Morse Code Research is a form of textual transmission as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that are interpreted by a skilled listener. International Morse Code encodes the Roman alphabet, Arabic numerals, and a small set of punctuation as standardized sequences of short and long “dots” and “dashes”. Since many non-English languages have more than 26 letters there are extensions to the Morse alphabet.

The speed of Morse code is measure in WPM. A dot is one “on” element followed by an off while a dash is three “ons” and one “off”. Every character is a combination of dots and dashes. The shorter sequences are used for commonly used English letters.

Samuel F. B. Morse’s electric telegraph originally had a different code created for it in the early 1840′s. Later Morse code was created and used extensively for early communication. Most international communication used Morse code on telegraph lines and radio circuits. Morse code was poorly suite for computer reception so machine to machine communication generally used frequency shift keying or phase shift keying.

Although no longer requiring licensing in most countries many pilots and air traffic controllers are familiar with Morse code. Morse is often used in place of voice communications for sending automated digital data. Morse is also one of the simplest and versatile methods for and is often used for emergency signals.

In 1844, a system for was first used. It made indentations on a paper tape when currents were received. Morse code was invented to translate the indentations marked on the paper tape. The earliest part of the code was meant to only translate numerals; however, expanded it to include letters and special characters.

In the 1920′s Morse code was used on a regular basis for aviation. The first noted use on a plane was when the Southern Cross had a crewmen was a radio operator who communicated with ground stations via radio telegraph. In the 1930′s both civilian and military pilots were required to know how to use Morse Code. During World War II radio telegraphy used Morse Code and carried messages between various Navys. It was also used by airplanes during the war. Moving units within the army also would not have been efficient without the use of radio telegraphy. Up until 1999 Morse code was an international standard for maritime communications.

Morse code has been used longer than any other electrical coding system. The code has evolved from what it originally was. However, now Morse code is seldom used except in historical re-enactments. Up until 2003 operators were required to be licensed in Morse Code.

Due to the use of an on-off keyed radio signal Morse code requires less complex transmission equipment than other forms of radio communication. It is usually received as a high pitched audio tone so transmissions are easier to copy than voice through noisy frequencies. Also since they are transmitted with a very concentrated power it is possible to use narrow receiver filters that suppress or eliminate interference. Since the relative speed of Morse Code is relatively slow many abbreviations were developed to speed communication. http://www.redorbit.com/education/reference_library/general-2/inventions/2583618/morse_code/ Before cell phones even before telephones, people communicated through Morse code. Despite being a technology that is over 160 years old, it’s still used today among amateur radio users and on some ships. If you were in Boy Scouts, you might have messed around with Morse code or maybe you had a grandpa who used it on his ham radio. While you might not find any particular use for Morse code in your daily life, learning Morse is a fun and engaging hobby you can share with gramps and an interesting man skill to possess.

The History of Morse code Morse code was invented by Samuel F. B. Morse in the 1830s. He began work on the electric telegraph in 1832, developed a practical system in 1844, and patented his technology in 1849. The code that Morse developed for use with his system went through a few transformations before arriving at the code we’re familiar with today. Initially, Morse code only transmitted numbers. The transmission’s receiver would then have to use a dictionary to translate the numbers into words. But that proved to be tedious. Soon the code was expanded to include letters and even punctuation.

In 1844, Morse appeared before Congress to show off his little machine. The first public message was transmitted on May 24, 1844. It was “What God hath wrought.”

The original telegraph system had an apparatus on the receiving end that spat out a string of paper with indentations on it. Short indentations were called “dots” and the longer ones “dashes.” As telegraph users became more proficient with the code, they soon dispensed with the paper tape and deciphered code by year. Self made tycoon Andrew Carnegie worked as a telegraph operator as a boy. He set himself apart by learning to decipher Morse code by ear.

Ten years after the first telegraph line opened in 1844, over 23,000 miles of line crossed the country. The telegraph and Morse code had a profound effect on the development of the American West. Railroad companies used it to communicate between their stations and telegraph companies began to pop up everywhere, shortening the amount of time needed to communicate across the country. During this period, European countries had developed their own system of Morse code. The code used in America was called American Morse code or often Railroad Morse code. The code used in Europe was called Continental Morse code.

