Advanced Mobile Phones Make Life Easier for Millions
09.25.05 (10:01 pm) [edit]
Advances in mobile hardware technology are occurring almost on a daily basis. On hand the advances are useful, but their potential can only fully be utilized when there are compelling services to support them.
We have come to expect so much from our mobiles. These days simply talking to someone is passé, and expectations for new offerings are very high.
We can agree when they think 2005 will be hailed as one of the more exciting years for the consumer and for the user of the phone.
Some of the new services this year are extensions of existing ones, like "push" email, which means we are automatically notified when a new message arrives in our mobile's inbox.
If you change your picture, for example, a few seconds later it will automatically be updated on your contacts' mobiles
And, in another parallel of the way our phone is aping the evolution of the PC, instant messaging is also in for a makeover.
With features called "presence", you can see which of your contacts are online and who is unavailable.
Another nice feature means you can update your own information.
So if you change your picture, for example, a few seconds later it will automatically be updated on your contacts' mobiles.
Satellite navigation has been with us for some time, but now finding your way around planet Earth has become even easier.
Many phones are now sophisticated enough to house GPS software, which you simply connect to the receiver using a wireless Bluetooth connection.
In a taste of things to come, there are even one or two with built-in receivers. It is not hard to see the advantages.
We have come to expect so much from our mobiles. These days simply talking to someone is passé, and expectations for new offerings are very high.
We can agree when they think 2005 will be hailed as one of the more exciting years for the consumer and for the user of the phone.
Some of the new services this year are extensions of existing ones, like "push" email, which means we are automatically notified when a new message arrives in our mobile's inbox.
If you change your picture, for example, a few seconds later it will automatically be updated on your contacts' mobiles
And, in another parallel of the way our phone is aping the evolution of the PC, instant messaging is also in for a makeover.
With features called "presence", you can see which of your contacts are online and who is unavailable.
Another nice feature means you can update your own information.
So if you change your picture, for example, a few seconds later it will automatically be updated on your contacts' mobiles.
Satellite navigation has been with us for some time, but now finding your way around planet Earth has become even easier.
Many phones are now sophisticated enough to house GPS software, which you simply connect to the receiver using a wireless Bluetooth connection.
In a taste of things to come, there are even one or two with built-in receivers. It is not hard to see the advantages.
SMS Marketing Reaches Stanford as Case Study
09.22.05 (9:45 pm) [edit]
The marketing website exchange4 media featured an article on how the mobile marketing and content development company Mobile2win (M2W) got chosen by the elite Stanford U as a case study on mobile marketing, thus placing the accomplishments of the new economy company firmly in the marketers eye.
The said company is just 3 years old, having been set up by the China-based Contests2win along with Softbank and Siemens. Mobile 2 Win (M2W) has seen tremendous growth, and has the record of creating over 200 campaigns for around 100 brands in both China and India.
The Stanford case study will examine how Mobile2Win creates innovative and effective mobile marketing campaigns for the brands and services of its clients. Under the microscope will be its expert knowledge and expertise of this niche but rapidly growing marketing medium.
The case study will examine real life, brand marketing problems and look at various scenarios for Fortune 500 brands. It will focus on the solutions and thinking that marks a Mobile2win campaign to mobiles. The study has several case studies of leading brands, including Coke, McDonalds, and Frito Lays, among others.
Mobile2win is one of the leading mobile marketing and VAS players in the APAC region. It develops its own proprietary casual mobile games and retails the same to consumers in 50 countries through strategic partnerships with telecom companies, web portals, etc.
Mobile2win also works with over a hundred Fortune 500 clients in India, China and Oman, and delivers customized mobile marketing solutions to them.
Send Happy SMS Around the World
09.21.05 (10:36 pm) [edit]
SMS is the preferred medium to talk, communicate, enquire and have fun anytime round the clock for the fast exploding mobile user population in India.
The pace of growth of Indian cellular telephony has caught up with China’s in sheer numbers. SMS has become popular for all the right reasons and a few wrong ones. People can send a How are you in a flash and get the reply equally fast I am fine. No more jangling phone rings, and waiting for the guy to say hello for the conversation to proceed.
Some smart guys even communicate through missed calls. Their commonly agreed code of one call yes, two calls no, and so on. This helps save the precious talktime between teenagers and youth who survive on tiny pocket money.
SMS is glamorous because you can send music, song, voice mail, video, and photos to your friends, relatives and associates and help them share your fun. Job interviews, marketing offers and bids, auctions and purchases are also done via SMS, making transactions fast and cheap.
Be it brand sales, product promotions or just mass advertising or direct sales, the simplicity of SMS is breaking all records, crossing all barriers. For all reasons, whether personal, or commercial or even professional, the SMS facility works quite like a charm.
The pace of growth of Indian cellular telephony has caught up with China’s in sheer numbers. SMS has become popular for all the right reasons and a few wrong ones. People can send a How are you in a flash and get the reply equally fast I am fine. No more jangling phone rings, and waiting for the guy to say hello for the conversation to proceed.
Some smart guys even communicate through missed calls. Their commonly agreed code of one call yes, two calls no, and so on. This helps save the precious talktime between teenagers and youth who survive on tiny pocket money.
SMS is glamorous because you can send music, song, voice mail, video, and photos to your friends, relatives and associates and help them share your fun. Job interviews, marketing offers and bids, auctions and purchases are also done via SMS, making transactions fast and cheap.
Be it brand sales, product promotions or just mass advertising or direct sales, the simplicity of SMS is breaking all records, crossing all barriers. For all reasons, whether personal, or commercial or even professional, the SMS facility works quite like a charm.
The $20 Mobile is Here to Revolutionize SMS India
09.21.05 (12:53 am) [edit]
Indian engineers working for the German semiconductor major Infineon have developed the world's first mobile phone handset that can work from a pair of off-the-shelf `AAA' size batteries.
When it will be launched early next year, it will be the cheapest mobile phone available, costing between 900 to 1000 rupees, (around $20).
The remarkable feature of this phone is that it will be fuelled by a new system-on-a-chip, a recent development where the radio and audio components that make up a cell phone were combined in a single slab of silicon that was smaller than a finger nail.
The engineers had also tested other versions. One of them was by doubling up the memory chips on board, color to the screen as well as multiple Indian language capability could be added with ease.
Frantic talks are on between eager companies wanting to lay hands on this marvel, and it is a matter of months before customers could get their hands on such sans-frills phones.
When it will be launched early next year, it will be the cheapest mobile phone available, costing between 900 to 1000 rupees, (around $20).
The remarkable feature of this phone is that it will be fuelled by a new system-on-a-chip, a recent development where the radio and audio components that make up a cell phone were combined in a single slab of silicon that was smaller than a finger nail.
The engineers had also tested other versions. One of them was by doubling up the memory chips on board, color to the screen as well as multiple Indian language capability could be added with ease.
Frantic talks are on between eager companies wanting to lay hands on this marvel, and it is a matter of months before customers could get their hands on such sans-frills phones.
A Dot SMS can Paralyse your Mobile Handset
09.20.05 (12:16 am) [edit]
The mobile phone it is considered the next best thing. Yet did you know that if someone sent you a SMS containing just a dozen dots in succession, your phone could crash, which will require the intervention of the manufacturer to rescue it?
First it was just the Internet enabled PC, now it seems even mobile phones are fast emerging as devices most prone to hacking. If you are interested to learn how mobiles can be hacked, just pick up Ankit Fadia's An Ethical Guide To Hacking Mobile Phones. The 19-year-old, who shot to fame as the author of the Unofficial Guide To Ethical Hacking three years ago, feels that with people starting to use mobile phones for financial transactions, hacking becomes more than a childish prank.
" All these years mobile phones were quite safe since you used them only for voice calls and the occasional SMS text message. But now you have email, Bluetooth, GPRS, Edge, and today you are using them to sign digital contracts and even transfer money. So it must be realized that a hacker can do enormous damage. It may be stealing data or denial of service. The hacker can even steal credit card information or you just erase your phone book," says Ankit Fadia. He says in his book, replacing the phone book in your flashy Bluetooth-enabled phone is not so difficult. All that a mischievous person needs to do is to send a phonebook entry with the same name but with a different number to your phone using Bluetooth. And your phone automatically replaces the old entry with the new one. It is shockingly simple.
