<Begin Forward> TEXT MESSAGING VIA THE TUBE UK startup Wireless Ocean has developed a system that enables users to send and receive cell phone text messages via the television set. The Text2TV system features a small set-top box that plugs into the cell phone's data port and one of the TV set's multimedia SCART channels. When the TV viewer receives a text message, it's displayed on the TV screen. The user can reply using either the TV's remote control (if it's equipped with text characters, as is the case with Britain's Sky TV service), or the virtual keyboard on the screen. "It'll be perfect for those 'did you see that?' moments, when you're watching the football and want to talk about it with distant friends or family," says Wireless Ocean spokesman Selwyn Lloyd. (New Scientist 20 Jun 2002) http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99992431 <End Forward>