In the 1890′s radio communication was invented and Morse code was used for transmitting messages at sea. As radio frequencies got longer and longer, international communication soon became possible and a need for an international standard code developed. In 1912, the International Morse code was adopted for all international communication. However, many railroads and telegraph companies continued using Railroad Morse code because it could be sent faster. Today, American Morse code is nearly extinct. A few amateur radio users and Civil War re-enactors still keep it alive.

Morse code became extremely important in maritime shipping and aviation. Pilots were required to know how to communicate using Morse code up until the 1990s.

Today Morse code is primarily used among amateur radio users. In fact, up until 2007, if you wanted to get your amateur radio license in America, you had to pass a Morse code proficiency test.

Learning Morse code Learning Morse code is like learning any language. You have to practice, practice, practice. We’ve brought together some resources to help you get started on the path to becoming a master telegraph operator. Who knows? Maybe you can start your own telegraph shop.

Get familiar with the code. The first thing you’ll need to do is get familiar with what the alphabet looks like in Morse code. Below I’ve included the International Morse code alphabet. Print it off, carry it around with you, and study it during your free time. (In order to download the image, right click it and hit “save.”)

Tips to make Morse code memorization easier Count the number characters. Knowing the number of characters in each letter can help you narrow down your possibilities when you receive a message. T, E= 1 character each A, I, M,N= 2 characters D, G, K, O, R, S, U, W= 3 characters B, C, F, H, J, L, P, Q, V, X, Y, Z= 4 characters each Reverse letters. Some letters are the reverse of each other in Morse code. For example “a” is “._” while “n” is “_.” Here are the rest of the letters that are the reverse of each other: a & n d & u g & w b & v f & l q & y http://www.artofmanliness.com/2008/10/09/morse-code/

The original "MORSE CODE" used by since the 1840's to allow letters to be sent as short electrical signals (dots) and long electrical signals (dashes) along with some embedded spaces was also called the "AMERICAN" MORSE CODE. It was widely used throughout Europe and America in very early (mid 1800's) land-line communications and has continued to be used to the present in America for this form of Land-Line telegraphic communication in which the signals were carried across the land by lines (wires) supported by telegraph poles.

Land-line communications use "sounders" to allow the receiving operator to "hear" the clicking sounds of the code and to translate them into letters. The early "Morse Code" was well suited for this form of communication but could not easily be used for radio telegraphic communication due to the embedded spaces which were actually an integral part of several letters. For instance, the letter " o " was dot- space-dot in the original Morse Code.

The original "Morse Code" was replaced in England in the 1800's by a somewhat similar code which eliminated all of the embedded spaces and long dashes within letters that were found in many of the letters in the original Morse code. For instance, the letter " o " became Dash-Dash-Dash.

This new code was called the "CONTINENTAL" or "INTERNATIONAL" MORSE CODE and became the universal standard for Radio Telegraph Communications and for ** European land-line telegraphic communications. It was only in America that the original Morse Code continued to be used by railroad and inter-city land-line telegraph operators well into the 1960's.

Here is a list which shows the dot and dash equivalents of letters and numbers in the Original Morse code (American Morse Code), and the Continental (International) code.

An explanation of the timing and length of the characters follows the lists.

EXPLANATION OF SPACING AND TIMING: To standardize the International Code Transmission Speed, the 5-letter word PARIS is used to establish the number of ''words-per-minute''. For example, if the word PARIS was sent 5 times in a minute, the transmission speed would be 5-words-per-minute or WPM.

The following relationships exist between the elements of the code (dits and dahs), the characters (letters) and the words: The DIT is the Basic UNIT of Length. The DAH is equal in length to three DITS. The space between the DITS and DAHS within a character (letter) is equal to one DIT. The space between characters (letters) in a word is equal to three DITS. The space between words is equal to seven DITS. (Source: U.S. Army Technical Manual TM-11-459/TO 31-3-16 - Sept. 1957)

SPEED IN WORDS-PER-MINUTE or WPM: The following information about the calibration of the speed of transmission in WPM (Words-Per- Minute) was provided by Marshall Emm, N1FN.

There are two standards-- for most practical purposes, and the one that most hams are familiar with, the speed in WPM is defined as the number of times the word "PARIS" is sent in one minute with normal 1:3:7 spacing and weighting. "PARIS" was chosen because it has the right number of dits and dahs to represent an average word length in Morse.

