The combination of texting while driving translates into disaster 90% of the time. And while people are trying their darn best to keep their attention on the roads, some drivers are just hard headed and have a hard time avoiding calling or texting while driving. But now, a new app may change all that. The app is called TXTBlocker which disables certain phone functions that should help address this issue.

It works in hand with GPS technology, determining the movement if a person is driving. The service, which costs $9.99 per month, is activated from thereon. There is also an initial setup fee of $24.99 which includes the first month subscription. You can check out the software and service here.

(Source) Gizmag

Tags: Cell Phones, hard time, initial setup fee, Mobile News, phone functions, text messaging, texting

If the phones you are seeing in the market seem complicated to operate for you, then you may be better off with this new “Push To Talk” handset that Boost Mobile recently launched in the market. The easy to use phone is the Motorola i856, a handset that simply glides open for instant communication.

Among the features of the new Motorola i856 include:

• Nationwide Walkie Talkie capability
• Slider Design
• Music Player with Standard Audio Jack
• 1.3MP Camera with Video
• Stereo Bluetooth capabilities
• GPS & Wireless Web Enabled
• Multi Media & Text Messaging
• Optional Removable Memory (microSD Support up to 8GB)
• Color Display
• Speakerphone with Voice-Activated Dialing
• Downloadable Games, Wallpapers and Real Music Ringtones

The Motorola i856 made its official debut today and is available at www.boostmobile.com for $169.99 plus free shipping.

Image Courtesy: Phone Arena

(Source) Press

Tags: 3mp, capabilities, capability, Cell Phones, free shipping, games wallpapers, handset, Motorola, multi media, music player, new motorola, official debut, real music, removable memory, slider phone, speakerphone, text messaging, Walkie Talkie, wireless web

To serve as their summer promotion, Ready Wireless LLC has announced a new unlimited voice plan. These are being introduced to existing subscribers which is now being offered by Susser, Inc.’s Stripes and Town and Country Stores.

The new plans are designed to help prepaid customers manage their cash flow while still gaining access to the trend toward unlimited calling.

As far as the choices on these voice plan packages, customers can choose any of the following which comes with text messaging bundles:

• $9.99 for 3 days
• $14.99 for 7 days

“Many of our customers really want to be able to buy unlimited services, but for many customers it’s difficult to commit to an entire month at any given time,” said Fred Haumesser, VP of Sales for Ready Wireless, LLC. “Our new plans allow our customers to opt in 3 or 7 days at a time. Importantly, our legacy ‘Free Nights and Weekends’ plans are still available as well, so our customers can choose the plan that’s best for them.”

(Source) Press

Tags: Business, cash flow, Cell Phones, choices, country stores, free nights and weekends, legacy, Mobile News, stripes, subscribers, summer promotion, text messaging, town and country, unlimited services, wireless llc

For the people who want a free way to get their hands on the latest iPhone 3G S, MobiMobul gives you that chance via their monthly give-aways. How do you get one? Well all you have to do is register as a MobiMogul subscriber via their site and be entered to win. This promotion is in preparation for the launch of the MogulSMS which is scheduled to come out on August 10.

MogulSMS is a SMS text messaging service that provides an opportunity for mobile phone users to send text messages with advertisements attached and receive compensation! MogulSMS ads effectively connect consumers with targeted discounts and value opportunities.

As a MogulSMS subscriber you are linked into the MobiMogul Advertising Network of advertisers, eager to market their products on your phone, and pay you for it.

(Source) Press

Tags: advertisements, advertisers, advertising network, Apple, Cell Phones, consumers, iPhone, iPhone, launch, Mobile News, mobile phone users, sms text, subscriber, text messages, text messaging, value opportunities

The Motorola device, the Motorola Clutch i465 initially made its way through Boost Mobile. But now, Sprint is scheduled to introduce the said phone starting at $29.99 a month this coming summer.

The Motorola Clutch i465 is a rugged device contained in a handy candy form factor. It is likewise the first Nextel Direct Connect messaging-centric device that brings the strength of a full QWERTY keyboard to the iDEN line. Among the features of the Motorola Clutch i465 include Group Messaging, which lets customers create groups of up to 20 people to whom they can send messages simulataneously.

“Sprint Nextel Direct Connect customers are used to the immediate communications offered by push-to-talk devices, but Motorola Clutch i465 with a QWERTY keyboard gives those customers a better way to instantly communicate with friends, family and colleagues,” said Danny Bowman, president of Sprint’s iDEN Business Unit. “By combining Nextel Direct Connect with text messaging, Sprint customers have two of the most efficient ways to get business done wirelessly.”

