Messaging

I love my Google Voice service and my Google number. It is what I give out to many people now. If I decide to switch between carriers everyday (I have multiple carriers to test phones), I can just change which one it forwards to my current primary phone with worrying about number portability. I also have that number set to forward and ring both my desk phone and cell phone during the working hours during the work week. So, I am probably one of the few people not tempted to take advantage the new feature that lets you use...

Google Voice with your existing number

If you check Google's...

Basics: Using a Google number vs. a non-Google number

...you'll find quite a few features disappear if you decide to use your non-Google number with Google Voice.

I think I'm going to setup a second Google Voice account to test this non-Google number service. I don't want to mess around with my current configuration. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" is my philosophy in this particular matter.

17 billion text messages were sent in the U.S. in 2000 and 500 billion in 2004. Let's assume that this has at least doubled to 1 trillion text messages this year (probably an underestimate on my part). People without add-on text messaging plans pay about 20 cents per message. If you have some kind of plan, you probably pay about 1 to 5 cents per message depending on a variety of factors (limited vs. unlimited plans & how many messages you actually sent). Text messaging is probably the most expensive data related service in the U.S. on a per byte basis.

Let's compare it to a typical 3G wireless data plan for something like the Verizon or Sprint MiFi 3G WiFi router. Both firms charge $60/month for 5 gigabytes of data. Let's assume that the typical text message is about 100 characters long (a huge overestimate in my opinon, but it makes the simple math even simpler). That means that you could send the equivalent of 50 million 100 character long text messages every month and still not go over the 5GB/month 3G limit. And, yet, cell phone companies typical charge $5 per month for a mere 200 to 300 messages and $20 per month for unlimited. Although fractional 3G data accounts are not available, let's say for the sake of argument that you could get a 1.6GB per month 3G data plan for $20 month. It would let you send 1.67 million messages per month. Even with an unlimited $20 per month text message service, will ever send anywhere near 1.67 million messages per month on your phone?

According to MyNewsJunkie, the U.S. Senate has a few questions of their own for cell phone carriers about their text message pricing...

Cell Phone Execs Will Face Questions On Text Messaging Price Hikes

Their answers should be very interesting (if not downright amusing).

The Los Angeles Times has a great story that tells us...

Why text messages are limited to 160 characters

I've wondered about that 160 character limit but never thought to learn why that number was chose (as opposed to something like 255 for example). The article explains how Friedhelm Hillebrand (working for German Telecom) decided upon the number after some informal tests of simply typing a bunch of sample sentences.

The article also explains that Twitter's 140 character limit comes from SMS text messaging's 160 character limit. Twitter reserves 20 characters for a unique user address and leaves the rest (140) for the tweet.

As always, you can find me on Twitter at: @toddogasawara

Mobile transaction network mBlox has expanded into the mobile advertising market with the launch of an ad-insertion pilot. According to the company, this pilot program is meant to demonstrate the effectiveness of putting ads in the "dead space" in commercial SMS messages. Content publishers and service providers will benefit because the ads will offset the cost of sending an SMS.

mBlox isn't altruistic, however. The addition of an advertising service gives it a new space in the mobile value chain, connecting content providers and ad networks.

The pilot will run with an inventory of 10 million messages a month. Content providers have the opportunity to review and improve any ads that are inserted into their messages. Also, mBlox will vet all messages sent to ensure that consumers aren't spammed with unwanted SMS messages.

Publishers and content providers taking part in the trial include Myxer, LSN and dmd:mobile. Participating advertisers and ad networks include MoVoxx, Kadoink, Jingle Networks and Pudding Media.

Marathon fans can keep track of their favorite runners in this year's Boston Marathon through text alerts on their AT&T phone.

With the AT&T Athlete Alert Program, folks across the US can receive updates on friends, family members or any other of the 26,000 registered runners participating in the April 20th event. Consumers who text RUNNER to 41234 or sign up at www.baa.org will receive updates on their runners at the 10K, half-marathon and 30K marks as well as at the finish line.

[Image courtesy of Boston Athletic Association]

The Maryland Lottery has partnered with mobile marketing solutions provider Acuity Mobile to launch a mobile lottery program.

Through the new Maryland Lottery Mobile initiative, lottery fans can receive announcements of new games, updates, promotions and jackpot announcements on their cell phones.

To register for the opt-in SMS program, Maryland residents can visit mdlottery.com or text "PLAY" to 635688 (MDLOTT).

"Mobile devices are becoming increasingly popular and powerful," said Maryland Lottery director Buddy Roogow. "With so many Maryland Lottery players on the go, it makes perfect sense to partner with a company like Acuity to deliver the most up-to-date Lottery news and information."

Mobile answer service ChaCha has added some new features that make it easier for sports fans to get all the scores, news and updates on key NBA, MLB, NHL, NFL and NCAA basketball and football games.

Launched just as the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament is heating up, ChaCha's new ThmbSavrs are abbreviations that let sports fans send shortcut texts to ChaCha (242242) instead of having to type out a full question.

For example, to find out info on an Indiana University game, fans can type "Score IU," "Score Hoosiers" or "Score Indiana." Since ChaCha uses actual humans to answer the queries, folks with clumsy thumbs don't have to worry if they misspell the team name, either. They'll still get their answer.

To make the service even more user-friendly, ChaCha has a list of common short cuts on its ThmbSavrs Web page.

MogoTXT, a start-up that operates public texting groups, has launched texting groups for a handful of NBA players. Initially, five pro basketballers have agreed to post daily text messages that their fans can sign up to receive.

This is the first step in the company's plan to get more sports stars and celebrities to use the group texting service to build up a mobile fan base. It also expects the service to create targeted advertising opportunities for major brands.

The initial players who'll be texting are Shane Battier of the Houston Rockets; LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trailblazers; Jordan Farmar, LA Lakers; Eric Gordon, LA Clippers and Spencer Hawes, Sacramento Kings. Fans can sign up for any MogoTXT public texting group at www.mogotxt.com or by texting MOGO and their first and last names to 43526.

MogoTXT says it will be launching texting groups for other NBA players as well as MLB stars, NASCAR drivers and celebrities in the near future.

The Fox Soccer Channel wants to make sure that soccer fans across the US can keep up-to-date on their favorite leagues and teams. The network has launched a weekly text message service that delivers match information plus teasers for the channel’s wide range of programming to drive viewership.

Coverage on Fox Soccer Channel includes England's Barclays Premier League, Italy's Serie A, Major League Soccer, Women's Professional Soccer and a host of international tournaments such as the FA Cup and CONCACAF Champions League.

Fans can sign up by texting "FSCTV" to 37288. There's no charge aside from the standard carrier messaging fee.

The SMS service is powered by 2ergo's mobile messaging manager.

ELLEgirl magazine wants help choosing the winner of its Nationwide Model Search. The contest, co-sponsored by Clairol, is asking consumers to text their votes to 73997 by noon on March 19. Pictures of the finalists and their corresponding ID numbers are posted at www.modeling.com.

We're not sure who exactly ELLEgirl is expecting to vote, though, because it's charging 99 cents per text vote in addition to whatever standard rates voters pay their carrier. There's no limit to how many votes anyone texts in, and the contest is open to customers of all wireless carriers.

Also, we're not sure just how much impact the text votes have, because they're only one factor that the judges will use when determining the winner.