It’s a shame you can’t unsubscribe from group texts. This week I was one of the recipients of a never-ending text bacchanal with a bunch of people I didn’t know. But it wasn’t fun or consensual. It was just a good reminder that we need to talk about text etiquette.
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WhatsApp is a cross-platform messaging service that has been around for a while. In June of 2013, the WhatsApp service hit a record with a daily average of 27 billion … Continue reading
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Google has released Hangouts 2.0 for Android, adding in SMS and MMS support in addition to enabling group MMS conversations and embedding animated GIFs. Promised when the incoming update was first revealed late last month, the new app also drops alongside an update to the Android keyboard, also bringing it to version 2.0, though that […]
A New Jersey appeals court has found true an interesting set of conclusions this month in going over a case involving a car wreck from 2009. In this case, the driver of a vehicle in Mine Hill Township, New Jersey, was texting and driving when he hit a motorcycle carrying Linda and David Kubert – […]
WhatsApp is arguably one of the most popular messaging apps today, but its $0.99 price tag on iOS was a bit disappointing considering that every other platform had the app for free. However, the makers of WhatsApp are moving iOS over to the subscription model of other platforms, charging users only $1 per year to use the service.
The app is now free to download on iOS, but users will end up paying $1 per year for the privilege of using the service. The first year of service is free, but once the second year kicks in, you’ll have to chip in the $1 for every year you use the app. This brings the iOS version in line with the Android version that comes with the same pricing model.
Fortunately, anyone who has already bought the app in the past on iOS won’t be paying the annual subscription fee, and those users will be able to continue using the app as they always have. The developers of the app have been planning to move iOS over the new model for quite some time, so it isn’t too surprising to see the iOS version making the move.
While iOS users will be able to download the app for free and won’t have to pay anything for a whole year, the costs can certainly add up over time. After you use the app for two years, you’ll end up having to pay $2 for the app when you could’ve gotten it for only $1. Based on the progression of new apps coming out, we hope there will be a better and free option making its way onto mobile in the next two years.
Last month, WhatsApp hit a whopping 27 billion messages daily, which was a new record for the app. Back in April, the company announced that 200 million users were using WhatsApp. That number has since jumped to 250 million, which is more users than Twitter. So far, the service shows no signs of slowing down, and we wouldn’t be surprised if this new subscription model brought even more users on board.
SOURCE: iTunes App Store
WhatsApp for iOS drops fee in favor of annual subscription is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Cross-platform messaging service WhatsApp has set a new personal best for messages sent and received, handling 27 billion in the space of 24 hours. The record, which WhatsApp took to Twitter to announce, saw more than 10bn inbound messages sent and more than 17bn messages received, and is a considerable step up from the last
Google+ Hangouts got a major face-lift yesterday when Google announced that all of their chat services would be merged together into one app. Essentially, users can now message each other over various platforms, as well as video chat. Furthermore, you can send someone a message without even them being signed in, hinting to the possibility that Hangouts could be an SMS replacement.
Indeed, it seems that’s what Google’s plan is. Google employee Dori Storbeck, who is the community manager for Hangouts and chat said that “SMS integration is coming soon” in a reply in one of her Google+ posts. This confirms that users will be able to replace their text messaging service with the Google+ Hangouts interface.
Of course, this wasn’t the only confirmation that we’ve been hearing about. As it turns out, one of the permissions listed for the app in the Google Play store mentions the ability to read and send SMS messages, meaning that the feature could already be in the app, but simply just needs turned on by the folks in Mountain View.
Google+ Hangouts was announced during the Google I/O keynote yesterday, and it’s available for Android, iOS, and Chrome. However, the SMS integration will most likely only be available for Android, as we would have a hard believing that such a feature would come to iOS, knowing that Apple likes to keep things a bit more tight around the waist.
You can grab the Google+ Hangouts app right now for both Android and iOS, and Chrome users should already be seeing the new service if they have automatic updates enabled. You’ll be able to chat with friends on their mobile devices while you type away in the browser. There’s no word of a desktop app, but seeing has Google isn’t into that with Hangouts, we probably won’t see on anytime soon.
VIA: The Next Web
Google+ Hangouts SMS integration coming soon, says Google is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
The US Patent and Trademark Office has granted Apple a patent that would allow a phone to automatically and intelligently select the best method to contact someone given the current situation. In order to determine what the best communication method would be, the phone would use its GPS, microphone, accelerometer, etc. to determine the best course of action.
For example, the phone’s GPS would notice that you’re driving since it detects that you’re moving at 60 mph, so the phone would automatically notify anyone trying to contact you that you’re busy driving and can’t take a phone call or a text message. Users can also manually choose their best form of communication that they would like — similar to the Do Not Disturb feature in some cases.
The patent also discusses different tiers that you can set for your contacts. You can place your most important contacts in the highest tier, and put your acquaintances in lower tiers. Then you can automatically or manually set parameters based on each tier. There’s also an option to simply meet up if your phone’s GPS discovers that you and your contact are nearby.
Apple first filed for the patent in 2008, so the idea for the technology has been around for a few years. However, like any patent, this may never see the light of day. Although, if implemented correctly, it could come in handy for many users, especially those who are prone to receive annoying phone calls during meetings.
[via AppleInsider]
iPhone interruptus: Apple patents considerate calling is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Mobile instant messaging apps have overtaken SMS for the first time, new research suggests, marking a likely end of the text message cash-cow for operators. Nearly 19bn IM chat messages were sent every day in 2012 on average, according to research firm Informa, in comparison to 17.6bn traditional text messages, with analysts claiming some carriers are already “seeing a decline in their messaging revenues.”
Services like Apple’s iMessage and popular third-party title WhatsApp have become widespread, routing chat messages over the data network rather than using SMS or MMS. That usually means far lower cost, with basic text using tiny amounts of data versus the inflated per-message charge that SMS currently demands.
The simplicity and spread of IM, particularly on smartphones, will see SMS continue to lose pace in comparison to its cheaper counterpart. By 2014, Informa predicts, nearly 50bn IM messages will be sent every day; in contrast, the research firm expects around 21bn SMS to be sent daily in the same period.
Nonetheless, despite the rise of IM applications, Informa still sees a role for SMS, if only in developing markets where smartphone penetration is less advanced. For those with low-cost devices that lack either stable data connections or any app support whatsoever, traditional text messages may still present the best approach for non-voice communication.
[via BBC]
Chat apps leave SMS behind as carrier cash-cow falters is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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