This free SMS text-based platform works by having residents respond via text message to questions posted in various places around the City

Monrovia Asks: What New Business Would You Like to See?

Monrovia is launching a pilot program called "Textizen" allowing citizens to keep in touch with the city via text and is asking residents to use the service to recommend a new business in the Pavilions shopping

The City of Monrovia has been chosen for a pilot technology program to engage citizens: Textizen. This free SMS text-based platform works by having residents respond via text message to questions posted in various places around the City.  Joining the ranks of cities like Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit and New Orleans, Monrovia has been chosen for one of 40 cities across the country to use this breakthrough technology.  From Old Town kiosks, business windows, to the Library and City Hall, Monrovians are asked questions on specific community topics. 

Starting with a Fill-Up Old Town campaign, the City's Economic Development Department is actively seeking out input from residents, shoppers and businesses via text message to weigh in on what new businesses the City should attract to Old Town. Those walking through Old Town and along Myrtle Avenue can expect to see posters and flyers asking them questions about why they came and what businesses they would like to see.  Anyone interested in answering merely need to text in the answer, and respond to several follow-up questions afterwards.

Textizen has been launched by the San Francisco-based non-profit, Code for America, allowing community members to sound off on issues using nothing more than a cell phone. For the next several months, Monrovia will be utilizing the technology across town, asking questions about business, parks, transportation and budgeting. The City of Monrovia encourages everyone with text capabilities to join in the discussion. Text messaging rates apply, and cell phone numbers will never be shared or used.

"Textizen is a very exciting new technology.  What we hope to do is hear all Monrovia voices, including the ones who maybe want to get involved in the City planning process, but don't have time to attend a community meeting, or take a longer survey," said City Manager Laurie Lile. "We encourage people to text in with ideas about bringing more business to our historic Old Town."

Initial Textizen questions will be posted on the City's website, www.cityofmonrovia.org, on the City's Facebook and Twitter feeds, and throughout the Old Town District.

What brings you to Old Town Monrovia?

A. Movies
B. To Dine        
C. To Shop        
D. Take a Stroll         
E. Friday Night Festival

Text A, B, C, D, or E to: (626) 219-0761

There's Now No Need to Pay for SMS Services. Learn How to Get Free SMS

Columbus, OH -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/07/2012 -- In 2010, 6.1 trillion SMS text messages were sent. This translates into 193000 SMS per second and this figure is likely to have grown dramatically since then. SMS has become a massive commercial industry, earning $114.6 billion globally in 2010 alone.

As the global average price for an SMS message is $0.11, it can become quite an expensive service, particularly as many people rely on messaging for both work and play. That's why it is a relief to find a genuinely free service that allows all its users to send messages without paying a cent.

SmsSheep.com is an easy to remember domain that not only provides a full and reliable free SMS service but also integrates fully with Facebook. It doesn't ask you to become a member or ask for sign-in details – a welcome relief when you want to contact someone quickly. What's more, the service remains free even when used with international numbers. So, there's now no excuse not to contact your aunt in Tumbuktu.

http://smssheep.com/ really is the future of communication. Check it out now. 

Notes to editors

1. For more info: support@smssheep.com
2. SMSSheep was launched in 2009
3. Further images and logos are available

To check genuineness, send SMS before popping pills

Mumbai: Now before popping a pain-killer or having cough syrup, you can be sure that it's not fake thanks to an innovation designed to curb the menace of spurious medicines. Strips of popular and commonly-used medicines like Combiflam, Disprin, Crocin, Voveran and multi-vitamin Becosules will soon carry a unique code, which when sent via SMS will help verify the medicine's genuineness. 

