Text Messages

A promotional image of Explode that states 'Make Your Texts Explode'

Developer of Gas and tbh’s New App Turns iMessage Into Snapchat

Nikita Bier's "Explode" brings disappearing texts and photos to iMessage.

Tech News AJ Dellinger Jan 15

Donald Trump addresses the crowd during an election night party at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida on November 6, 2024.

Black Americans Receive Threatening Texts About Return of Slavery

Racists have become emboldened on the internet after Donald Trump's election win.

Politics Matt Novak Nov 8

Pennsylvania Residents Peppered With False Texts Claiming They Already Voted

In the final weeks of the presidential campaign, swing state voters are getting hit with mysterious texts.

Politics Lucas Ropek Oct 30

How to Be a Group Chat Pro

It's hard to get away from group chats—but you can make them easier to manage.

Gadgets David Nield Jul 19

Looks Like Google Messages Might Finally Be Getting End-to-End Encryption

End-to-end encryption for RCS appears to finally be in the pipeline for Google’s messaging app. That’s according to code spotted in an upcoming version update by the folks at APKMirror, as first reported by 9to5 Google this weekend. Rich communication services, or RCS, is a type of messaging protocol that puts its predecessor, SMS, to…

Tech News Alyse Stanley May 24

Why Are People Suddenly Getting Mysterious Text Messages?

Early Thursday morning, people all over the U.S. and Canada began receiving strange text messages that didn’t make a whole lot of sense. The texts were from people they knew but they lacked context and appeared to have been sent months ago. And it really freaked some folks out! Mercifully, there is an explanation for…

Tech News Rhett Jones Nov 7

Yup, the President Can Mass-Message Everyone in the Country Any Time

The President of the United States can mass-message the entire phone-carrying nation at the same time whenever he deems it necessary, as a Wall Street Journal video reminded us today. Unless you’re carrying around a very old device, your phone has a specified capability* that makes sure official POTUS messages can always go through, no…

Tech News Kate Knibbs Feb 18

Hackers Can Force ATMs to Spit Out Money With a Text Message

It’s getting remarkably easy to hack ATMs these days, and security researchers say that Microsoft’s aging Windows XP is making the problem worse. This week, security analysts at Symantec blogged about a new technique popping up in Mexico that uses text messages to give hackers access. It’s as wild as it sounds. The method does…

Privacy & Security Adam Clark Estes Mar 25

This iPhone Prank Tricks People Into Thinking They’re Getting a Text

You know the feeling. You and a friend are having a conversation via text and the little bubble with the blinking dots shows up indicating that she’s typing. So much anticipation! You’d stare at those dots for hours waiting for a text, wouldn’t you? Wouldn’t it be funny if the dots just kept blinking? Well,…

Tech News Adam Clark Estes Oct 8

LCD contact lenses could beam text messages right to your eyeball

Displays that appear right in front of your eyeballs is a popular trope in science fiction, and thanks to new developments in microsystems technology, those displays are one giant leap closer to becoming a reality. Researchers at Ghent University have developed a curved LCD display that can display text and images on the tiny surface…

io9 Lauren Davis Dec 9

The Future of Texting Is a Mess

SMS messaging turned 20 years old yesterday, and feels even older. It’s decrepit, though, wildly overpriced, and too limited to be our long-term texting solution. https://gizmodo.com/the-first-text-message-was-sent-20-years-ago-today-5965121 But all the up and comers trying to replace it? They’ve got plenty of problems of their own, and the transition to iMessage, Facebook Chat, or whatever wins out…

Social Media Kyle Wagner Dec 4

The First Text Message Was Sent 20 Years Ago Today

On December 3rd 1992, a 22-year-old Canadian test engineer sat down and typed out a very simple message, “Merry Christmas.” It flew over the Vodafone network to the phone of one Richard Jarvis, and since then, we just haven’t been able to stop texting. Texting is a major staple of communication now, and by far…

Tech News Eric Limer Dec 3

What’s the Worst Accidental Text You’ve Ever Sent or Received?

