According to new figures from Nielsen, U.S. teens average 3,339 texts per month as of the Q2 2010.

The company says that averages out to about six messages for every hour the teen is awake during the month.

Furthermore, teens are also using more Internet data on their phones, up from 14MB per month last year to 62MB per month now.

Growth in texting has also resulted in a drop in voice calls, with teens averaging 646 minutes per month in the Q2 2010, compared to 737 in the same quarter last year.

In the survey, teens said texting was easier, faster and more fun than calling. 62 percent also sent messages with content (MMS) including audio, video and pictures.

When asked for their top reasons for owning cell phones, the most teens answered "texting." A full 43 percent gave that response. 35 percent said "safety" and 34 percent also said "keeping in touch with friends."

Girls averaged 4050 messages per month with guys lagging behind at 2539.

Nielsen surveyed 3000 teens for the figures as well as analyzing mobile phone bills for 60,000 wireless subscribers.

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Oracle has issued Java and OpenOffice patches today, patching 29 vulnerabilities that would allow attackers to take control of exploited computers.

28 of the vulnerabilities "could be remotely exploitable without authentication (over a network without the need for a username and password)," says Oracle, via ZD.

The patches are available for users running Windows, Linux and Solaris. Mac users are also vulnerable, but security updates are not expected for another month.

Alarmingly, 15 of the vulnerabilities were given a 10.0 Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS-SIG) severity rating. The scale goes from 1 to 10.

Given the severity, Oracle says you should update your system "as soon as possible."

Check your system for updates here: http://java.com/en/download/installed.jsp

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Update: Back up.


This is a quick blurb for now as there is no other information on the matter but the world's second largest portal, Yahoo.com is currently down with visitors receiving the "Connection Timed Out" error.

Earlier today we reported that AOL and specialty firms were in talks to bid for the portal.

More info as it becomes available.

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Filed in 2008 and granted by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office this week, Apple has been awarded a patent for filtering text message content.

The patent is titled "Text-based communication control for personal communication device."

It is unclear whether the patent will ever find its way into an iOS product but it seems Apple's intention is to cut down on "offensive" texts sent from consumers using Apple devices.

Reads the patent: "One problem with text-based communications is that there is no way to monitor and control text communications to make them user appropriate. For example, users such as children may send or receive messages (intentionally or not) with parentally objectionable language."

Additionally, the patent proposes a way to encourage better grammar in texts. The filtering system can not really work without proper grammar, as many phone users write in shorthand or use words that may not necessarily be in a dictionary, like "LOL."

Apple's patent would disallow the use of non-dictionary words.

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T-Mobile has confirmed today that they will begin throttling smartphone owners that use excessive amounts of data.

Subscribers that hit over 5GB of bandwidth per month will have their speeds throttled at that point.

The carrier says the rule will affect less than 1 percent of its 35 million subscribers.

Reads the announcement:

"Beginning on October 16, T-Mobile will begin to reduce data speeds when a customer reaches 5GB of usage in a billing cycle, in accordance with T-Mobile terms and conditions. This change should only affect extreme data users (less than 1 percent) and is being made to ensure that all subscribers receive the best Web performance available by limiting the number of extreme data users on our network.

The majority of T-Mobile customers should not be affected by this change. The new 5 GB threshold limit, which is equivalent to approximately 125,000 yahoo.com page visits, is enough bandwidth to satisfy most customers' Web and data needs.

If a customer happens to reach the 5GB limit, they will receive a free text message informing them their data speed will be reduced. Customers will continue to have Web browsing capabilities but at slower speeds, which will be determined by their device type. Once their new billing cycle begins, data speeds will no longer be restricted.

Customers can track their data usage through My T-Mobile, MyAccount, or the SIVR."

While subscribers may be upset by the news, it is important to note that Verizon and AT&T no longer offer unlimited data plans, and charge by the MB for any overages over their most expensive 5GB plans.

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Yahoo shares surged as high as $17 today before fading after the WSJ reported last night that the Internet portal company AOL was interested in purchasing it.

In 2008, Microsoft offered $47.5 billion for Yahoo, but the company snubbed the offer.

Today, Yahoo's market cap is under $22 billion and any takeover would command a smaller price than what Microsoft offered just two years ago.

Because AOL can not afford the takeover solo, the company is teaming with specialty firms Blackstone and Silver Lake, known for taking over companies whose stock has fallen out of favor with the market.

Talks are still preliminary.

Microsoft, in 2008, offered $33 a share for Yahoo. The company's stock currently trades at $15.84.

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Analyst Colin McGranahan of Bernstein Research has said today the Apple iPad is the fastest selling gadget of all-time, with an estimated 8.5 million units sold since launch in April.

Leading to the strong sales is the fact that consumers seem to replacing new computer purchases with tablet purchases.

NPD says that 13 percent of iPad owners would have instead purchased a new computer had the tablet not been available.

McGranahan calls the iPad a "runaway success of unprecedented proportion."

Apple has recently made the tablet available via Amazon, Target and Wal-Mart so sales are expected to spike over the holiday season.

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According to the latest IDC Quarterly PC Tracker Survey figures, Apple shipped 1.99 million Macs during the Q3 2010, good for 10.6 percent market share.

For the quarter, a total of 18.9 million PCs were shipped in the United States.

At 10.6 percent, Macs are at their highest share ever in history. Perhaps more importantly, Apple saw 24 percent growth year-on-year whereas other computer makers remained stagnant.

HP stayed on top at 24.3 percent share, with Dell right behind at 23.1 percent.

Overall, Q3 PC shipments rose just 3.8 percent, against an expected 11 percent, so Apple's growth is even more impressive in that regard.

Why is Apple seeing such growth for its Mac line? An IDC analyst says one word: iPad.

"It is very possible that the iPad's marketing right now is impacting [Apple's Mac] business as a halo effect, just like we saw several years ago with the iPod," says David Daoud. "The momentum went on with the iPhone, now it appears the iPad is playing a similar role, stimulating sales across its product line."

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