Think email is dead? Facebook does. There announcement today didn’t unveil a traditional email service. What they announced is far more “real-time” and engaging. Facebook calls it a “Social Messaging System”. “It’s not email”, says Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerburg. Instead, it’s a real-time, location and device agnostic service that aims to seamlessly integrate your life’s conversations. It ties together your SMS/text messages, emails, and IM’s into one place. In short: it’s awesome.
Back when Sprint came out with their Simply Everything plans, I said that while it wouldn’t bring Sprint back into the black ink, it would at least appease heavy mobile users who are getting gouged by rising cellular plans. And as we look back on the past year or so that Sprint has had said plans, I was pretty much right. They really didn’t cause a massive influx of customers to the CDMA carrier. However, as Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T start capping and limiting plans, Sprint stands alone.
Alone until now that is. Some new marketing material for upcoming Verizon Wireless cell phone plans has made its way out into the open. Most surprisingly, not more than a few weeks after VZW announced their new capped data plans, a new $69.99 450-minute/Unlimited Text/Unlimited Data plan is revealed on this new flyer. (Paying for everything separate would cost $90+!) For families, there’s a $139.99 version that allows 2 lines to divvy up 1400 minutes while also enjoying the same unlimited text/unlimited data.
**As pointed out below, Sprint still has a leg up on Verizon as their $69.99 plan offers unlimited minutes regardless of carrier as well as unlimited texts and data.
Hopefully Verizon gets around to announcing and releasing these new plans sooner rather than later. Check out the full flyer after the jump…
Since Apple didn’t have a fun childhood (or iPhones), they have to take the fun out of ours! If it isn’t one thing it is another with this company. Now, I am a huge Apple fanboy — have been since my Dad’s Apple deuce years and years ago, 20+ years in the making to be the stuck up snob I am today…But this is just getting ridiculous. Yes, their app rejection has become a little less fascist if you will, but it seems they do more and more to stop us from living our lives the way we want to.
The latest smack to our faces is that Apple was awarded a Patent today for filtering sext messages. Yes, you heard that right! Apple can now control the text messages we send back and forth. This is just basically uber parental controls for your kids’ iSlutPhones. But really…Why not have our parents educate our children from being slutbags and teach them respect for others and not to be complete arseholes. I see 8 year old children walking around telling me to “get the F*** out of my way” whenever I set foot into a Wal-Mart. Yes, that is because I am in a Wal-Mart, but still! This kind of censorship should start with the parents, not with Apple allowing them to slack off at teaching their kids things and giving them a lazy way out.
Queue music: “Another one bites the dust…” Having ability to set individual SMS tones to contacts is not a hard thing to do. Apple could have done it all the way back in iPhone OS 1.0 days. Yet for some reason they decided that iOS 4.2 was “the one”. It’s kind of embarrassing to be even remotely excited over such a feature. Nevertheless, it’s nice to see Apple going back through the long list of complaints regarding missing features in iOS and finally delivering on some of those good ‘ol original ones, even if they are as minor as individual SMS tones.
Next up: Giving iPhone users the ability to create custom SMS tones. Because no, Apple. 6 different tones aren’t enough…
I may favor many aspects of Android over other mobile platforms, but there’s one area that sucks pretty bad all around — soft (onscreen) keyboards. The iPhone’s keyboard is still the one to beat. Android’s default keyboard as well as just about every other keyboard I’ve tried are marginal at best. Of course, 3rd part options such as Swype do go a long way into introducing new and innovative methods of inputing characters on a screen.
Another newcomer however has quite a bit of potential as is shown off in the video (inside). Not only is the prediction algorithm eerily amazing, the keyboard changes orientation on the fly depending on where your digits land, to keep the keyboard constantly in the right position. Even more mind boggling is the “invisible mode” where the keyboard completely disappears, leaving users the ability to simply tap out messages onscreen wherever they please. Of course, some basic knowledge of a standard keyboard layout is needed. Even then, the feat is pretty astounding to witness. Sounds impossible doesn’t it? Well, hop inside and prepare to be flabbergasted.
There are some of us who like to talk, network, and spread our social butterfly wings. And then there are some of us who really like to talk, network, and spread said wings. For the latter, multi-chat IM clients are a life or death tool when out and about the town. For mobile users, multichat IM apps are a must.