    Companies like Roche, Lupin and Unichem have already started rolling out medicines in the new packaging with the unique code and many, like Sanofi, Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline, are planning to follow suit. 
    This is how it will work: Consumers will need to send the alpha-numeric code printed on the medicine strip through their mobile phone. They will then get an SMS confirming genuiness along with health tips and drug-refill reminders. 
    While there is no uniform figure to determine the penetration of spurious or misbranded medicines in the country — with industry and the government offering varying estimates — the health ministry recently announced that of the over 48,000 drug samples tested between 2011 and 2012, nearly 5% failed the quality test, while almost one in three drugs (36%) were found to be "not of standard quality" from across the country. States like Maharashtra and Kerala are among the worst affected and have a larger proportion of sub-standard drugs, particularly in semiurban and rural areas. 
    Medicines may be substandard in quality or spurious when they are past their expiry date, contain incorrect quantity of ingredients or wrong ingredients, and when they have not been stored in proper conditions. Vaccines and anti-diabetic drugs, for instance, need cooling chains for transportation and storage. 
    Mostly, the drug's efficacy suffers but, in certain cases, it may cause serious side-effects and even be fatal. There may also be instances when these fake medicines offer no therapeutic benefits. 
    It is virtually impossible to tell the difference between real and fake medicines unless a laboratory analysis is carried out. Since that's may not be a practical solution, drug companies along with regulators have been trying to counter the menace through measures like barcoding, embedded holograms and RFID, but have met with little success. 
    Industry sources say the medicines that are faked most are of brands that are fast-moving and have a high turnover. 
    Certain companies are not rolling out the new packaging because of cost issues, and because many of their medicines are under price control. 
State has 1 govt doc for every 24K people 
New Delhi:On an average, a single government doctor serves more than 12,000 people in India while each government dental surgeon serves around 3 lakh. The WHO- recommended norm is to have one doctor for every 1,000 people 
    The latest figures on human resources, finalized by the Central Bureau ofHealth Intelligence and published in the National Health Profile 2011, show that the ratio of a doctor against an average population served is worst for Gujarat, followed by Tamil Nadu. One government doctor serves 25,168 people in Gujarat, 25,042 in Tamil Nadu, 24,540 in Maharashtra and 23,174 in Bihar. The figure is 17,811 for MP, 8,416 for Bengal and 3,933 for Delhi. However, when it comes to dental surgeons, the ratio is the worst in Bihar. A single dental surgeon in a government hospital serves 35.46 lakh people in Bihar and 20.57 lakh in Maharashtra. TNN

Mobiles as thin as credit cards?

New-Age Lens Tiny Enough To Fit 1,500 Across The Width Of A Hair Washington: Scientists are developing a new ultrathin lens which could lead to smart phones as thin as a credit card.      The new lens is flat, distortionfree and so small that more than 1,500 would fit across the width of a human hair — capable in the future of replacing lenses in applications ranging from cell phones to cameras to fiber-optic communication systems.      In a study published in journal Nano Letters, Federico Capasso and colleagues explained that the lenses used to focus light in eyeglasses, microscopes and other products use the same basic technology dating to the late 1200s, when spectacle lenses were introduced in Europe.      Existing lenses are not thin or flat enough to remove distortions, such as spherical aberration, astigmatism and coma, which prevent the creation of a sharp image.      Correction of those distortions requires complex solutions, such as multiple lenses that increase weight and take up space. To overcome these challenges, the scientists sought to develop a new superthin, flat lens.      The new lens has a resolving power that actually approaches the theoretical limits set by the laws of optics. The surface is patterned with tiny metallic stripes which bend light differently as one moves away from the centre, causing the beam to sharply focus without distorting the images. PTI SMART TO GET SLIMMER

Free SMS Messaging Apps For iPhone Users

Scared of using SMS messaging? Use these apps instead. (Photo: Flickr / davidchief)

Recently, and SMS security flaw in the iPhone has caused quite a concern for iPhone users. According to reports online, Apple iPhone's are have a gaping security flaw that can be very harmful. After news of this new SMS security issue, users have been panicking. However, there are other services you can use that can replace SMS messaging, and have more features. Here are a few substitutes for SMS messages that users can use that instead.

