Texting

Apple’s ‘transparent texting’ tech aims to make it safer to walk and text

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 20, 2018

Last week, the United States Patent and Trademark Office published a patent application entitled 'Transparent Texting' that Apple filed in late 2012. In it, the company proposes to replace the background image of messaging applications with a live video feed from the device's camera.

This effect would create the illusion that the device has a transparent display, allowing users to see what lies in front of them while they are texting. The goal of the invention is to make it safer for iPhone (and other mobile device) users to text and perform other functions while walking...

AT&T adds free international messaging to Mobile Share plans

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

Following T-Mobile's lead, AT&T announced today that it is adding unlimited international text messaging to all of its Mobile Share and Mobile Share Value plans. The free package will allow subscribers to send text and multimedia messages from the US to over 100 countries.

Additionally, the carrier introduced a new World Connect Value package for international calling. With it, post-paid AT&T customers can make one cent -per minute calls from the US to more than 35 countries, including Canada, Mexico and the Virgin Islands, for $5 per month...

Apple patent suggests whether best to call or text

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

While in the middle of being told Apple is washed-up, a has-been being overtaken by Android, comes a patent which reminds us the company actually has some good ideas left.

Take, for instance, those annoying calls which seem to arrive in the middle of dinner. The gear heads at Apple also find them annoying and created a way to put you in control of who calls you when and whether a text might suffice. Particularly when you have a mouth of spaghetti.

The granted patent describes a "system for facilitating contacting people using electronic devices."

Instead of taking the usual path most technology firms selling smartphones would follow - creating multiple ways to blast messages to you - Apple goes for a more zen-like approach, realizing that understanding when not to make a call could make for the ultimate smartphone...

AutoResponder 2 for iOS is out, 50% off for a limited time

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

If you've been jailbreaking for a while, chances are you've heard of AutoResponder. The tweak allows you to set up an auto-reply for your text messages, sending a pre-generated reply to anyone who messages you.

Well good news for folks who love the tweak, and even better news for those that want to try it. It was updated this week, released as AutoResponder 2, with support for iOS 6. And for a limited time, it's 50% off...

Happy twentieth birthday, SMS!

Ed Sutherland ∙ December 3, 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4UkJZxC9uA

SMS - or what's now commonly referred to as 'texting' - is twenty years old today. Begun December 3, 1992 in London, SMS grew from one 160-character message every couple months to an astounding seven trillion texts per year. As we send tweets from iPhones and iPads connected across the globe, its time to look back at the grandfather of iMessage - and it all began over a pizza.

The whole idea of SMS was created in 1984 when three engineers at a Danish pizzeria discussed how great it would be to send text messages over the GSM network. Less than a decade later, UK's Vodafone went to work on SMS software. The first message sent: "Merry Christmas" from a Sema Group engineer to Vodafone Director Richard Jarvis. The message travelled the huge distance of 30 miles...