In fact, though, that is the standard for "plain English text" having a normal distribution of characters. There is anothere standard word, "CODEX" which is used where the material being sent consists of code groups, in which longer letters like J and X will occur as frequently as the short ones like E and T. I think I have also heard that either "12345" or "67890" can be used where the traffic is entirely numeric, and I would bet there is yet another standard "word" for traffic with mixed letters and numbers.

In Europe they measure speed in "signs" or "symbols" per minute, and I don't know if they have a standard symbol set that they use for calibration. Maybe someone else on the list can fill on this. Thomas Roth, DL1CQ writes from Germany: It's the same over here. We also use PARIS as the standard word. The regular speed for exams, which took about 15 minutes for sending and receiving each, used to be 60BPM over here in Germany before they started watering things down. BPM is "Buchtstaben (letters) Pro Minute". So that corresponded exactly to your 12WPM standard. That is/was for hams only.

To get a radio certificate for the merchant navy you had to send and receive 15 minutes of 90BPM or 18WPM of mixed groups (letters and numbers), and 120BPM or 24WPM for clear text and all kinds of simulated traffic without interruption and you were allowed exactly ZERO mistakes on receiving and 3 mistakes on sending. http://w1tp.com/percode.htm

Morse code is a method of transmitting textual information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment. The International Morse Code encodes the Roman alphabet, the Arabic numeralsand a small set of punctuation and procedural signals as standardized sequences of short and long "dots" and "dashes", or "dits" and "dahs". Because many non-English natural languages use more than the 26 Roman letters, extensions to the Morse alphabet exist for those languages.

Morse code speed is specified in words per minute (WPM) and associated with an "element time" equal to 1.2 seconds divided by the speed in WPM. A dot consists of an "on" element followed by an "off" element, and a dash is three "on" elements and one "off" element. Each character is a sequence of dots and dashes, with the shorter sequences assigned to the more frequently used letters in English – the letter 'E' represented by a single dot, and the letter 'T' by a single dash. A speed of 12 WPM is therefore associated with an element time of 100 milliseconds, so each dot is 100 ms long and each dash is 300 ms long, each followed by 100 ms of silence.

A related but different code was originally created for Samuel F. B. Morse's electric telegraph in the early 1840s. In the 1890s it began to be extensively used for early radio communication before it was possible to transmit voice. In the early part of the twentieth century, most high-speed international communication used Morse code on telegraph lines, undersea cables and radio circuits. However, on- off keying, variable character lengths, the limited character set and the lack of forward error correction are inefficient and poorly suited to computer reception, so machine-to-machine communication generally uses frequency shift keying (FSK) or phase shift keying (PSK) and encodes text in the Baudot, ASCII and Unicode character sets.

Morse code is most popular among amateur radio operators although it is no longer required for licensing in most countries, including the US. Pilots and air traffic controllers are usually familiar with Morse code and require a basic understanding. Aeronautical navigational aids, such as VORs and NDBs, constantly identify in Morse code. Because it can be read by humans without a decoding device, Morse is sometimes a useful alternative to synthesized speech for sending automated digital data to skilled listeners on voice channels. Many amateur radio repeaters, for example, identify with Morse even though they are used for voice communications.

For emergency signals, Morse code can be sent by way of improvised sources that can be easily "keyed" on and off, making it one of the simplest and most versatile methods oftelecommunication. http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Morse_code.html

International Morse Code Morse code has been in use for more than 160 years—longer than any other electrical coding system. What is called Morse code today is actually somewhat different from what was originally developed by Vail and Morse. The Modern International Morse code, or continental code, was created by Friedrich Clemens Gerke in 1848 and initially used for telegraphy between Hamburg and Cuxhaven in Germany. Gerke changed nearly half of the alphabet and all of the numerals resulting substantially in the modern form of the code. After some minor changes, International Morse Code was standardized at the International Telegraphy Congress in 1865 in Paris, and was later made the standard by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Morse's original code specification, largely limited to use in the United States and Canada, became known as American Morse code or railroad code. American Morse code is now seldom used except in historical re-enactments.

