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Police Send Text Warnings To Cocaine Users

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (491)

After seizing a known drug dealer’s mobile phone in a dawn raid, St. Alban’s Police have taken the unusual step of sending scary text messages to all of the numbers found on it.

Over 660 messages were sent out to what was thought to be young professionals in the Hertfordshire area, know to contact the drug peddlers operating “like a pizza delivery service”. The dealers had three ‘hotlines’ which customers called and had cocaine couriered to their door.

Whether the ‘delivered in under 30 minutes or the order is free’ rule was enforced is unclear.

Chief Inspector Richard Hann said: “The text is a warning that we know they have been involved in drugs. We hope this unusual tactic will encourage them to get help and not lose their affluent livelihoods.”

What if they were poor? Drug use is fine, as they have nothing to lose and could do with the cheering up?

I’m no cop, but usually the kind of valuable information found on this mobile would be used to round up and bust a whole lot more drug fiends, not offer them a support system. Maybe they are just too middle class for jail to teach them a valuable lesson…

Source: The London Paper

Vodafone UK launches Facebook Connect To Friends

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (491)

Want to send messages to your friends on Facebook, and pay for it? Well, Vodafone thinks you do and has launched a trial which lets users send texts from a phone to the profiles of others.

Install the Vodafone Connect to Friends application to your Facebook profile, and enjoy the ability to send SMS messages to…well, everybody. Send messages to non-Facebookers, non-Facebookers can use it, and you don’t even have to be registered to Vodafone…

It will start out as a text messaging service, extending to incorporate picture messages as time goes on.

Subscribers get 25 free texts, and more messages cost 10p, whilst MMS or picture messages cost 30p. If already part of Vodafone, these are subtracted from your tariff charges or put straight on your bill.

Wasn’t sure of how good an idea mobile messaging to Facebook is, as people have got mobile phones to receive them already. Being able to send messages to all your friends at once however, cataloguing your misadventures whilst out would be awesome. But you can’t, so…

Source: Mobile Today

UK Banks To Charge For Text Services

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (491)

Those limit alerts which banks sent out over SMS were one of the great new advancements in banking services, almost giving the impression that they cared whether your financial state was in tatters, popping off a friendly reminder that you were soon to be in the poorhouse.

Now, as mobile services become more robust, the banks are taking advantage of the increase in users by charging a monthly fee of £2.50…to tell you that you have no money.

Lloyds TSB were the first to introduce this ‘limit alert’ service back in November 2007, but were initially giving it away as a freebie before changing tack recently. Needless to say, the floodgates have opened and many financial institutions including Abbey and Barclays have decided to do the same. Alliance and Leicester have not begun to charge for their service, but sure enough they will do come October!

The Royal Bank of Scotland are doing the honourable thing and standing fast on their free messaging service, with no plans to start charging in the future. Kudos!

It’s just a shame that the banks are so quick to charge for yet another service which should be standard, when mobile transactions are still in relative infancy in the UK. People are still reticent about sending valuable personal information on their mobile, and things like this are not going to convince anyone to change.

At least sucker in the masses first, then bring out the knives…

Source : Computing

This Phone Will Self Destruct In 5…4…

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (491)

Okay, maybe not. But Kasperky’s newest Mobile Security software has all sorts of Mission:Impossible-esque features that prevent your personal data falling into enemy hands.

If the phone is stolen or lost, a special SMS code can be sent which locks the phone’s data and functions until the right password is put in. Not permanent enough? Then another text allows for remote deletion of all sensitive data. It also performs plenty of checks for things like viruses and hacker programs. Phones can get them too, just ask Paris Hilton.

Of course, this assumes the burglar is kind enough to leave your SIM in the phone for you to send a message to it… Luckily they have already thought of this, and the software means the device can be tethered to a particular SIM. If another is inserted, then all the contacts, texts, and data are locked and an automatic message is sent to another number of your choice, just to reassure you that the phone is definitely stolen.

And if they restore the phone to factory settings, thereby removing Kasperky’s Mobile Security? Ah. Then all your data is gone too, so you still win! Yay?

The program costs £14 for an annual licence and works on Windows Mobile 5/6 as well as Symbian 60 for Nokia phones, which is a small price to pay for Prince Harry’s peace of mind.

Source: Heise/Kasperky

UK Teens Are Text Machines

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (491)

If there is one pure vice in life, it’s writing posts about texts and texting. The word ‘text’ sounds a bit like ’sex,’ allowing for plenty of slightly crude puns and much hilarity!

