If you’re on a limited SMS phone plan and you’re looking for ways to cut down on the amount of messages you send each month, you have two choices. You can either look for a data-based alternative messaging approach (i.e. WhatsApp or Kik) or you can choose to send fewer text messages. However, it looks like you now have a third option available thanks to the folks at 3Shool Wireless. The startup recently launched a new text messaging app called KyshMysh for Android devices.
It works by using its proprietary compression standard that is capable of packing up to 450 English characters into a single SMS. In simpler terms, you can think of KyshMysh as a “zip” utility for text messages. While the secret behind KyshMysh hasn’t been revealed, its developer mentioned that it makes use of a training algorithm that can improve the more you use it. At the moment it is only fluent in English, but 3Shool hopes to get it to work with the top 10 languages used in electronic communications in the future.
If you’re wondering what the benefits are to using text over data – you don’t require data access to use it, which can be costly in certain areas and using text doesn’t require your mobile data radios to be on thus increasing the battery life of your phone. All these factors make KyshMysh a viable solution for folks who rely on SMS more than data. However, one drawback to KyshMysh is that both parties are required to use the app in order to take advantage of the compression technology, if not the compressed message will turn up as gibberish on the receiving end.
KyshMysh is available now on the Android Market for $1.50, and hopefully an iOS version will be released in the future.