messager

Apple plans to launch a new platform Wednesday that could put a big dent in wireless carriers' bottom line.

Introduced at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in June, iMessage lets users on iOS devices chat with one another like they would send a text message. Like the BlackBerry Messenger, iMessage allows them to bypass the SMS text-messaging network--along with carriers' texting charges.

Instead of routing the text message over the cellular network using SMS, it sends the message over a wireless Internet data connection. The service itself is not tied to any carriers and is designed to work on the … Read more

More of us are letting our thumbs do the talking.

According to a new Pew study, 83 percent of American adults own cell phones and 73 percent of them send and receive text messages. Pew surveyed more than 2,200 people and asked those who text to cite their preferred way of being contacted on their cell phone. Almost a third--31 percent--said texting, while 53 percent said they prefer a voice call and 14 percent say it depends on the situation.

Texters in the 18- to 24-year-old range are likely to have the most buff thumbs. Pew finds the average young adult in that range sends or receives an average of 109.5 texts per day, or about 3,200 per month. About a quarter of 18- to 24-year-olds fit into the hard-core 100-plus-texts-per-day demographic. The median texter in that age group sends or receives about 50 texts a day.… Read more

iMessage was announced during Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference earlier this year, bringing a platform that rivals RIM's BlackBerry Messenger to all iOS devices.

We are going to take a look at iMessage and give you some tips on getting started with the new iOS messaging service once iOS 5 is released to the public. … Read more

Following in the footsteps of Apple's FaceTime video chat, Apple's iMessage could be the next feature to make the jump from iOS to Apple's Mac OS X.

MacRumors today points to a code string within OS X Lion's iChat software noting when messages are both delivered and read, receipts that are currently available as part of its upcoming iMessage service. The outlet notes that these particular code strings haven't appeared in previous versions of the iChat software, suggesting support for the protocol will be there when iMessage officially launches this fall.

Apple introduced iMessage as … Read more

Yesterday, out of the blue, I received this text message on my iPhone:

Annoying, right? Obviously my first instinct was to answer "NO," but just like clicking "unsubscribe" in an unsolicited e-mail, that's a surefire way to prove to spammers that I exist--and open the floodgates to even more spam.

What's more, I have a limited allotment of text messages every month, and I wasn't about to waste one replying to this demon spawn--who'd already cost me a text by sending one in the first place.

Unfortunately, there's no "block&… Read more

Video editing on the iPhone was first introduced with the iPhone 3GS, yet some iPhone owners still don't realize how easy this feature is to use. It is incredibly simple to quickly edit a video you just shot so that you can send a specific moment to friends and family members. This can also come in handy when a video is a bit to long to send; quickly trim unnecessary portions of the video out, thus reducing the file size and enabling you to send it. Read on to learn how to edit video on your iPhone. … Read more

Samsung is jumping into the instant messaging market with a new IM tool destined for a variety of feature phones and smartphones.

The Korean mobile phone maker's new and free ChatOn IM client is designed to be cross-platform, allowing users of a wide range of phones to be able to chat with family, friends, and colleagues. The service will be preinstalled on Samsung's feature phones as well as smartphones running both Android and the company's own Bada mobile OS, according to Reuters.

But it will also be available as a free download for other mobile platforms, including … Read more

Maybe your thumbs are too big (or too tired) to make text messaging work, or maybe you're just constitutionally opposed to autocompletion. In any case, you shouldn't be too quick to give up on texting, as it can make life much easier for folks on the go even if you never use it to message your people. Here are just a few of the smart ways you can use texting services:

Find your phone. If you've left your phone under a pile of stuff somewhere nearby, you can easily locate it by calling it, if the ringer … Read more

Skype announced today it has agreed to acquire group messaging service GroupMe. Financial details of the deal were not revealed.

"Skype and GroupMe have a shared vision of creating applications and experiences that are the daily communications choice for a billion people," Skype CEO Tony Bates said in a statement announcing the deal. "The GroupMe team has created an incredibly sticky group messaging experience that works across mobile devices and platforms, making this a perfect addition to the voice, video and text products in the Skype family."