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Kadoink's phonecast lines officially open for texting

Kadoink's voice- and song-messaging service officially launches in beta.

Jessica Dolcourt Senior Director, Commerce & Content Operations
Jessica Dolcourt is a passionate content strategist and veteran leader of CNET coverage. As Senior Director of Commerce & Content Operations, she leads a number of teams, including Commerce, How-To and Performance Optimization. Her CNET career began in 2006, testing desktop and mobile software for Download.com and CNET, including the first iPhone and Android apps and operating systems. She continued to review, report on and write a wide range of commentary and analysis on all things phones, with an emphasis on iPhone and Samsung. Jessica was one of the first people in the world to test, review and report on foldable phones and 5G wireless speeds. Jessica began leading CNET's How-To section for tips and FAQs in 2019, guiding coverage of topics ranging from personal finance to phones and home. She holds an MA with Distinction from the University of Warwick (UK).
Expertise Content strategy, team leadership, audience engagement, iPhone, Samsung, Android, iOS, tips and FAQs.
Jessica Dolcourt
2 min read
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On Thursday, Kadoink, an audio-messaging service, officially announced its beta Web site. The audio-delivery service, summarized at the Under the Radar Conference, sends MP3s, and voice and text messages to individuals or groups from your phone or the Web, harnessing one of seven widgets to automate updates.

Kadoink's phonecasting audience takes in social butterflies, particularly the party-going set. Ka...doinkers (?) are encouraged to send voice and music clips from gatherings, concerts, and other too-cool-to-be-true events. It does require an initial time investment to create friend groups online or by phone, the latter method that requires texting-specific messages to Kadoink's shorthand code.

Like Utterz and YouMail, Kadoink is a mix of Internet management with voice activity initiated from your cell phone. For instance, the service's music-sending, group call, birthday widgets, and so on, you create online within your Kadoink account, then can publish to one of many social networks and blogs.

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I quick-published a birthday widget on my Facebook profile from Kadoink.com via the MyStuff application. Then, I entered my cell number into the Facebook widget to leave myself a birthday greeting. A few seconds later I received the call; Kadoink's automated voice service prompting me to leave a birthday greeting. A text message then graced another phone, informing me of the birthday greeting that I can collect on my actual birthday.

The system appears to work more or less seamlessly, though some functions seem more useful than others. Gloating to five friends at once about a great concert I'm attending is a worthy application. If I want to leave a friend a birthday message, I'm more likely to call her up myself.

Verizon, Sprint-Nextel, and AT&T/Cingular users can text Kadoink's code--33033--to send messages. T-Mobile and Alltel users will find limited functionality while Kadoink continues negotiations.