Amazon.com lets people track packages via SMS

This one slipped under the radar, but Amazon.com is now letting some customers track their packages via text message TechFlash reports.

The ecommerce giant will send an SMS text to a person's mobile phone when their package is sent and also when it's delivered. Amazon says the feature is in beta testing and only available to a "small set" of customers right now.

Here's more from Amazon's FAQ sheet. Amazon doesn't charge for the text alerts, though the customer's mobile company charges whatever text-messaging rates apply.

Have Santa send a text message to your child

Children can receive text messages from Santa through TextSanta.net.

For $5.49, parents may choose from three text message packages or customize their own and define when they should be sent from Santa Claus, even on Christmas morning.

TextSanta.net will donate $1 for each child registered to receive text messages from Santa Claus to the March of Dimes in support of its mission to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

[via The Roanoke Times]

Isreal. Rocket Alerts by SMS

Within two years Israel's Defense Forces (IDF) will install a text message rocket alert system. The Jerusalem Post reports.

According to Col. Dr. Chilik Soffer, head of the Population Department at the Home Front Command, the advanced rocket sensors would soon have the ability to calculate the projectile's exact trajectory.

"The rocket sensor will create a virtual ellipse [of the predicted impact zone], and all phones in that area will receive a warning," he added.

The alert will take four forms: A cellphone vibration, audio alert, light flash, or text message.

Currently, air raid sirens are programmed to identify and alert cities that are at risk of rocket attacks following a hostile launch.

"The more specific the alert, the more ready people will be," Soffer added.

Related: SMS (Solidarity Message For Sederot) - The National Council of Young Israel has set up a service called SMS Sderot.

Study Suggests Text Messages Can Increase Savings

Quite an attention grabbing headline from the WSJ, claiming text messages are good for savings.

A new study by a group of economists looking at why people save money found that simply sending out cellphone reminders increased savings balances by 6%.

The study challenges the idea that people simply don't have enough self-control to save. Instead, the problem may be they just aren't paying attention, said Dartmouth University economics professor Jonathan Zinman, one of the study's four authors. "Savings isn't at the top of their mind," said Zinman. "Basically all we did was remind them."

... In three cases conducted in the Philippines, Peru and Bolivia, the economists teamed up with local banks to send reminders to people randomly selected from those who had recently opened a savings account.

The banks sent several different types of messages, including letters in Peru and text messages in Bolivia and the Philippines. Some used negative language to stress the consequences of not saving money.

"If you don't frequently deposit into the Gihandom Savings account, your dream will not come true," warned one message in the Philippines.

While positive or negative language did not have a significant effect on the savings rate, mentioning a customer's specific goal did. When reminders mentioned incentives offered by the bank for consistent deposits, bank savings increased by almost 16%.

iPhone comes to China without Key Feature

Apple's iPhone made its long-awaited formal debut in the world's most populous mobile phone market, without a key feature (no WiFi) and at higher prices than widely available black market models.

[via USA Today]

Ethiopia. Testing carbon offset with mobile phones

Small farmers near Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, are testing a carbon offset market facilitated by mobile phones. Green.Inc reports

Mr. Pohjonen’s son Matti, a Fellow in Digital Culture at the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies, has been overseeing the technology end of the project.

“The standard function of a mobile phone is talking and texting,” Veli Pohjonen and the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs said. But it can also be used, he added, to access the Internet and run queries regarding carbon prices or exchange rates.

Veli Pohjonen and his son Matt have been testing the system on eight farms in the country’s central highlands, where the average farmer is earning approximately 1000 Birr, or $80, every six months from their carbon offsets.

Read full article. Image from EthioBlog.

Food vouchers on cellphones

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has launched an electronic food voucher pilot project to aid 1,000 Iraqi refugee families in Syria.

Iraqi refugees living in Damascus will receive a text message on their mobiles providing a code enabling them to cash in all or part of the “virtual voucher” at selected government shops. They will be able to exchange their electronic vouchers for rice, wheat flour, lentils, chickpeas, oil and canned fish, as well as cheese and eggs -- items that cannot usually be included in conventional aid baskets.

Each family will receive one voucher per person, worth US$22 every two months. After each transaction, families will receive an updated balance, also sent by SMS to their mobile numbers.

Addressing concerns about mobile phone ownership among the refugee population, WFP spokesperson Emilia Casella told News24 "that all the 130'000 Iraqi refugees currently receiving food aid from the agency in Syria have mobile phones".