The mobile phones today are full of loopholes. Just a few months ago the world's first mobile phone virus was released. The Kabir virus originated in Europe and it soon infected mobile phones across the world. You know capturing mobile phone signals is also very easy for which you just need a Bluetooth-enabled laptop.
First it was just the Internet enabled PC, now it seems even mobile phones are fast emerging as devices most prone to hacking. If you are interested to learn how mobiles can be hacked, just pick up Ankit Fadia's An Ethical Guide To Hacking Mobile Phones. The 19-year-old, who shot to fame as the author of the Unofficial Guide To Ethical Hacking three years ago, feels that with people starting to use mobile phones for financial transactions, hacking becomes more than a childish prank.
" All these years mobile phones were quite safe since you used them only for voice calls and the occasional SMS text message. But now you have email, Bluetooth, GPRS, Edge, and today you are using them to sign digital contracts and even transfer money. So it must be realized that a hacker can do enormous damage. It may be stealing data or denial of service. The hacker can even steal credit card information or you just erase your phone book," says Ankit Fadia. He says in his book, replacing the phone book in your flashy Bluetooth-enabled phone is not so difficult. All that a mischievous person needs to do is to send a phonebook entry with the same name but with a different number to your phone using Bluetooth. And your phone automatically replaces the old entry with the new one. It is shockingly simple.
The mobile phones today are full of loopholes. Just a few months ago the world's first mobile phone virus was released. The Kabir virus originated in Europe and it soon infected mobile phones across the world. You know capturing mobile phone signals is also very easy for which you just need a Bluetooth-enabled laptop.
New Software translates Messages into Hindi Script
09.19.05 (2:08 am) [edit]
The Indian sub continent is home to millions of Hindi speaking people. Hindi is the offical language of the Government of India and several Indian states, so the mobile revolution was lacking a punch that only Hindi script called Devnagri could deliver.
A group of scientists have devised a translator chip that can be fitted on to mobile handsets. Incoming messages could be received in Hindi at the flip of a button. What is more, the embedded chip enables a phonetic sound approximation of the word so that people could also pick up the nuances of the language.
Just imagine the phenomenal market the embedded chip will create since the Hindi belt, as the area north of the Vindhyas is known, speaks Hindi by the millions. Illiterates and people with little knowledge of the elite English language would feel at home with such a mobile handset.
There is some more miles to go but very soon Hindi will be the predominant lingua Indica as the ring tones show.
Jai Hind!
A group of scientists have devised a translator chip that can be fitted on to mobile handsets. Incoming messages could be received in Hindi at the flip of a button. What is more, the embedded chip enables a phonetic sound approximation of the word so that people could also pick up the nuances of the language.
Just imagine the phenomenal market the embedded chip will create since the Hindi belt, as the area north of the Vindhyas is known, speaks Hindi by the millions. Illiterates and people with little knowledge of the elite English language would feel at home with such a mobile handset.
There is some more miles to go but very soon Hindi will be the predominant lingua Indica as the ring tones show.
Jai Hind!
Look Ma, I have Three Hands!!! One for SMS India!
09.16.05 (1:40 am) [edit]
The massive expansion of the mobile user population has led to several amusing incidents.
People of all ages have a deep desire to have the mobile phone in their hand. Students of all ages use the missed calls and SMS messages technique to communicate to each other, even in classes, or out. Collegians have devised inventive ways to use the mobile phone to annoy, irritate, amuse, entertain and play their friends in their circle.
Girls are the biggest users of mobiles. It seems they can hardly stay still for more than a minute before the itch to call someone takes over. Girls get a lot of unwanted attention as well from secret admirers who seem to take perverse pleasure in sending them offensive messages and clips.
Mobile camera phones are a big nuisance, even as absolute strangers take snapshots of whatever or whoever takes their fancy. No wonder the celebrities suddenly are running for cover, shunning public places like pubs and restaurants. Even if the papparazi are absent, there is always some mischievous guy snapping up an affectionate moment between two adults.
Music and cinemas are the biggest casualty of the mobile menace. A cacophony of ringtones mars the best moments in an audience's pleasure.
The ultimate moment was when a bridegroom, busy tying the mangalsutra ( wedding chain around the neck) on the bride, stopped to take a call on his mobile to the annoyance of the guests.
People of all ages have a deep desire to have the mobile phone in their hand. Students of all ages use the missed calls and SMS messages technique to communicate to each other, even in classes, or out. Collegians have devised inventive ways to use the mobile phone to annoy, irritate, amuse, entertain and play their friends in their circle.
Girls are the biggest users of mobiles. It seems they can hardly stay still for more than a minute before the itch to call someone takes over. Girls get a lot of unwanted attention as well from secret admirers who seem to take perverse pleasure in sending them offensive messages and clips.
Mobile camera phones are a big nuisance, even as absolute strangers take snapshots of whatever or whoever takes their fancy. No wonder the celebrities suddenly are running for cover, shunning public places like pubs and restaurants. Even if the papparazi are absent, there is always some mischievous guy snapping up an affectionate moment between two adults.
Music and cinemas are the biggest casualty of the mobile menace. A cacophony of ringtones mars the best moments in an audience's pleasure.
The ultimate moment was when a bridegroom, busy tying the mangalsutra ( wedding chain around the neck) on the bride, stopped to take a call on his mobile to the annoyance of the guests.
Is SMS the Fourth Wave?
09.15.05 (12:13 am) [edit]
Alvin Toffler said in his book The Fourth Wave that technology is being reinvented faster than at any other time in Man's history.
Let us check it out. Just sixty years ago, TV was a rarity and it was in black and white. The typewriter ruled our lives. We walked, played longer and ate home food the healthy way.
A watch and a pen was for a lifetime, the telephone something we used for emergencies, the telegram or cable meant bad news and the postman carried letters and bills. The bicycle was our best possession.
The portable radio was our closest attachment and the weekly record purchase was our addition to our stock of music. The theatre was our fantasy place and movies were mostly black and white.
Today, 150 years after the telephone was invented, the latest gizmo is a far cry from the original black phone. Today's phones can be chosen from satellite phones, FM phones, MP3 phones, MMS phones, Music phones and so on.
Blackberry is actually a fusion of a palmtop with a phone as is a Nokia Communicator. A Camera phone records and plays back, and a Blue Tooth is a technology that says Look Ma No Hands! WAP is not a comic strip word anymore.
Now your phone has SMS facility( even basic landlocked phones) to type itty bitty messages, jokes, greetings, advice, sales pitches, enquires, responses to enquiries, place bets, book tickets, contribute to charity, chat up new friends, insult old ones, romance the love in your life, and receive bills to pay.
Yes, Alvin Toffler was right, SMS has revolutionized our lives irreparably for better or worse.
Wait, I think I have received an SMS!
Let us check it out. Just sixty years ago, TV was a rarity and it was in black and white. The typewriter ruled our lives. We walked, played longer and ate home food the healthy way.
A watch and a pen was for a lifetime, the telephone something we used for emergencies, the telegram or cable meant bad news and the postman carried letters and bills. The bicycle was our best possession.
The portable radio was our closest attachment and the weekly record purchase was our addition to our stock of music. The theatre was our fantasy place and movies were mostly black and white.
Today, 150 years after the telephone was invented, the latest gizmo is a far cry from the original black phone. Today's phones can be chosen from satellite phones, FM phones, MP3 phones, MMS phones, Music phones and so on.
Blackberry is actually a fusion of a palmtop with a phone as is a Nokia Communicator. A Camera phone records and plays back, and a Blue Tooth is a technology that says Look Ma No Hands! WAP is not a comic strip word anymore.
Now your phone has SMS facility( even basic landlocked phones) to type itty bitty messages, jokes, greetings, advice, sales pitches, enquires, responses to enquiries, place bets, book tickets, contribute to charity, chat up new friends, insult old ones, romance the love in your life, and receive bills to pay.
Yes, Alvin Toffler was right, SMS has revolutionized our lives irreparably for better or worse.
Wait, I think I have received an SMS!
