Your Nexus 7 may be a tablet, but it can also be used as a phone, thanks to the continued upswing of VoIP applications, which send voice and media messages over the Internet—not over a cellular network. There are many VoIP apps on Google Play that let you make free phone call ...more
Smartphones are great. They help you keep in touch with your loved ones and stay up to date on what's going on in the world. The problem is that like everything else that's useful, they cost money to use, and between calling, texting, and data plans, it can get really expensiv ...more
You might be sitting there thinking that I'm crazy, but the truth is you're only partially right. You can get free text messaging for life, all for a cheap, one-time fee. But, how can that be possible? An exploit in AT&T's prepaid GoPhones is the culprit behind this sweet, oh- ...more
Gizmodo has compiled a list of the 8 best free texting apps for a variety of smartphones. Their favorite pick? Google Voice. No charges, no ads, and doubles as a second phone line. For more detailed reviews of each app, click through. For the impatient, here's a quick breakdo ...more
This clip will introduce you to an app that will allow you to send free SMS and MMS messages to your friends' cell phones. Whether you're the proud owner of an Apple iPhone 4G or perhaps just considering picking one up second hand, you're sure to benefit from this free video t ...more
On an iPhone, it's easy to blur or cross out faces and sensitive information found in your images — just use Apple's Markup tool for all your obfuscation needs. Things aren't as simple when it comes to videos. There are no built-in iOS features to blur, redact, or otherwise ob ...more
In this tutorial, learn all about Swype. Swype is an app that you can add to your cell phone to make texting and e-mailing lightening fast. Say goodbye to tap texting - with Swype you just let your finger glide on the keyboard until it creates your desired word. Check out this ...more
Swype is a brand new way to send text messages and e-mails from your cell phone. In this clip, learn how to use this new tool to send the world's fastest messages. With Swype, your fingers will never leave the keypad so you can type in half the time. Check out this tutorial fo ...more
Learn how to add send someone's contact information via SMS text message on a BlackBerry phone. This clip will show you how it's done. Whether you're the proud owner of a BlackBerry smartphone or are merely considering picking one up, you're sure to be well served by this vide ...more
Interested in CCing one or more people on a text message written on a BlackBerry phone? This clip will show you how it's done. Whether you're the proud owner of a BlackBerry smartphone or are merely considering picking one up, you're sure to be well served by this video guide. ...more
In this tutorial, learn all about Swype. Swype is a new program available for your Android phone that will allow you to text in half the time. By not ever taking your fingers off the keypad, you can type at lightening speeds. Swype is perfect for the lazy guy in a hurry. Check ...more
Brian Tong shows you how to avoid awkward text message situations on the iPhone and Android platforms.
G-mail can do a lot of things. It is a state of the art, awesome e-mail system, and to top it all off now you can learn to send text messages through it - for free! In this helpful tutorial, learn exactly how to use your very own e-mail account to keep in touch with your frien ...more
In this clip, learn all about Swype. Swype is a cool new app that allows you to type at super fast speeds. If your phone has this capability and you are just in too much of a hurry to actually type a word - check it out. You don't even have to remove your finger from the scree ...more
If your cell phone doesn't have internet capabilities, or you're just unwilling to pay the insane price of the web connectivity rates, you can still access Google as long as you can text message. Google responds to text messages with the best match, so it's more ideal for look ...more
The full QWERTY keyboard makes text messages quick to send. Sometimes, it's more convenient to type out an SMS message than to call them from your mobile phone. Watch this video cell phone tutorial and learn how to send SMS text messages on a Palm Treo 800w. Send SMS text mess ...more
With the Android platform on a large amount of mobile phones today, chances are you have one. Sometimes messaging on the phones can be a little confusing, but there's a simple explanation for texting your friends and family. Best Buy has answers. The Best Buy Mobile team expla ...more
A full QWERTY keyboard makes typing out a text message simple on the Blackberry Curve. Short cut keys may take some time to get used to, but once mastered, texting will only take a second. Watch this video cell phone tutorial and learn how to send an SMS text message on a Blac ...more
Whether you're the proud owner of a Pantech Crux phone or are merely considering picking one up, you're sure to benefit from this free video guide, which presents a general overview of how to set the phone up. For details, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, and to ...more
In this clip, we learn how to send and receive text messages on a Windows Phone 7. Whether you're the proud owner of a Microsoft Windows Phone 7 smartphone or are merely considering picking one up, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, inc ...more
Do you have to send someone a really long text message? Did you know that you can do so from your computer? Watch this video to find out how easy it is to send an SMS message to nearly any cell phone.