"We're currently providing news about distributions on mobile phone messages to the 130 000 caseload right now," she said.

Full WFP press release via News24. Image from Amnesty International Blogs.

In their press release, the WFP claims this voucher program is a world first. But I know of one online store catering to Kenyans and Ugandans who have re-located abroad, called Mama Mikes, allowing them to purchase mobile vouchers redeemable by their families' back home, to pay for groceries, electricity bills and cell phone minutes.

SMS to check on stolen second-hand mobile phones

This sounds like a really useful service offered by the Singapore Police. As of today, buyers of second-hand phones are able to send a text message to check if they are stolen. Channel News Asia reports.

The system uses each mobile phone's unique International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number to identify mobile phones which have been reported stolen.

Woman seeks divorce over nickname on cell phone

Offbeat. A Saudi woman is seeking a divorce after discovering her husband had nicknamed her 'Guantanamo' on his mobile phone's contact list.

[via Ananova]

Mall of America Turns to Text

Mall of America shopping centres (more than 500 stores, employing close to 12000 people) is now offering their shoppers access to last minute sales offers, in-store coupons and up-to-date event information, thanks to a text messaging service from MallCall International, called 'MallCall, The Text Best Thing'. Mobile Marketing reports.

When arriving at Mall of America shopping centres, visitors have the option to opt-in to the service by texting a number displayed above the entrance. Those who opt in will only receive text messages during Mall business hours for the day. After the Mall closes, the messaging ends until the next time the shopper revisits the mall and opts in again. Customers can opt-out at any time by texting STOP.

Give blood via text messaging with the Red Cross

The Red Cross will offer real-time alerts to critical blood inventories, tips for successful blood donations or even early notification of exciting new promotions. Once you opt-in for this program, you will be able to make appointments via a click to call feature or locate a blood drive simply by entering a zip code.

Donors can subscribe to Red Cross texting simply by sending redcross to 42227 or registering at bloodisneeded.org.

[via GoMoNews]

Related Blood Donor Campaigns by SMS:

-- Cellcom to launch SMS blood donor drive - Israel's official emergency blood bank, asked mobile operator Cellcom to send an urgent SMS to all subscribers, asking them to donate blood.

-- Mobile LBS finds blood donors - KTF and Korean Red Cross provide emergency blood donation service using handsets. Subscribers who have agreed to receive urgent messages calling for blood donation can give their blood voluntarily.

-- Looking for blood donors by SMS - the State's largest blood center, will launch a pilot program -- the first of its kind in the US -- enabling the organization to directly alert specific blood donors and volunteers in "real time" via wireless text messaging.

-- Want to donate blood? Just SMS - A "Be a Blood Donor — Save a life" campaign was launched in Chennai (India) to encourage donors to sign up by texting in their blood type to a designated short code.

-- Kiss a Vampire - In January 2001, a campaign by The UK National Blood Service, invited university students to come "Kiss a Vampire" (none other than Sarah Michelle Gellar, star of TV cult series "Buffy and the Vampires") in an effort to recruit blood donors.

Indian Postal Services launches Mail tracking by SMS

In India, the Postal Department will be launching a new service that will enable customers to trace their mails through SMS, reports Business Standard.

This new service will enable public to locate their mails, especially speed post, by sending an SMS and they will receive the location of their mail," T Murthy, post master general, Tamil Nadu told reporters.

One has to type the 13 digit number, printed in the receipt that was given during booking, and sms it to '55352', he said.

According to an article in Despardes, Indians can also track the delivery of electronic money orders on the government's postal website. One has to type M0 eMO PNR No and for speed post articles type SP speed post number.

Amazon Announces Mobile Payments Service

Amazon launched a new service yesterdaywhich brings the company's payment processing tools to mobile devices. ReadWriteWeb reports.

Called the "Amazon Mobile Payments Service," the technology includes a set of APIs (application programming interfaces) for mobile developers which will allow them to provide payment options to their customers within mobile websites and mobile applications.

The new service also allows for integration of Amazon's "1-Click" checkout, the feature that lets customers make purchases using their credit card information stored within their Amazon.com accounts.

Telstra SMS alerts could save lives

The federal government has selected Telstra to build a new $15 million national warning system that will send text alerts to the mobile phones of residents threatened by bushfires. [via Australian IT News]

In the event of brush fires, disease epidemics, sieges, cyclones, terrorist attacks, locust plagues and heat or smog alerts, the system will be used to deliver recorded voice warnings to landlines and text messages to mobiles based on people's billing addresses.

