Can you believe text messaging is celebrating it’s 20th anniversary today?  The first ever SMS was sent by mobile engineer Matti Makkonen on this very day (3rd December) in 1992 using the Vodafone network and guess what he said?  Well it wasn’t ‘GR8 2 C U M8’ or ‘OMG LOL’ it was a much simpler ‘Merry Christmas’.

The first SMS (Short Message Service) was sent by Matti to Vodafone director Richard Jarvis and the world hasn’t been the same since.  Over the last 20 years text messages have saved lives, ruined marriages, and created a whole new dialect on the way. 

The number of text messages sent in Britain peaked at the end of last year with 39.7 billion, and is actually down to 38.5 billion this year, following two quarterly declines.  So what is the future for SMS?

Well, there’s no doubt that the smartphone revolution is having an impact on the humble text message, with Twitter, BBM, and iMessage all taking people away from texting.  It’s not surprising really when you think about it; the new messaging formats and technologies deliver the same instant communication but with much richer multi-media content, from embedded video and pictures to hyperlinks and social integration.

We haven’t seen the back of SMS just yet though!  According to a recent survey it’s still the most popular way to message each other with 92% of smartphone users still preferring to text.  But watch this space...we’ll keep you up to date with the latest messaging technology as it emerges!

Over the last few weeks the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet has been getting some pretty good reviews. Therefore I thought I'd share my owns thoughts with you in the video.

The first thing to note (no pun intended) is that the 10.1 differs from the Tab 2 I recently reviewed is that it includes the new Samsung S Pen which delivers a better user experience. This is particularly the case if you use the multitasking feature which allows you to view applications side by side and easily switch between multiple screens. I was also impressed by the office suite which comes out of the box. It's intuitive, fast and has obviously been well thought out.

Watch my short video for a full review of the pen, multitasking and office suite features.

Having attended CCS Insight's ‘Predictions for 2013 and beyond’ conference in London earlier in the week, David and I thought we’d highlight a few of the predictions they made and give our take on each.

"HP acquires RIM"
David says	Waseem says
RIM has had difficulty in presenting its tablet device to business in any great numbers and the new operating system (OS 10) sees BlackBerry move to a new QNX based OS with ActiveSync.  This is an unknown quantity as well as arriving late, after new generations of iOS and Android have had time to penetrate their core user base. I believe HP may have to compete with Amazon if they want to acquire RIM as they too may seek to replace Android with a proprietary OS.  It’s worth noting that the first Amazon Fire tablet shared the same manufacturer as RIM’s PlayBook.	Early reviews of BB10 have been positive and if following their launch event in January BlackBerry sales take-off, talk of takeovers may fade. If they are taken over, a global IT giant would make the best home for what is still the strongest enterprise mobile platform.  However following mistakes made with Palm and now Autonomy, RIM would be advised to steer clear of the imploding PC/printer manufacturer.  If it were me, I’d be heading over to Lenovo.
"Smartphone experiences become more important to consumers than hardware"
David says	Waseem says
As an Apple/Android/BlackBerry/Windows user I would agree.  I use the device which performs best for the task in hand – maybe BlackBerry for voice and email and iPad for applications. This is clearly seen in the homogenized look of the high end smartphones - touch screen rectangles all of them.  Users choose the experience found within the OS not necessarily the hardware.	Interfaces that make your life easier and make you more productive will win both hearts and minds.  And as the guys from CCS Insight say, once you’re past a minimum threshold of screen resolution, storage capacity and camera capability most people stop caring about the hardware unless you introduce mind blowing innovation.
"By the end of 2013 one in four people in the US and Nordic markets will own a tablet"
David says	Waseem says
Why stop at one? Many people will take two tablets in 7-8 inch and then 10+ inch sizes either for themselves or other family members to share.  It becomes more viable when you have Google and Amazon producing high quality devices at sub £200 pricing.	Okay, not a prediction for the UK but the interest and uptake of tablets by UK users could soon match that in the US and the Nordics. If all you do on the old PC in the corner of the room is browse the web, read emails and play games why wouldn’t you go for a tablet?  With the addition of keyboards, enterprise apps and secure connectivity it’s hard to keep them out of the office too.
"Production of premium QWERTY devices will cease by 2014"
David says	Waseem says
Touch screen has won.  If you manufacture a button device it almost screams that your touch screen tech isn't good enough......BlackBerry Storm anyone?	Die-hard BlackBerry fans probably feel like throwing up right now, but in reality touch screen keyboards keep getting better and the added screen real estate is vital to getting the most out of apps. The new touch interface on full screen BB10 devices may help keep lunch down.
"Use of mobile and Web technologies in business and government rise sharply over the next three years as "digital natives" gain senior positions"
David says	Waseem says
Communication using web and mobile media is a more natural method both for traditional internet users and those accustomed to mobile communications. Leading organisations providing services to the public have already created 'apps' to improve interaction and better present information, and businesses with a growing smartphone savvy client base are following suite.	This goes deeper than mailers from my bank showing ‘Appified’ services.  Which as far as I can see don’t really go deeper than giving a service a pretty icon and putting it in a rounded box. Digital natives expect an immediate response, be it human or flawed machine (I’m looking at you Siri) so implementing this level of interaction in future commercial or public sector services will fast become the norm.
"In 2013 Google Play will overtake Apple's App Store in total downloads and catalogue size."
David says	Waseem says
Android is a monster!  It grows daily and has many apps available either free or ad-supported.  Unfortunately unless Google do something to vet applications before they become public the catalogue will include increasing numbers of ‘poisonous’ apps laced with Malware.	I only ever use around 100 mainstream apps (office suite, banking, news, voip, travelling etc) so my immediate response is ‘Urm, okay’. An apps arms race means nothing to me if I can’t find useful apps quickly. Building an ecosystem around an operating system seems to be the path all the leading vendors are talking but I just want access to ‘my’ data and don’t care what platform I access it on.  Bring on Firefox OS I say.

