Accessing internet through text messages

it's not necessary to have internet connection on your phone to access the web. A mere text message sent to a particular number can get you basic data from sites like Google and Wikipedia. Text-based applications also provide information like live update of cricket scores.

Companies like txtWeb, Google and Innoz Technologies have such services.

At the heart of the technology is adoption of a different method to access the internet. These services are popular because of three reasons: one, majority of mobile phones in India are low-end ones with just 'talk-and-text' features; two, many people who have smartphones don't have a data plan; and three, those who have data plan, use it sparingly considering poor bandwidth and high cost.

In txtWeb, the keywords have to be sent to 9243342000. For example, to see the Wikipedia entry on Diwali SMS '@Wikipedia Diwali'. @cricket gives you the latest scores of cricket matches.

You can get the autorickshaw fare between two locations in a city -- for example, send '@auto fare Bangalore, Koramangala, M G Road'. Users can text 'help' or 'txtweb', to get a list of top apps, featured apps etc. The response sent to the user also contains many tips on how to make better use of the platform, says Manish Maheshwari, director, txtWeb.

Randomly sending a keyword also provides a list of applications related to that subject. Besides, a complete list of all the apps is available at 'txtweb.com/ apps'.

Google has 'SMS applications', wherein simple queries can be answered by sending an SMS to 9773300000. For example, to know how much is one dollar in rupee, text "1 dollar in INR". Similarly, by texting "Bangalore weather", you get information like temperature, humidity, windspeed, sunrise time etc.

If you want the definition of a word, say, inflation, send an SMS 'what is inflation'. Flight status and list of trains running between two stations too can be obtained by this service.

Another company working in this field is Innoz Technologies. It has developed an innovative operating system for mobiles that enables access to internet through SMS. All that users have to do is to send the keyword to 55444 to get the answer. The company is in talks with mobile phone manufacturers to have the Innoz OS preinstalled in basic phone models.

Samsung Galaxy S III

http://youtu.be/smiZqX4eWQM

Now, a pen with a memory

 

Anyone who has tried to take notes on a tablet knows how tricky it can be. Seeking to cater to fans of ink and paper, Livescribe has created the Sky smartpen, a writing tool with a tiny computer inside that records notes written on special microdot paper. The notes are sent wirelessly to a personal account through a partnership with Evernote, the digital archive service.

The pen has up to 8GB memory. It also records audio, which can be beneficial for meetings and lectures. Users can playback moments of the audio by touching the pen at the corresponding spot in the handwritten notes.

Sky includes 500MB of free storage through Evernote. Once in the cloud, the notes and audio are accessible on any computer, or any iOS or Android mobile device.

The pen comes with an extra ink cartridge, two caps, a notebook of microdot paper and a micro-USB cable for charging. The Sky pen and accessories , including extra notebooks, are available online at Amazon.com and Livescribe's website, as well as at retailers like Staples and Best Buy. I tested the four-gigabyte Sky pen, which costs $200, and found it easy to set up and use.

Instead of buttons, the pen's functions are listed in the notebook ; just touch the pen to the command you want. The pen, al- though chunky, felt comfortable in my hand when I was writing or doodling. And syncing through Wi-Fi to my Evernote account was effortless. I was able to see the notes quickly on my iPad and iPhone; however, I could not open the Livescribe player on my PC at work to play the audio.

Livescribe is working to iron out a few wrinkles, but the Sky smartpen could end up bridging the gap between paper and tablet.