The above photo is a real example of texting gone horribly wrong. Morbid and hilarious for us, but uncomfortable for the him (or her). And it just brings up so many questions. Maybe you can relate with your own texting mishap. Either you mistakenly sexted the guy you bought a blender from on Craigslist or…

Tech News Leslie Horn Oct 24

Why I Never Want To Get a Text Message Ever Again

A few years ago texting was the bomb. It was quick, easy, way better than having to open yourself up to an actual back-and-forth conversation with someone, and perfect for surreptitious communication in class or meetings or whathaveyou. That said, I’d be glad to never get a text message ever again. It’s not the principle…

Tech News Eric Limer Oct 21

Do You Care About Punctuation in Text Messages?

Text messaging is arguably the most casual form of communication available—and, back when we all first began to text on our dumbphones, the sort of shorthand style that developed was perfectly reasonable. Why strain to type out full words, when a universally understood abbreviation could do the job just as well? Now that smartphones are…

Tech News Molly Oswaks Aug 29

The Best (And Worst) Texting Scenes in TV and Movies

Text messaging is new enough that movies and TV shows haven’t landed on a consistent way to show viewers what their characters are saying. Done incorrectly, an on-screen text session can look immediately dated or weird. But with the right visuals, the effect can be sublime, as Every Frame A Painting shows us. Tony Zhou…

Movies Bob Sorokanich Aug 23

17-Year-Old Speed-Texting Champion Does it Drrrty (UPDATED)

17-year-old Justin Bieber look-alike Austin Wierschke, of Rhinelander, Wisconsin (and a native of the United Kingdom?), is $50,000 richer today—thanks to his speedy-quick thumbs and unfailingly accurate dexterity. He’s a two-time prize-winning SMS champion, ladies and gents, the fastest in our great nation. A noble talent undeniably deserving of large piles of cash. The eight-round…

Tech News Molly Oswaks Aug 8

Tens of Thousands of People Receive Same Text Message Death Threat

A text message from a self-proclaimed hitman was sent to thousands of people in Australia. It warned them to not contact the police, under threat of death. So naturally they all called the cops and caused a mini-panic. It’s an old scam, but this is a kind of impressive scale. Here’s the message: “Sum1 paid…

Tech News Kyle Wagner Jul 23

A Way To Organize Your Phone’s SMS Text Mess

Even with iMessages, BBM, Google Talk, and the other mobile IM clients out there, most of us still use plain old SMS text messages to do the bulk of our, well, texting. MySMS is a new service that gives texting a lot of the benefits of higher tech forms of communication. It’s pretty simple: You…

Tech News Kyle Wagner Jul 20

Glowing text messages spill out into the real world

In Lee Jung’s lovely photographs, text messages have escaped the confines of the phone screen and scattered across the real world, illuminating various landscapes with their questions and declarations of love. Creating neon letters, photographing them, and sending the photos to another person’s phone seems like a lot of effort to go to when sending…

io9 Lauren Davis May 27

Text Messages

Developer of Gas and tbh’s New App Turns iMessage Into Snapchat

Black Americans Receive Threatening Texts About Return of Slavery

Pennsylvania Residents Peppered With False Texts Claiming They Already Voted

How to Be a Group Chat Pro

Looks Like Google Messages Might Finally Be Getting End-to-End Encryption

Why Are People Suddenly Getting Mysterious Text Messages?

Yup, the President Can Mass-Message Everyone in the Country Any Time

Hackers Can Force ATMs to Spit Out Money With a Text Message

This iPhone Prank Tricks People Into Thinking They’re Getting a Text

LCD contact lenses could beam text messages right to your eyeball

The Future of Texting Is a Mess

The First Text Message Was Sent 20 Years Ago Today

What’s the Worst Accidental Text You’ve Ever Sent or Received?

Why I Never Want To Get a Text Message Ever Again

Do You Care About Punctuation in Text Messages?

The Best (And Worst) Texting Scenes in TV and Movies

17-Year-Old Speed-Texting Champion Does it Drrrty (UPDATED)

Tens of Thousands of People Receive Same Text Message Death Threat

A Way To Organize Your Phone’s SMS Text Mess

Glowing text messages spill out into the real world

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