(Source) Press

Tags: business unit, candy, colleagues, friends family, full qwerty keyboard, Motorola, Motorola, sprint customers, sprint nextel, text messaging

Text messaging has come a long way from just sending a simple text message to one or group of friends today. It has evolved into a powerful from of mass media where the billions of text messages being sent around the world has caught everyone in a maze of private and commercial messaging frenzy. More so, it is apparent that mobile phone subscribers are clamoring for better cell phone plans, ranging from unlimited texting to cost-efficient plans. And a lot of local service providers have done so but the public is still asking for more.

According to statistics compiled by the Messaging and Mobile Media Division of VeriSign, Inc., mobile messaging continues to shatter records with nearly 84 billion messages were delivered throughout the first quarter of 2009.

These records can be considered modest. For one, they only cover a certain area of concern. But if you put the whole world together, you may see tons of people wanting better mobile phone plans either for personal use or business-related intent. And for mobile providers, they only intend to provide more as they conceptualize client-enticing mobile plans that will certainly be awaited by consumers in the market today.

(Source) Press

Tags: billions, cell phone, Cell Phones, local service, mass media, maze, mobile media, mobile messaging, Mobile News, mobile phone subscribers, mobile plans, mobile providers, personal use, service providers, text message, text messages, text messaging, texting, verisign, verisign inc

Predictive texting is a feature that has made life easier for people who are fond of sending text messages in a hurry. While spelling may not be an issue for some when it comes to common day language, the need to be sure that accuracy for proper noun words like actual real names or places can really help a lot in speeding up the text composition phase.

Today, most phones carry the said predictive text messaging assistance and LG Electronics for its part isn’t taking any chances. LG and Nuance Communications have extended their relationship in integrating the T9 and XT9 predictive text input towards its line of mobile phones, making sure that their patrons don’t complain about the hardships of composing a simple text message.

“It’s not just about voice calls on phones today – being able to simply and intuitively send emails and text messages is just as important, which is why many of the world’s leading handset manufacturers rely on our T9 predictive text portfolio,” said Michael Thompson, senior vice president and general manager, Nuance Mobile. “LG has some of the hottest devices on the market and by leveraging T9 and XT9, users around the world will continue to leverage the power that our combined innovation delivers for texting and emailing – or any other text input command.”

(Source) Press

Tags: emailing, handset manufacturers, input command, LG, lg-electronics, Mobile Software, nuance communications, patrons, predictive text input, sending text messages, t9 predictive text, text message, text messaging, texting

MobiMogul, the advertising services that pays, has launched a $25 daily Give-away.  Register as a MobiMogul subscriber today at www.mobimogul.com and enter into the daily $25 subscriber Gift Card Give-away, which will end with the release of MogulSMS on August 10, 2009. MogulSMS is a SMS text messaging service that will provide a chance for mobile phone users to send text messages with advertisements attached and receive compensation in return.

MogulSMS ads connect consumers with value opportunities and discounts. MogulSMS subscribers will be linked into the MobiMogul Advertising Network of advertisers, enthusiastic to market their products on mobile phones, and pay for it. Become a mobile entrepreneur with MobiMogul, the advertising service that pays. Visit www.mobimogul.com to register.

Tags: advertisement, attachments, gift card, Mobile News, mobile phone, MobiMogul, MogulSMS, text messaging

Hot iPhone apps are easy to spot. They are normally the ones which are downloaded by most people once they get to the Apple App Store. But if you talk about seeing 500,000 downloads in just 40 days, you have to agree that there is something about the app that makes it hot!

Rock Your Phone announced today users of its service downloaded over 500,000 applications in the first 40 days of operations. The new service allows customers to trial and purchase applications that extend and enhance the current iPhone capabilities beyond what is available via the Apple iPhone App Store.

Rock Your Phone created the first full-service alternative iPhone App Store to distribute pioneering applications. “We allow developers to use their full creativity to develop applications, rather then tip-toe through a restrictive and vague approval process. IntelliScreen, which is not allowed in the Apple App Store, enables users to glance at their iPhone and view a summary of current emails, text messages, calendar, news, sports, and weather on the lock screen. While the iPhone is a great entertainment device, when it’s time for business, users prefer the productivity and efficiency that IntelliScreen provides.” said Mario Ciabarra, Chief Technology Officer and company founder.

