What is TeXBoX?
TeXBoX is a way of sending SMS's around the world for FREE!
But it is also more than that. After sending a TeXBoX SMS, you can continue to exchange text messages,
in a text message "conversation" which enables 2 or more people (there is no limit!) to communicate in what is called a TeXBoX Session. This is not just an open online chat room. You make the choice.
Chat to WHO you want, WHEN you want. As MANY as you want, or as FEW as you want. TEXBOX IS BY INVITATION ONLY!
How is this possible?
TeXBoX is a part of the new revolution in mobile technology which uses the built-in web
browser on your cell phone and the data transfer capabilities(GPRS/3G/HSDPA) of modern mobile networks,
allowing you to communicate via a stream of text messages for free.
The SMS's you send via TeXBoX are paid for by advertising which uses any space in the SMS that
you're not using for your message.
Remember you can enjoy a TeXBoX Session with ANYONE, ANYWHERE in the
world, at ANY TIME. TeXBoX requires no software, no downloads and no special membership.
And of course, it’s FREE!
Before you Start
Do you have the correct settings?
You can use TeXBoX from anywhere in the world where there is GPRS (or better) coverage because TeXBoX
makes use of your phone's data transfer capabilities. All mobile phones manufactured since 2001 have the
necessary data transfer technology, but you will need to make sure that you have the correct
settings on your phone. These settings are specific to your network. If you go to your
phone's "Services" or "WebAccess" menu option (usually represented by a globe icon),
and are able to connect to the internet, then you probably have all the settings you need.
Most new phones come with the settings already installed. If you are unable to connect, then
read on for information on how to get the settings (for free) from your service provider.
Setting up GPRS/3G/HSDPA
Your service provider will supply you with the connection settings. You will need to know your
phone's make and model number. If you don't know them, look underneath the battery, where this
information is usually written.
Vodacom:
- On your mobile phone, dial *111# (in other words type *111# then press the green dial button)
- Select the Phone Settings option (usually #5) from the menu that appears. (do this by selecting the
"Answer" menu option, typing 5, then selecting "Send")
- Select option 1 to choose your mobile phone's make
and model from a list, or option 2 to have Vodacom identify the phone for you.
- Then simply follow the steps provided to have your WAP settings activated.
- You should soon receive an SMS with the necessary settings.
- Save these settings.
- If anything goes wrong, simply start again from the beginning!
- If you are still having trouble, call Vodacom’s call centre on 082 111 or visit a Vodacom outlet
near you.
MTN:
- On your mobile phone, dial *123# (in other words type *123# then press the green dial button)
- Select the Phone Setup option (usually #1) from the menu that appears. (do this by selecting the
"Answer" menu option, typing 1, then selecting "Send")
- Select option 3 (WAP or Internet)
- You should soon receive an SMS with the necessary settings.
- Save these settings.
- If anything goes wrong, simply start again from the beginning!
- If you are still having trouble, call MTN’s call centre on 808 (if you have a contract) or 173
(if you use Pay as You Go) from your mobile phone (or 083 808 from a landline).
Or visit an MTN outlet near you.
CELL C:
- Create a new SMS.
- Enter the word "smartdata" and send the SMS to 0841559911.
- Cell C will send you the settings for your phone.
- If you have any problems dial 140 from your Cell C handset or 084 140 from any other phone.
- Or simply visit a Cell C outlet near you.
Getting Started
Got the settings? As soon as you're able to connect to the internet
using your phone, you're ready to go.
Open your cell phone’s web browser. Usually the globe icon in
the main menu. Enter the web address www.texbox.co.za/home.aspx Follow the prompts and enter your
mobile number, choose a nickname and a password. Then press "login". This will take you to what we call the
TeXHuB. Bookmark this page which is your very own TeXHuB page and so if you navigate here directly (by using the
bookmark) each time you want to TeXBoX you’ll save yourself the need to login again.
How do I Send a TeXBoX SMS?
Sending a TeXBoX SMS is quick and easy
Go to your TeXHuB page as described above (or simply go to the Bookmark you've
created for your TeXHuB page). In your TeXHuB page click
on the "SMS" button. You will be taken to the TeXBoX SMS page. Write your message and then enter the
mobile number of the person you want to send the SMS to and hit the "Send" button. If the recipient of your SMS is a first time TeXBoX
user they will receive an introductory SMS from TeXBoX on your behalf explaining what TeXBoX is and how to reply to your
SMS. Then they will receive your TeXBoX SMS, which arrives as a normal
SMS. It even appears to come from you (note that some networks won't allow us to
do this, and the SMS will appear to come from a generic number). The only difference
with a TeXBoX SMS is that it includes an internet address linking them to your
exclusive TeXBoX Session (which TeXBoX creates automatically when you send a TeXBoX SMS).
