Items tagged with messaging
WhatsApp, iMessage, Kik, Facebook -- the world is overrun with messaging apps and platforms, and we've stumbled upon a near infinite amount of ways to send short snippets of text and images to friends and colleagues around the world. But here's one you may have forgotten about: ChatON. That's Samsung's own chat app, and the company announced today that it now boasts a staggering 100 million users. Of course, Samsung isn't clarifying that these are active users; they're just saying the install base is now up to 100 million. The service was launched in October 2011, hitting the 50 million subscriber mark in May 2013 and doubling that number to 100 million only four months later. That said, ChatON...
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On one hand, this is huge news for BlackBerry. But on the other, it would've been far, far more monumental if this had happened five years ago. During BlackBerry's annual developer event in Florida today, the company announced that BBM (its proprietary messaging service, similar to iMessage for Apple devices) would finally be available outside of the BlackBerry family. This summer, BBM will be available for Android and iOS, allowing BlackBerry users to now message their friends who refuse to switch platforms. Initially, the BBM App will support iOS 6 and Android 4.0+. Upon release, BBM customers would be able to broaden their connections to include friends, family and colleagues on other mobile...
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Third-party messaging services are proving ultra-popular. Just ask Viber, the latest free messaging and VoIP app to skip past the 200 million users mark. Viber, which allows free calls, text messaging, and picture sharing, has been playing it smart by supporting a variety of platforms, including iOS, Android, Windows, BlackBerry, Nokia, and Bada. As of today, it's also available on the desktop for Windows and Mac systems. "People spend a substantial amount of time on their smartphones," said Talmon Marco, CEO of Viber. "However, a lot of that usage takes place at home or in the office, where they have laptops or desktops close by. With Viber Desktop you always get to use the most convenient device....
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Whoa, wait a second -- text messaging is on the decline? Well, not entirely, but it's certainly not shooting through the roof from a global perspective any longer. Once thought to be the number one killer of voice minutes, texting seems to be on the decline in a few locales around the world. According to M.G.I. Research, there was a "significant drop" on texts on Christmas Eve in Finland. Reportedly, mobile user son Sonera sent 8.5 million texts on Christmas Eve this year, compared to 10.9 million last year. Hong Kong? They saw a huge decrease -- nearly 14% year-over-year. Even Down Under, Aussies sent 9% fewer texts than in 2010 on the holiday. Why? Well, there are a few guesses. Mostly, it's...
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Skype's on the acquisition trail again. Shortly after Microsoft announced their intentions to scoop up Skype for many, many billions of dollars, Skype themselves have done some shopping on the open market. GroupMe, a social startup that was gaining huge traction with their group-messaging application on Android and iOS, is now a part of the world's most well-known VoIP calling/messaging app. Many were suggesting that GroupMe was poised to becomes Skype's largest competitor, and now, well, they just swallowed that whole. Probably a smart business move. GroupMe just launched a year ago, so it's still fresh on the vine, but Skype knows that it better start picking it it hopes to narrow that pool...
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Have you ever wished you could send a text, without typing anything? Texting and driving is a huge distraction, and there are lots of times where only a text will do, but actually stopping to type something out just isn't convenient. What if you could simply speak, and a text would be created and sent? That's now possible so long as you have an iPhone. Jawbone has just released the THOUGHTS application into the iOS store, which allows users to easily send quick voice messages to individuals and groups, without typing or calling. The application combines the speed of texting, the group collaboration of email, and the emotional quality of voice all in one. It's totally free in the iOS App Store,...
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Ever heard of Swype? That's a program on Android that allows mobile users to simply leave their fingertip on the display and move it from point to point in order to input text. It's a radical change from pressing key after key, and it's clearly catching on. Nuance is a company that has been involved with touch input for awhile now, and they're introducing a similar solution for Samsung's Wave II. It's called Continuous Touch, and it's shipping now on the Wave II, Bada 1.2-powered smartphone. The technology allows users to glide their finger from one letter to another in order to spell out words, and it's being branded as QuickType for Samsung. T9 Trace is fully integrated with Nuance XT9 predictive...
