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How to use the Font panel in OS X

Many programs, such as Microsoft Office, support their own interfaces for various fonts you may have installed on your Mac; however, many other programs like TextEdit and Apple's Pages use Apple's central Font panel to provide font management. This panel can usually be invoked by pressing Command-T in programs that support it, where you will be presented with a column-oriented view of font collections that you can navigate through, select, and set the size for.

While convenient for quickly selecting and setting font sizes, the Font panel also contains a number of additional features that can be applied … Read more

Texting woman falls into canal: The movie

I have been barely able to sleep for concern about Laura Safe.

She is the radio newscaster who, last week, was so enamored of texting her lover, that she walked down some shopping mall steps and plunged into a canal.

As this happened in my hometown of Birmingham, England, I have been contacting those I still know there concerned that, perhaps, her radio voice might have become a little garbled or nervy after the escapade. … Read more

Bad parking job? Text the driver through the license plate

Trying to find parking in San Francisco sometimes feels likes a car-based version of "Survivor." It's not pretty. Cars block driveways, drivers forget to curb their wheels, lights get left on, and meters run out. These are all reasons why you might want to contact a vehicle's owner. If everyone in San Francisco signed up for CurbTXT, then it would be easy to get in touch.

Drivers can sign up for CurbTXT by registering their license plates and phone numbers. A sticker on the car gives people an anonymous way to contact the driver through text … Read more

Texting newscaster falls into freezing canal

Let's try and make some excuses.

She's a newscaster, so she's so used to focusing on words written down that she loses track of everything else.

She was texting her boyfriend, who is so astoundingly gorgeous that she would have walked through morning traffic in Manhattan just to send him an "LOL."

No, it's no good.

Laura Safe (this is, indeed, her real name) is the latest in the annals of people who almost did themselves permanent damage because they were too busy texting to see where they were going.

While one of the … Read more

Chikka Text Messenger failed to work

Text messaging can add up very quickly, even if you have a plan through your phone service provider. For users in the Philippines, Chikka Text Messenger claims to offer free text messaging, but, sadly, we never made it past the Sign In page to find out how it performs.

To start, Chikka asks for access to your Contacts, which is typical of these types of apps. If you don't already have a Chikka account, you'll have to create one by using your Globe, Smart, or Sun mobile phone to register, or by entering your e-mail address. Because we … Read more

Text from your computer with Mighty Text

Fumbling with the small keyboard on your phone or searching for your phone when you need to text became a thing of the past with this app. Mighty Text allows you to send messages right from your computer without downloading any desktop clients. You don't have to memorize any of your friends' phone numbers, either. It's almost like having a SIM card in your PC or laptop.

The app works using your existing Google account and requires you to authorize the app on the Web. Once you do, all of your contact information, texts and calls are forwarded … Read more

Text and call for free with Libon

LAS VEGAS--French telecommunications company Orange is showing off Libon at CES 2013, a communications app that lets you make free calls and texts with other iPhone users, but does more than most apps in the category. I got a demo from the company at CES, and the app seems like it could be a winner.

Like popular chat app Whatsapp Messenger, Libon lets you chat with other friends that have the app, but you also have the ability to make calls to other Libon users with HD-quality sound.

Upon launch, you'll see the app's home screen with icons … Read more

WhatsApp processes record 18B messages on New Year's Eve

WhatsApp has a message for its users -- a lot of them.

The mobile messaging service announced today that it set a personal record on New Year's Eve, processing 18 billion messages on the last day of the year. The company said it delivered 7 billion inbound messages and 11 billion outbound messages, surpassing its previous record of 10 billion messages processed in one day back in August.

On Dec 31st we had a new record day: 7B msgs inbound, 11B msgs outbound = 18 billion total messages processed in one day! Happy 2013!!!

— WhatsApp Inc. (@WhatsApp) January 2, 2013 … Read more

'Dystextia': Muddled texts can signal stroke, doctors say

Most of us have sent a garbled text or two (or dozens) in our day, and probably received more than our share as well. But such disoriented messages can in some rare cases move beyond the parlance of speedy modern-day communication to signal a health emergency, Harvard scientists caution.

In a study published online in the Archives of Neurology last week, the researchers coin the term "dystexia" to describe a confused text message that may indicate neurological dysfunction.

They cite the case of a 25-year-old pregnant woman who sent her husband a series of confusing messages about their baby's due date following a routine doctor's appointment. … Read more