If they want to reply to your TeXBoX SMS (for free), all they will have to do is follow that link and their phone will open its
web browser and connect to your Session. Note that in order to leave room for the internet link on your initial
TeXBoX SMS, the SMS will
be limited to 110 characters. The whole
message is included as the first message of your TeXBoX session however, so you
can write a message as long as you like! One last point about sending
a TeXBoX SMS: You will only have to enter the
contact details of someone
once. After that TeXBoX will remember them, and sending an SMS to that person is
as simple as clicking on their name.
Receiving a TeXBoX SMS
So what do you do when you receive a TeXBoX SMS?
First of all - the TeXBoX SMS arrives as a normal SMS. It even
appears to come from the person who sent it (some networks won't allow
us to do this, and the SMS will appear to come from a generic number). The only
difference with a TeXBoX SMS is that it includes an internet address linking you
to the TeXBoX Session (which TeXBoX creates automatically when anyone
sends a TeXBoX SMS). To reply to the TeXBoX SMS, you need to simply
open the internet link. Phones have various different ways
of doing this. Here are a few of the more common ones:
Nokia:
Most Nokia phones allow you to scroll down into the body of the TeXBoX SMS, and
will highlight the internet address. Simply click the center button if you have
one, or choose the Open Link menu Option in Options. Your browser
will be launched, and you will be taken straight to the TeXBoX Session.
Motorola:
Motorola phones all display a GoTo menu option (in the center menu) when they receive
a TeXBoX SMS. Simply select this option, and your browser will be launched, and
you will be taken straight to the TeXBoX Session.
Samsung:
In the Options Menu, select the "Cut Address" option, then highlight the internet
address, then in the Options Menu select Connect.
Your browser will be launched, and you will be taken straight to the TeXBoX Session.
Sony-Ericsson:
Sony-Ericsson phones allow you to scroll into the body of the TeXBoX SMS (usually
you simply scroll up with your toggle button), and will highlight
the internet address. Simply click the toggle button, or choose the Open
menu Option. Your browser
will be launched, and you will be taken straight to the TeXBoX Session.
Taking it further: a TeXBoX Session
The great value of TeXBoX is not just in sending a single SMS, but in entering into a "conversation"
of text messages. How often have you ended up sending many SMS's to-and-fro when you thought you'd only send a "quick" single SMS?
After sending your Initial TeXBoX SMS, you will be presented with the option of
entering the TeXBoX Session which has been created for you. This is where you can
keep exchanging messages for as long as you like. This is also where the person to whom you have sent your initial TeXBoX SMS, will send their replies. It is also possible to add more people
to your TeXBoX session, and create an instant (by invitation only) chat room! In
the Session you and your guest (or guests) can send messages that are as long
as
you like. Really! As long as you like! FOR as long
as you like!
How do I use a TeXBoX Session?
When inside your TeXBoX Session, you have four buttons to choose from:
"Refresh", "Write", "SMS", and "Exit"
Refresh
TeXBoX sessions automatically refresh every 20 seconds
so that you can see new messages posted by other people in the session. However some mobile phone browsers block this automatic
refresh, and so if you notice that the conversation hasn't progressed for a while, simply click on the "Refresh" button to refresh
your session window, and see all the new messages. If you are using Opera Mini, use that browser's "refresh hotkey" combination -
the # key followed by the 0 key. If this happens to you regularly, change the settings on your browser, find out if it has a "hot-key"
to refresh or reload the page, or download a different browser!
Write
Click "Write" to compose a new message. A
box will appear in which
you should compose your message, and then click "Send". That’s all. Everyone who is in the Session will see
what you have written. Each person's message follows their name, and the time at which they sent the message.
The most recent messages are at the top of the page, with the oldest at the bottom. You will also see
TeXBoX "system messages" which will inform you when your TeXBoX SMS has been delivered, when people
are writing a message, and when people connect to, or leave a TeXBoX Session.
SMS
Click on "SMS" to send an SMS from the TeXBoX session, either to a participant in
the session who is not presently connected, or to someone new, which has the effect of
adding a new participant to your TeXBoX Session.
TeXBoX will send a TeXBoX SMS from you (see How do I Send a TeXBoX SMS?), which
(like all TeXBoX SMS's) will include the internet link to your Session.