Learn how to compose and send both SMS and MMS text messages on a BlackBerry phone running version 5 of the BlackBerry OS. This clip will show you how it's done. Whether you're the proud owner of a BlackBerry smartphone or are merely considering picking one up, you're sure to ...more
Learn the "insider secrets" to using Windows Live Messenger (formerly MSN Messenger) like a phone. Everyone is about Skype and Google Talk, but little know Messenger can also do it. CNET tells you about video chatting, texting and more. Talk the talk in Windows Live Messenger.
In this tutorial, learn how to use the ShapeWriter app on your Android phone to increase the speed of your typing. ShapeWriter is similar to Swype and allows you to text and e-mail without ever taking your hand off the keyboard. Start texting at the speed of light with this co ...more
Want to transfer all of your data from an old phone to your new HTC Desire HD? Learn how with this quick, official guide from HTC. Whether you're entirely new to the HTC Desire HD Google Android cell phone, interested in picking one up, or just out to learn a few new tips and ...more
In this video tutorial, we learn how to use the multi-tasking feature on a Samsung Intensity II mobile phone. Whether you own an Intensity II or are merely curious to see how they work, you're sure to enjoy this brief clip. For detailed, step-by-step instructions, take a look.
Send a text message to a landline? You can! If you're on a Verizon or Sprint network, you can write the text message and include the landline number. This will convert your text to a voicemail, and ask for approval before sending.
In this clip, you'll learn how to use the SMS and MMS text messaging features on a Verizon Wireless Salute. For more information, including a complete demonstration and detailed, step-by-step instructions, and to get started messaging on your own Salute, watch this helpful vid ...more
Can't stand the auto-completion feature on your BlackBerry? Turn it off. This clip will teach you everything you'll need to know. Whether you're the proud owner of a BlackBerry smartphone or are merely considering picking one up, you're sure to be well served by this official ...more
Need a primer on how to send and receive SMS text messages on the Droid? This clip will show you how it's done. Whether you're the proud owner of a Motorola Droid Google Android smartphone or are considering picking one up, you're sure to benefit from this hands-on guide. For ...more
In this clip, learn all about the ShapeWriter and how it works. You can follow along with this demonstration and get started texting faster than ever before. Never take your fingers off the screen with this fun, useful writing app.
In these text messaging how to videos for cell phone users, learn how to send text messages. It’s easy. Our expert will walk you through different types of mobile phones and the text features they have. Then learn how to use a numeric keypad to type in letters, numbers and sym ...more
A huge chunk of my life revolves around my computer, and whenever I'm on my laptop and get a text message notification on my phone, I find it extremely distracting to stop whatever I'm doing to hunt it down. That's why I'm a big fan of text messaging via my computer. While we ...more
When browsing the web, I enjoy my privacy. It's reassuring that I can peruse the internet without the worry of having my activity tracked back to me, allowing me to leave fun, anonymous comments when I get the urge to troll. Anonymity can also be important when sending a mess ...more
A lot of people text nonstop, but there are situations where it's either not allowed or considered rude to use your phone. Let's say you're in class or in a meeting at work, band you're expecting an important message or phone call. Rather than trying to check your phone discre ...more
In places like underground bars or national parks, your phone's Internet service is sure to slow down to a very sluggish pace, making it difficult to surf the web. Or worst case, data will be non-existent, leaving you with only low-level network support for calls and SMS text ...more
Everyone has that one friend who just can't help but send multiple texts in rapid-fire succession, when they just as easily could have been consolidated into one easy-to-read message. Alert after alert, this becomes extremely annoying as your phone shoots notification sounds a ...more
Google's Android Device Manager makes it extremely easy to track down your phone or tablet, but while it's simple to set up and use, it does require your device to have an active data connection, which can be an issue in some areas. SMSLocator, by T3KBAU5, works a little diff ...more
Vibrate is not as inconspicuous as one might think, which means silent mode is usually the option that many stick to when in class, at work, or anywhere that forbids loud noise. However, when silent mode is on, it can lead to missed calls that could potentially be important o ...more
The car is arguably one of the worst places to receive a text message. You know you can't resist looking, and when you do, your attention is no longer on driving, it's on reading the latest gossip or whatever. You take your eyes of the road for just a few seconds and you could ...more
Since iOS 6, "Respond with Text" has allowed us to quickly respond to a call we can't (or don't want to) answer. But Apple only gives you three options to choose from, and if you don't have time to type out your own response, those three might not cut it. Luckily, you can cust ...more
