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SMS As A Reminder

I don't know about you, but I've frequently been out and about when I remembered something I needed to do later. It could be as mundane as returning a movie or remembering to pick up the dry cleaning, but if I can't write it down, it may be lost in the wind. But the reminder service Kwiry can help you stay on top of your tasks with your cell phone.

In a nutshell, you text Kwiry a reminder and it's saved for you online. The reminders can be specific, like "Pay your electric bill," or generic, and they can be viewed in an e-mail or after logging in to Kwiry's Web site. If it's generic, like let's say Chuck Norris, the reminder will also include some of the top search results.

While there are other memory-aid services that integrate the Web and mobile communications -- Remember The Milk stands out as a stellar one -- Kwiry recently added integration with Netflix and Amazon. Being a guy who spends too much time and money on both sites, I had to give it a whirl.

It's a breeze to sign up, as you supply Kwiry with your Netflix and Amazon login information. If you're uncomfortable with that, be sure to give the privacy policy a thorough read. I signed up in minutes and had no problems with either service, although some have complained that the Amazon integration isn't working.

While on the train heading home yesterday, I read a piece about Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man. I had never seen the movie but am a big fan of the director as well as the film's star, Johnny Depp. So, I texted "netflix dead man" to "kwiry," or 59479. When I got home, lo and behold, the movie was in my queue. Whenever Netflix gets back to business, I'll be able to enjoy Depp and Iggy Pop in this (hopefully) bloody Western.

I would have loved to be able to control my queue via text as well, or at least send an individual film to the top of the list. Additionally, it would be amazing to be able to control the Watch Instantly queue by phone as well, but I'm sure those are in the works.

The Amazon integration is OK, but it seems a little superfluous. You text "amazon" and then the name of the product, and it will be added to your wish list. So, I put "amazon madden 09" and the Xbox 360 version was added to my list. Amazon uses your request as a search term, so the more detail the better ("Amazon Madden 09 Playstation 3" gets you what you expect).

I suppose the Amazon service could be a bit useful, but I don't see myself ever using it. If I'm jonesing to give Amazon more of my money, I can just use its TextBuyIt program.

You may be asking why you can't just do this from a mobile browser, and you'd be right. But I've found Kwiry to be a convenient, easy service that I will use in the future to add mountains of videos to my Netflix queue.

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