Remember you can add as many people to your Session as you wish.
Exit
Click on the "Exit" button when you have
finished and wish to leave the Session.
The Session can be resumed at any time (but will be deleted from the TeXBoX servers
after 10 days of inactivity).
How do I Resume a TeXBoX Session?
One of the great features of TeXBoX is that you can resume a TeXBoX
session later, and pick up a conversation where you left off! To resume a TeXBoX Session navigate to your personal
TeXHuB page (the one you bookmarked when you first started) and simply click on the "Sessions"
button. Each recent active Session is then displayed with the day and time of its launch, and the people who are a
part of the Session (excluding yourself). Select to open the Session
of your choice and you will see your TeXBoX Session just as you left it. If there is no "Sessions" button visible on your TeXHuB page, there are no active Sessions available for you to resume!
TeXBoX will automatically delete inactive Sessions from the server after 10 days.
Who pays for TeXBoX?
Although a TeXBoX SMS is free for you to send, someone has to pay for it, right?
Yes of course, because there isn't a mobile service provider in the world that will deliver an SMS out of the goodness of their hearts! (Although we wish there was
...) The people who pay for the TeXBoX SMS's you send are the people who advertise on TeXBoX. This advertising happens in two ways:
1] Advertising on SMS
A standard TeXBoX SMS can accommodate a message of 110 characters (because of
the built-in internet link). If the message you are sending is fewer characters than that then the extra characters will be used to place
a text advertisement. The person advertising in this way is willing to pay for your SMS in return for you allowing them to advertise!
2] Advertising in a Session
When you engage in a long "conversation" on TeXBoX, you will see that
occasionally a text advertisement pops into your conversation. These advertisements are marked clearly as such, and cannot be
misunderstood as something that anyone has said. These advertisements pay for your SMS's, and we hope you agree that putting up with
some advertising is a small price to pay for getting free SMS's!
Alerts on Sessions
If you aren't connected to a TeXBoX session and someone adds a message to the session
(perhaps replying to your SMS), then TeXBoX will automatically send that message to you
by SMS. This means that you don't have to stay connected to TeXBoX while you wait for
others to respond. Note that only the first message that you miss is sent to you by SMS,
or it could get irritating! If you want to turn off this automatic alert, simply click on
Sessions from your TeXHuB, and then click on the link next to the session (which will read Alert ON).
To turn the alert back on again, do exactly the same (except that of course now
the link will read Alert OFF).
What type of Advertising?
TeXBoX will never attach an offensive advertisement to your SMS or session. At TeXBoX control we carefully monitor and vet all advertisements that are displayed
through TeXBoX. You will never find an advertisement that includes offensive language,
that is advertising adult material, alcohol or cigarettes, because we are aware
that many SMS's are sent to young people. We do our utmost to ensure that nothing
offensive is contained in any of our advertisements, but if there is anything you
do find offensive please contact TeXBoX immediately to report it. We will suspend
the advertisement in question as soon as we receive the complaint, while we review
it.
What format does TeXBoX use for mobile numbers?
TeXBoX uses a standard international format: the 2-digit country code followed by the mobile number
without the leading zero, and without any plus sign. So for instance all South African cell
numbers must be preceded by the country code 27, followed by the mobile number, like this:
27831234567.
What if I don't like my phone's browser?
Some phone's browser's are not particularly good, and so if you find your browser clumsy or difficult
to use we recommend using an excellent mobile phone browser called Opera, which like TeXBoX is FREE! Simply
navigate to www.opera.com, and download either the Opera browser
version for your specific phone, or Opera Mini which works on just about every phone capable of a
GPRS connection. When using Opera, simply set your Opera home page as your personal TeXHuB page
(after login) and TeXBoX will work perfectly! When you receive a TeXBoX SMS, simply follow the open your Opera
Browser, and navigate to the link in the TeXBoX SMS . You will find yourself right in the TeXBoX Session!
What is TeXWeB?
Because TeXBoX operates using standard internet protocols, it also works
with your computer’s web browser. You can therefore send TeXBoX SMS's from your computer,
and enter the TeXBoX Session on your computer, and chat away! TeXBoX enables private communication between computers and mobile phones,
mobile phones and computers, and even between computers and other computers. The interface is better
on a computer, just because it’s bigger! Select
TeXWeB from the left hand menu. Login just as you would on your phone, and you'll find your TeXHuB there,
with all your active Sessions and contacts! Bookmark your TeXHuB page, so you can get back there without logging in again. Happy TeXBoXinG!