For BlackBerry users specifically, there are plenty of options in apps to communicate with others already. Why add another? Hey, folks. Options options options. So if Beejive is old news, AIM’s app is making you weep, and Google Talk just isn’t fly anymore, Trillian would love to show you something. See exhibit A above — Trillian for BlackBerry…
The fast paced way of life demands more and more from us each and every day. It seems society as a whole tries to cram in just one more thing into whatever spare seconds we have. When it gets down to it, some people may not even have time to type out full words and sentences, resorting to characteristic text message language such as LOL and BTW among others. Even then, some people are finding themselves strapped for time. For those individuals, I have the tool just for them — the LOL Keyboard.
Essentially, the LOL Keyboard is nothing more than a keyboard with popular super short hand messages routed to function keys — areas that would normally hold, chat, email, internet keys and the like are now filled with L8R, LOL, THX, and more. Need the full list of shortcuts?
Besides the handy function keys, the keyboard can also be switched to and from QWERTY mode and alphabetical mode at the push of a button. I’m sure the teens of the world are all giggly giggly goo right now. Parents? Modern convenience or the ultimate downfall of man and beginning spiral into extinction?
Someone please tell Motorola their caps key is locked…
If you’re old enough or been in the tech scene for a few years, you’ve no doubt seen your fair share of attempts at the split keyboard design. Is it a mobile version of some ergonomic keyboard? That’s at least what I compare it too. Either way, such designs have never been too popular with consumers as clunky design and use of said keyboards makes the whole experience more pain than pleasure. But that isn’t stopping Motorola.
Riding on the DROID popularity wave and new found sense of quality products (Moto Backflip excluded), Motorola is going to take another stab at what so many others have failed to do — design a worth split-keyboard phone that is actually attractive, usable, and durable. Which I’d say is no small feat.
By now you’ve probably skimmed over most of this and instead just looked at the picture above. (Hey, it’s ok. I don’t hate you.) As you can see, the keyboard is very split into two distinct pieces. It almost looks comfortable enough to use everyday. Though durability is questionable if it’s as thin as it’s rumored to be. I can only imagine the anguish and pain in a user’s face when one of those flappy keyboard wings snaps off — the start to a bad, bad day no less.
Physical attributes past us, early reports have this phone powered by a Snapdragon processor pegged at the now almost common 1GHz as well as release of sometime in Q3 2010.
So what do you think. Is the MOTOSPLIT better than all previous attempts or is it another failure in the making?
Tapping out your text messages via physical buttons is old, old technology. Touchscreens are a new technology. Why hamper the new with the ‘ol ball and chain of old? Such is the problem Swype sets out to correct. Originally debuting on the Samsung Omnia II, Swype developers stated that other platforms would be supported in 2010. Looks as if they got the ball rolling a little early as anyone itching to try out this innovative new way to text on touchscreens can now give it a go on their Android devices.
Simply point your browser to Droidmuff and download the zipped file. Be sure you have “install from unknown sources” checked under Settings > Applications or else you won’t be able to install Swype. After you install Swype, head on over to Settings > Language & Keyboard and uncheck “Android Keyboard”, moving that green check mark of acceptance to “Swype” keyboard instead.
I’ve been playing with it for a good 30 minutes and have found that even in beta form, it’s pretty darn stable extremely stable (read: near flawless) and fast to use. By the time the finished product rolls around it’ll no doubt be faster than the old “tap-lift-tap-repeat” method we’re all so accustomed to. The only things I would like to see added are auto period inserts after a double space and auto caps.
(To capitalize a letter, simply start with the letter of the word as usual and then flick up above the keyboard window and back down onto the keyboard, continuing your slide and glide texting — brilliant!)
Anyone wondering how it stacks up in regards to functionality such as word correction/auto spelling etc. with the default Android keyboard can make note that it meets or exceeds the stock keyboard in every area — something I can’t say for Better Keyboard, a popular 3rd party keyboard.
Simply put: Swype is the way to text on touchscreens from here on out. Consider yoruself missing out on life if you can’t use Swype on your device.
Get online with best value broadband & home phone bundles.
Choose between our Essentials or Plus packages -
both with introductory offers - & benefit from our ground-breaking HomeSafe online protection.
Compare our broadband and phone bundles with our competitors.
We think our Essentials and Plus packages are great value -
see for yourself by checking the breakdown of costs and features versus our biggest competitors.
When it comes to marketing your product it's essential to understand the visitor patterns in your shop. Heatmap software allows you to do just that by producing reports and visualizations that help you make the best decisions for your business.
Think email is dead? Facebook does. There announcement today didn’t unveil a traditional email service. What they announced is far more “real-time” and engaging. Facebook calls it a “Social Messaging System”. “It’s not email”, says Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerburg. Instead, it’s a real-time, location and device agnostic service that aims to seamlessly integrate your life’s conversations. It ties together your SMS/text messages, emails, and IM’s into one place. In short: it’s awesome.
