio and radar, and had to be guided in to land with nothing more than SMS and a quick-thinking air traffic controller. The plane landed safely, and the ATC is being heralded a hero, but cellphones on planes still sucks, albeit slightly less so than before. [Irish Times via Slashdot]

The WaSnake Shelf: It's Like a Personal Assistant That is Nailed to Your Wall

Sean Fallon — Thu, 08 May 2008 22:30:00 EDT

The WaSnake shelf concept by designer Jean Louis Frechin not only holds your stuff, it also features connectivity that allows it to display news from chosen RSS feeds and even SMS messages. Plus, the whole unit is highly configurable so you could find a spot for it on nearly any wall in your home.

All in all, I love the idea of packing more functionality into everyday objects, but I can't say that I agree with the artist's description of a "discreet," visual experience. There is nothing discreet about my naughty text messages being broadcast to everyone in the room. At any rate, it seems that the WaSnake will remain a concept for the time being. [Newlaunches]

Jaxtr Gives Free International Text Messages To You And Your Swedish Friends

Jason Chen — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:30:00 EDT

With Jaxtr, we've got a cheap (free) and easy way to send messages internationally. Before now, whenever we saw a hot lady dressed up in a Stormtrooper outfit we had to send Jesus hundreds of IMs in hopes that the chime would wake him up. No longer! Now all we have to do is log on to Jaxtr—it works from the iPhone too—and type our message in there. Their service only supports a limited number of countries such as the UK, Sweden and Germany, but it leaves out some big ones like Japan and Spain. Wait, Spain? Guess Jesus is going to have to wait a few hours to see Ms. Stormtrooper. [Jaxtr via Gear Diary via JkOnTheRun via Into Mobile]

Finnish Spitzer Sends 200 Sex SMS to Exotic Dancer and Her Sister

Jack Loftus — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EDT

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]

AT&T Jacks Up Text Message, Multimedia Message Rates

Adam Frucci — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 10:21:28 EDT

Yesterday, AT&T announced an unlimited voice plan for the iPhone that still comes with a paltry 200 text messages. Now, we have word that AT&T will be jacking up the price of text messages over your plan's limit to a whopping $0.20, with multimedia messages going up to $0.30 (not that the iPhone can send those). If you send lots of text messages you'd better sign up for a larger text plan or risk adding some pretty crazy fees to your bill. [Broadband Reports]

Verizon, AT&T Respect Your SMS Privacy

Haroon Malik — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 13:20:00 EST

Verizon and AT&T have both gone on record saying they do not record SMS communications. The privacy debate is one that, understandably, gets emotions stirred, but you can all rest a little easy knowing the official stances of two of the major cellular networks.

Erica Sevilla, a Verizon spokeswoman, said:

I think people can feel comfortable we're not storing information that can later be used against them. Unless you have something stored on your phone or on a recipients' phone, it does not stay on our network for a long period.

AT&T said they do not store SMS messages beyond 72 hours, which are only kept for delivery purposes. In both cases, once deleted from the system, there is no conceivable way to check your text message communications short of physically going through your phone.

You may want to breathe a collective sigh of relief, but Rebecca Jeschke, spokeswoman for the San Francisco-based Electronic Frontier Foundation, seems to think otherwise:

"We trust so much of our communications and thoughts, even, to these third parties who are capturing this information and storing it in various ways. It's time for us to think about it."

Gosh, we just want our private willy jokes remaining private. After all, it's not fair everyone knowing about Mark's miniscule member. [AP]

TextSpy: Paranoid, Suspicious Giz Readers Gather Round...

Addy Dugdale — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 10:00:18 EDT

...Because this little 'mo could be the perfect gadget for you. Text Spy can retrieve up any SMS that has been recently deleted from a cellphone - so that could be good if you've accidently deleted the address of the bar you were going to meet your ladyfriend in. For that, I think it's useful. If you think that your ladyfriend has been playing hide the sausage with the pizza delivery boy, then I suppose it's useful too, but you are going down a dangerous road, my friend.