There's something about alcohol that compels you to contact people. Most of the time, the drunken calls or messages you send out will have you cringing hard tomorrow morning. But if you have a jailbroken iPhone, you can help prevent this potential embarrassment with a free twe ...more
Text messaging is a core component of the mobile experience, and Google has added several AI-fueled features to help you text better, such as Smart Reply for quick response suggestions. But Messages by Google's newest AI-powered tool is possibly the best one yet, giving you im ...more
For the avid multitasker, listening to audiobooks and podcasts is the ultimate way to passively absorb knowledge while performing other activities — but there are other options. You can turn any written text on your Android phone into speech that's read aloud to you, so there' ...more
It's easy to copy text from webpages, messages, documents, and other views on your Android device — except when it isn't. Many apps block or prohibit text selection, forcing you to take screenshots or write out the whole excerpt manually. But you don't have to resort to those ...more
We've all been there. Your phone is on your nightstand, but you're on the couch in the living room browsing the web on your Nexus 7. Then you hear it—a faint sound for a new text message notification from the bedroom. Ugh. Don't you wish you didn't have to get off the couch. ...more
When it comes to your smartphone, you don't have to be a cheater to want a little privacy. I don't even like people playing Temple Run on my mobile because I don't want anyone beating the achievements I've been working on getting myself. That's why most utilize the lock scree ...more
The cell phone has come a long way. The very first "mobile devices" were made and used by the military in the late 1930s, with the first commercial mobile telephone service introduced by Bell in 1946. These devices were hardly what we'd call mobile today—some took up the whole ...more
Who doesn't hate Auto Correct? There's nothing worse than hitting 'Send' only to realize that your phone betrayed you by changing a word so that your message doesn't even mean the same thing anymore—especially when it's going to someone like your boss or parents. A new app ca ...more
If you're a Twitter user, it's a safe bet to assume that you've used a hashtag. On all social networking sites that have the capability, such as Instagram, Facebook, and Google+, the pound (#) symbol is used to mark and designate specific keywords or topics in order to make it ...more
Android's answer to the BlackBerry is here, and it's called the DROID Pro. Verizon Wireless officially starts selling the Motorola DROID Pro in stores today, November 18th, and you can get your DROID Pro online, too. Verizon states the full retail price at $479.99 with a fina ...more
After years of false rumors and abandoned hopes, the day has finally come. Verizon Wireless is finally getting the Apple iPhone! No longer does AT&T monopolize the iPhone market. Three weeks ago, Verizon Wireless and Apple announced the iPhone 4's arrival to the nation's most ...more
Want to stick it to your mobile carrier by porting your cell number to Google Voice? Now you can! On Wednesday, January 19th, Google Voice began allowing select users to transfer their personal numbers to Google Voice for a one-time fee of $20. Though the feature is still in ...more
On its quest for online domination, Amazon.com continues to expand past its basic web marketplace to fulfill the needs of everyone and anyone with a little cash to spend. First, they battled the likes of Barnes & Noble and Borders Books with their online Kindle eBook shop. Ne ...more
The Google Nexus S smartphone is finally here! Well… almost. Nexus S is the first smartphone based on the Gingerbread OS (Android 2.3) and will be available for purchase online and at Best Buy store locations everywhere, come December 16th, with T-Mobile service. Aah… just ...more
Parental involvement is a crucial ingredient in the success of many children. Teachers know the saying all too well that it takes more than a village to raise a child, for one - it takes parental involvement. Thus, it is important for teachers to reach out to parents in that f ...more
For me, the idea of a smartphone with internet access was overkill for a cell phone. Wasn't that what my computer was for? Do I really need immediate access to the web? Must I update my Facebook every hour, from the palm of my hand? Do I need turn-by-turn directions from Googl ...more
The DROID 2 from Motorola came out last August, but it's just now exploding— literally. The 33 News reported yesterday that a Motorola DROID 2 smartphone exploded in the hands of Aron Embry from Cedar Hills, Texas. He was making a phone call outside his home when he heard a PO ...more
Texting is one of the biggest problems in automobiles today. It's very dangerous and distracting. Ford's new SYNC system makes texting safe for everyone, with audible texting. If you receive a text message on your mobile phone, SYNC can read the message to you out loud with th ...more
It took all the way until firmware version 4.2 for Apple to add a function to the iPhone that's been present on other phones for years: the ability to set custom ringtones / sounds for text messages from different contacts. This video will show you how quick and easy it is to ...more