They've kept this one quiet, but it seems Vodafone is offering free international texts all day today, so if you're a Vodafone customer and there's anyone overseas that you'd like to surprise with an SMS out of the blue, today is the day.

Vodafone customers can send free international texts from the UK to any international mobile phone number all day long today - Friday 20 November - apparently in honour of "World Hello Day".

There's no need to sign up - all customers will automatically get this offer with all texts sent from the UK to international mobile numbers today automatically free and not taking from a customers' bundle, if applicable. There's more info over at vodafone.co.uk/freefridays.

Tags: Phones Vodafone SMS

Vodafone offering free international texts all day today originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:31:59 +0000

Vodafone has expanded its Twitter options in the UK by offering a new service that allows Twitter users to retweet messages via SMS.

Vodafone customers can already send and receive SMS Twitter updates and now they can use the same number to retweet the most recent interesting posts from the people they are following.

Now available to Vodafone customers in the UK, to use the service, customers should send "RT twitter username" to 86444.

As an example, to retweet the most recent message from @VodafoneUK, you would type "RT VodafoneUK" which keeps it simple as it only works with the latest tweet from the Twitter account.

Sent texts will be charged at the standard network rate, or taken from the customer's SMS bundle where appropriate, says Vodafone.

After sending their message, customers will receive a free SMS notification confirming the message that they have just retweeted to their followers.

Vodafone customers will continue to receive SMS updates from Twitter free of charge.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Vodafone Twitter Software Online SMS

Vodafone offers paid-for SMS retweet option originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:48:55 +0000

Email extinction could be a reality in the next 10 years, says TalkTalk, proclaiming the younger generation has no need for such long-winded communication.

No doubt echoing similar studies from 10 years ago that predicted the absolute death of snail mail, this most recent effort suggests the "young digerati" prefer "one and done-style messages" such as tweets and IM.

Backed by a social anthropologist from the University of Kent, the research states that Britain has over 2 million "First Lifers", defined as those in their late teens or early Twenties who are tech savvy but don't like being stuck at a desk with just 51% regularly using email.

Older generations are now more likely to use email with the stats coming in at 98% of people aged 65-plus, 96% of 45- to 64-year-olds leading TalkTalk to conclude that email is turning into "grey mail".

Tags: Software Email Survey Social networking Instant messaging SMS Twitter TalkTalk

Email extinction predicted in 10 years originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:38:02 +0000

Classic murder mystery board game Cluedo, known as Clue in the States, has been given a text messaging make-over by games giant Hasbro.

The new "Clue: Secrets & Spies Edition" launches in America as a spy-themed version of the game in which players receive secret clues through real-time text messages on their personal phones, a gaming first for Hasbro.

During the game, six informative text messages will be sent "to set players on a new path or prompt an urgent meeting".

An example text message reads, "Trouble down under! Move 1 agt of ur choice 2 SYDNEY!" Clues can also be uncovered by using the ultraviolet decoder included in the game to reveal secret meetings.

The game is now available in the States for $24.99 for two to five players age 9 and up.

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Tags: Dad Board games Hasbro Cluedo SMS

Cluedo gets text messaging make-over in the US originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:18:19 +0000

"With the clocks going back this weekend, it's easy to feel all doom and gloom about the dark nights and cold mornings" says Vodafone.

The slightly tenuous solution? An hour this coming Friday when all text messages sent on the Vodafone network will be gratis.

Vodafone's "Free Hour Friday" is offering free texts for one hour between 2pm and 3pm on Friday 23 October.

Both pay monthly and pay-as-you-go customers can take advantage of the offer - there's more info over at www.vodafone.co.uk/freefridays.

Tags: Phones Vodafone SMS

Vodafone offers an hour of free texts this Friday originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:47:09 +0100

As part of its plans to "partner with organizations that share our vision for positive global impact", Twitter has announced a partnership with Bharti Airtel, the largest mobile operator in India.

This team-up means a "huge population" of people can now send tweets at standard rates and receive tweets for free and sees Twitter available via phone to those that might not have broadband.

Twitter says "there are over one billion people with internet access on the planet but there are more than four billion people with mobile phones and Twitter can work on all of them because even the simplest of these devices feature SMS".

Those on the Airtel network can give Twitter a try by sending START to 53000.

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Tags: Software Websites Twitter Phones Bharti Airtel India SMS

Twitter announces Bharti Airtel text partnership originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:00:32 +0100

Text-based question and answer service AQA 63336 has announced it has reached the impressive milestone of answering its 20 millionth question.

The milestone puzzler, asked 6pm on 29 September, was: "Which hero featured in books by Captain W E Johns?". As fans of the series will know, the answer is Biggles.

The most popular question ever, asked by 47,189 customers since April 2004, is apparently "how does AQA work?" The second most popular question, with 31,350 questions in 5 years, is "what's the meaning of life?"

As far as unusual or notable answers go, AQA says they've sorted out a rescue team for someone stuck in the jungle in Thailand and predicted a winning race horse, netting the punter ?33k.

Related links:

• News - Couple used AQA text service to name baby girl

Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps AQA SMS Statistics

AQA text service answers 20 millionth question originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:22:41 +0100