Welcome to a New Revolution Called ‘One India’
09.14.05 (12:11 am) [edit]
The mobile revolution is just ten years old. What started as a simple phone call from the Chief Minister of an Indian State to the Indian Minister for Communications is today a flourishing industry where mobile phones are an aspirational object.
Indians now number more than a billion souls and the mobile owners population is a measly 55 million. But, when compared to the 50 million landline phones, this number represents a dramatic mind shift in communications.
From little students to CEOs, from collegians to housewives, from executives to business people, from the underdog to underground hoodlum, from the greasy politician to the celebrity movie star, everyone sports a trendy handset. The number of mobile operators has grown exponentially from four nearly a decade ago to twenty-eight today. Handset smuggling is the new buzz word, you will get the latest mobile gizmo at laughable prices. The potential for the market is enormous and fortunes in billions of dollars are to be made.
The One India initiative of the Government of India seeks to integrate the differentials in call rates which is presently less than 200 kms and more than 200 kms. Present tariffs are typically up to Re. 1.00 for a local call upto 200 kms, and Rs. 2 for calls beyond this. One India will mean a uniform rate all over the country.
If the One India initiative succeeds, and the operative word is when rather than if, the mobile market is set to explode to ten times its present size in just two years. The Government is all set to rake in the billions in terms of service tax from the new connections.
Imagine a 500 million mobile toting population of busy Indians! It will be a Cecil B. deMille epic!
Indians now number more than a billion souls and the mobile owners population is a measly 55 million. But, when compared to the 50 million landline phones, this number represents a dramatic mind shift in communications.
From little students to CEOs, from collegians to housewives, from executives to business people, from the underdog to underground hoodlum, from the greasy politician to the celebrity movie star, everyone sports a trendy handset. The number of mobile operators has grown exponentially from four nearly a decade ago to twenty-eight today. Handset smuggling is the new buzz word, you will get the latest mobile gizmo at laughable prices. The potential for the market is enormous and fortunes in billions of dollars are to be made.
The One India initiative of the Government of India seeks to integrate the differentials in call rates which is presently less than 200 kms and more than 200 kms. Present tariffs are typically up to Re. 1.00 for a local call upto 200 kms, and Rs. 2 for calls beyond this. One India will mean a uniform rate all over the country.
If the One India initiative succeeds, and the operative word is when rather than if, the mobile market is set to explode to ten times its present size in just two years. The Government is all set to rake in the billions in terms of service tax from the new connections.
Imagine a 500 million mobile toting population of busy Indians! It will be a Cecil B. deMille epic!
SMS in Indian Insurance Field Grows Strongly
09.09.05 (12:43 am) [edit]
Insurance companies are pulling out all stops to ensure that their customers get swift response and their claims are settled quickly. Initiatives like 24-hour call centers, online networking and use of SMS facility to register claims and send alerts, reminders and sales calls.
This is a far cry from even a few years ago when one had to search for an Insurance agent to get a policy. The open door policy of the government of India resulted in a flood of insurance companies from around the world. Innovative policies, and lightning fast service as well as a purely personal touch to the service has distinguished the new players who have cornered the market by targeting specific sectors like IT and Finance and scored heavily over the moribund government owned Life Insurance Corporation. Today the behemoth has just under 70 percent market share and is a distant also ran in the high stakes corporate insurance stakes.
The new entrants have captured the imagination of the newbie insurance seekers with catchy ad slogans and emotional commercial spots on the TV. They have also utilized the advanced technologies to the hilt. The newest introduction to customers is the facility to renew their AIG policies via SMS, meaning the customer has to send a message 'RENEW' as an SMS to 8888. This SMS service can be accessed by AIG customers through all mobile service providers, throughout the country.
The company also has facilities such as 24 hours Toll Free Helpline, Mobile Claims Van and the 'Green Channel Settlement' initiative for their Auto policyholders. So if you are an AIG customer, if you any query, problem or just want to renew your policy, you know what you have to do, you just have to send an SMS message saying renew to 8888!
This is a far cry from even a few years ago when one had to search for an Insurance agent to get a policy. The open door policy of the government of India resulted in a flood of insurance companies from around the world. Innovative policies, and lightning fast service as well as a purely personal touch to the service has distinguished the new players who have cornered the market by targeting specific sectors like IT and Finance and scored heavily over the moribund government owned Life Insurance Corporation. Today the behemoth has just under 70 percent market share and is a distant also ran in the high stakes corporate insurance stakes.
The new entrants have captured the imagination of the newbie insurance seekers with catchy ad slogans and emotional commercial spots on the TV. They have also utilized the advanced technologies to the hilt. The newest introduction to customers is the facility to renew their AIG policies via SMS, meaning the customer has to send a message 'RENEW' as an SMS to 8888. This SMS service can be accessed by AIG customers through all mobile service providers, throughout the country.
The company also has facilities such as 24 hours Toll Free Helpline, Mobile Claims Van and the 'Green Channel Settlement' initiative for their Auto policyholders. So if you are an AIG customer, if you any query, problem or just want to renew your policy, you know what you have to do, you just have to send an SMS message saying renew to 8888!
SMS Anywhere in the World the Right Way
09.06.05 (1:14 am) [edit]
It is remarkable that one tiny invention the mobile phone was predicted almost a century ago as the most likely invention to happen. The Science Fiction magazines of the last century were fervid to say the least.
Then came the Sci Fi Telly and Film sagas. A whole generation grew up on Star Trek, Batman, Superman, Flash Gordon, and so on.We saw several famous devices like video phones, body phones, talking computers and wrist computers. It was a fascinating era.
Just a few decades later, almost all the fancy devices are among us. None so popular than the colour television and the mobile phone are among us. The electric car, running on anti-matter energy, is still to make its appearance.
A fresh news is that a new kind of mobile phone is busy and has been test marketed in Japan. This nifty piece of electronics is hugely anticipated by the with it young crowd, who is driving the fabulous double digit growth of mobile telephony.
Pretty soon, we may be able to converse with our beloveds by using the coveted video screen. But let us send email or SMS in the meantime. MMS is the best mode to send bits of video or action from your mobile today.
New SMS coming soon.
Then came the Sci Fi Telly and Film sagas. A whole generation grew up on Star Trek, Batman, Superman, Flash Gordon, and so on.We saw several famous devices like video phones, body phones, talking computers and wrist computers. It was a fascinating era.
Just a few decades later, almost all the fancy devices are among us. None so popular than the colour television and the mobile phone are among us. The electric car, running on anti-matter energy, is still to make its appearance.
A fresh news is that a new kind of mobile phone is busy and has been test marketed in Japan. This nifty piece of electronics is hugely anticipated by the with it young crowd, who is driving the fabulous double digit growth of mobile telephony.
Pretty soon, we may be able to converse with our beloveds by using the coveted video screen. But let us send email or SMS in the meantime. MMS is the best mode to send bits of video or action from your mobile today.
New SMS coming soon.
The SMS Dictionary R- Y
09.04.05 (7:53 pm) [edit]
This is the last part of the SMS Dictionary. You are welcome to add to this listing and send us new words for inclusion.
RL real life
RLAD read, love and die
ROTFL rolling on the floor laughing
ROTFUTS rolling on the floor unable to speak
ROTFWTIME rolling on the floor with tears in my eyes
RTFM read the ****ing manual
RUOK Are you ok?
SC stay cool
SFE2E smiling from ear to ear
SNERT snot-nosed egotistical rude teenager
SNU sender needs you
SO significant other
SOL sooner or later
SOT short of time
SOTMG short of time must go
SWAK sealed with a kiss
SWL screaming with laughter
SYS see you soon
TA thanks again
TAC times are changing
TAF that's all folks
TILII tell it like it is
TIME tears in my eyes
TMS touch my soul
TNT till next time
TOY thinking of you
TP turn pale
TT till tomorrow
T2YL talk to you later
TUVM thank you very much
UAD you are drunk
UBD user brain damage
UMMC you make ma crazy
UMML you make me laugh
UNAST you need a special training
VBG very big grin
W4U waiting for you
wb welcome back
WT without thinking
WTH Who the heck?/What the hell?
WUWH wish you were here
Y! typically male
YAFIYGI you ask for it, you got it
YBL You'll be sorry!
