With all hype around social networking and file sharing sites, it’s easy to forget that once upon a time all mobiles did was make phone calls and send messages.
Thankfully, the humble art of texting and mobile emailing still shows no sign of dying just yet as these top messaging services show:
1. Mobikade
Originally a Japanese mobile social networking site, Mobikade arrived on these shores this year.
The messaging aspect comes with Mobikade’s deal with BAM Student Marketing (who provide official student union (SU) websites), for free SMS messages via said websites.
The service went live in 30 UK university SU websites, letting the nation’s scholars/work dodgers send free texts to any other UK mobile. All the students have to do to get free SMS credits is use various features on Mobikade’s WAP site.
Great idea and naturally we wouldn’t expect these texts to be discussing the latest thesis on molecular biology…
2. Momail’s super inbox
Having previously only been available in Scandinavia, Momail launched in the UK this year with, well, no fanfare at all.
It’s a shame because it’s a useful service, gathering all your incoming emails from all your accounts, into one inbox on your mobile.
You don’t need special software because Momail uses your handset’s existing email platforms and will automatically configure picture and document attachments for viewing on your mobile.
When you reply to emails, Momail will automatically configure the answer to come from the email account to which they were sent.
It’s free to use, but there is a catch. As we found out to our cost – set it up to constantly check for emails and receive all your emails and you’ll see you data usage go through the roof!
3. Classified ads on mobile
Classified ads, you know – that section at the back of newspapers offering ‘massages’ and second-hand lawnmowers, went mobile this year with Upingme’s ‘Classified ads 2.0’ service.
Why ‘2.0’? Because it’s user generated in real time, just like ‘Web 2.0’ services.
Right… Upingme is free for users to post ads via a text message and the ad is then forwarded to people who have told the service they want what you’re offering.
You can post anything – within reason – and any mobile phone will work with the service. It’s not exactly huge at the moment, but then the more people who use the service the better it will be.
4. SMS Planner
Social life to busy to even plan sending texts on special occasions like friends’ birthdays? Lucky you.
For the rest of us there’s Aglaya’s SMS Planner, which lets you assign times and dates to messages, which will be sent automatically at the times specified.
You can assign up to 1000 contacts to the same message and they’ll all be sent simultaneously without crashing your phone.
It’s particularly useful for ensuring you don’t forget to send your best birthday wishes to your friends and family.
5. SatLav
With London’s streets recovering from the 10,000 gallons of urine released onto them this year (Does that include the xmas party season?), London’s City of Westminster Council must have been wishing they rolled out SatLav earlier in the year.
SatLav is a neat service letting you text TOILET to a shortcode, then you’ll receive a SMS with the location and opening hours of your nearest public convenience. Better yet, it’s available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We wouldn’t like to guess if the toilets themselves are open that long though!
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