It's hoped the system, which will be able to send at least 100,000 messages at a time, will be in use by the end of November in all states except Western Australia, which has its own State Alert system.

Cell Phones Ring For Climate Change 'Wake-Up Call'

Climate change activists set their cell phone alarms to go off simultaneously in a noontime protest at a downtown parklet Monday. PittsburghChannel.com reports.

The group said it's intended as a "wake-up call" for world leaders who will be involved in the G-20 economic summit Thursday and Friday in downtown Pittsburgh.

Alarms went off near the corner of Seventh Street and Penn Avenue at exactly 12:18 p.m. to symbolize Dec. 18 -- the last day of the United Nations' conference in Copenhagen, where environmentalists hope a global climate treaty will be reached.

Text messaging helps young Palestinians find work

A non-profit group in the occupied West Bank has started a scheme that uses mobile phone text messaging to help young Palestinians find work. The Guardian reports.

The group, based in Ramallah, has already registered 8,000 Palestinians on its Souktel system, most of them recent graduates. The system connects them to about 150 leading employers who are looking for staff.

Internet access in the West Bank remains low, reaching about one-third of the population. Most computer use is at internet cafes, which are largely male-dominated domains in what is still a conservative society.

Souktel enables young people looking for work to register by answering a series of simple questions in Arabic through text messages, which are used to create a mini-CV. They then receive regular information about relevant jobs on offer.

RainedOut Text Alerts for Sport Leagues

RainedOut, a text message service for sports leagues and clubs, today announced that over 1000 sports leagues across the country are now using RainedOut to broadcast real-time messages to players, coaches, parents, referees, spectators and others.

[via press release]

Continental Airlines sends boarding passes to cell phones

Starting today Continental passengers in Philadelphia who go to the airline's Web site within 24 hours of their flights can get their boarding passes e-mailed to cell phones or personal digital assistants, like a BlackBerry or Palm.

The paperless boarding pass has an encrypted tamper-proof bar code, identifying the passenger, and the usual information - flight number, seat assignment, gate, and departure time.

[via The Philadelphia Inquirer]

Related:

-- American Airlines introduces mobile boarding passes

-- Delta Adds Cell Phone Boarding Pass

-- Lufthansa trials mobile boarding pass

World Mobile Phone Throwing Championship, again

Now in it's tenth year, the World Mobile Phone Throwing Championship was won August 22 by Pauli Kosunen, throwing his unspecified handset over 79 metres - roughly equivalent to an olympic level discuss throw.

Why such a championship you may ask? Well, it's not all that ridiculous, here's some history - it's really all about sportsmanship and recycling.

And click here for articles related to the previous championships.

[All About Symbian]

Google Voice Now Forwards SMS To Your Email

Google Voice users now have the ability to forward inbound text messages to email. And even better, you can reply from email as well.TechCrunch reports.

There are third party services (example) that have offered this, but they require users to give these services your Google Voice credentials, which is never a good idea. It’s great that Google launched this feature directly.

[via Oh Gizmo]

Mobile technology may help city dwellers hitch ride

Hitch-hikers have always used their thumbs to get a ride. Now, according to Reuters, a new invention aims to update the technique -- allowing mobile phone users to dial-a-driver.

The mobile ride-sharing service being developed by researchers in Germany combines internet and mobile technologies to match drivers to passengers for trips around town, without them having to arrange it long beforehand.

While traditional car sharing services require commuters to register routes in advance, the promoters of "OpenRide" say their product enables drivers to enter a destination on their mobile phone when they are already on the road.

A server tracks the vehicle's current location and scans for ride requests. If the software finds a match, the driver is notified and has the option of picking up passengers en route.

The driver and passenger negotiate a fare for the journey, typically covering fuel costs. The developers want to make it possible for passengers to rate drivers, to increase safety.

Related services:

-- SMS car pooling begins in India (2006)

-- Commuters can double up thanks to SMS (2004)

NTT DoCoMo eyes fully entering U.S. cell phone market next year

NTT DoCoMo Inc is considering fully entering the U.S. cell phone market next year, offering smartphones and other high-performance handsets with its ‘‘i-mode’’ mobile Internet service, sources familiar with the matter said Friday. It would be the first time Japan’s top mobile phone service provider launched the DoCoMo-brand business in an overseas market, the sources said.