YG young gentleman
YL young lady
YM young man
END of SMS Dictionary.
RL real life
RLAD read, love and die
ROTFL rolling on the floor laughing
ROTFUTS rolling on the floor unable to speak
ROTFWTIME rolling on the floor with tears in my eyes
RTFM read the ****ing manual
RUOK Are you ok?
SC stay cool
SFE2E smiling from ear to ear
SNERT snot-nosed egotistical rude teenager
SNU sender needs you
SO significant other
SOL sooner or later
SOT short of time
SOTMG short of time must go
SWAK sealed with a kiss
SWL screaming with laughter
SYS see you soon
TA thanks again
TAC times are changing
TAF that's all folks
TILII tell it like it is
TIME tears in my eyes
TMS touch my soul
TNT till next time
TOY thinking of you
TP turn pale
TT till tomorrow
T2YL talk to you later
TUVM thank you very much
UAD you are drunk
UBD user brain damage
UMMC you make ma crazy
UMML you make me laugh
UNAST you need a special training
VBG very big grin
W4U waiting for you
wb welcome back
WT without thinking
WTH Who the heck?/What the hell?
WUWH wish you were here
Y! typically male
YAFIYGI you ask for it, you got it
YBL You'll be sorry!
YG young gentleman
YL young lady
YM young man
END of SMS Dictionary.
The SMS Dictionary I - Q
09.02.05 (7:32 pm) [edit]
IOU1 i owe you 1
IOW in other words
IRL in real life
IWALU I will always love you
J4F just for fun
J4I just for information
JAD just another day
JAM just a minute
JAS just a second
JK just kidding
JMO just my opinion
J2LYK just to let you know
KC keep cool
KIT keep in touch
KMS killing me softly
KOTC kiss on the cheek
KOTL kiss on the lips
L8R later
LG lovely greetings
LHM Lord help me
LHU Lord help us
LL&P Live long and in prosper!
LMHO laughing my head off
LOL lots of laughing/lots of love
LSHMBIB laughing so hard my belly is bouncing
LSHMBH laughing so hard my belly hurts
LTM laughing to myself
LTNS long time no see
LUTA let us talking again
LYWAMH love you wih all my heart
LY love you
MC Merry Christmas
MCAAHNY Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
MCIBTY my computer is better than yours
MG many greetings
MM mail me
MTF more to follow
MU miss you
N4E never forever
NA no access
NALOPKT not a lot of people know that
NC no comment
NES never ending story
NN nothing new
NP no problem
NRN no reply necessary
NSN never say never
NT no trust
NU need you
NWO no way out
O4U only for you
OIC oh, I see
OL Ol' Lady (wife)
OM Ol' Man (husband)
OOSOOM out of sight, out of mind
OTOH on the other hand
OTTOMH off the top of my head
PC private chat
PDS Please, don't shoot!
PM private message
PMFJI pardon me for jumping in
PMIGBOM put mind in gear before opening mouth
PMP peed my pants
POAHF put on a happy face
POOF left the chatroom in a puff of smoke
QSL reply
QSO conversation
QT Q-Tip/cutie
More tomorrow
IOW in other words
IRL in real life
IWALU I will always love you
J4F just for fun
J4I just for information
JAD just another day
JAM just a minute
JAS just a second
JK just kidding
JMO just my opinion
J2LYK just to let you know
KC keep cool
KIT keep in touch
KMS killing me softly
KOTC kiss on the cheek
KOTL kiss on the lips
L8R later
LG lovely greetings
LHM Lord help me
LHU Lord help us
LL&P Live long and in prosper!
LMHO laughing my head off
LOL lots of laughing/lots of love
LSHMBIB laughing so hard my belly is bouncing
LSHMBH laughing so hard my belly hurts
LTM laughing to myself
LTNS long time no see
LUTA let us talking again
LYWAMH love you wih all my heart
LY love you
MC Merry Christmas
MCAAHNY Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
MCIBTY my computer is better than yours
MG many greetings
MM mail me
MTF more to follow
MU miss you
N4E never forever
NA no access
NALOPKT not a lot of people know that
NC no comment
NES never ending story
NN nothing new
NP no problem
NRN no reply necessary
NSN never say never
NT no trust
NU need you
NWO no way out
O4U only for you
OIC oh, I see
OL Ol' Lady (wife)
OM Ol' Man (husband)
OOSOOM out of sight, out of mind
OTOH on the other hand
OTTOMH off the top of my head
PC private chat
PDS Please, don't shoot!
PM private message
PMFJI pardon me for jumping in
PMIGBOM put mind in gear before opening mouth
PMP peed my pants
POAHF put on a happy face
POOF left the chatroom in a puff of smoke
QSL reply
QSO conversation
QT Q-Tip/cutie
More tomorrow
The SMS Dictionary F to I
09.01.05 (8:28 pm) [edit]
Part 2 of the Abbreviations you can use in your SMSs.
FOTKL falling on the keyboard laughing
FTL faster than light
FTBOMH from the bottom of my heart
FUD fear, uncertainty and doubt
FWIW for what it's worth
FYA for your amusement
FYE for your entertainment
FYI for your information
grin
GA go ahead
GAGA go amused, go amazed
GAL get a life
GF girl-friend
GFN gone for now
GIGO garbage in, garbage out
GLGH good luck and good hunting
GLIW got lost in web
GMBA giggling my butt off
GMTA great minds think alike
GOK God only knows
GOOML get out of my life
GOWI get on with it
GTSY glad to see you
H2SYS hope to see you soon
H&K hugs and kisses
HABU have a better un'
HB happy birthday
HB2U happy birthday to you
HAGN have a good night
HAND have a nice day
HANT have a nice time
HF have fun
HHIS hanging head in shame
HSIK how should I know
HTH hope that helps
HUMM hope you miss me
IAC in any case
IC I see
IGP I gotta pee
IGTP I got the power
IHA I hate abbreviations (This takes the cake!)
IHU I hate you
IITRT it is the right time
IKU I kill you
ILU I love you
IMO in my opinion
IMHO in my humble opinion
IMNSHO in my not so humble opinion
IMPOV in my point of view
FOTKL falling on the keyboard laughing
FTL faster than light
FTBOMH from the bottom of my heart
FUD fear, uncertainty and doubt
FWIW for what it's worth
FYA for your amusement
FYE for your entertainment
FYI for your information
GA go ahead
GAGA go amused, go amazed
GAL get a life
GF girl-friend
GFN gone for now
GIGO garbage in, garbage out
GLGH good luck and good hunting
GLIW got lost in web
GMBA giggling my butt off
GMTA great minds think alike
GOK God only knows
GOOML get out of my life
GOWI get on with it
GTSY glad to see you
H2SYS hope to see you soon
H&K hugs and kisses
HABU have a better un'
HB happy birthday
HB2U happy birthday to you
HAGN have a good night
HAND have a nice day
HANT have a nice time
HF have fun
HHIS hanging head in shame
HSIK how should I know
HTH hope that helps
HUMM hope you miss me
IAC in any case
IC I see
IGP I gotta pee
IGTP I got the power
IHA I hate abbreviations (This takes the cake!)
IHU I hate you
IITRT it is the right time
IKU I kill you
ILU I love you
IMO in my opinion
IMHO in my humble opinion
IMNSHO in my not so humble opinion
IMPOV in my point of view
The SMS Dictionary A - F
08.31.05 (7:25 pm) [edit]
4YEO for your eyes only
2D to delete
2G4Y too good for you
4E forever
AAK asleep at keyboard
AFAIK as far as I know
AFK away from keyboard
ASAP as soon as possible
AT always tomorrow
ATW at the weekend
AWHFY Are we having fun yet?
AYOR at your own risk
BG big grin
BBB bye bye baby
BB4E bye bye forever
BBFN bye bye for now
BBL be back later
BBN bye bye now
BBS be back soon
BCDHM be careful, don't hurt me
BF boy-friend
BH blockhead
BION believe it or not
BMHWB be my hot-water bottle
BNSCD but now something completely different
BRB be right back
BTW by the way
BWL bursting with laughter
C&G chuckle and grin
CB Ciao Bella/bello
CIBM Could it be magic?
