uLink ups the ante for free SMS

 

Miguel sent me this buzz regarding uLink with a tag-line “Be unique with uLink”. It turns out to be site for sending Free SMS to Philippine networks! Yes bring free SMS more.

On Join Mobile Freedom

According to the review from PinoyTeens.net, the service is totally free but with an inclusion of advertising link from uLink. To quote:

“The only con that I can think about this Free Philippine SMS Service is that the message that your friend receives is quiet long, containing advertisement from uLink, but, hey, it’s better than paying for a simple text, am I right? And besides, the advertisement that is included in the text you send is for the promotion of their website and probably to get the Free SMS Service better as the demand grows.”

Hey its FREE, I don’t careless if you add up the entire news paper front page.

On Protecting Your Freedom to Communicate.

What does this mean? Dear telco, your monopoly for control on communication is dwindling. Evolve or be left behind. What I’m trying to point out is; telcos should be agnostic and neutral just like how internet ISP works which only provides the means of communication but does not control the content. Some might react - “are you serious? How about spam and scams?”

Hell, let NTC do the policing because they don’t do anything useful anyway! Spams and Scams are natural path of evolution, just like when Internet started there was a lot of scams and spams (the entire dot net boom was a scam if you ask me). However people learn and there’s not much spam and scams floating on the net compared before.

So its your choice; let telcos say what’s good for you and stay ignorant or be free to create what’s good!

Note: Again people, this is not a service endorsement, I don’t work anymore in telecoms nor this is related to my current work. Just read the disclosure below already!

Stupidest application in Facebook: My College Friends

WARNING: This app poses as a Friend Invite, the name and description was crafted to confuse the user unless you check the application page.

See the screen shot I've annotated using FireShot, it explains everything.

Philippine mobile users can send SMS TO (almost) ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD FOR FREE* and telcos don't want you to know about it.

I'm bored! So I'm going to show you a hack on how to send SMS (and soon MMS too) for FREE* and piss off the telcos :D

This hack is based on exploiting the current business models of telcos here in the Philippines (that is my night work; I hack not just servers and codes but also find exploits on business models). This is not new, its been possible since 6 years ago and the telcos didn't want you to know about it.

So don't worry, this hack is valid and will not put you at any risk. There is however a cons to this, only the first 3 160-character message is free, there is a P2.50 charge on the 4th message but the next 3 message will be free again. Somehow it works like this:

• 1st 160 character message - free
• 2nd 160 character message - free
• 3rd 160 character message - free
• 4th 160 character message - P2.50 charge
• 5th 160 character message - free
• 6th 160 character message - free
• and so on...

You may also need to check if there is any additional cost on the recipient but in US its mostly bundled already with their service plan.

Now I know you are eager now to start so here goes (you bastards :D), just follow these steps (UPDATED on 02/04/09):

1. First you must know what is the carrier of your friend at US (check the long list below).
2. Create an email filtering and forwarding scheme using your email provider, you can use free email provider such as GMail:
   
   
   (View Full Size Video)
   
3. Compose an SMS message "M2M <your@email.com> <to-mobile-number> <your message>".
4. Send it 2948
5. If your US friend replies you will get a message from 2948XXXXXXXX (12-digit: access number + post-fix alias)
6. Save this number, this is the permanent number you can use to send him/her an SMS for free by just sending "<to-mobile-number> <message>". Note the M2M and is no longer needed when using this alias.
7. You have to repeat these steps for every new number you wish to send to.
   
   *START RANT*
   
   Telcos has caught-up to the previous trick on sending directly using the <US-mobile-number>@<provider gateway> by restricting the format, but sorry telcos -- my hack will still work simply because you are ignorant about  how technology works... So you better send packing who told you otherwise -- just kidding, its good for us you keep them :))
   
   Anyway, you are still stuck on the stone-age by thinking that you can still control the  technology in the industry for profit and by doing so; restricts our right to fair use and right to communicate (a major violation of our right to free speech and expression!).
   
   *END RANT*

Now check out the list below on how to find the <gateway> per telco worldwide. Take note that MMS doesn't work yet and <to-mobile-number> is usually the 10-digit number unless specified in the list below.

Finally the message might arrive a bit slower because carriers outside US impose a QOS for non-local inbound messages.

