Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

With more people texting than talking on the phone, Nokia went out and bought a company that specializes in mobile messaging called OZ.  The Head of Nokia Services & Software, Niklas Savander said, “OZ’s team and technology will help Nokia to address the fast growing consumer messaging market.”

MORE »

I’ve a confession: I notice people’s phones.  It seems to be a condition I’ve developed after writing about phones for a year.  I note what kind of phone, the user, and what they are doing with it. 

So when riding a bus from a country fair (don’t ask), back to my car, I noted the older woman in front of me texting her friends.  Or at least trying to.  It was all I could do not to say, “Hey, I’ve been watching you and your phone and all you need to do to send that text is...”, but I didn’t because that is waaay too stalker-like, even for me.

See just how much we text more than call.  Hit the jump.

MORE »

The engineer blamed for causing last week’s deadly train collision was texting on the job, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.  Officials say Robert Sanchez, who was killed, ignored a stop signal and never hit his brakes, resulting in the collision that killed 24 other people and injured over a 100 more. As a result, the California Public Utilities Commission is meeting today and are expected to announce a ban on personal use of all wireless devices by train workers. California’s Metrolink already prohibits it’s employees from using cell phones on the job. The accident is a tragic reminder of why texting and driving don’t mix.

MORE »

I’ve never caught an episode of Gossip Girl, but I have heard that it is about privileged teenagers who are addicted to their BlackBerry lifestyle.  I suppose this show is representative of the youth of today who can text like no tomorrow. 

It appears that toy maker Bandai is preparing the next generation of gossip girls with the Smart Berry.  Despite the name, the Smart Berry has nothing to do with the genuine BlackBerry. 

MORE »

Recently, we reported on how the OpenTable Beta version has made it possible to set up a reservation at your nearest restaurant, however it would appear that restaurant reservations aren’t the only thing that have been updated for mobile technology.

Police departments in Boston, Cincinnati, and 100 other communities have adopted a text message tip-line. So if someone sees a crime being committed, all it would take is a dropped line to alert the authorities. 

So far, this new department system has produced “great drug information, specific times, dates, names of suspects, locations, pick-up times, and license plate numbers”. 

MORE »

Alltel has just added another improvement to their MyCircle calling plans. Now, in addition to voice minutes, they will have the option to include text, video or picture messaging. Current MyCircle customers will be able to send or receive unlimited messages to anyone in their Circle as well as other Alltel customers with the addition of a “My Circle message pack” which starts as low as $7.99 a month.

In addition, for those looking to send messages to friends outside of their circle or to non-Alltel customers the new messaging options include either 400 or 1000 messages and are priced at $7.99 and $12.99 a month respectively. Users looking for an unlimited messaging plan will still have the option to get the All Access Pass which costs $19.99 and allows for unlimited messaging to anyone.

Keep reading to check out the full press release.

MORE »

Tired of the standard old baby names, trying to think of something unique to hopefully have your newborn standout a little. Well look no further than your phonetic SMS spellings, or mis-spellings as they really are. According to the Thaindian News in addition to a corruption of the English language we are also seeing an unusually high amount of mis-spellings in baby names.

MORE »

Well, it seems LG is hosting the world’s greatest sporting event in awhile, No, it’s not the superbowl, nor the Stanley Cup, but the National Texting Championships. This event is the premier event where all of the best texters in the country come together to see who takes home the gold. Those of you with no life, no girlfriend, and a lot of free time can apply for the semi-finals in NYC or Hollywood, which takes place March 31st. Whoever wins will receive a cool $10k and a trip to NYC for a chance at winning over $25k.

Keep in mind that this competition is national, if it was released worldwide we would all have our asses handed to us by some kid from Japan or Korea who has been texting since age 6. And before entering please make sure you have an unlimited texting plan otherwise the prize money may not even cover the bill for your practice sessions.

Read [Life With LG] Via [Gizmodo]