CID crying in disgrace
CM call me
CMM change(d) my mind
CONP continued on next page
COFR cry out for revenge
CP chat post
CPF Can pigs fly?
CSG chuckle, snicker, grin
CU see you
CUIAL see you in another life
CUL see you later
CUT see you tomorrow
DAE dreams are empty
DAK dead at keyboard
DK don't know
DLTBBB don't let the bed bugs bite
DLMBM don't let me be misunderstood
DLYVM don't like you very much
DOM dirty old man
DPWM don't play with me
DTRT do the right thing
DUR Do you remember?
DYSWIS do you see what I see
DWBH don't worry be happy
DWIM do what I mean
E2EG ear to ear grin
EMSG E-mail MeSsaGe
EOD end of discussion
EOL end of lecture
F2F face to face
FDROTFL falling down, rolling on the floor laughing
FLCH feels like coming home
FMM fresh in my mind
FOAC fall over and cry
FOTCL falling off the chair laughing
Contd. tomorrow.
2D to delete
2G4Y too good for you
4E forever
AAK asleep at keyboard
AFAIK as far as I know
AFK away from keyboard
ASAP as soon as possible
AT always tomorrow
ATW at the weekend
AWHFY Are we having fun yet?
AYOR at your own risk
BG big grin
BBB bye bye baby
BB4E bye bye forever
BBFN bye bye for now
BBL be back later
BBN bye bye now
BBS be back soon
BCDHM be careful, don't hurt me
BF boy-friend
BH blockhead
BION believe it or not
BMHWB be my hot-water bottle
BNSCD but now something completely different
BRB be right back
BTW by the way
BWL bursting with laughter
C&G chuckle and grin
CB Ciao Bella/bello
CIBM Could it be magic?
CID crying in disgrace
CM call me
CMM change(d) my mind
CONP continued on next page
COFR cry out for revenge
CP chat post
CPF Can pigs fly?
CSG chuckle, snicker, grin
CU see you
CUIAL see you in another life
CUL see you later
CUT see you tomorrow
DAE dreams are empty
DAK dead at keyboard
DK don't know
DLTBBB don't let the bed bugs bite
DLMBM don't let me be misunderstood
DLYVM don't like you very much
DOM dirty old man
DPWM don't play with me
DTRT do the right thing
DUR Do you remember?
DYSWIS do you see what I see
DWBH don't worry be happy
DWIM do what I mean
E2EG ear to ear grin
EMSG E-mail MeSsaGe
EOD end of discussion
EOL end of lecture
F2F face to face
FDROTFL falling down, rolling on the floor laughing
FLCH feels like coming home
FMM fresh in my mind
FOAC fall over and cry
FOTCL falling off the chair laughing
Contd. tomorrow.
How an SMS to a Charity is Lighting Up an Indian Village
08.30.05 (8:40 pm) [edit]
It is true. A concerned film director has roped in the current superstar who starred in his latest film to front an appeal for Indians to SMS to a short code.
The initiative by Aushutosh Gowarikar,better known of the hit patriotic movie Lagaan, and who was the director of the social message movie Swades, in persuading Shah Rukh Khan to appeal to our generous side and get us to send SMS to a specified four digit number. Each SMS thus sent would cost the sender Rs 10. A matching amount would be sent by a TV Channel Star TV as their share. The TV channel broadcast the movie which chronicles the efforts of a NASA Project Manager to make his native village self sufficient in power by building a mini hydroelectric turbine generator plant.
The objective of this charitable SMS, as Shah Rukh Khan explained, was to collect enough funds to bring hydroelectric power from a mini power plant to a village that was still awaiting electricity. There are over 60,000 villages in India, which are without power or get inadequate power to run the pumps, the lights and so on. The availability of electricity thus would empower the villagers and help bring prosperity to all.
The movie generated a flood of SMS from Indian viewers who empathized with the hero of the movie Swades. The director continued the campaign for two weeks, hoping it would help collect more funds for a just cause.
With the charity season round the corner, it seems a worthwhile idea for charity and voluntary agencies to rope in new donors through this integrated view-SMS-collect fund raiser channel. In this way, one can hopefully see a million SMS messages creating the jingle of money in needy tincans.
Have you SMSed to a charity today?
The initiative by Aushutosh Gowarikar,better known of the hit patriotic movie Lagaan, and who was the director of the social message movie Swades, in persuading Shah Rukh Khan to appeal to our generous side and get us to send SMS to a specified four digit number. Each SMS thus sent would cost the sender Rs 10. A matching amount would be sent by a TV Channel Star TV as their share. The TV channel broadcast the movie which chronicles the efforts of a NASA Project Manager to make his native village self sufficient in power by building a mini hydroelectric turbine generator plant.
The objective of this charitable SMS, as Shah Rukh Khan explained, was to collect enough funds to bring hydroelectric power from a mini power plant to a village that was still awaiting electricity. There are over 60,000 villages in India, which are without power or get inadequate power to run the pumps, the lights and so on. The availability of electricity thus would empower the villagers and help bring prosperity to all.
The movie generated a flood of SMS from Indian viewers who empathized with the hero of the movie Swades. The director continued the campaign for two weeks, hoping it would help collect more funds for a just cause.
With the charity season round the corner, it seems a worthwhile idea for charity and voluntary agencies to rope in new donors through this integrated view-SMS-collect fund raiser channel. In this way, one can hopefully see a million SMS messages creating the jingle of money in needy tincans.
Have you SMSed to a charity today?
SMS India With the Right Questions
08.29.05 (8:27 pm) [edit]
The Old Way Vs the New Way?
Universities are using new methods to combat leakage of their precious test papers before the date of examinations. One such traditional method involved opening sealed packets at the appointed time and distributing the contents to the students. The new method dispenses with the practice of sealed packets and instead uses the teachers' mobile as the recepient of the Master Key. He reads aloud the key for students to enter into their respective PCs and Lo! the prized test paper unfurls like a ghost from the dark night.
Using this method, a leading corporate college conducts frequent tests and examinations and wraps up the process quickly, since it is easy to do the valuation of the answers acording to the master key. Students are spared the nervous anxiety of waiting for their results since they are announced almost instantly after the time is over.
What is remarkable is that the exams are held across all the branches of the college located in different cities and often in different areas of a large city.
So now if you see some young boys or girls whooping and jumping all of a sudden after looking at their mobiles, don’t get shocked, just tolerate their exuberance, it could be the lecturer’s favourable marks given for their splendid efforts!
How about students making use of their mobiles for sending SMS as attendance? Even the camera phone may not be so useful as the SMS. Teacher can schedule his impromptu lectures by sending SMS to students. How about the college ensuring every student’s undivided attention to a forthcoming cultural event or the visit of the chancellor by sending one SMS to all their office staff, teaching faculty, students and everybody else?
Practicals will be a breeze using SMS. Students are working on their experiments in the laboratory and they have to submit the results to the professor. They can SMS the results of their experiments and the great guy can SMS back the marks.
Full marks for fast turnarounds!
Universities are using new methods to combat leakage of their precious test papers before the date of examinations. One such traditional method involved opening sealed packets at the appointed time and distributing the contents to the students. The new method dispenses with the practice of sealed packets and instead uses the teachers' mobile as the recepient of the Master Key. He reads aloud the key for students to enter into their respective PCs and Lo! the prized test paper unfurls like a ghost from the dark night.
Using this method, a leading corporate college conducts frequent tests and examinations and wraps up the process quickly, since it is easy to do the valuation of the answers acording to the master key. Students are spared the nervous anxiety of waiting for their results since they are announced almost instantly after the time is over.
What is remarkable is that the exams are held across all the branches of the college located in different cities and often in different areas of a large city.
So now if you see some young boys or girls whooping and jumping all of a sudden after looking at their mobiles, don’t get shocked, just tolerate their exuberance, it could be the lecturer’s favourable marks given for their splendid efforts!
How about students making use of their mobiles for sending SMS as attendance? Even the camera phone may not be so useful as the SMS. Teacher can schedule his impromptu lectures by sending SMS to students. How about the college ensuring every student’s undivided attention to a forthcoming cultural event or the visit of the chancellor by sending one SMS to all their office staff, teaching faculty, students and everybody else?
