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Bell introduces array of new unlimited talk and text plans

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by Colton Kaiser on
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Canadian carrier Bell mobility has announced a slew of new unlimited talk and text plans that are slated to go head to head with Roger’s recently announced offerings. Unsurprisingly, unlimited data is nowhere to be found, but the company does manage to undercut a few other northern carriers in terms of pricing.

The new plans include:

  • $55/month 1000 minutes, 200 MB broadband data
  • $65/month unlimited local talk, 1 GB broadband data and 10 hours of Bell MobileTV
  • $75/month unlimited local talk, 3 GB broadband data and 10 hours of Bell MobileTV
  • $95/month unlimited Canada-wide talk, 5 GB broadband data and 10 hours of Bell MobileTV
Bell is also offering unlimited nationwide long-distance calling for an additional $10 per month. The new plans will be available beginning November 9th and can be purchased online or in any brick-and-mortar store.

Source: NewsWire

National Transportation Safety Board Recommends Nation-Wide cellphone Ban for Drivers

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by Stacy Bruce on
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Alright folks, buckle your seat belts and put down your mobile phone. Actually that’s exactly what the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) wants you to do and recommends that all US states ban the use of cellphones while driving. Now this doesn’t mean that they want you to stop using navigation or music playback, they are gearing this more towards texting and making phone calls without the use of a hands-free method. The following quote from the NTSB sums it up fairly well:

The safety recommendation specifically calls for the 50 states and the District of Columbia to ban the non-emergency use of portable electronic devices (other than those designed to support the driving task) for all drivers. The safety recommendation also urges use of the NHTSA model of high-visibility enforcement to support these bans and implementation of targeted communication campaigns to inform motorists of the new law and heightened enforcement.

Although I am sometimes guilty of such an act (my girlfriend punishingly reminds me), I think this law should be in effect and nation-wide as well. If you have a decent Bluetooth headset or an in-car set-up, there should be no reason for distracting yourself while driving with your cellphone. You can even text with speech-to-text apps such as Vlingo, that don’t even require you to touch your phone. I have no excuse for breaking my states law and deserve the punishment if I were to get caught.

Thousands of people have been killed or injured due to drivers being ‘occupied’ by their phones, when in reality all attention should be devoted to the road. This recommendation from the NTSB stemmed from an accident in 2010 that involved a truck, 2 school buses and a teenager who had been sending text messages while driving. The crash killed two children and injured 38, reason enough for me to support a nation wide law against the use of cellphones while driving. I will definitely have to change my driving habits moving forward and I am going to make an honest attempt at doing so.

What are your thoughts, for or against?

[via NTSB]

 

LG announces the dual-screened DoublePlay for T-Mobile

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by Robert Nazarian on
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LG and T-Mobile announced the DoublePlay, a unique dual touch screen smartphone. To celebrate, it will be used by 13 contestants in the fifth annual LG U.S. National Texting Championship for a chance to win $50,000 cash.

The DoublePlay is all about texting and multitasking as it features two customizable touch screens that operate independently or in tandem: a 3.5 inch main display and a 2.0-inch sub display. You will have access to seven home screens and up to nine touchscreen shortcuts. To go along with the displays you also have a full-slide out QWERTY keyboard and Swype.

For texting. the DoublePlay offers various options, including Cloud Text, which lets users send and receive texts from a PC or tablet, and Group Text, which lets users create group chats.

As far as specs go, you will also find a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 5MP camera with LED flash, a 720p HD video recorder, and Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

Full press release after the break:

» Read the rest

Google Voice Takes First Step Toward MMS Support

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by Harold Williams on
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The one thing holding me back from using my Google Voice account exclusively is the lack of MMS support. Sure, others with smartphones can just e-mail photos, but it never seems to work out that way. Yesterday, Google officially announced they have made a first step toward bringing this feature to its GV users. At the moment, only Sprint users are able to send MMS messages and to receive them you’ll have to turn on “enable text to e-mail forwarding” in your GV settings. Google is working on getting this to work with other carriers and getting the MMS messages to show up in the GV inbox, but this is a huge step forward. Most of us have been waiting for this since GV launched and may help to ditch using our main numbers all together. Stay tuned for more detailed information as it comes. Who’s excited?

[via googlevoiceblog]

Facebook Messenger comes to Android and contains code for video chat

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by Robert Nazarian on
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With all the IM apps and the recent addition of Google Huddle, it has become the battle of the messaging apps. Now Facebook is looking to crash the party with Facebook Messenger.

