March 26 - 1:00am EDT   Yahoo today announced a new version of Yahoo Messenger for Mac that introduces a number of new audio and voice capabilities. Users can now place PC-to-PC calls, as well as Phone Out/In, with a full voice message and SMS service on the Mac. By creating a Phone In account, Yahoo will provide users with a telephone number that they can be reached at from a standard phone, starting at $2.50 per month, and is available in France, the UK and US. [full story]

January 28 - 11:15am EST   Apple's latest iPhone firmware update, version 1.1.3, has revealed an an issue that causes SMS text messages to appear out of order for some users. The issue first appeared on the Cupertino-based company's own support forums on January 15th, according to InformationWeek, and quickly grew into a massive topic that garnered 11,000 views and 193 replies. Most forum posters experiencing the problem appear to be UK-based O2 customers, and Apple has posted a technical note acknowledging the problem with a short explanation. [full story]

January 15 - 6:35pm EST   Announced Tuesday morning, Apple released iPhone 1.1.3 with several security updates (including addressing an important Passcode Lock flaw) along with new features such as Google Map Locator, the ability to send SMS to multiple recipients, customizable home page/icons, and webclips. The download and install is available via iTunes and takes about 10-20 minutes to download and install (depending on your internet connection) and it updates both the software and firmware so it takes a bit longer than you may expect. Unfortunately, our iPhone worked after install, but it took another quick "iTunes activation" -- by placing back into the dock and waiting for the iTunes ... [full story]

December 12 - 12:50pm EST   Several activist groups have submitted a petition to the FCC regarding SMS blocking, filings indicate. The problem, says a coalition include Public Knowledge, Educause and six other groups, is that cellular networks are sometimes blocking bulk text messages without legitimate pretext, hurting operations. One recent example comes from September, when Verizon refused to provide short codes to NARAL Pro-Choice America; although the group only wanted to send out opt-in alerts, Verizon said it would not allow "highly controversial" texts on its network. [full story]