Practicals will be a breeze using SMS. Students are working on their experiments in the laboratory and they have to submit the results to the professor. They can SMS the results of their experiments and the great guy can SMS back the marks.
Full marks for fast turnarounds!
The SMS and Mobile Boom Years are Here!
08.28.05 (8:17 pm) [edit]
The growth of the mobile phone user community has been sluggish and in fits and starts over the lasat decade. It is today standing at a little over 1 million. The landline users have lost their dominance and have been reduced to a minority( below 50 %) of telephone users.
According to a recent study, about 3 million new userrs are being added each month to the network. At this pace, the share of service tax being paid to the government of India has crossed Rs. 4,470 crores( about a third of the total tax income from about 70 services).
The study claims that as the number of new mobile users added each month reaches 5 million, there is a possibility that the total income in service tax from telehone alone will cross Rs. 12,650 crores on a base of 278 million users by 2007, which will be just a 150% increase over this year's figures.
This is mind boggling to say the least even as more people of the 800 million uncovered population get acess to mobile telephony. The goal is eminently reachable, considering the fact that the Indian economy is growing at over 7.5% annually.
The Government of India receives a massive 10.2% ( which includes a 2% education cess) on the total fees and charges of the telephone sector. In 1998-99, it was about 54% of the total. The telecom sector has long been demanding leser taxes in order to reduce the cost of the services.
It is heartening to note that given the hot pace of growth, it is very likely that the gross revenue to the Government might even touch Rs 7,195 crore by April 2006. Which means , the total of mobile subscribers would be 250 million by the end of December 2007.
According to a recent study, about 3 million new userrs are being added each month to the network. At this pace, the share of service tax being paid to the government of India has crossed Rs. 4,470 crores( about a third of the total tax income from about 70 services).
The study claims that as the number of new mobile users added each month reaches 5 million, there is a possibility that the total income in service tax from telehone alone will cross Rs. 12,650 crores on a base of 278 million users by 2007, which will be just a 150% increase over this year's figures.
This is mind boggling to say the least even as more people of the 800 million uncovered population get acess to mobile telephony. The goal is eminently reachable, considering the fact that the Indian economy is growing at over 7.5% annually.
The Government of India receives a massive 10.2% ( which includes a 2% education cess) on the total fees and charges of the telephone sector. In 1998-99, it was about 54% of the total. The telecom sector has long been demanding leser taxes in order to reduce the cost of the services.
It is heartening to note that given the hot pace of growth, it is very likely that the gross revenue to the Government might even touch Rs 7,195 crore by April 2006. Which means , the total of mobile subscribers would be 250 million by the end of December 2007.
Indian SMS Culture is Injuring Children's Fingers
08.26.05 (11:14 pm) [edit]
It is always happening. We get a new gizmo, get used to using it and bang comes the science, saying it is harmful for us and our children.
It was mobiles and harmful electromagnetic radiation, which was subsequently debunked successfully by scientists.
Now it is the turn of the SMS. The rapid fire punching and posting of SMS mesages by young adults and children seems to have spawned a new type of disease that ws formerly detected in computer users--- sore fingers.
SMS technology, it seems now has its flip side too. Researchers have discovered that children who send literally hundreds of SMS messages from their mobile phones, run the risk of injury to their fingers and thumbs. The condition known as Repetitive Strain Injury may strike with disastrous results. according to health experts.
"The thumb is not a very dextrous digit. It is good at grasping but not good for repetitive movement. RSI symptoms include tingling, numbness, weakness, loss of movement, muscle spasm and shooting pains, " is the opinion of Bronwyn Clifford, who belongs to the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Occupational Health and Ergonomics, London.
Using just a thumb to type could cause pain and swelling in the tendons and possibly long-term injury. As mobile phones get smaller and with more children acquiring them, they are at risk of a condition more often linked to desk-bound adults.
The Indian perspective
"All fingers have two joints but the thumb has only one joint. So, the pressure gets concentrated on this one joint when the child is engaged in texting continuously. Thus, most of the traumas happen to this joint that is most mobile and the most vulnerable part of the thumb, " says Dr Amar Mallick, a practicing physiotherapist in Mumbai.
Repetitive movement can also render the epiphysis plate of the thumb (which is responsible for developing joints and joint movements), at risk. If injured it can cause trauma to the cartilage thus leading to the development of small aches and pains.
" It is not just the thumb but the whole hand that can get affected because the wrist, the fingers and thumb all work in close synergy. Excessive texting can strain any one of the above components and lead to tendon injuries, trigger thumb or trigger finger, " says Dr Shreyasi S Jadhav, a physiotherapist at Talwalkars gym, Mumbai.
" However, these injuries are more likely to happen to children with a deficient diet plan as compared to an active and a healthy child, " she adds.
Prevention is better than cure
Texting besides leading to obvious damage can also affect the fine movement of the thumb and fingers on a long-term basis. For instance, children may not be able to paint or sketch with perfection or play a music instrument with ease or conduct any activity competently that requires extreme fine movement.
~ Monitor the frequency of texting and playing of mobile games by your children. Prevent excessive use of the mobile phone.
~ Teach your child the different positions in which s/he can hold the phone, to ease the pressure on the thumb.
~ Watch out for symptoms like tendon injuries, swollen thumbs, and restricted hand movement. If you spot them then immediately stop your children from texting.
~ Ice and heat provide temporary relief for tendon and limb injuries and swelling. In the meantime, seek medical help.
i. The thumb needs to be bandaged in its extended position and kept warm and protected.
ii. For children above 12, any form of superficial heat like wax and ultrasonic therapies can be used.
iii. For children below 12, splinting and bracing -- a method of bandaging with the support of a thin metal sheet while the thumb is kept in a functional position -- for a couple of days and treating the affected area with ice are recommended.
It was mobiles and harmful electromagnetic radiation, which was subsequently debunked successfully by scientists.
Now it is the turn of the SMS. The rapid fire punching and posting of SMS mesages by young adults and children seems to have spawned a new type of disease that ws formerly detected in computer users--- sore fingers.
SMS technology, it seems now has its flip side too. Researchers have discovered that children who send literally hundreds of SMS messages from their mobile phones, run the risk of injury to their fingers and thumbs. The condition known as Repetitive Strain Injury may strike with disastrous results. according to health experts.
"The thumb is not a very dextrous digit. It is good at grasping but not good for repetitive movement. RSI symptoms include tingling, numbness, weakness, loss of movement, muscle spasm and shooting pains, " is the opinion of Bronwyn Clifford, who belongs to the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Occupational Health and Ergonomics, London.
Using just a thumb to type could cause pain and swelling in the tendons and possibly long-term injury. As mobile phones get smaller and with more children acquiring them, they are at risk of a condition more often linked to desk-bound adults.
The Indian perspective
"All fingers have two joints but the thumb has only one joint. So, the pressure gets concentrated on this one joint when the child is engaged in texting continuously. Thus, most of the traumas happen to this joint that is most mobile and the most vulnerable part of the thumb, " says Dr Amar Mallick, a practicing physiotherapist in Mumbai.
Repetitive movement can also render the epiphysis plate of the thumb (which is responsible for developing joints and joint movements), at risk. If injured it can cause trauma to the cartilage thus leading to the development of small aches and pains.
" It is not just the thumb but the whole hand that can get affected because the wrist, the fingers and thumb all work in close synergy. Excessive texting can strain any one of the above components and lead to tendon injuries, trigger thumb or trigger finger, " says Dr Shreyasi S Jadhav, a physiotherapist at Talwalkars gym, Mumbai.
" However, these injuries are more likely to happen to children with a deficient diet plan as compared to an active and a healthy child, " she adds.
Prevention is better than cure
Texting besides leading to obvious damage can also affect the fine movement of the thumb and fingers on a long-term basis. For instance, children may not be able to paint or sketch with perfection or play a music instrument with ease or conduct any activity competently that requires extreme fine movement.
~ Monitor the frequency of texting and playing of mobile games by your children. Prevent excessive use of the mobile phone.
~ Teach your child the different positions in which s/he can hold the phone, to ease the pressure on the thumb.
~ Watch out for symptoms like tendon injuries, swollen thumbs, and restricted hand movement. If you spot them then immediately stop your children from texting.
