SMS
SMS stands for "Short Message Service" and is the technology behind the text messages sent between cell phones. SMS text messages can also be sent from mobile phones to computers as well as from PCs to cell phones via SMS gateways. Sending and receiving SMS text messages is extremely popular, especially among teenagers and young adults. (duh)
In many cases, all you need to do is tell someone something. "Please pick up bread on the way home." "I'm running late." You don't want to talk just convey a small chunk of information. You also don't want to burn up your precious minutes. Perhaps you don't want to interupt the other person. SMS to the rescue!
In addition to user-to-user text messages, content can be pushed to cell phones via SMS. For example, text "help" to 466453 to start using Google SMS. Try texting "w seattle" or "map seattle" to "GOOGLE" (466453) and see how fast the response is. Try texting d for define: as in "d sex" or "d ignorant". Google SMS is perfect for finding things near you like movies (movie 98116), restaurants (sushi 98116), or directions (directions boston to 98116). If you like what you see, add Google to your phone's address book to make composing the message that much faster. Speaking of setup, I set my location to home (set location 98116).
Like Google, Yahoo! also offers search on mobile phones. Simply text questions to 92466 (YAHOO). Yahoo! Messenger supports SMS to cell phones around the world. This way you can text messagie your IM friends using Yahoo! Messenger for SMS.
Cell phone carriers offer SMS as part of some phone plans. In some cases you get a set number per month and pay additional for each message thereafter. For heavy users, the all-you-can-eat unlimited text messaging plans make more sense. If your plan is too expensive (or you're too cheap) you can use any one of a number of free SMS services. Some services like this are cheaper or more convenient for international messaging.
Because typing on a cell phone keypad is cumbersome at best and text messages have to be short, abbreviations are often used. For example: LOL (laughing out loud), CU L8R (see you later) and 2MORO (tomorrow). Confused? Transl8it to go between English and text lingo.
Text messages can be sent from your computer. Each wireless carrier has an email format:
AT&T = 10digitphonenumber@txt.att.net
Sprint = 10digitphonenumber@sprintpaging.com
Sprint = 10digitphonenumber@messaging.sprintpcs.com
T-Mobile = 10digitphonenumber@tmomail.net
Verizon = 10digitphonenumber@vtext.com
When in doubt or to see if surcharges apply, check with your carrier.
Email can be sent via SMS too:
AT&T = 111 or 121 emailaddress (subject) text
Sprint = emailaddress text
T-Mobile = 500
Verizon = emailaddress text
When in doubt or to see if surcharges apply, check with your carrier.
Some carriers offer a web-based way to send SMS message to their customers:
Spring
Verizon
Try finding the nearest Starbucks to you by sending an SMS text message to "697289" (that's MYSBUX) followed by your ZIP code. The mermaid will reply with the locations of the three closes Starbucks locations.
A business card is a special SMS message which is composed as follows:
//SCKE2 BEGIN:VCARD N:name TEL:number END:VCARD
Make an informed choice by conducting a thorough cell phone plan comparison online.