iMessage

Obvious, I know. But iMessage is really, really, useful, especially with the release Mountain Lion. Now, iMessage users can talk to their friends from both their phones and their computers. Not only that but iMessage is supported by Apple and, according to Apple, is very secure, as they told Engadget, "Apple takes security very seriously. When using iMessage instead of SMS, addresses are verified which protects against these kinds of spoofing attacks. One of the limitations of SMS is that it allows messages to be sent with spoofed addresses to any phone, so we urge customers to be extremely careful if they're directed to an unknown website or address over SMS." Of course, any company would promote their own products. But, iMessage is a lot safer to use than regular SMS texting, and aren't susceptible to the same security flaw. Also, iMessage allows users to send photos and videos from their account, on their computer or phone, to other users, and have a fantastic group chat feature that works great. For users wary of using SMS texting, iMessage is a great alternative that's already in your phone. 

Skype

Skype, the popular video-conferencing application, also has an iOS app that is available in the App Store for free. Just like the application that you can use on your Windows or Mac computer, the iOS app lets you communicate with other Skype users for free, including video chatting with them using your mobile device. While the mobile application is not as popular as its desktop counterpart, Skype for iOS can be useful. You can communicate with other Skype users for free, and, for a small fee, sends text messages to your contacts. Also, Skype recently added a feature that can send pictures within the instant messages to other users, helping it keep on pace with competitors like WhatsApp. The app might also be useful for AT&T users, who will be charged for FaceTime-ing with their contacts over a wi-fi connection. Skype allows you to do this without any other charge, but it does eat up a considerable amount of your data. 

WhatsApp

WhatsApp is app that lets you communicate with your friends for free, no matter what phone they have. As long as you have app installed on your phone, you can send pictures, video, and text messages your friends. In addition, WhatsApp is capable of group chat's, which is the best part of the app. Simple and efficient, the group chat feature is almost perfect. As of now, WhatsApp works with Android, iOS, Blackberry, Nokia S40's, Symbian, and Windows phones, which should cover 90% to 95% of your contact list. The app is also popular among college students, who use the app to communicate with friends abroad with no added charges showing up on their phone bill. WhatsApp is perfect for users who have friends who don't have iMessage, but don't want to use SMS text's to contact them. WhatsApp is available in the App Store for a one-time charge 99 cents. For other devices, WhatsApp is available for free for one year, then a yearly one dollar charge is applied. 

Google Voice

Google Voice is a service provided by Google for iOS devices to instant message. With a simple user interface, Google Voice can fulfill all of your text message and calling needs. Google Voice provides users with free unlimited text messaging with any mobile phone, and users can also make phone calls with Google Voice for free as well. There are other features as well, like full integration with your contact list or Google Address Book, voicemail transcription, and cheap long distance calling. Google Voice is a comprehensive application for iOS that can not only replace your insecure text messaging, but has a lot of other features available as well. 

These very inexpensive services can help you move away from regular SMS messaging and find a more secure method of communicating with your contacts. Remember that, while these app's don't use up your text messages, some of them may use a large amount of data. For those who have limited data on your iPhone, be wary of how much data you use. 

MOBILE BIZ Pay at kirana stores with your phone

Mumbai: Micro transactions for payments such as local taxi fares and kirana store purchases are set to go cashless with the National Payment Corporation of India on Monday extending the Interbank Mobile Payment Service (IMPS) for merchants. 

