Better Living with Everyday Technology: Google SMS and You

They're all about my unpaid phone bill.

Hysterical Samuel L. Jackson invective notwithstanding, I've always been a fan of text messaging. Short Message Service (SMS) technology doesn't work well for long conversations - especially if you refuse to follow the "idk, my bff Jill" style guide - but for quick, discreet dispatches in the library, in class, at a concert, in a restaurant, or anyplace where talking on the phone is unfeasible, the text message is an invaluable workaround. With Google SMS, it's much, much more.

What It Is

Google SMS (and similar services from Yahoo! And 4INFO) turns SMS technology on its head to make it much more powerful. With these services you can search the web quickly, efficiently, and discreetly (a marked contrast in every way to Internet access on the T-Mobile Sidekick I used to lug around) for the price of a text message – for me, about $0.0125.

What You Can Do

Between them, these services allow you to do a lot of useful things while you're out and about:

• Locate the closest Wi-Fi hotspot
• Search online yellow pages
• Check the status of a flight
• Get drink recipes
• Do on-the-fly comparison shopping
• Get driving directions

There are many more possibilities, and offerings from different providers vary, but you get the idea.

How It Works

Google SMS and the rest work like those ringtone services with the ads you see on late-night TV, sandwiched between ads for Girls Gone Wild DVDs at three for $0.99. You send a text message to GOOGL (46645), 4INFO (44636), or YAHOO (92466) with your query, and in short order the answer arrives.

Now for the tricky part: you have to format your message in a certain way to get the answer you need.

To find a Wi-Fi hotspot in downtown San Diego, you need to text "wifi 92101" (the zip code) to Yahoo! SMS. The return message from Yahoo! should provide a name, phone number, and address for the nearest Wi-Fi hotspot. It's probably a Starbucks.

If you want to check the status of a flight, text "AA 1240" (American Airlines flight 1240) to Google SMS. You'll probably get a response like this: "American Airlines #1240 Landed. D: PDX A: SAN-445p."

There are a lot more, and I won't list them all here, but you can easily explore the power and versatility of this technology using the links above.

Tips and Tricks: Be an Efficient Text Messager

• Make sure you have a decent text messaging plan for your cell phone. Most providers will let you tack on extra services. I have T-Mobile, and I was able to add 400 messages per month for $4.99.
• Save template text messages for frequently-used queries. This will save you time, and you won't have to remember how to format everything.
• Though this may not be useful for everyone, you can set up 4INFO and the rest to message you automatically. For instance, if you have a package en route, you can get a message sent to your phone whenever its status changes.

Tying Up Loose Ends

The great thing about technology like this is that it integrates seamlessly into your lifestyle. With tools you probably already have at your fingertips, you can be more efficient and more productive, with less effort. You can carry less stuff with you and do more with your time. Making the most of your tools is just another step toward making the most of your life.

Have fun, live well, and respect the power of SMS!

© Evan Mix 2007. Some rights reserved.

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