The TextSpy is a professional USB SIM card reader. Install the software provided on the CD onto your PC, plug in the TextSpy with the relevant SIM card inserted and, Shazam-a-lam-a-ding-dong, the last 10 to 20 text messages should show up. But really, guys, at $200, is it worth it? Get your revenge and hit 'em where it hurts: find a new pizza place. – Ad Dugdale

Product Page [Gadgets.co.uk via Shiny Shiny]

Verizon Ups Text Messaging Allowance, Doesn't Charge Extra

Louis Ramirez — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 08:39:18 EST

I'm usually complaining about Verizon so here's some good news for a change. The company has increased the amount of text messages you can send/receive and isn't charging extra for it. Their $15 plan, which offered 1,000 texts now gives you 1,500, while their $20 plan, which alloted you 2,500, now gives you 5,000. Just be careful who you text. – Louis Ramirez

Press Release [via CrunchGear]

Book Comprised of All Text Messages Coming to Finland

Adam Frucci — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 10:11:58 EST

A new book is being released in Finland that is comprised only of text messages. Yes, 332 pages of texts, complete with obnoxious abbreviations and misspellings for authenticities sake.

Geez, Finland. First your Prime Minister dumps his girlfriend via text message and now this? Get a grip, people. Texting is a convenient way of sending lazy messages, not something to try to stuff literature into. But maybe I'm just a snob. Would you read a book comprised only of text messages? –Adam Frucci

Text message novel published in Finland [via Along Those Lines]

Biotronik Lumax ICD can Defibrillate, Send Text Messages, E-Mails, Fax

Travis Hudson — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 15:23:09 EDT

This is the Lumax VR-T and DR-t device. It is a body monitoring device that can do a wide variety of other tasks, including sending text messages. So that text message you just received isn't your friend asking you to go to the bars, it is actually your heart, informing you that it is about to stop functioning.

This device actually only sends messages to the physician in emergency cases, and in all other cases the doc can log into a website and check the body stats via the Lumax ICD. In addition to the communication features, this ICD has a defibrillator that can send shocks through your body when needed in emergency situations. Hell I can't even get my phone to send text messages correctly half the time, and now my body will be able to. – Travis Hudson

Biotronik's Luman ICD Defibrillates, Sends SMSs, Emails, Faxes [Medgadget]

Fuse Launches New SMS-Based Shows

gizmogo — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 12:14:54 EDT

Fuse, that music network alternative to Viacom giants MTV and VH1, has recently announced three new shows that bring new meaning to "viewer-influenced programming". All three shows will utilize a proprietary technology that "overlays two-way interactivity powered by text messaging on cellphones and other hand held devices to traditional television formats." This SMS-TV technology, concocted by Netherlands-based Marketgraph, allows viewers to text messages that will eventually show up on TV.

Before you go "Now I can shamelessly troll and make fun of musicians right in their own music videos!", well, you can't. The three new shows are "relationship-based" and are aimed primarily at teenagers. They are "Perfect Pair," "Dumped," and "Heavy Texting." In "Perfect Pair," you can text your name and the name of your significant other (or boy/girl you're crushing on), and through some weird numerology mumbo jumbo, you'll get a compatibility rating texted back to your phone, which may also appear on the show (WHY would anyone want their compatibility rating shared on a music video show?). "Heavy Texting" is a more adult version of "Perfect Pair," presumably with more sexual references. "Dumped" is even weirder — you text in the names, and you get a numerology-based forecast on when your relationship will END. Again, WHY would anyone want this broadcasted on a music video show?

The SMS-TV technology will also be incorporated into a long-running show called "Daily Download" and there'll be live chat capability on that show. We're betting that these services won't be free, and will probably incur additional charges on top of your alloted monthly fees. I think this whole thing is kinda wacky, but obviously I'm not down with the youngsters. The three new shows will start to go live the weekend of October 17.

[Thanks, Christy]