messages

Try an alternative e-mail client on iOS

Sparrow is an attempt to get away from supercomplex, feature-packed e-mail clients in favor of a simpler e-mail experience on iOS. The interface is elegant while remaining very straightforward: e-mails are listed with the newest on top, and all your actions can be completed with simple gestures. Setup only requires that you add accounts; then you can get started right away.

Though the interface is sparse you still get plenty of the common actions and options you'd expect from a basic e-mail app in Sparrow. You can save your draft e-mails; Star (or mark as favorite) specific conversations; add … Read more

Messages Beta for OS X may impact iMessage for iOS

Apple's iMessage service for iOS is a convenient way to send messages to friends and colleagues, and because of its popularity Apple has implemented the service in its Messages Beta for OS X, which will be appearing in full in the upcoming release of OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion. Many people have downloaded and use Messages Beta for OS X, but recent findings suggest having the program installed and configured with Apple's iMessage service may interfere with the way messages are received on your iOS device.

The problem appears to be some hangup with the iOS service … Read more

Facebook said responsible for killing text messaging

For years, mobile operators around the world have been living large off the high traffic of SMS traffic. But the salad days are coming to an abrupt end because of a change in user behavior that ought to leave Mark Zuckerberg quite pleased.

Many operators are increasingly losing SMS customers to Facebook, according to a research note put out Friday by telecommunications consulting firm Strand Consult. This is a simple zero-sum game in which smartphone users are spending more time hanging out on Facebook and thus left with less time to shoot texts to each other.

Of the more than … Read more

Sweet, simple texting app lets you reach out and touch someone

How many times have you given your significant other a little touch of some kind just to show you care? Maybe you slip your hand into a back pocket as you're walking down the street. Or perhaps you give your beloved's thigh a little squeeze under the table during a dinner out.

You probably couldn't count the number of times you've done this, right? This shows how important nonverbal connections are. It's one thing to say "I love you," it's another to take someone by the hand.

Marco Triverio, an interaction designer at IDEO, is trying to bring a version of this physical affection to text messaging.

… Read more

How to enable group messaging on Windows Phone 7.5

Group messaging makes it easy to hold a conversation with multiple recipients all in one thread. Unfortunately, this feature is turned off on devices running Windows Phone 7.5 by default.

To enable group messaging:

Open the Settings app. Scroll to the right, where the Applications section is located. Open the Messaging option. Toggle the Group Messaging switch to the on position.

Going forward, when you're included in a group conversation, or send a message to multiple recipients, the conversation should appear in the same thread. Keep in mind, group messaging uses MMS messages instead of SMS in order … Read more

Text messages prompting people to get their flu shot

Only about half of kids ages 6 months to 17 years received the flu shot in the 2010-2011 season, which may be one reason influenza remains one of the most common causes of hospitalization among kids today, according to a study in this week's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

So researchers from Columbia University and beyond tested an intervention program on a randomized control trial of more than 9,000 kids of that same age range at four community-based clinics in the United States, where more than 7,500 kids had not received the vaccine … Read more

Add push-to-talk to your Android with Voxer

Phone calls can turn into long, drawn-out conversations once you land on a tangent or 10. This is why a lot of people use texting as their primary way of communicating when they just want to share a quick thought or piece of info. Unfortunately, a lot of emotion can get lost on a text message. The person on the other end might take something seriously that was supposed to be a joke.

Voxer is a great app for people who prefer sending a quick voice message over a text. The app is available for Android and iPhone, and can … Read more

Paltalk offers all-in-one communications

Paltalk Messenger streamlines communication by putting instant messages, video chats, voice calls, and SMS all into a single user interface. While it may not be the most user-friendly program out there, it's certainly one of the more powerful.

If you've used an IM client like Trillian or Pidgin, then Paltalk's interface should feel familiar, with its vertical towerlike orientation, list of contacts, and status bar. The difference is that Paltalk does a lot more than those programs do--which is good. So, in addition to the typical IM contact list, there's a Chat Room panel, as well … Read more

The 404 1,010: Where we've got some pi in our eye (podcast)

A worldwide zombie invasion is the perfect hypothetical setting for survivalist tips, and Jeff and I can't help but explore a few of them after watching this week's episode of "The Walking Dead."

After we get that out our system, the rest of today's rundown consists of AOL laying off the majority of its AIM unit, waving goodbye to the printed Encyclopedia Britannica, and a city in the U.K. shaming away loitering youth with pink lighting that exposes acne.… Read more