Texting

The 404 348: Where we need a Doctor's opinion

Aside from some technical difficulties today and a giant bug bite, we've got a great show featuring all three of your favorite Web celebrities. Before we get to the stories, we want to remind everyone of The 404 logo contest and of our appearance on our buddy Clayton Morris' FoxNews.com's Strategy Room to talk about all the good tech, video game-related goodness at 2 p.m. EST.

On today's show, find out ways that kids now are using abbreviations in text messages to hide things from their parents. Apparently, "RU/18" is something that kids these days are getting on their cell phones. Also, Pfizer is giving away free three-month supplies of Viagra and Lipitor because of the recession, but only if you were on the drugs before you got laid off. We hope Justin isn't itching to get fired for this deal.

In regard to a story about China shutting down a sex-themed park, Wilson gives us way too much information about "the talk" with his mom when he was 15. Justin and Jeff learned everything from "Sesame Street." Speaking of more things naughty, there is a new version of "Star Trek" called "Star Trix", and we can't really say much more about it other than it's totally NSFW.

Finally, showers make you more productive at work. Just be sure to watch out for peephole-size openings at work. Be sure to write in at the404 [at] cnet [dot] com. We'd love to see more of your submissions for our logo contest. See you on Tuesday after the Memorial Day break!

Episode 348 Download today's podcast Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Nokia seeks to patent light messaging

For times where :-) just doesn't quite convey the message.

Buzz on the Web is that Nokia has filed a patent for light messaging. Unless you text that you're mad or happy, chances are that you'd have to append a :-) or :- ( to set the tone of the message at some point. This helps the receiving party know how you were feeling when you sent the text.

Just think of these subtle SMS emoticons in the form of colored lighting and you'll have an idea of what the Finns are up to. It works like … Read more

Survey: 26 percent admit to texting while driving

If you're taking a car trip this Memorial Day weekend, you may feel safest driving in Arizona, but you may want to steer clear of Tennessee.

A survey just released by mobile application vendor Vlingo says 26 percent of mobile phone users questioned admit to DWT, or driving while texting. The highest number of offenders are in Tennessee, with 42 percent of people saying they text behind the wheel, while Arizona drivers came in lowest at 18.8 percent.

Driving while texting is now fully banned in seven states as well as Washington, D.C., and partially banned in … Read more

IM on the go and from your desktop

Palringo's multiprotocol chat client gives users much of what they expect, as well as something that its competitors lack. It supports MSN, AOL, Yahoo, Google, ICQ, Jabber, iChat and MobileMe, QQ, Gadu-Gadu, and Facebook Chat, although the can be buggy at times. It tends to consume a fair amount of resources, so it won't be as nimble as some open-source options.

What makes Palringo special is that it's synchronizable and available on multiple mobile platforms, including Android, iPhone and iPod Touch, Blackberry, Java, Symbian and S60, and Windows Mobile. Across all those platforms, you can IM from … Read more

TomTom XL 340 S: Bigger is usually better

Yesterday, we took a look at the TomTom One 140 S and found that we liked it, but wanted a bigger screen.

Today, we find ourselves on the road with the TomTom XL 340 S, which takes all of the features that we praised in the One (lane guidance, IQ Routes, Map Share, and text-to-speech) and packages them behind a larger 4.3-inch wide screen.

The result is an easier to read map, more accurate menu navigation and address entry, and a generally more enjoyable in-car experience. Even though we initially had our doubts about the new EasyPort mount, the … Read more

TomTom One 140 S benefits greatly from the trickle-down theory

It's always the case that what is now premium tier will one day be entry level. That's just the way it goes as products become more advanced and users more sophisticated.

Which brings us to the TomTom One 140 S. We've had a few short looks at the One 140 in previous weeks. At first glance, the One 140 S seems like the poster-child for entry-level portable navigation devices, with its small, 3.5-inch screen and unassuming form factor. However, look beneath the surface and you'll find features that were only available on TomTom's top-of-the-line … Read more

Manage AT&T accounts on iPhone with MyWireless app

All together, now: Finally! AT&T just took the wraps off MyWireless Mobile, a free app that lets you manage your AT&T account right on your iPhone.

Specifically, you can view your current bill (either a summary or a PDF of the entire thing) and authorize a payment, though the latter requires you to set up online bill-pay (via the Web) if you haven't already.

You can also add and remove various account features (roadside assistance, parental controls, and so on) and even change your text-messaging package.

Perhaps best of all, the app provides a complete … Read more

Teen claims 303,398 iPhone texts in one month

You need a peculiar set of half-formed, skinny fingers to text on an iPhone.

And you need a peculiar set of strangely formed cranial connections to send and receive 303,398 texts on it in one month.

However, this is the claim of Crystal Wiski, a teen from Antelope in California's Sacramento County.

Her mother, Jackie, bought her the iPhone a month ago and young Crystal took to it like a duck to quacking.

Crystal told local NBC station KSBW: "I get cramps."

She then got the urge to explain the simplicity of her need to text … Read more

Edit photos easily

2 Pic offers a simple program with options to give your digital photos many of the same effects as the pros. While it does offer more flexibility to edit pictures, it doesn't quite meet professional design standards.

This freeware may look familiar to users who have operated programs such as Paintbrush and Photoshop, but it does not exactly copy either. The biggest difference is 2 Pic's dueling screens. Two portrait-shaped spaces fill up the bulk of the interface, each with lists of icons down the sides for opening, saving, printing, and reversing work. At the bottom, a series … Read more