Now you can still waste your time text messaging, without clacking away on a tiny keyboard. Cell phone and computer chat comes together under one new service, called Cherple.

The beauty of Cherple is that you don’t have to pay a dime for it. The current, basic service doesn’t even require any type of a registration process.

Just punch in a cell number and when the recipient approves the invite, you can start chatting within seconds. Something to keep in mind, though: Cherple may be free, but if your cell counterpart doesn’t have unlimited text service, it could get kind of pricey.

When CES 2009 kicks off next week, Cherple should be chatting up its downloadable version of the service, which should make a widespread debut in the coming weeks. This will allow both Windows and Mac users to have the service on their desktop. It would make things a lot more user-friendly, instead of needing yet another browser window cluttering up your workspace. Still, it’s worth a peek and the price is certainly right.

Rachel Cericola - Contributing Writer

Over the past 15 years, Rachel Cericola has covered entertainment, web and technology trends. Check her out at www.rachelcericola.com.