With free 10-day trials on every application, Rock Your Phone stands behind its service with a love-it or leave-it attitude. Rock Your Phone’s current catalog of only 9 applications has pursued quality applications, rather then quantity. Ciabarra said, “We’re focused on delivering innovative applications that solve business problems. With a ‘try before you buy’ policy, applications that don’t deliver simply don’t make sense for our platform.”

The Rock Your Phone catalog already contains features that Apple intends to provide in the next major release of the iPhone, including cut and paste and landscape text messaging.

(Source) Press

Tags: Apple, Apple iPhone, business problems, business users, calendar news, chief technology officer, company founder, current catalog, cut and paste, great entertainment, hot rock, iPhone, mario ciabarra, Mobile Software, policy applications, purchase applications, quality applications, text messages, text messaging, tip toe, weather

A new prepaid calling option has been unveiled by AT&T. The new promo which will start on May 11 offers unlimited nationwide calling for just three dollars per day. AT&T GoPhone customers will enjoy the flexibility of unlimited calling with charges only applying on days when they make or receive voice calls.

The new AT&T GoPhone plan includes no roaming or long distance fees on the company’s national wireless network, making it a convenient and affordable option for customers who prefer a “Pay As You Go” package. Customers on the new GoPhone Unlimited Calling plan will also be able to use text messaging and data service at the same pay per use rates as all other GoPhone Pay As You Go plans, or customers can add messaging or data packages. Refills are sold at more than 200,000 locations across the U.S.

AT&T GoPhone packages, which include a new device plus $15 airtime credit, are available in all AT&T stores, as well as other retail locations. Current GoPhone customers will be able to switch to the unlimited calling plan by calling 611 from their handset, or 800-901-9878 from a landline phone. Feature packages such as unlimited text messaging for $19.99 can be added by choosing the option ‘Buy Features.’

(Source) Press

Tags: airtime, At&T, Business, feature packages, flexibility, gophone, handset, landline phone, long distance, pay per use, phone feature, retail locations, text messaging, three dollars

By now we have all heard of Virgin Mobile’s $49.99/month voice only plan but apparently Boost Mobile’s flat rate plan of $50.00 seems better. Of course this would depend on which you spend a lot on, voice calls or texting.

Apparently, while the Virgin Mobile plan covers calls, it does not include text messaging which if totaled could become more expensive once you monthly bill comes along.

Compared to Boost Mobile’s plan, they offer unlimited nationwide talk, text and multimedia messaging, wireless Web access and nationwide Walkie-Talkie that reaches more than 274 million people in more than 15,800 cities across the U.S. for an all-inclusive price of $50/month.

While the Virgin Mobile plan includes unlimited talk, those looking to send text messages will need to pay an additional $10 per month. Research shows that text messaging is on the rise, closing in on mobile phone calls as consumers’ communication of choice.

According to CTIA (Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association), text messaging traffic grew to more than 75 billion messages per month in the United States in 2008, up from 7.2 billion per month in 2005.

In addition to saving consumers more than $200 per year, Boost Mobile’s plan, unlike Virgin Mobile’s plan, offers consumers picture messaging, text messaging, Web access and the popular Walkie-Talkie feature. Boost Mobile offers the fastest national “push-to-talk” network available in the prepaid industry. More than 90 percent of Boost iDEN customers surveyed say they use nationwide Boost Walkie-Talkie, and 70 percent of those customers use the service daily.

(Source) Press

Tags: Boost Mobile, Business, Cell Phones, cellular telecommunications industry association, consumers, flat rate plan, mobile phone service, mobile plan, multimedia messaging, phone calls, text messages, text messaging, texting, traffic, Virgin Mobile, Virgin Mobile, voice calls, Walkie Talkie, web access, wireless web

Text messaging technology has made its way into the banking scene as NYE has announced that it will offer balance inquiries by text message to its financial institution participants as a standard feature of full participation in the NYCE Network.

NYCE Payments Network, LLC, is a leading U.S. electronic payments network and a Metavante company. Metavante Corporation is a leading provider of banking and payments technology.

The basic text message transactions will be an extension of the balance inquiry functionality commonly available at NYCE Network ATMs, with no additional fees for mobilization. The new service, powered by Monitise Americas, will allow consumers to use text messaging to request and receive real-time balance information on their primary accounts.

Text message balance inquiries will work for virtually all mobile phone users regardless of their mobile carrier or the type of handset they use.

