Cell Phones
Google Voice Local Search: 1-800-GOOG-411
Until I read about the new, experimental Google Voice Local Search I'd almost forgotten about 411. Who uses it any more? Best of all, Google is free. I'll have to try it. FAQ and cheat sheet.
Pinger: text messaging meets voicemail
Pinger is for people like me: voicemail as easy as text messaging. Plus, sometimes I just want to leave voicemail without risking you picking up the call. Did I mention that it's free!
SMS: email to cell phones
You can send email to a cell phone using text messaging or SMS (short message service). SMS messages can be up to 160 character including the email address.
Each carrier has their own email addressing format but in general it's area code + phone number at carrier.com, for example 2065551234@tmomail.com for T-Mobile customers. Click on the carrier's name in the list below to navigate to their web interface (except Cingular & Virgin Mobile).
Alltell: 2065551234@message.alltel.comBell Canada: 2065551234@txt.bell.ca
Cellular One (Dobson): 2065551234@mobile.celloneusa.com
Cingular: 2065551234@cingularME.com
Cingular (former AT&T Wireless customers): 2065551234@mmode.com
Fido (Microcell Canada): 2065551234@fido.ca
Qwest: 2065551234@qwestmp.com
Rogers (Canada): 2065551234@pcs.rogers.com
Sprint (PCS): 2065551234@messaging.sprintpcs.com
Sprint (Nextel): 2065551234@page.nextel.com
Suncom: 2065551234@tms.suncom.com
T-Mobile: 2065551234@tmomail.net
Telus Mobility (Canada): 2065551234@msg.telus.com
Verizon: 2065551234@vzwpix.com
US Cellular: 2065551234@email.uscc.net
Virgin Mobile (US): 2065551234@vmobl.com
Virgin Mobile (Canada): 2065551234@vmobile.ca
Vodacom (S Africa): 2065551234@voda.co.za
Starbucks & SMS
Find the nearest Starbucks 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 'bucks.
Google & SMS: together at last
Leave it to Google to harness the power of SMS. Don't believe me? Look here. And of course they have a help files.
It seems Google has a web interface to search by SMS from your cellphone. Try "48368" with Google's calendar.
Yahoo!& SMS: not to be undone
Yahoo also has a web interface to free SMS messages. Yahoo! lets you use SMS as a chat medium. Pretty kewl!
ICE: In Case of Emergency
I lost my cell phone recently flying out of SeaTac airport. Imagine my surprise when my kids emailed me to say that someone at the airport had found it and called them. How? I have an ICE entry in my address book. ICE was conceived by British paramedic Bob Brotchie in April 2005 as a way for emergency workers to determine who to call when someone is unable tell them. Simple create an entry named "ICE" in your phone's address book that lists who you want contacted. List more than one person designated as ICE1, ICE2, ICE3, etc. It's so simple, why not do it?
Read about it in both The Washington Post and in USA Today.
SMS Services
Schedule text messages to be sent to you in advance. Setup reminders to your cell phone with TextMemos. It's free and works with any cell phone.
AnonText offers free anonymous text messaging. They claim to not store your info and let you opt out of receiving SMS from them.
MMS: Multimedia Messaging Service
Learn which cellular carriers exchange MMS message with each other.
IMEI number
Type *#06# into your cell phone and it will display your phone's 15-digit IMEI number. Write the IMEI number down so you can give it to your provider if your phone is lost or stolen. Even if a thief changes the phone's SIM card, your phone can be disabled by the carrier.