texting

Technology and dating have been helping and hurting each other for years, but perhaps no technology is more sweetly accessible than the text message. Think about it: everyone does it, it's fast, simple, and to the point. They're even a good replacement for those annoying phone calls. Thing is, when dating and feelings and etiquette are involved, texting can get a little dicey.

One dating and relationship coach has come up with a list of the seven biggest misuses of texting to avoid in dating, and I agree with just about all of it. He maintains that short text conversations when dating are fine (think: "I'm at the restaurant," or "See you at 7!") but because it's emotionless and can cause misunderstandings, there are times it shouldn't be used — specifically to ask someone out or cancel a date.

Find out how not texting can actually help your relationship after the break.

Group messaging was all the rage at this year's SXSWi, and now Google's recently acquired Slide Inc. is throwing itself into the ring with Disco, a free group messaging app for the iPhone.

Launched late last week, Disco allows you to set up messaging groups, then send and receive SMS texts among each other in one clean and organized fashion. The app may be free, but text messaging rates will still apply.

A New York Times trend piece over the weekend detailed something you probably already know: voice cell phone usage is on the decline, and data use (especially text messaging) is on the rise. While the article points out that teens have stopped calling each other altogether in favor of texting, many adults have given up on the phone call too, even in the workplace.

In fact, the author even goes so far as to call a phone call rude, intrusive, and awkward. And while that seemed ridiculous at first read, after thinking about it, an unsolicited phone call from someone who isn't my mother, sister, or good friend can often seem awkward and ill-timed. In fact, I'm more likely to pop the call to voicemail and then follow up with an email or text if the caller leaves a message.

Gone are the days where we'd trip over each other trying to be the first to answer a phone call (my sister and I were vicious!). Now, when our land line rings at home, my roommate and I sort of stare at each other, and usually say something like, "Did you give anyone this number?"
While traditional telephone service is nearly a relic of the past, services like Google Voice and even FaceTime have helped voice service evolve to meet the demands of a more connected audience, it rarely seems to be the best option for contacting someone. Do you feel similarly, or are you still a fan of the phone call?

As the aftermath of last week's horrific earthquake and tsunami continues to unfold in Japan, people all over the globe are reaching out to help citizens in the East, whether it's with money, time, or commodities.

Currently, you can donate money via iTunes and Facebook to Red Cross relief efforts, and now AT&T and Verizon are joining forces by offering US residents free calls and texts to Japan until April.

Get the lowdown on each carrier after the break.

This question is from a Group Therapy post in our TrèsSugar Community. Add your advice in the comments!

This guy that I met at a party messaged me on Facebook. I invited him to hang out with a few of my friends, we all had a great time, and now he's texting me. It's not like he's sending me 100 texts a day . . . he just says things like, "so how was work?" "Going to ____ tonight if you wanna stop by." "OK, text me later if you wanna hang out." "How was your day?" Small talk, etc.

Now here comes the problem: he's only texted me like 10 times ever, but I feel smothered. I'm sure this problem is all me — maybe I just don't like to text? Maybe I just don't know how to meet new people? I told him I had to go pick up a friend last night, and that I was really sick and tired but still making the drive. He texted me an hour later, "Hey, you doing okay?" and I didn't even respond.

It was really a nice, sweet text, but I read the text and thought, "Ugh . . . stop smothering me." In the past, this has happened with about 5 different guys too. They start texting me with small talk, and I think, "Ugh . . . stop inviting me places," etc., and I start ignoring them!

I don't know what my problem is. I'm really not looking for a boyfriend, so maybe I get freaked out by males showing me nice attention? Maybe I don't want them to think I'm interested like that, so I just naturally pull back? I'm really a kind person . . . someone help me before I sabotage another potential friendship!

Have a dilemma of your own? Post it anonymously to Group Therapy for advice, and check out what else is happening in the TrèsSugar Community.

A hilarious offshoot of the LOL-worthy website Damn You Autocorrect, Parents Shouldn't Text catalogs funny texts from (often well-intending) parents. So far today I've cracked up loudest at a mother accidentally ruining her daughter's surprise proposal, but there are plenty of gems on there good for a lot of laughs.

The site is slightly NSFW, but most of its content is PG-rated. Reading through page after page (after page) of this site makes me happy that my parents rarely text.

Do you have an interesting website you want to share? Join the Website of the Day group, and blog it for a chance to be featured on GeekSugar.

It's cold, you're outside, and if you take your gloves off to text, your fingers will freeze. There are plenty of texting-friendly gloves to choose from, but I especially enjoy this simple solution from Quirky. The Digits are conductive pins that attach to any pair of gloves, instead of buying a dedicated texting-only pair. For $14, you'll get four pins, so just choose the fingers you use most and snap them into place.

The tips are made from silicone and attach to gloves with a metal pin so your device's screen is protected from scratches.

AT&T changed its data plans last year, and starting on Jan. 23, the company will be initiating updates to its messaging and upgrade plans as well. While it may not be good news for current customers, there is a slight light at the end of the tunnel for those iPhone customers hoping to upgrade with a discount. Check it out below!

Text Messaging
Text messaging plans now consist of Messaging Unlimited ($20 a month/$30 for families), and a new Messaging 1,000 plan (1,000 texts for $10 with $0.10 for each additional text over 1,000. The previous Messaging 200 (200 messages for $5 a month) will be discontinued. Good news is, current customers can stick with their new plans, but the old plans won't be available when you upgrade or sign a new contract.

Find out about the early upgrade and family plan changes after the break.

Could your family survive a tech detox? When LilSugar readers' favorite TV family, the Dunphys, tried to eliminate technology from their family for a week, everyone succumbed to their need to type, except for their teenage daughter (who was promised a car if she won).

Today's Wall Street Journal follows several families that tried to reduce their reliance on technology and encourage more face-to-face interaction by taking away all aspects of computerized entertainment (texting, Facebook, Twitter, DVDs, and online videos) for a week. The families all responded differently, but in the end, each found themselves more engaged with each other when their experiments were through.

With our reliance on the latest apps, our addiction to our friends' status updates, and our need to share everything about our lil ones' latest antics, could your family use a tech cleanse?

Photos copyright 2010 ABC Inc.

OK, I thought I was the only one, but turns out, there are other Android users out there who are experiencing an error on their phones with potentially disastrous consequences — a bug that can inadvertently send your text to the wrong contact.

I haven't had any wrong-recipient mix-ups (at least not that I know of), but I have experienced a related bug that sometimes causes my texting app to lag or open up the wrong (and random) contact when I try to send an SMS, which, if you're not too careful, can mean sending a text meant for someone (say, boyfriend) to the completely wrong person (say, mom).

Luckily, Google has heard the cries and responded that its engineers are developing fixes for both problems, which it says will be released soon. Want to know how the company suggests we cope in the meantime? Read about its response after the break.