GeekSugar

Daily Tech: A Few Ways to Enable Tethering on Your iPhone

GeekSugar — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:30:38 -0700

Trick your iPhone so you can turn on tethering now. - Lifehacker
Stay tuned because Nikon could be announcing two new DSLRs this Summer. - CrunchGear
A 15-year-old girl from Iowa wins LG's National Texting Championship. - CNET
20 things to play with while using iPhone OS 3.0. - MobileCrunch
Yesterday, Maria Sharapova showed off dresses that light up when her cell phone rings.- Switched
Clayton Homes unveils its new eco-friendly "i-house". - Forecast Earth
Google offers up some new iGoogle nature themes. - The Google Blog

Teenager Wins National Texting Championship - Shocked?

GeekSugar — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 08:00:24 -0700

A 13-year-old text wiz, Morgan Pozgar, of Pennsylvania, won the first annual LG National Texting championship this past weekend, beating out Eli Tirosh (seen below in maroon robe), who was the LG West Coast Texting Champion. Apparently, the youngster beat out 200 other texters by typing "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" in a record 15 seconds. Pozgar, who says she averages "more than 8,000 text messages per month," also took home the grand prize of $25,000 reports the Washington Post. She later told the AP, "I'm going to go shopping and buy lots of clothes." Hey, geek is chic, right?

To check out more pictures of the National Texting Championship, read more

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Are Text Messages Making Kids Illiterate?

GeekSugar — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 04:02:39 -0700

Let's face it: Kids text. They text in class, they text on the bus, they text in the middle of tests. In fact, one of them is so good she won $25,000 for busting out with some award-worthy text skills at the National Texting Championship last week. So what is the downfall of all this texting? Aside from the obvious finger cramps, USA Today is reporting that it's causing some devastating literacy digression in Ireland's youth.

The Education Department is blaming the country's increasingly poor spelling and writing skills in youth on their love of text messaging. In a recent report on the national test results in English for about 37,000 students aged 15 and 16, the department's Examination Commission said cutting-edge communications technology has "encouraged poor literacy and a blunt, choppy style at odds with academic rigor."

Apparently, Ireland is among the world leaders in cell-phone use (land lines are extremely pricey in the country) and surveys indicate that a majority of children have their own mobile phone by age 12, with some even sending more than 250 text messages a week. If this is a problem in Ireland, someone needs to seriously consider texting in America. I mean, we are celebrating a girl that says she sends 8,000 text messages a month!

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Like OMG Mom, Sorry For The Text Bill!

GeekSugar — Sat, 26 May 2007 12:34:38 -0700

I like to think I am in sync with the youth of America, but an article in last Sunday's Washington Post confirms otherwise. Just last month a 13-year-old pulled in $25,000 for winning the National Texting Championship and after admitting she sends about 8,000 texts a month said she planned on blowing the money on a clothes shopping spree. "That's about right," I thought, "she's a texting freak and she's won her due prize. I am sure she only won because she's the only person on this earth that sends that many text messages." Not so.

The Washington Post found a high school junior used 6,807 text messages, which, at a rate of 15 cents apiece for most of them, pushed her family's Verizon Wireless bill to more than $1,100 for the month. Here's more:

Sofia knew she'd been texting a lot but couldn't believe the "incredible" number she hit. "I just thought, oh my God, my life is over," she said. In Sofia's case, her parents' plan included only 100 free text messages a month - fewer than half of what she was using every day "at all points of the day" - and she racked up massive per-message fees fast.

Market research indicates the consumers mostly likely to send and receive text messages are those between the ages of 13 and 24. Last year, 158 billion text messages were sent nationwide, nearly double the number in 2005, according to CTIA, the Wireless Association.

Am I crazy, or is sending more than 100 text messages a month overkill? Get e-mail access people, or use your phone to I don't know, make a phone call?

OMG! Can You Text As Fast As Paris Hilton?

GeekSugar — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 15:10:39 -0700

Have you ever wondered if you can text as fast as texting junkies like Paris Hilton or Rosario Dawson?

While I have no clue how fast either of the ladies text, LG is hosting the National Texting Championship NY edition and you too can get in on the finger fun. Players will compete in pools and be asked to type phrases on their enV / V handsets (yes, you have to be an LG user) exactly as they appear with no typos or abbreviations.

The first player in each pool who sends an error-free message to the right contact will advance to the next round. As game play continues, the phrases to be texted will increase in difficulty.

The west coast contest has already happened, but after the East Coast Texting Champion has been crowned, the bi-coastal winners will wage war for an additional $15,000. The LG National Texting Champion will win a total of $25,000. Like OMG - WISP. Oh wait, no abbreviations allowed. Like oh my god - winning is so pleasurable!

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