~ Ice and heat provide temporary relief for tendon and limb injuries and swelling. In the meantime, seek medical help.
i. The thumb needs to be bandaged in its extended position and kept warm and protected.
ii. For children above 12, any form of superficial heat like wax and ultrasonic therapies can be used.
iii. For children below 12, splinting and bracing -- a method of bandaging with the support of a thin metal sheet while the thumb is kept in a functional position -- for a couple of days and treating the affected area with ice are recommended.
Make Money with SMS = Smart Money-making System
08.26.05 (12:10 am) [edit]
For Savvy Indian companies the facility is raking in big bucks with every SMS they receive by short code. Indians that possess a mobile phone comprise a population that is above 61 million and as a topping, the landline owning Indians bring the total to a whopping 120 million and climbing.
That Indians love to SMS is a fact, and it is also a fact that 1 billion SMS messages are transmitted daily means a heady cash flow account. One blogger in Indiatimes posted an interesting story on the kind of money one TV producer is going to make from the SMS he receives for the next 80 episodes. Remember that here phone calls to a landline are also counted as SMS for accounting only.
SMS = Smart Money-making System
Whether you enjoy reading jokes that appear on your mobile by subscription, or send an SMS with your opinion on the current twist in a long running soap saga. Win 1 kg gold by just sending an SMS to this easy short code number or step directly into the hot seat of KBC2 just by sending SMS with your choice of answer to a televised question," Well the above is just a sprinkling of the barrage of please SMS that is beamed to us daily on the TV channels( 134 at last count). These are some of the advertisement messages which we are viewing in television these days.
The advent of mobile phones in our daily lives is now complete, with cellular tariffs steeply coming down and gradually reducing to peanuts, I always wondered how the cellular industry is going to survive the bloodletting? Thanks to the popularity of the SMS ontests being played or smses being sent to one another, I think a lot of profit could be generated in the business.
Today one finds on every TV channel a lot of talent shows like Indian Idol, Fame Gurukul or Saregamapa talent series being aired. One thing common to all of them is that the winning contestants are being chosen by the common man who send an SMS choosing his favorite contestant? It is surely very interesting. Based on our SMSes and calls, our favorite contestant is able to survive in the contest.
The finally remaining contestant will get gifts worth Rs. 1-2 crores, high profile contracts, etc. What would the common man get in lieu of his SMS vote? Well he may get a chance to go to some exotic location as advertised in the television program. It is a surprise when we come to know whether any person has been selected and received his prize money or not!!!
Recently I watched that some contestant had got about 40 lakhs of SMS in some talent show. Imagine if the average rate of SMS is Rs.3, then for 40 lakhs SMS the tariff would be about 40lakhs*3...Hmm quite a number I must say!
In fact I have received an interesting forward on the Business Model of KBC which I would like to share with you.
KBC 2 SMS part Business Model:
6 x 100 x 10 x 20 x 20 = 2400000 i.e. 24 lakhs in 20 minutes...
Any guesses??
6( Rs/SMS) x100(entries) x 10(cities) x20 (districts) x20(states) = 6 x400000(people trying for the 2 lakhs cash prize)
Imagine what if 1000 entries try out from 100 cities??
The figure simply grows by 2 more zeroes and yields a whooping 24 crores!!
And it does not stops there... 1000 entries from 100 towns is a very small number... in practice it could be another multiple of 100 or worst case a multiple of 1000 on an average...
In that case it is 24 * 100 crores earnings in just 20 minutes on every episode!
And the price money :-)) mere 2 CRORE (and from whose pocket?) I must congratulate the smart business sense of the Caledor franchisee Star TV.
Smart Business by Sidharth Basu!
And the best part of this calculation is just the SMS earning!
What about the money that is coming in from the commercials spots?
A rough annual profit calculation goes like this... 2400 x (5 x 4)(episodes/month) x 12 = 576000 crores
Let even 50% get dissolved in taxes and other payments, still you will be left with (which includes even the meager 480 crores of price money...i.e. in the unlikely event that every episode has a winner bagging the 2 crore prize).
This is a very generous windfall for Star TV. The sum total of Rs.2, 88,000 crores profit is coming only due to SMS.
Indian Mobiles and SMS Figures
08.25.05 (2:01 am) [edit]
If you got it flaunt it, is a very apt saying that perfectly describes the SMS loving crazy Indian.
Day in and day out, 60 million Indians who are mobile phone users are punching in and sending SMS messages on just about anything to the people who want to know their minds, opinions and preferences.
I am talking about the TV channels who have picked on this fixation with SMS to rake in the money. An unfortunate Indian prisoner in Pakistan jail has received the death penalty and the whole of India is watching the TV screen, fully rivetted on the fascinating scenario of wife, children, mother, other relatives wail and whine and pine for the lost one.
An enterprising TV channel is scrolling the more interesting of the SMS messages which again gets it more TRP( Television Rating Points) even as others are inspired enough to add their two bits. Guess who is laughing in all this frenetic activity?
The mobile phone companies, who never had it so good!
They are yet to count the pile they made on the recent cricket controversy on who should be the next captain. And when the next cricket series comes along, there is one every other day, you can be sure there will much more of where it comes from.
Viva SMS!
No Spam Thank You Ma'm
08.24.05 (12:10 am) [edit]
The Supreme Court in India intervened in a public interest litigation filed by a public spirited lawyer against the spam being sent on the mobile phone airwaves.The Apex court urged the government to take urgent action to prevent the spam from flooding millions of mailboxes on mobiles.
Along with the rapid growth of mobile usage, a correspondingly higher proportion of crank calls, unsolicited calls inviting the receiver to accept a credit card,and unsolicited SMS messages to buy this or that.The Supreme Court has mooted some sort of legislative action or introduce legal measures to crack down on unsolicited calls and SMS spam sent to mobile phone users.
The Court has issued urgent notices to the Government, mobile operators and multi-national banks on a public interest litigation which seeks a law to ban unsolicited SMS messages and calls to mobile phones.
In this connection, the highest court of the land cited the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (to which India is a signatory), which states that no one should be subjected to unlawful interference with his privacy. With India's mobile industry being one of the fastest growing in the world, its 62 million subscribers will welcome the suggestion of measures to curb unwanted calls and SMS spam.
Meanwhile, calls have been made in the media urging the government to publish a list of Indian websites and MNCs who send mobile spam( unwanted mobile calls or SMS messages on the lines of a similar measure in the USA. The Do Not Call register has effectively prevented spammers from dialling numbers that are registered.
Along with the rapid growth of mobile usage, a correspondingly higher proportion of crank calls, unsolicited calls inviting the receiver to accept a credit card,and unsolicited SMS messages to buy this or that.The Supreme Court has mooted some sort of legislative action or introduce legal measures to crack down on unsolicited calls and SMS spam sent to mobile phone users.
The Court has issued urgent notices to the Government, mobile operators and multi-national banks on a public interest litigation which seeks a law to ban unsolicited SMS messages and calls to mobile phones.
In this connection, the highest court of the land cited the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (to which India is a signatory), which states that no one should be subjected to unlawful interference with his privacy. With India's mobile industry being one of the fastest growing in the world, its 62 million subscribers will welcome the suggestion of measures to curb unwanted calls and SMS spam.
Meanwhile, calls have been made in the media urging the government to publish a list of Indian websites and MNCs who send mobile spam( unwanted mobile calls or SMS messages on the lines of a similar measure in the USA. The Do Not Call register has effectively prevented spammers from dialling numbers that are registered.
There is no SMS like a Good News SMS
08.21.05 (8:24 pm) [edit]
Be the bearer of good news and enjoy the fruits of good news from the recipient. This popular saying is a vestige of the times when kings and princes gifted the heralds with gold and jewellery on hearing news of a hard fought victory, birth of a prince or princess, or the arrival of a beloved prince.
There are only 50 million mobile phones in India. But surely Indians post a record 1 billion SMS messages every day. Not a bad record for a fifth of the world that lives in this tiny peninsula. When the SMS facility came to India, the fastest growth and the widest acceptance of the facility is in SMS India. People send and also receive SMS messages for any, for everything and on everything in India.