    The likelihood of mobile payments picking up is high because unlike credit and debit cards, the cost of each transaction is very low at 25 paise, making it feasible for banks to offer it for payments as low as a few rupees. Although mobile payment services are already available, IMPS until now allowed only person-to-person transfers. As a result, although 39 million account holders in 50 banks are registered for mobile banking, transactions have been very low. 
    "There are around 10 million kirana stores, but the total number of point of sales terminals in India is less than seven lakhs. IMPS will facilitate micropayments over the counter electronically," said AP Hota, MD & CEO, NPCI. Of the 50 banks, seven including SBI, ICICI Bank and Standard 
Chartered have enabled IMPS merchant payments, another five are getting it enabled and the rest are expected to join in due course. 
    IMPS works in several ways. Payments of up to Rs 5,000 a day can be made through a basic handset which facilitates SMS. Higher value payments can be done using smartphones through a downloaded application. The IMPS mobile ID can be used for making online payments just as one would use a credit card or netbanking. It can also be used for payments through websites optimized for mobile phones or through interactive voice response systems (IVRS). 
    Merchants such as the Indian Railways' online booking portal IRCTC, DTH providers, insurance companies and other utilities have enabled payments through IMPS. 
    But the biggest impact would probably be in overthe-counter payments. At a time when the shortage of small coins is resulting in merchants choosing to forego small change or repaying in kind, a natural demand is likely to emerge. 
    The key impediment to IMPS is lack of awareness. Since a transaction involves multiple numbers, including the MMID number and mobile number to be keyed in, it is also a bit cumbersome. Unlike online banking and ATMs, which have been actively championed by banks to reduce traffic at their branches, IMPS does not have that kind of financial incentive for banks. 
    According to Hota, this is a process of evolution. NPCI is planning to introduce mobile payments on the USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data), the service through which prepaid mobile users check their balance. USSD transactions allow live communication between the user and the server. What this means is that even basic phone users will transact real time without the risk of SMS messages being held up in online traffic.

Revolutionary Free Talk Time features rolled out on way2sms

In 2006 - Way2SMS asked "Why can't personal SMSing be FREE?"

2012 - Again Way2SMS questions "Why can't mobile Talk time be FREE?"

Everyday you share so many links and exchange emails with your friends. Along with those, send our advertisers products or brands to your friends via Gmail and Yahoo mail. You get rewarded every time your friend visits advertisers website.

How Can I get Free Talk Time??

Your Contacts, friends and Social Connections are your asset. Now at Way2SMS, You can earn free recharge in 2 ways

1) Share & Win:

Share our advertiser Social ads to your facebook, Twitter friends .

You will get paid for every Unique visitor you drive to advertiser website.

2) Email & Win:

Recommend Our advertisers products services to your Gmail or Yahoo mail contacts.

You will get paid for every Unique visitor you drive to advertiser website.

Way2SMS will reward you with a certain recharge amount for every Unique visitor you drive to advertiser website. You can Convert this amount to recharge after Reaching Rs.10. Way2SMS Supports recharge on all major telecom operators In India.

Dealing with Social Media

Given the double-edged sword that this has become, self-regulation by the platforms is the best option