So when an treasure trove like physiotherapists giving advice to the youth on how to avoid Text Message Injury, it is a topic which cannot go unblogged about. Plus, more stats!

A study conducted by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy showed that more than 33 percent send an average of over 20 texts daily, despite 16 percent experiencing discomfort in their hands. Some experience pain in other parts of their body from just too much texting. True story.

Brownwyn Clifford is a physio as well as CSP representative, and talks of the perils of being a text maniac: “Too much texting can result in pain and swelling of the tendons at the base of the thumb and wrist…keep messages short and use abbreviations and the predictive text functions on your phone. Try to restrict text sessions to 5-10 minutes, and avoid holding [the phone] if you are not using it…as this will help prevent muscle fatigue from continuous grasping.”

Can only concur with the problems of muscle fatigue from excessive grasping. Bronwyn, you are my text pun hero.

The biggest texters were in Scotland, with almost two-thirds sending over the national average of 20 texts a day. Lonely up there though, isn’t it? Surprisingly, Londoners are among the lowest texters with no subject sending more than 20 a day.

Perhaps there are text intimacy issues with the kids in the big city! Ahh, puns.

Source : cellular-news

Pope Is Down, Sends Faith Message By SMS

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (491)

In a move to prove the church is current and aware of the youth around the world, Pope Benedict has embraced modern technology and texted thousands of Australian pilgrims during World Youth Day.

“Young friend, God and his people expect much from u because u have within you the Father’s supreme gift: the Spirit of Jesus - BXVI,” was the SMS received by young pilgrims. Have to love the txt speak ‘u’s and signing off with his street name. He’s down.

It is admittedly a good method of reaching a demographic wary of religion in Australia, but as long as the Vatican stops short of sending out Facebook friend requests or invites to play Call of Duty 4, it won’t be seen as a cynical attempt to speak the kids’ language.

The World Youth Day festival, which aims to give Jesus a shot in the arm amongst young Catholics, lasts from the 15th to the 20th of July, with the Pope himself in attendance for part of it. There are Christian bands, social events, and also digital prayer video walls erected at famous Australian monuments including the Sydney Opera House, allowing converts to post up messages for the world to see.

Hope Benedict had enough free texts on his tariff to send out 300,000 prayer wishes, otherwise that bill is going to give him a bad turn…

Source: The Australian

The Texts Are a Lie

By Kate CrowleycloseAuthor: Kate Crowley Name: Kate Crowley
Email: talk@omio.com
Site: http://www.omio.com
About: Kate's interest in mobile phones began when she realised she was supernaturally adept at Snake 2. She was less good at Battleships and, frankly, we shouldn't even mention Pipes.See Authors Posts (212)

It’s one of the worst things about having an email address; the unbelievably unbelievable scam email. Your email provider will shut down your account if you don’t forward this to 20 people, a petition will be sent to the US President to save the whales, someone wants to transfer $30 million to your bank account. Who falls for this crap? Being duped into forwarding an email (and risking the ire of your less e-challenged friends) isn’t nearly as bad as losing money. According to this source;  (be warned, it’s a PDF) in 2005, 24% of internet scams were initiated by email, compared to just 6% in 2003. Seems like there are a lot of idiots in cyberspace.

I’m sure you’ll all be pleased to know that scams have spread to text messages, or at least they have in Australia. Scammers are pretending to be hired hitmen and are trying to extort thousands of Aussie dollars from their victims. Here’s an example of one of the messages: “Someone paid me to kill you. If you want me to spare you, I’ll give you two days to pay $5000. If you inform the police or anybody, you will die, I am monitoring you.” The “hitmen” also provide payment details and an email address to their victims. Do people believe the messages? The police won’t provide any details, which suggests that they might. Oh dear.

What should you do if you receive one of these texts? The police advise the following: “These SMS messages to mobiles should be ignored and (we) stress that money should not be sent nor contact made with the scammers.” Another PSA: your bank doesn’t have a Hotmail account.

Source: Mercury

The EU Wants Cheaper Texts!

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It’s not surprising to hear someone on the Omio staff complaining about the cost of texts. We can’t do anything about it, but the EU can.

At the mobile industry trade show in Barcelona, Viviane Reding, the EU communications commissioner, had some strong words for any companies that thought they could “rip off” EU citizens over roaming text charges. For the moment this policy will be self-regulated but if a satisfactory agreement is not set up by the 1st of July, further action will be taken.

These plans should hopefully cut the average cost by nearly two-thirds and reduce high-volume cross-border exchange costs by up to 5/6ths! Now all we need are more chances to go abroad.

Source: International Herald Tribune