Aviation In aviation, instrument pilots use radio navigation aids. To ensure that the stations the pilots are using are serviceable, the stations all transmit a short set of identification letters (usually a two-to-five-letter version of the station name) in Morse code. Station identification letters are shown on air navigation charts. For example, the VOR based at Manchester Airport in England is abbreviated as "MCT", and MCT in Morse code istransmitted on its radio frequency. In some countries, if a VOR station begins malfunctioning it broadcasts "TST" (for "TEST"), which tells pilots and navigators that the station is unreliable. In Canada, the identification is removed entirely to signify the navigation aid is not to be used.[17]

Amateur radio Vibroplex brand semiautomatic key (generically called a "bug"). The paddle, when pressed to the right by the thumb, generates a series of dits, the length and timing of which are controlled by a sliding weight toward the rear of the unit. When pressed to the left by the knuckle of the index finger, the paddle generates a singledah, the length of which is controlled by the operator. Multiple dahs require multiple presses. Left-handed operators use a key built as a mirror image of this one.

International Morse code today is most popular among amateur radio operators, where it is used as the pattern to key a transmitter on and off in the radio communications mode commonly referred to as "" or "CW" to distinguish it from spark transmissions, not because the transmission was continuous. Other keying methods are available in radio telegraphy, such as frequency shift keying.

The original amateur radio operators used Morse code exclusively, since voice-capable radio transmitters did not become commonly available until around 1920. Until 2003 the International Telecommunication Union mandated Morse code proficiency as part of the amateur radio licensing procedure worldwide. However, the World Radiocommunication Conference of 2003 made the Morse code requirement for amateur radio licensing optional.[18] Many countries subsequently removed the Morse requirement from their licence requirements.[19]

Until 1991 a demonstration of the ability to send and receive Morse code at a minimum of five words per minute (wpm) was required to receive an amateur radio license for use in the United States from the Federal Communications Commission. Demonstration of this ability was still required for the privilege to use the HF bands. Until 2000 proficiency at the 20 wpm level was required to receive the highest level of amateur license (Amateur Extra Class); effective April 15, 2000, the FCC reduced the Extra Class requirement to five wpm.[20] Finally, effective on February 23, 2007 the FCC eliminated the Morse code proficiency requirements from all amateur radio licenses.

While voice and data transmissions are limited to specific amateur radio bands under U.S. rules, Morse code is permitted on all amateur bands — LF, MF, HF, UHF, and VHF. In some countries, certain portions of the amateur radio bands are reserved for transmission of Morse code signals only.

The relatively limited speed at which Morse code can be sent led to the development of an extensive number of abbreviations to speed communication. These includeprosigns, Q codes, and a set of Morse code abbreviations for typical message components. For example, CQ is broadcast to be interpreted as "seek you" (I'd like to converse with anyone who can hear my signal). OM (old man), YL (young lady) and XYL ("ex-YL" — wife) are common abbreviations. YL or OM is used by an operator when referring to the other operator, XYL or OM is used by an operator when referring to his or her spouse. QTH is "location" ("My QTH" is "My location"). The use of abbreviations for common terms permits conversation even when the operators speak different languages.

Although the traditional telegraph key (straight key) is still used by some amateurs, the use of mechanical semi-automatic keyers (known as "bugs") and of fully automatic electronic keyers is prevalent today.Software is also frequently employed to produce and decode Morse code radio signals.

Other uses A U.S. Navy seaman sends Morse code signals in 2005.

Through May 2013 the First, Second, and Third Class (commercial) Radiotelegraph Licenses using code tests based upon the CODEX standard word were still being issued in the United States by the Federal Communications Commission. The First Class license required 20 WPM code group and 25 WPM text code proficiency, the others 16 WPM code group test and 20 WPM code text test. It was also necessary to pass written tests on operating practice and electronics theory. A unique additional demand for the First Class was a requirement of a year of experience for operators of shipboard and coast stations using Morse. This allowed the holder to be chief operator on board a passenger ship. However, since 1999 the use of satellite and very high frequency maritime communications systems (GMDSS) has made them obsolete. (By that point meeting experience requirement for the First was very difficult.) Currently only one class of license, the Radiotelegraph Operator Certificate, is issued. This is granted either when the tests are passed or as the Second and First are renewed and become this lifetime license. For new applicants it requires passing a written examination on electronic theory, as well as 16 WPM code and 20 WPM text tests. However the code exams are currently waived for holders of Amateur Extra Class licenses who obtained their operating privileges under the old 20 WPM test requirement. Radio navigation aids such as VORs and NDBs for aeronautical use broadcast identifying information in the form of Morse Code, though many VOR stations now also provide voice identification. [21] Warships, including those of the U.S. Navy, have long used signal lamps to exchange messages in Morse code. Modern use continues, in part, as a way to communicate while maintaining radio silence. Submarine periscopes include a .