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AT&T and Pantech have teamed up to offer customers a new quick messaging phone with a touch screen handset and a sliding keyboard. The new Pursuit phone offers a 2.8-inch touchscreen display, multitasking capabilities, a full QWERTY keyboard, and apps such as Drawing Commander, Face Tag and Graffiti. The Pantech Pursuit is currently available via AT&T for $49.99 after contract and rebate; a minimum $20 per month messaging plan is also required. The phone is available in lime or blue colors. AT&T and Pantech Succeed in Their “Pursuit” for the Perfect Quick Messaging Phone New Handset Combines Full Touch Screen, Sliding Keyboard and Original Features in Time for Summer ATLANTA--Pantech...
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Mobile Internet use is on the rise. If you follow technology at all, that's no surprise to you, but you may be taken aback by just how quickly the technology could become a household mainstay. It didn't take too long for the television to sweep across the world, and the Internet is getting there at an even faster rate. Mobile broadband is one luxury that most in the world are still living without, but to say it's not a booming market would be a mistake. Many avid travelers still feel that Internet access everywhere is their most important travel asset (yes, even over food), and now Ericsson is putting out some figures that are causing folks to take a good, hard look at where WWAN is going.If...
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Think you thumbs are quick? Think again. LG, which has long been a supporter of finding out just who exactly can text the fastest in this zany world of thumb-friendly communicators, has just announced that Yeong-Ho Bae, 18, and Mok-Min Ha, 17, of South Korea are the (new) fastest texters on the planet. Hear that? On the planet! The duo defeated a host of challengers to become the world texting champions at the LG Mobile World Cup in New York City, and the competition was no joke whatsoever. The two had to use LG devices (no iPhone or Droid allowed), and they trumped their rivals in a series of tests of speed and accuracy. LG then crowned 'em the champs, and handed them a whopping $100000 for...
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For all the parents out there who can't stand to see their kids text during meals, during family reunions and during study sessions, here's a note: that obsession could land them $50,000 and fifteen solid minutes of fame. Just eight months after getting her first cell phone, Iowa's own Kate Moore managed to out-text 20 other finalists from around America in the LG-sponsored championship round. The event has become someone of a spectacle since launching just three years ago. With SMS usage on the rise, texting has become a worldwide method of communication. No longer just for kicks, texting now contains serious messages and heartfelt emotions. Kate averages right around 14,000 texts per month,...
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Before you say, "So What?" we are well aware that you could send an SMS from email by using an address of the form number@att.txt.net (we're also aware AIM supported this). But when you did that, you only got a temporary ID that your friend could text you back on for a limited time. This new feature will give you a permanent "number" they can use all the time for SMS, which goes directly to your Gmail Chat.So, how does it work? Well, first of all it's a Google Labs feature. Unlike Mail Goggles, we like this one. Go into your Gmail Settings, then Labs, and enable the functionality (most will not see this feature yet, at the time of this writing). Go into chat, type...
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The results of a recently published study of workers' instant messaging (IM) use shows that IM can actually improve workplace productivity. This contradicts a widely held belief that IM in the workplace is a hindrance to productivity. IM is often perceived as an interruption, and as such, "it can significantly hinder productivity by disrupting thought processes and work flows, causing individuals to take longer to complete tasks."Researchers at Ohio State University and the University of California, Irvine conducted a telephone study by randomly surveying individuals employed full-time who use computers in an office environment at least five hours per week. They netted 912 respondents, of which...
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In a somewhat controversial move, Microsoft will be including a new feature in its messaging services which will allow users to contact police with just a few clicks of the mouse. If you're a resident of the United Kingdom, the new "Report Abuse" icon will appear on your Windows Live Messenger or MSN Messenger, which when clicked will take you directly to a site that will help you get in contact with Police. The new feature has been created with the help of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection(CEOP) Centre, in an effort to help curb inappropriate online sexual conduct. "Behind the Report Abuse button will sit...
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