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Since the 1980s, I've worked with computers, watched them grow, shrink, change and improve. I've worked with a lot of users and solved a lot of problems in that time too, so I thought this would be a good place to share some of the random things I've found and solved. If you have some odd problem, email me. If I can figure it out I'll post the answer here.

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Location: Mansfield, Texas, United States

I am a veteran computer geek, but I prefer the term 'Hired Gun', since that gives the (misleading) impression that I know what I'm talking about. I have worked on all sizes of system as an engineer, developer, technical support and operations, and at all levels from Operator to CIO.
I have some certifications, but what they are depends on what Microsoft is calling them this week.

If you have a question, and don't mind the answer being posted, email me here, removing the spam stopper.

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Sending SMS Messages to any cellphone

Being the main techy in the family, I am responsible for all technology, upgrades, networking and technical support. Naturally end up with the dregs of computing for my own use, since I have to sacrifice the good bits of my own computer so that others might surf the web. My desktop therefore is now a sad, heavily customized, bastardized and (let's face it) sodomized duct-taped beast that is reasonably functional, totally dependable, and slower than Christmas.

The same rule applies to cell phones. For the last nine years, my cellphone has been a hand me down from my wife.


My current one is a Samsung VGA-100, and it's my webcam phone, so consequently I've taken lost of pictures and sent them to various friends and relatives.


One problem I have with this phone though is its refusal to do text messaging. Instead it has a 'Short Mail' function which is basically slow and horrendous. So if someone sends me a text message, it ends up going to an online Sprint PCS account, and I have to use my in-phone web browser to retrieve it. Not easy, and certainly not fun. What is particularly confusing about this is that all Sprint phones have the ability to receive SMS messages. Sprint (and the other telecoms) simply 'choose' to make this available on some phones and not others.

There is a way round this however, if you and your friends are phone savvy. Sending shortmail messages is fortunately very easy and since they can be sent to email accounts, you can ask your friends to just send messages to your phone's SMS email address instead of the phone number itself.

The following list gives the email address format for most cellphones in the use. Just pick your carrier and change the phone number to yours.

AT&T Wireless 10DigitPhoneNumber@mobile.att.net
Example: 9055556543@mobile.att.net
Cingular 10DigitPhoneNumber@mobile.mycingular.com
Metrocall 10DigitPhoneNumber@page.metrocall.com
Nextel 10DigitPhoneNumber@messaging.nextel.com
Sprint PCS 10DigitPhoneNumber@messaging.sprintpcs.com
T-Mobile 10DigitPhoneNumber@tmomail.net
Verizon 10DigitPhoneNumber@vtext.com
ALLTEL 10DigitPhoneNumber@message.alltel.com

You can test it by sending an email to yourself. I use this for sending systems messages when a monitored system has an issue. Remember, however, that these are text messages, and you will be charged for them at whatever horrendous rate please your carrier.

Happy texting :)

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