Anxious housewives SMS their hubbies to eat their lunch at the regular time without fail. Moms SMS their kids to have the medicine at the appointed time. The Government of India in the 2001 census, found that there are 1 billion Indians. In native counting, that figure means 100 crores (a crore is 10 million). Which also means that there are thousands of new families each year. The 30 to 35% annual growth in the ownership of mobile phones, the fastest pace in the world, ensures that soon more than a quarter of the population will be proud owners of at least mobile phone.
Indians are a said to be close-knit with strong family ties. The lifelong relationships between parents and children, aunts and uncles, cousins and in-laws invariably are close and there is good interaction between family members. Whenever an occasion arises, and there are plenty to name just a few, there is an exchange of greetings by letters, by phone, in person and the present phenomenon of SMS. SMS India are very easy to compose and send, reach in seconds, can be read immediately or at a convenient time, and most importantly, they are inexpensive.
The occasions are endless--- a festival for sibling unions called Rakhi ( bondage) sees exchange of fraternal greetings between brothers, sisters for success in educational and sport endeavours, the greetings for festivals and the greetings on social occasions like birthdays, engagements, weddings, anniversaries, and so on, there are plenty of occasions for these well meant messages.
It is so heartwarming to see people express unbounded happiness on receiving good news in an SMS on their mobile. It is delightful to notice a neutral expression on a person’s face change to undiluted joy, arms thrown about in glee and a general air of elation in their personality.
There are only 50 million mobile phones in India. But surely Indians post a record 1 billion SMS messages every day. Not a bad record for a fifth of the world that lives in this tiny peninsula. When the SMS facility came to India, the fastest growth and the widest acceptance of the facility is in SMS India. People send and also receive SMS messages for any, for everything and on everything in India.
Anxious housewives SMS their hubbies to eat their lunch at the regular time without fail. Moms SMS their kids to have the medicine at the appointed time. The Government of India in the 2001 census, found that there are 1 billion Indians. In native counting, that figure means 100 crores (a crore is 10 million). Which also means that there are thousands of new families each year. The 30 to 35% annual growth in the ownership of mobile phones, the fastest pace in the world, ensures that soon more than a quarter of the population will be proud owners of at least mobile phone.
Indians are a said to be close-knit with strong family ties. The lifelong relationships between parents and children, aunts and uncles, cousins and in-laws invariably are close and there is good interaction between family members. Whenever an occasion arises, and there are plenty to name just a few, there is an exchange of greetings by letters, by phone, in person and the present phenomenon of SMS. SMS India are very easy to compose and send, reach in seconds, can be read immediately or at a convenient time, and most importantly, they are inexpensive.
The occasions are endless--- a festival for sibling unions called Rakhi ( bondage) sees exchange of fraternal greetings between brothers, sisters for success in educational and sport endeavours, the greetings for festivals and the greetings on social occasions like birthdays, engagements, weddings, anniversaries, and so on, there are plenty of occasions for these well meant messages.
It is so heartwarming to see people express unbounded happiness on receiving good news in an SMS on their mobile. It is delightful to notice a neutral expression on a person’s face change to undiluted joy, arms thrown about in glee and a general air of elation in their personality.
New Trends in SMS India Messaging
08.19.05 (11:32 pm) [edit]
It is a pleasant surprise to observe the flood of new and innovative ways to use SMS in our daily lives. SMS is fast becoming the preferred medium of communication, enquiry and fun round the clock for the mobile users in India.
Already the 1 billion strong Indian population is said to own 107 million phones which are equally split between mobiles and landlines. The pace of growth of Indian cellular telephony is unmatched in the world today. SMS has become popular for all the right reasons and a few wrong ones. People can send a How are you in a flash and get the reply equally fast I am fine. No more jangling phone rings, and waiting for the guy to say hello for the conversation to proceed.
Some people are even communicating through missed calls. Their commonly agreed code of one call yes, two calls no, and so on are helping save precious talktime between teenagers who survive on shoestring allowances.
SMS is glamorous too. Not just text, now you can send music, song, voice mail, video, and photos to your friends, relatives and associates and help them share your fun. Job interviews, marketing offers and bids, auctions and purchases are also done via SMS, making transactions fast and cheap.
For all reasons, whether personal, or commercial or even professional, the SMS facility works quite like a charm. Be it brand sales, product promotions or just mass advertising or at the most on direct sales, the simplicity of SMS is breaking all records, crossing all barriers.
In addition, SMS usage has vastly expanded the dimensions with the constant advances in technology, which in turn is fuelling strong competition among mobile manufacturers, racing to add more features, as well as for the mobile and SMS service providers.
Already the 1 billion strong Indian population is said to own 107 million phones which are equally split between mobiles and landlines. The pace of growth of Indian cellular telephony is unmatched in the world today. SMS has become popular for all the right reasons and a few wrong ones. People can send a How are you in a flash and get the reply equally fast I am fine. No more jangling phone rings, and waiting for the guy to say hello for the conversation to proceed.
Some people are even communicating through missed calls. Their commonly agreed code of one call yes, two calls no, and so on are helping save precious talktime between teenagers who survive on shoestring allowances.
SMS is glamorous too. Not just text, now you can send music, song, voice mail, video, and photos to your friends, relatives and associates and help them share your fun. Job interviews, marketing offers and bids, auctions and purchases are also done via SMS, making transactions fast and cheap.
For all reasons, whether personal, or commercial or even professional, the SMS facility works quite like a charm. Be it brand sales, product promotions or just mass advertising or at the most on direct sales, the simplicity of SMS is breaking all records, crossing all barriers.
In addition, SMS usage has vastly expanded the dimensions with the constant advances in technology, which in turn is fuelling strong competition among mobile manufacturers, racing to add more features, as well as for the mobile and SMS service providers.
Crack the Jackpot with SMS
08.19.05 (12:31 am) [edit]
Kiss the dice and make the winning move.
Yeah, gambling fever by SMS and TV is alive and well in India. Thaousands and thousands of Indians stay glued to the TV channel Play TV with their mobiles, and this excitement makes them busy sending SMS from all over India to try winning a fortune.
Zee TV is one of the oldest and biggest private TV channels in India and it has has just launched PLAY TV. This interactive channel sportingly invites you to register for free. You just have to send an SMS saying Reg to a specific number and immediately start playing with that Id for big stakes.
The game is like this: a portion of a celebrity’s face is shown on the TV screen and viewers have to guess who it is. The pot keeps increasing as the number of SMS received keeps growing in volume. There is a time limit and the anchor keeps up the hype to get the SMS coming in. There is a supplementary pot that is given for each correct answer.
The idea of the game is to get the maximum jackpot by getting the viewers involved. There is no restriction on the number of registrations and that keeps the contest going and interesting. Compulsive players keep registering and sending answers in the hope of striking lucky.
It is early days yet, but the gambling fever has already caught up with middle class India like wildfire. People are boasting about the number of their Play Ids and how they played. Meanwhile the channel is walking slowly to the bank, weighed down by the weight of the money!
Welcome to the Casino, boys!
Yeah, gambling fever by SMS and TV is alive and well in India. Thaousands and thousands of Indians stay glued to the TV channel Play TV with their mobiles, and this excitement makes them busy sending SMS from all over India to try winning a fortune.
Zee TV is one of the oldest and biggest private TV channels in India and it has has just launched PLAY TV. This interactive channel sportingly invites you to register for free. You just have to send an SMS saying Reg to a specific number and immediately start playing with that Id for big stakes.
The game is like this: a portion of a celebrity’s face is shown on the TV screen and viewers have to guess who it is. The pot keeps increasing as the number of SMS received keeps growing in volume. There is a time limit and the anchor keeps up the hype to get the SMS coming in. There is a supplementary pot that is given for each correct answer.
The idea of the game is to get the maximum jackpot by getting the viewers involved. There is no restriction on the number of registrations and that keeps the contest going and interesting. Compulsive players keep registering and sending answers in the hope of striking lucky.
It is early days yet, but the gambling fever has already caught up with middle class India like wildfire. People are boasting about the number of their Play Ids and how they played. Meanwhile the channel is walking slowly to the bank, weighed down by the weight of the money!
Welcome to the Casino, boys!