(Source) Press

Tags: balance inquiries, balance inquiry, Business, Cell Phones, electronic payments network, handset, Mobile News, mobile phone users, mobilization, network atms, text message, text messaging

LG Electronics launches another mobile phone in the mold of the Pantech WPP-8000 Mobile. This mobile phone is LG Electronic’s first Wi-Fi phone and sources have it that should this release be successful, succeeding phones may carry practically the same features.

The phone uses the providers myLG070 service which allows users to access the Web via a wireless LAN connection or iHub. Through this, they are able to get all the news, stock information or weather updates they require. All this without extra data charges. The WPP-8000 also supports text messaging and Caller ID. A simple phone in some regards, although powerful in it’s own right.

(Source) LG Korea

Tags: caller id, Cell Phones, ihub, korea, lan connection, LG, lg-electronics, mobile phone, mold, stock information, text messaging, weather updates, which allows users, Wi-Fi, wireless lan, wpp

Here is something that critics say is a mobile phone to help students in studying. Perhaps what they were referring here was the online portal which provides preparation for the CAT, ITT along with a couple of other exams that most students are prepare for.

Aside from that useful feature for students, the Spice S940 comes with the usual features like a 2 megapixel camera, FM radio and the standard text messaging and voice calls.

Based on the features this phone has, it can also pass as a good entry-level phone. So technically, it is a phone that even adults can consider, sans the much focused online education portal of course. Too bad it is only available in India.

Price: Rs 5,999

(Source) Cell Passion

Tags: Cell Phones, fm radio, megapixel camera, mobile phone, Other Brands, phone buddy, text messaging

If all goes well, new software will be integrated into Smartphones that can save lives. The patent-pending software is the world’s first fully functional wireless video security system built into cell phones, using video, photo and audio and GPS monitoring capabilities.

For a nominal monthly fee, JTrek users have a full-time personal surveillance protection device. All that is required is a Smartphone, Internet service and a small network of emergency contacts.

With this cutting-edge technology, text messaging notifications and video/photo imagery is recorded and transmitted by the Smartphone to the JTrek web servers. Even if the phone is taken by an attacker, the images remain stored on JTrek’s servers and emergency alerts are sent automatically.

(Source) Press

Tags: attacker, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, cutting edge technology, GPS, internet service, jtrek, Mobile News, Mobile Software, new software, personal surveillance, smartphones, text messaging, video security system

Have you ever been in a theater in front of someone who could not bear to turn off his or her cell phone? Have you ever waited on a customer in a store or a restaurant who could not bother to stop a cell phone conversation long enough to acknowledge your existence and expected you to guess his or her needs? Have you ever been annoyed by people talking loudly and rudely on a cell phone while in a public space like a train, an elevator, or a restroom? Eighty-seven percent of Americans in an ABC News “20/20″ survey said they encounter that kind of gabbing at least sometimes, and over 57 percent said they hear it often and it significantly reduces their quality of life.

Cell phone rudeness is fast becoming America’s #1 pet peeve, and for good reason. Interestingly, people over 45 are more likely to engage in cell phone rudeness. Younger folks are more absorbed in text messaging, which, though self-involved, is much quieter and less obtrusive.

Tags: cell phone habits, cell phone rudeness, Cell Phones, text messaging

A few months ago, we reported on the release of the Zipit Wireless Messenger 2. It’s a portable device which could be used to access various instant messaging services. This time, Zipit is upping the ante by offering text messaging feature to their line of functionalities. Zipit usually costs nothing to use but the text messaging function would cost a mere $4.99 for text messages up to 3,000 in number per month. Now that’s what you call a bargain. Full launch of the feature will be on February of 2008. From its soft-launch last December 20 until then, the text messaging feature would be free.

Pros:
*Cheaper than other text messaging services

Cons:
*Can’t send out messages to more than a single recipient at one time
*Can’t accept messages from numbers not in a pre-configured list (what if it’s an emergency???)

(more…)

Tags: portable device, Portable Devices, text messaging, Zipit

Here’s an interesting service from kwiry: the company announced the launch of kwiry.com, a viral platform for advertisers, TV/radio networks and others to use text messages to drive traffic from mobile phones to their websites. Once you respond to a partner’s ad, kwiry can reach you when you are back online.

The platform essentially turns each text message into a potential page view from the kwiry user community. For example, GamePro Magazine uses kwiry to drive its print readers to GamePro.com. Companies can also avoid the use of confusing URLs to drive people to specific content on their website. Other useful services offered by kwiry include the kwiry reminder service where your text messages are converted into reminders that can be retrieved online.

Viral marketing. Oh, well.

(more…)

Tags: kwiry, mobile, Mobile News, news, online, services, text messaging, viral marketing