[via Japan Today]

Send a Text Message to Planet Gliese

Australian Science Minister Kim Carr will today send an interstellar SMS to Gliese 581d, a planet outside our Solar System, which at a distance of 20 light years, or 194 trillion kilometres, away is the closest Earth-like planet that could support life. The Australian reports.

The message, to be sent from Canberra's Questacon to mark National Science Week, will say: "Hello from Australia on the planet we call Earth. These messages express our people's dreams for the future. We want to share those dreams with you."

If there are aliens out there, they will need a dish to receive the message, which will not arrive before 2029.

It is believed to be the first attempt to make contact with the planet, which astronomers believe could hold abundant liquid water, necessary for supporting life. The planet, whose "years" last just 66.8 days, was discovered in 2007.

Australians can send text messages to the planet via www.hellofromearth.net. Here are some samples of messages sent:

All your bases are belonging to us
Rob
Launceston , Australia

No idea how you're supposed to be able to read English so good luck! hopefuly this finds something out there, greetings from Australia!!
Trent
Gold Coast , Australia

Related: -- Sending text messages into space to contact extra terrestrials - Believers in aliens are sending text messages into space in a bid to make contact with little green men. The messages are sent through website sentforever.com/ originally created to send romantic declarations and expressions of love into the cosmos.

They are beamed across the universe on radio waves using a giant satellite dish

Txt To Identify Unknown Callers

A text messaging service that enables users to identify unknown callers and text senders in the USA has been launched by WhitePages.

Although a basic form of caller ID is available on most mobile devices in the USA, it typically only presents the calling party number, not the name or location of the caller. The LOOKUP service from WhitePages shows the name and location of unknown numbers.

[via 160characters.org]

911 Service To Accept Text Messages

An emergency call center in Waterloo, Iowa, as become the first in the country to accept "911" emergency text messages and even reply back, too.

[via Mobile Technology Weblog]

Collaborative Text Messaging Reference Service

A new library service named My Info Quest claims to be the first collaborative text messaging reference service of its kind. The Alliance Library System of Illinois, has partnered with about 50 participating libraries.

The patrons of approximately 50 libraries from all over the U.S. are now able to text a question from their mobile phones to 309-222-7740 and a “real, live librarian” will respond within minutes. The service is free of charge, but standard text messaging rates apply.

[via ResourceShelf]

Domestic violence - An SMS SOS

An interesting post from favorite Ken Banks on Kiwanja.net on another frontline SMS project.

Here, Anthony Papillion - Founder of OpenEMR HQ - shares the latest news on its use in his Oklahoma home town, where the software is helping provide relief to women suffering domestic violence.

In late May of this year, I assisted a local crisis center in deploying a solution we’ve now dubbed “FamilyFIRST“. FamilyFIRST is an SMS based system that allows victims of domestic violence to reach out to police, crisis counselors, and to document abuse incidents all via simple SMS messaging.

... In the last two and a half months, FamilyFiRST has processed over 4,000 messages from victims of violence, not only in our local area, but around the state of Oklahoma. Evidence stored in the system has been used to help successfully prosecute 9 offenders and has resulted in combined sentences of over 110 years being handed down in those cases.

Read full article.

Twitter to give bushfire alerts

Australia is to use social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to give people early warning of bushfires. The BBC reports.

Victorian state premier John Brumby says social networking sites on the internet will help to improve advice to households.

"We'll be providing more information to the community, like Twitter and Facebook - alternative means of communication to get the information out to the public," Mr Brumby said.

SMS for electricity

Johannesburg mobile commerce company Swap Mobile has unveiled its mobile prepaid electricity voucher service that enables users to buy electricity vouchers directly from their cellphones. ITWeb reports.

Once registered get a free Swap Wallet account, electricity purchases are simple. Users dial *130*1313# and follows menu prompts to purchase electricity to the value of their choice with payment made from the Wallet, or from a linked credit card if the linking option has been taken.

The Swap solution, says the company, eliminates the concern of late payments, as vouchers are delivered by SMS directly to the cellphone, anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day.

Related:

-- Now you can buy electricity via SMS

-- Phone in for Free Electricity

-- Gas and Electricity Meter-Readings By SMS

Need help? Text 111

Police are pushing ahead with plans to purchase a system that would let the New Zealand public text them in an emergency instead of calling 111.

The proposals from possible suppliers of the system could also send mass texts in an emergency and help locate people by tracking their cellphone signal.

[via stuff]