Facebook Messenger will be like Google Huddle in that you can send and receive messages within groups.

Top Features

  • Message friends, groups of friends or anyone in your mobile contacts
  • Map your location, find your friends and make plans on the go
  • Get mobile notifications so you never miss a message
  • Include photos so friends can see what you’re doing

» Read the rest

T-Mobile introduces “Drive Smart”, an app to prevent unsafe phone practices while driving

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by Tyler Cunningham on
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It’s pretty simple: texting while driving is never a good idea. Thankfully, T-Mobile is taking some initiative with their new “DriveSmart Plus” application, which uses your phone’s GPS to calculate when your phone is going at car-like speeds and will automatically switch into this safe driving mode.

» Read the rest

FCC Plans To Upgrade 911 for Mobile Technology Integration

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by Jesse Bauer on
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911 text help

The FCC is trying to get 911 emergency services up to date with the latest technologies involving mobile devices. The bulk of the task involves building a system that could handle accepting 911 text messages, mobile video footage, audio recordings, pictures and pings (mainly from services such as alarm systems and On-Star enabled vehicles).

The FCC sees this as a challenge, but a must in the continued advancement in emergency needs for the public. These functions would allow someone to report a crime without being overheard, or from off in the distance if they see a crime being committed.

The FCC said the following at a Press Release Tuesday announcing their planned changes;

“The technological limitations of 9-1-1 can have tragic, real-world consequences… During the 2007 Virginia Tech campus shooting, students and witnesses desperately tried to send texts to 9-1-1 that local dispatchers never received. If these messages had gone through, first responders may have arrived on the scene faster with firsthand intelligence about the life-threatening situation that was unfolding.”

This could be a huge aid in the speed to which emergency situations are responded to, as well as resolved within a time frame where evidence is crucial. It is noted that currently, there are over 230 million 911 calls, 70% of which are made from mobile devices.

[via Wired]

SMS Replicator for Android Will Secretly Forward Texts

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by Jesse Bauer on
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SMS Replicator for Android

Ever wonder what your girlfriend is reading in a text she got from a friend? Are they talking about you behind your back? Ever wonder where your son was the night before, or who the girl is that keeps texting him in class? These are some of the questions that can be answered with the controversial new Android app called Secret SMS Replicator by DLP Mobile.

Simply install this app on the Android phone you want to monitor the texts on, set the forwarding phone number (your cell number) and a deactivate password, and you’ll be reading texts your eyes were never meant to see in no time! The app runs silently, without any icons or tasks visible to the user as well.

Aside from the invasion of privacy on someone else’s cell phone, the app could prove useful to a number of situations as Zak Tanjeloff, founder of DLP Mobile points out here, “This app is certainly controversial, but can be helpful to people in relationships where this type of monitoring can be useful.”

Read the Full Press Release below…

Allstate introduces Tag In mobile app to easily connect you with family and friends

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by Tyler Cunningham on
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Allstate has introduced a new mobile app called Tag In, which allows you to send a quick message, along with your GPS location, to your friends and family, even if they don’t have a smartphone or the Tag In app. The application includes the following features:

  • Quick Messages — Save time with messages that can be sent over and over again.
  • GPS Functionality — Accessing the user’s current location, family,friends and colleagues can know exactly where the user is.
  • Messages Just like a Text — Receive messages without opening the app. Tag In alerts pop up as text on your mobile home screen.
  • Group Contact List — Send the same message to multiple people with“My Groups.” Create a set of contacts and connect with them all in just four touches.
  • Mobile Phone Compatibility — Contacts do not need to have a smartphone or the app to receive Tag-In messages.

The app has been released for iPhone, Blackberry and of course, Android. Hit up the link below to rate and download Allstate Tag In.

Rate and download: Allstate Tag In (free)

Samsung Wants to Help You Text While Driving – Safely

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by Michael Murphy on
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Samsung is releasing an app for their Galaxy S that uses the camera to display whatever is in front your phone as the backdrop for as text messaging app. Clearly, they want to enable you to text without walking into trees or smashing into the car that just slammed on its brakes in front of you. (I mean, texting while driving is bad, don’t do it.)

This app will be available on Galaxy S phones from a Samsung app store. I have no idea yet whether or not they will charge for this, but I would hope not. It’s a cool idea, and I hope it finds its way to other Android devices.

[via AndroidCommunity]

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