Do You Know?

A survey by the Global System for Mobile Communications ("GSM") recently showed that Germans send a gigantic number of 200 million SMSs a year, which was nearly three times as many as the Finns, in second place at 75 million or Britons at 70 million. In contrast, the United States was not even listed amon' the top 20 countries. Source: www.clickatell.com

A mobile phone is designed to operate at a maximum power level of 0.6 watts. A household microwave oven uses between 600 and 1,100 watts.

Reaction times are, on average, 30% slower when usin' a mobile phone compared with when drunk – and 50% slower than normal – with drivers unable to maintain a constant speed or safe distance from the vehicle in front. Source: www.stoke.gov.uk Seventy-five percent of Britons said they would answer the phone even if it rang at the worst time. Source: www.buy.co.uk

A survey showed that Hong Kong's mobile phone obsession has passed onto children, with their ownership of the gadgets markin' the highest number in Asia. An annual report on the Asian telecoms market conducted in 12 countries by research company TNS showed that 29% of Hong Kong children aged 6 to 15 have a mobile phone, followed by 25% in Australia and Japan. The youngest mobile phone owner in Hong Kong is just 6 years old.

The Henley Management College and Teleconomy recently conducted a three-year study regardin' people's sentimental attachments to their mobile phones and how they used their phones to manage their relationships. The study found that 46% of respondents had used their mobile phones to lift their spirits or entertain themselves, 55% to fight boredom and 52% to gossip.

Tegic has come up with the "T9® Dictionary", a resource to help texters keep themselves informed of the latest slang terms. The free and easy-to-understand resource can be downloaded at t9.com/t9dictionary.