Salman Khan is famous: he has delivered a series of films grossing . 100 crore-plus. He has a namesake, equally famous, though amongst a different circle of admirers. The latter has set up the eponymous Khan Academy, a website, which Forbes has called "the most influential teaching organisation on the planet." With over 2,410 videos and 129 modules (mainly maths), it has been visited by 63 million people. 
Less widely known, especially to those over 30 years, is Ray William Johnson, the originator of the most-subscribed video channel on YouTube. It has over 5.6 million subscribers and has garnered, incredibly, almost two billion video views. A bigger celebrity, US President Barack Obama, uses Twitter, and his tweets have as many as 18 million followers. Clearly, the reach of the new media is massive — and rapidly growing. For many youngsters, social media is the major means of communication. Little wonder, then, that more and more businesses are using Twitter, Facebook and You-Tube to supplement other media in their marketing efforts to reach the young. Recognising the commercial potential, advertising agencies have set up separate digital media groups, recruiters too are using social media as an important tool for outreach. 
Many companies are yet at the rudimentary step of websites, little realising that those who have not yet begun to use the new media are in danger of being left behind. 
Though social media penetration in India is limited, amongst urban youth, its power — in conjunction with SMS and MMS — was seen recently, through the widespread and instantaneous dissemination of rumours, threats and doctored images. These messages and images ignited passions and spread panic, leading to some violent incidents and a mass exodus from Bangalore. The upheaval caused by the messages and images led the government to impose constraints on the number of SMSs and MMSs that a person could send (first, only five a day, then raised to 20; the limit has now been withdrawn). 
Instructions were issued to block or take down some pages and websites. Given the consequences of dissemination of morphed pictures, particularly in a surcharged environment, many considered some restrictions as reasonable. However, the reported order to take down spoof sites of Prime Minister's Office gave a different turn. It seemed the government was taking cover of 'lawand-order' issues to stifle satire and comment against it. 
The disturbing trend towards censorship — denied, of course, by the government — is exemplified by the demand to remove cartoons from textbooks, the arrest in Kolkata of a professor for creating a satirical cartoon and the removal of some Twitter handles. 
Such politically-motivated moves impinge on freedom of expression and cannot be seen as 'reasonable restrictions'. In a diverse society with politically-created and inflamed sensitivities, there will always be groups that find something or the other offensive. 
On which side — banning the book or curbing rioters and rabble rousers — the heavy hand of law descends, defines the space for freedom. In some instances, this is not an easy decision. In recent years, cities have been held to ransom by motley groups of organised protesters who, generally for political ends, have often indulged in violence. Such groups have succeeded in getting bans imposed on books, art and movies, thanks to weak-kneed governments. Too few have spoken up for freedom. 
Yet, we need to recognise a genuine problem. The new media empowers everyone with access to a computer, or even a mobile phone, to become a 'broadcaster' of content and potentially reach millions, almost instantaneously. 
    While there are the likes of Khan Academy, the scope to spread lies and rumour, aided by technologies that enable morphing of photographs, is as large as the potential to reach out with education or entertainment. Mobilising people through the new media can be done easily, for good or bad. Invasion of privacy and defamation can be done on an unprecedented scale, and recourse is difficult to impossible. 
Clearly, some degree of regulation — as differentiated from censorship or control — may be desirable. The best approach would be self-regulation by the platform providers. A model, News Broadcasting Standards Authority, exists for TV, and it has successfully established its credibility and utility. It is time for the platform providers to set up something similar: an autonomous and empowered group to set standards, handle complaints and recommend removal of objectionable content. 
Asecond — and less desirable — approach is a governmentmandated but independent body, composed solely of respected non-officials. It needs to be akin to the Film Censorship Board, though 'censorship' is clearly a red rag, rather than the 'autonomous' regulators for other sectors. The worst approach is the present one in which the government, acting as both prosecutor and judge, makes decisions in an opaque and arbitrary manner. 
The new media has attracted great attention for its extensive reach and ability to mobilise, especially after the Arab Spring and, in India, the scaremongering and threats following the Assam violence. Yet, technology is not the only means of quick or distorted communication. The uncensorable power of word of mouth — and its ability to spread information or rumour extensively and quickly — is often overlooked. Over three decades ago, it was largely rumours of enforced sterilisation — communicated by word of mouth at a time of media censorship — that brought down a government. As they mull censorship of social media, this is something that the power-that-be may like to keep in mind.

KIRAN KARNIK STRATEGY & POLICY ANALYST

Airtel App to Ease Cell Services for All

Bharti Airtel, the country's leading mobile phone company by revenue and subscribers, will unveil a free app through which cellphone users belonging to any service provider will be able to check outstanding bills, register complaints, activate or deactivate services and even make payments for Airtel services. 

For instance, a Vodafone customer using Airtel's broadband service can download the 'myairtel' app, check his latest bill and pay it on the go, cutting out the need to access Internet on a laptop or calling customer care. 
"We realised that mobile phone users found it more convenient to use apps against the browser for accessing services. Our app uses the cellphone number as a backbone and intuitively picks up all Airtel services associated with it and puts it on the app, giving the user seamless access," said Bharti Airtel's president for consumer business K Srinivas. Non-Airtel subscribers can use the app by paying a one-time SMS authentication charge. 
The Java application can be downloaded on a feature phone as well as a smartphone and is available on Android Marketplace, BlackBerry App World, Nokia Store and will be there soon on App Store.