That's it, Kung Hei Fat Choi!! Going to sleep now :D

 

List of Carrier Gateways

• 7-11 Speakout (USA GSM): <number>@cingularme.com
• Airtel (Andhra Pradesh, India): <number>@airtelap.com
• Airtel (Karnataka, India): <number>@airtelkk.com
• Airtel Wireless (Montana, USA): <number>@sms.airtelmontana.com
• Alaska Communications Systems" <number>@msg.acsalaska.com
• Alltel Wireless: <number>@message.alltel.com
• aql: <number>@text.aql.com
• AT&T Wireless: <number>@txt.att.net
• AT&T: <number>@mmode.com
  (formerly AT&T, then Cingular, now AT&T Wireless - Original grandfathered rateplan customers)
• AT&T Mobility: <number>@mms.att.net / <number>@txt.att.net / <number>@cingularme.com
  (formerly Cingular)
• AT&T Enterprise Paging: <number>@page.att.net
• BigRedGiant Mobile Solutions: <number>@tachyonsms.co.uk
• Bell Mobility & Solo Mobile (Canada): <number>@txt.bell.ca / <number>@txt.bellmobility.ca
• Boost Mobile: <number>@myboostmobile.com
• BPL Mobile (Mumbai, India): <number>@bplmobile.com
• Cellular One (Dobson): <number>@mobile.celloneusa.com
• Cingular (Postpaid): <number>@cingularme.com
• Centennial Wireless: <number>@cwemail.com
• Cingular (GoPhone prepaid): <number>@cingularme.com (SMS)
• Claro (Brasil): <number>@clarotorpedo.com.br
• Claro (Nicaragua): <number>@ideasclaro-ca.com
• Comcel: <number>@comcel.com.co
• Cricket: <number>@mms.mycricket.com (MMS) / <number>@sms.mycricket.com (SMS)
• CTI: <number>@sms.ctimovil.com.ar
• Emtel (Mauritius): <number>@emtelworld.net
• Esendex: <number>@esendex.net
• Fido(Canada): <number>@fido.ca
• General Communications Inc: <number>@msg.gci.net
• Globalstar (satellite): <number>@msg.globalstarusa.com
• Helio: <number>@myhelio.com
• Illinois Valley Cellular: <number>@ivctext.com
• Iridium (satellite): <number>@msg.iridium.com
• i wireless: <number>.iws@iwspcs.net
• Koodo Mobile (Canada): <number>@msg.koodomobile.com
• Meteor (Ireland): <number>@sms.mymeteor.ie
• Mero Mobile (Nepal): 977<number>@sms.spicenepal.com
• MetroPCS: <number>@mymetropcs.com
• Movicom: <number>@movimensaje.com.ar
• Mobitel (Sri Lanka): <number>@sms.mobitel.lk
• Movistar (Colombia): <number>@movistar.com.co
• MTN (South Africa): <number>@sms.co.za
• MTS (Canada): <number>@text.mtsmobility.com
• Nextel (United States): <number>@messaging.nextel.com
• Nextel (México): <number>@msgnextel.com.mx
• Nextel (Argentina): TwoWay.11<number>@nextel.net.ar
• Personal (Argentina): <number>@alertas.personal.com.ar (call for activation)
• Plateau Wireless (United States): 11digit<number>@smsx.plateaugsm.com
• Plus GSM (Poland): +48<number>@text.plusgsm.pl
• President's Choice (Canada): <number>@mobiletxt.ca
• Qwest: <number>@qwestmp.com
• Rogers (Canada): <number>@pcs.rogers.com
• SL Interactive (Australia): <number>@slinteractive.com.au
• Sasktel (Canada): <number>@sms.sasktel.com
• Setar Mobile email (Aruba): 297+<number>@mas.aw
• Sprint (PCS): <number>@messaging.sprintpcs.com (SMS) / <number>@pm.sprint.com (MMS)
• Sprint (Nextel): <number>@page.nextel.com (SMS) / <number>@messaging.nextel.com (MMS)
• Suncom: <number>@tms.suncom.com
• Sunrise (Switzerland): <number>@gsm.sunrise.ch
• T-Mobile: <number>@tmomail.net
• T-Mobile (Austria): <number>@sms.t-mobile.at
• T-Mobile (UK): <number>@t-mobile.uk.net
• Telus Mobility (Canada): <number>@msg.telus.com
• Thumb Cellular: <number>@sms.thumbcellular.com
• Tigo (Formerly Ola): <number>@sms.tigo.com.co
• Tracfone (prepaid - direct): <number>@mmst5.tracfone.com
• Tracfone (prepaid - indirect): <number>@cingularme.com / <number>@tmomail.net / <number>@vtext.com / <number>@email.uscc.net / <number>@message.alltel.com
• Unicel: <number>@utext.com
• US Cellular: <number>@email.uscc.net (SMS) / <number>@mms.uscc.net (MMS)
• Verizon: <number>@vtext.com (SMS) / <number>@vzwpix.com (MMS)
• Vivo (Brasil): <number>@torpedoemail.com.br
• Virgin Mobile (Canada): <number>@vmobile.ca
• Virgin Mobile (USA): <number>@vmobl.com
• Vodacom(South Africa): <number>@voda.co.za
• YCC: <number>@sms.ycc.ru
• MobiPCS (Hawaii only): <number>@mobipcs.net