Applications for the general public Representation of SOS-Morse code.

An important application is signalling for help through SOS, "· · · – – – · · ·". This can be sent many ways: keying a radio on and off, flashing a mirror, toggling a flashlight and similar methods. SOS is not three separate characters, rather, it is a prosign SOS, and is keyed without gaps between characters.[22]

Morse code as an assistive technology Morse code has been employed as an assistive technology, helping people with a variety of disabilities to communicate. Morse can be sent by persons with severe motion disabilities, as long as they have some minimal motor control. An original solution to the problem that caretakers have to learn to decode has been an electronic typewriter with the codes written on the keys. Codes were sung by users; see the voice typewriter employing morse or votem, Newell and Nabarro, 1968.

Morse code can also be translated by computer and used in a speaking communication aid. In some cases this means alternately blowing into and sucking on a plastic tube ("sip-and-puff" interface). An important advantage of Morse code over row column scanning is that, once learned, it does not require looking at a display. Also, it appears faster than scanning.

People with severe motion disabilities in addition to sensory disabilities (e.g. people who are also deaf or blind) can receive Morse through a skin buzzer.[citation needed].

In one case reported in the radio amateur magazine QST, an old shipboard radio operator who had a stroke and lost the ability to speak or write could communicate with his physician (a radio amateur) by blinking his eyes in Morse. Another example occurred in 1966 when prisoner of war Jeremiah Denton, brought on television by his North Vietnamese captors, Morse-blinked the word TORTURE. In these two cases interpreters were available to understand those series of eye-blinks.

In computer science, a dichotomic search is a search algorithm that operates by selecting between two distinct alternatives (dichotomies) at each step. It is a specific type of divide and conquer algorithm. A well-known example is binary search.

Abstractly, a dichotomic search can be viewed as following edges of an implicit binary tree structure until it reaches a leaf (a goal or final state). This creates a theoretical tradeoff between the number of possible states and the running time: given k comparisons, the algorithm can only reach O(2k) possible states and/or possible goals.

Some dichotomic searches only have results at the leaves of the tree, such as the Huffman tree used in Huffman compression, or the implicit classification tree used in Twenty Questions. Other dichotomic searches also have results in at least some internal nodes of the tree, such as a dichotomic search table for Morse code. There is thus some looseness in the definition. Though there may indeed be only two paths from any node, there are thus three possibilities at each step: choose one onwards path or the other, or stop at this node. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morse_code

Samuel Morse, inventor: 1836 Samuel Morse invents electric telegraph able to send messages up to 500 yards! 1842 Morse erects circuit between Wash. DC and – 38 miles; few interested 1844 Sends “What God hath wrought” to Capitol 1845 Forms the “Magnetic Telegraph Company” 1847 Received patent for electric telegraph 1847 Patent contested; built telegraph in Europe Paid $80,000; Netherlands to Turkey 1853 Invention upheld by U.S. Supreme Court 1872 Samuel Morse dies, 80 years old

Early American Telegraph Companies: 1851 New York Telegraph Co. formed; lines from New York City to Boston & St. Louis. Based on Morse's success in Europe 1852 Dozens of other local companies formed but very limited due to no “long lines” 1854 Samuel Morse returns to United States 1856 New York Telegraph Co. buys up most local companies; renamed Western Union 1861 Western Union completes lines from Omaha to Sacramento – coast-to-coast 1869 Transcontinental Railroad completed

Stringing the Line to Sacramento 1851 – Western Union formed 1861 – telegraph lines spanned the continent

Early Development 1861 Telegraph/Western Union becomes huge asset to Union Army during Civil War 1865 Western Union enters agreement with the railroads to share lines 1880s Railroads arrive in NM, TX, AZ; railroad & Western Union lines connect army forts for communications & the Indian Wars 1886 Geronimo, Nana, Naiche (son of Cochise), Mangas, etc. surrender at Skeleton Canyon

CW GOES QRT 1940s Morse code replaced by teletype for most news services, messaging except maritime 1970s Morse code eliminated by the railroads 1992 Conversion to GMDSS on ships begins (Global Marine Distress Safety System vs. manned CW) 1993 WCC closed; operated remotely from KPH 1995 Coast Guard ends monitoring CW distress freq. Commercial maritime CW stations begin to close 1999 KPH last station to end maritime CW; using SITOR June 1999 – The death of commercial CW http://www.azscqrpions.org/WIRELESS_TALK.pdf

Perhaps the most famous "word" in Morse Code is SOS. Contrary to popular belief, SOS does not mean “save our ship,” although it often did just that. Rather, it was chosen as the international Morse code , because the three dots for S and the three dashes for O (... --- ...) make a clear and distinct signal.