The folks at CCS Insight made 65 predictions this year and we’ll keep you updated on how their forecasts pan out.  You can find out more about their predictions here.

Research In Motion (RIM) have announced an open beta trial for BBM Voice, a new service they’re offering free to all BlackBerry users as part of BBM 7.  Wi-Fi calling from a BlackBerry has been a long sought after feature – particularly for users who travel internationally and want to make savings on calls.  I’ve tested it and it’s very good indeed.

Up and running

Setup is simply a matter of signing up at the BlackBerry Beta Zone and joining the BBM 7 beta.  You’ll receive a unique link to download the software and an activation code which you can use to replace your existing BBM program.  Once you’ve rebooted your phone you’ll need to enter the unique code.  You can’t forward the links they send you because each user must sign up to the programme personally.

Using the service is extremely easy.  BBM continues to work as normal but if both parties are on Wi-Fi you’ll see a green speech bubble icon in the top right corner when you start a BBM chat.  This indicates you’re ready to join a BBM voice chat.  Select the icon and it will ‘dial’ you into a 1 to 1 voice chat.  Sorry, no group calling as yet.

Call quality

In my test, call connection was quite quick and clarity was excellent, although I’m sure this may degrade if you’re going over a public Wi-Fi hotspot. 

Here is an overview of key features:

• Whilst on the call you can switch between the loudspeaker, the handset or any Bluetooth headsets twinned to your BlackBerry
• Initiate a BBM Voice call directly, or instantly switch from a BBM text chat to talk, and back again
• Talk and text at the same time using the split-screen feature.  Check other BBM text chats, check email, or navigate to other apps while engaged on a BBM Voice call
• If it’s not an ideal time to talk, you can simply choose to respond by texting back

Another important feature of BBM version 7 is its integration with your BlackBerry ID, which is designed to back up your BBM profile, groups and contacts so they can automatically be restored in the event you switch to a new BlackBerry smartphone, including to a BlackBerry® 10 device.

Overall this is an excellent and long overdue service addition from RIM which will see a lot of use from international business travellers. 

Technical requirements and instructions on how to setup BBM Voice will be available from RIMs BlackBerry Beta Zone.