texting

Google Glass reportedly says no way to cussing

Cursing, swearing, profanity, bad words, expletives, four-letter words... Google Glass reportedly doesn't want any part of it.

Apparently, if users say any of this foul language while wearing the Google's augmented reality headset, the device simply won't recognize those words, according to Geekwire. And, there's reportedly no way to turn this filter off at this time.

This isn't Google's first foray into censoring swear words. In fact, according to Geekwire, the no-profanity policy reaches throughout most all of Google's products and software that use the voice-to-text translation engine.

When the tech giant debuted … Read more

Google Now gives iPhone users a taste of Android

CNET Update wants answers now:

One of the killer features of Android is now available to Apple devices. It's called Google Now, and iOS users will find it inside the Google Search app. Google Now can be thought of as a personal assistant app. It taps into your location and Google accounts to learn about you, and it displays info you might find interesting. For example, it can alert you to traffic on your commute to work or the latest score of the sports team you follow. On Android, Google Now is limited to devices with 4.1 Jelly … Read more

Chat apps now more popular than SMS worldwide

A handful of popular chat applications have already found a way to outpace SMS, according to new data.

Research firm Informa announced today that six of the most popular mobile chat applications, including WhatsApp, BlackBerry Messenger, Viber, Nimbuzz, Apple's iMessage, and KakaoTalk, averaged nearly 19 billion messages sent and received worldwide each day in 2012. The company estimates that 17.6 billion SMS messages were sent each day, as well.

According to GigaOm, which earlier reported on Informa's data, which was commissioned by the Financial Times, nearly 50 billion messages will be sent next year over mobile applications, … Read more

The great Twitter 'text-your-parents-you're-a-drug-dealer' experiment

Twitter might well be a repository for half-truths, halfwits, and even the half cut, but sometimes it has its uses.

One consists of trying to get your followers to provide some entertainment.

How can one not commend Nathan Fielder, star of Comedy Central's "Nathan For You," for creating art in action with the help merely of his followers, their phones, and their parents?

He took to Twitter and made a very simple request. He asked his followers to text their parents accidentally that they had drugs for sale and to screenshoot their reactions.

The text they were to send read: "Got 2 grams for $40." A price not to be sniffed at. They were then to offer an oopsie that the text had gone to the wrong recipient.… Read more

How to make quick work of text navigation in OS X

When composing documents in OS X, sometimes moving the cursor around with arrow keys is more convenient, and a bit more accurate, than using the mouse.

The arrow keys therefore offer a great advantage both in offering a precise input option (one tap moves over one character, or up one line, etc.), but also in that they are right there on the keyboard. However, if you are unfamiliar with the modifiers you can use with the arrow keys to place your cursor faster, you may resort to pressing and holding them to get the cursor where you want it.

Recently … Read more

How Virgin America lets you text a hottie midflight

It is possible to meet the lover of your dreams on a plane.

Usually, this involves being fortunate enough to have them sit next to you. Idle chatter is exchanged and, before you know it, you're living together.

A serious amount of serendipity is needed for a happy ending in the air. So Virgin America has decided it should broaden your chances.

As ClickOrlando teases it, your in-flight entertainment system will now offer the potential of some off-flight entertainment too.

For, should you see a man, woman or stuffed toy that sparks your amorous aspirations, you will be able … Read more

Facebook's 'lie' button and other fun from Shorty Awards

Like the medium they honor -- social media -- the Shorty Awards are whimsical, fun, and irreverent, with a pinch of seriousness, activism, and social good thrown into the mix.

I've been a judge for the Shorty Awards for several years (with such folks as David Pogue (@Pogue), Esther Dyson (@edyson), Craig Newmark (@CraigNewmark), and Steve Wozniak (@stevewoz).

Along with the judging, I've also played the Shorty version of Joan Rivers. Earlier this month, at the ceremony in New York's Times Center, instead of asking about their clothes or nuggets of gossip, I used interviews to probe … Read more

ArmorText 1.3.1 Review

Gryphn's free Android app brings its robust Secure Text Messaging technology to your smartphone. Gryphn encrypts your text, image, and video messages, in transit and in storage. It can create, send, and receive encrypted and even self-destructing picture messages. It lets you control who can see your messages and for how long, and it can even prevent users from saving your messages. It also protects your stored data: Any malware or virus (or snoop) gaining access to your phone will be unable to open or damage files encrypted by Gryphn's technology. You may have encountered Gryphn's secure … Read more

WhatsApp Messenger is one of the best chat apps

WhatsApp Messenger (iPhone|Android) lets you chat for free with anyone else who owns the app and offers a few extra useful features to make text messaging more fun. With this chat app installed on your smartphone, you'll save a little money on text charges through your carrier and across platforms. The only catch is that you'll have to persuade your most frequent texting buddies to download the app, too, but once they see WhatsApp's advantages, they'll probably give it a try.

Like iMessage for iOS, WhatsApp Messenger shows your chats in little text bubbles, gives … Read more