Spring is just weeks away, but snowstorms are still hitting the Midwest in full force, which means you'll probably be layering up in sweaters, gloves, and hats. The downside? The gloves that keep your digits nice and warm could put a damper on your texting addiction (I know how much you all love to text). Fear not; these gloves will keep the chill away, while still allowing you to send those important (or, maybe not so important) text messages.
On Dec. 3, 1992, Matti Makkonen sent "Merry Christmas" from a computer to a cellphone for the first time ever. We've been typing away since, sending over eight trillion short mobile messages a year.
With that many texts floating around in the ether, there's bound to be some ROFLs, fails, and BFFs named Jill. We've rounded up some of the silliest memes born from the now-ubiquitous SMS, in honor of its 20th birthday.
This week's confession comes from our anonymous Confession Booth group in the TrèsSugar Community. Weigh in with your advice below.
Clearly I have trust problems. I'm more than ready to admit this. I've been with this guy for eight years. We live together. Our story is really messed up — I feel like I have to warn you.
One time I broke my cell phone, and he lent me his old cell phone to use for the time being, until I bought a new one. I took some pictures on it, and while uploading my pictures onto my computer, I found older pictures on it of him and some other girl in a bar. He is standing straight and taking the picture, but she is leaning into him, with her face on his shoulder and her head pressed to his cheek. Since this was completely an accident and he was right there, I got very upset, and he said that he chatted up the girl just to prove to his guy friends that he could and showed them the picture to prove it. I've always been jealous and insecure and suspicious and I feel like this made it even worse.
Fast-forward, I snoop because I feel like he's hiding things and being dishonest, while he says he's hiding things because I would just freak out and not trust him about it. We've had a talk where I apologized for my lack of trust and asked him for help by always telling me everything regarding other women, and I'll try my best to not get jealous and freak out about it. He agreed but did not tell me anything, and we just fell back into the same thing.
I keep snooping and eventually find texts on his phone with a phone number he has saved but with no name. The girl talks to him about her life, says she wishes he would clean her apartment for her and that she loves to hear from him and it makes her smile. I confront him with it, and he gets furious, saying I have no respect for his privacy, and that there's nothing going on, and that I should call the girl to find out for myself.
I do call the girl, but from her end, it seems like they've been texting back and forth for years and that some things have happened in the past, but she is not clear on it. She says that talking about the memories brings back pain and that she "had been young — it was a mistake." However, she also lies to me and says they haven't talked since god knows when, when I just saw their texts that day. They met in a place we used to live, and he never introduced me to her or talked about her. I never even knew about her until now, two years later, after we've moved away for two years.
After our fight over these texts, he goes to the extreme and disconnects his phone, saying that is the only way he can give both he and I peace of mind. I guess I just want to hear random people on the Internet tell me that I'm really crazy and this all needs to stop.
My friends say different things. Some say that if I trusted him I wouldn't snoop, and some say that if he had nothing to hide he wouldn't mind my snooping. I don't know what I think now. It's all a jumble of hurt and confusion.
There are lots of important things going on in our community. Join it, check it out, and share your posts or advice in the great groups, and maybe we'll feature you here.
People love the word "free," and cell phone addicts especially love the word "text." However, mobile phone services love to raise data service prices, and if you aren't careful about sticking to your service plan, you can find yourself outraged by the additional charges. Luckily, several companies have created ways to bypass the whole pay-for-texting situation. Here are six messaging services you must try.
A new survey says that 75 percent of Americans use their smartphone while on the toilet. No wonder 16 percent of cell phones have poop on them. Gross. Not only is talking, texting, or web surfing on the John a disgusting habit that encourages the spreading of germs and bacteria, but it can also cause awkward moments for others around you. But the loo isn't the only place you should consider a tech-free zone. Check out the list below for five other locations you should keep your phone under wraps and on silent.
OK, lions aren't manipulating their fuzzy paws to send text messages to the rest of their pride. Rather, scientists in Kenya have outfitted local lions with GPS tracking collars that send automated text message updates to the researchers on their locations.
Every hour, the GPS collars transmit a text message to a server, which eventually sends the data to a satellite map that shows the lions' movements so researchers know when lions come too close to farmers' livestock. In order to protect their own assets, some farmers have resorted to poisoning the lions to prevent their herds from becoming a meal. Conservationists hope by following the lion's movements on the savannah, they can turn dwindling population numbers around.
So far, 10 lions are wearing the collars, which cost $3,000 a piece and were partially funded through Kickstarter.
In the wild world of dating, the huge role texting has taken on in our lives is both a blessing and a curse. The blessing is that it's a quick and easy form of communication. You're going to be 10 minutes late? Send a text. You had a really great connection after a date, but you don't want to call immediately? Send a text.
But the curse part comes in the form of the anxiety we get from what he says, when he says it, why he doesn't respond immediately, why he uses stupid emoticons, etc. Contrary to popular belief, men and women speak very similar languages. There's no formal form of "guy speak" you have to translate. You've just got to get out of your own head!
Here's a quick list of reasons why this is a good idea.
The moral of the story? Here's what you should be deciphering from his texts: nothing.
Heads up, text addicts: you could be fined if you're caught walking and texting on the streets of Philadelphia! We all know that texting while driving is dangerous, but a new program launched in May called "Give Respect Get Respect" is encouraging motorists, bikers, and pedestrians alike to pay attention while in transit. Fines are being issued for drivers that veer into the bike lane, bikers who run through traffic signals and ride on sidewalks, and even pedestrians are being warned that texting while walking could cost you $120.
Philadelphia isn't the first city to consider fining text-walkers; back in 2008, Chicago introduced a bill that would ban texting while walking due to the high level of injuries caused from pedestrians walking into oncoming traffic, falling off curbs, and running into light posts and telephone poles. Though you can download an app that could help you text and walk with confidence, I'm not sure the city of brotherly love would consider that an acceptable alternative.
My work phone number must have had an illustrious history before being assigned to me, because I've gotten several calls from debt collectors and tons of texts from spam marketers since the day I got it. Recently, I realized that the frequency of "how to become a secret shopper" and "ways to get a car loan" texts meant that it was time to find a way to block spam texts.
Most of you have also received unwanted spam texts too, so I know you share my frustration! And even though almost 90 percent of all emails sent last year were spam, somehow the occasional junk email that gets through to my inbox is not as annoying as its SMS counterpart; after all, you don't have to pay for emails from a shady marketer like you may have to for your incoming texts.
So how do you stop spammers from texting you? While some recommend replying "STOP," I'm not convinced that doing this would work and not, say, alert the offender of your working cell phone number. So instead, I use a simple recommendation for reducing the amount of junk texts you get. Read about it after the break.
Text messaging may be efficient, but the beloved medium for chatter is ripe with social and communication dilemmas. If you're dating, we advise you to suck it up and call. If you're just keeping touch with pals and family, we say celebrate the LOLs and convenience. Here are some of our favorite text apps and sites for LOLs and useful text tips.