Before SOS became the standard radio distress signal, there were others. CQ (“seek you”) was a general call to any station. D was internationally recognized in telegraph cable traffic to precede urgent messages, thus CQD (-.-. --.- -..) meant “urgent message to any station.”

At the First Congress of in 1903, the Italians suggested SSSDDD (...... -.. -.. -..) to combine the distinct three dots of the S with the urgency of the D. German radio operators used SOE (... --- .) but quickly realized that the single dot of the E could get easily lost in the static noise. For that reason they had already shifted to SOS by the time of its adoption at the International Radio Telegraphic Convention of 1906. The United States did not adopt SOS until after the Titanic disaster in 1912.

A handful Nokia engineers used morse code as their standard alert tone when short message service (SMS) messages were received, of course the morse code reads SMS.This was implemented by them circa 1985 (guess).

In 1995, the United States Coast Guard ended the use of Morse Code transmissions in its maritime communications service, signaling the end of an era in the history of communications.

While morse is nowdays commercially unused, and no longer examined for radio licences, it does have widespread use in Amateur Radio, and oddly the @ symbol is formally allocated as a new international Morse Code character in February 2004. The new sign, known as a "commat," consists of the signals for "A" (dot-dash) and "C" (dash-dot-dash-dot), with no space between them.

In 2008 a WW2 morse code key was dropped into the Indian Ocean on 28 April as part of a remembrance service for the lost crew of HMAS Sydney which was sunk in 1941. http://www.ieeeghn.org/wiki/index.php/Morse_Code

HOW IS MORSE CODE USED TODAY? Morse code was once widely used World over by almost everyone needing distant communication. Military, overseas shipping and the railroad relied on Morse code to provide reliable messages via wires. After the invention of radio during the first years of the 1900s, communication became more widespread and predictable. Industries relied on it to send simple and rapid messages to their distant clients and employees.

Communication today relies upon satellites, a complex grid and advanced technology to speed messages rapidly World-wide. The internet has increased information flow and ease of contact in almost unimaginable ways. However, old technology has a way of creeping back, since it is simple, relatively inexpensive and does not depend on the fragile grid systems of modern technology. Morse code operators stand ready to help in dire emergencies, grid failures, or war!

At Code Quick, we have always used an analogy to the old farm "out house." The technology might not be up to date, but it is certainly comforting to know there is one to fall back on if advanced plumbing fails.

Consider the following: Amateur radio operators use Morse code extensively for contests, during which rapid connections are imperative. Morse code know as continuous wave transmissions or CW, requires a small footprint and therefore is readable when pileups occur on radio bands. The larger the amount of data to be transferred, the larger the amount of bandwidth required. can be constructed cheaply without modulation and run much less power than with more sophisticated equipment.

Navigation help airline pilots find and maintain proper headings even today.

Flashing light Morse even from a flashlight may be read several miles away for a lost sailor or hunter.

Countless snowstorm rescues have been recorded by stranded drivers flashing an SOS signal on a flashing light. Mirrors accomplish the same thing during the day. The user directs a mirrored sun reflection and then blocks it with his other hand or piece of cardboard flashing out the Morse code signal.

Medical uses allow the severely handicapped person to tap or blink out a message that can now be ready by computers, giving new hope and meaning to life for sufferers.

A new method for using Morse code involves cell phones and text messages entered from an iambic keyer on the cell phone face. It seems that experienced Morse code operators can enter the text much faster than a QUERTY keyboard operator and can do it without looking at the keyboard. Who knows how brilliant minds will conceive of ways to use this simple technology in the future. In the mean time, knowing code might just allow you to survive, especially in times of catastrophe or national emergency. http://www.cq2k.com/about_morse_code/how_is_morse_code_used_today.htm