Sending a text message from your email.

I'm not a big fan of texting. Or, I suppose more precisely, I'm not a big fan of pressing all those buttons. So if I have to send a text message when I'm near my computer, I do it from Outlook, assuming I know the other person's carrier. All you do is address the email to the 10-digit phone number at (@) the domain of the carrier, according to the list below.

AT&T – @txt.att.net
Verizon – @vtext.com
Nextel - @messaging.nextel.com
T-Mobile – @tmomail.net
Sprint PCS - @messaging.sprintpcs.com
Virgin Mobile – @vmobl.com
US Cellular – @email.uscc.net
Boost - @myboostmobile.com
Alltel – @message.alltel.com

In addition to the convenience, imagine what you can do if you get a little creative with your rules in your email. If you need to be notified any time you receive an email from a specific client, set up a rule to text the alert to you. You can probably come up with a few of your own if you put your mind to it.

By the way, I think this is where I'm supposed to tell you that standard text messaging rates apply. So if you get a cell phone bill for $1,100, it's not my fault!