Longish (so snipped) article about "T9" of possible interest:
MITSUBISHI WIRELESS INTEGRATES T9 TEXT INPUT SOFTWARE INTO NEW GSM AND TDMA PHONES; SOFTWARE FROM TEGIC COMMUNICATIONS ENABLES ADVANCED WIRELESS SERVICES WITH EASY TEXT INPUT
September 21, 1999 - DULUTH, Ga -(BUSINESS WIRE)
Tegic Communications and Mitsubishi Wireless Communications Inc. (MWCI) Monday announced that MWCI has integrated T9(R) Text Input software in its latest GSM handsets: the G310, G340, G410 and in its new TDMA IS-136 browser phone -- the MobileAccess T250.
The new lineup of Mitsubishi phones will be unveiled at this week's PCS '99 tradeshow. T9 Text Input allows users of the new Mitsubishi phones to more easily utilize advanced wireless services by enabling quick and easy text input with just one key press per letter on a handset's keypad.
"Mitsubishi phones are already easy to use because of their large displays, large keypads and simple menu operations," said Pat McCool, executive vice president, national sales, Mitsubishi Wireless Communications.
"Tegic's T9 Text Input will allow users to simplify how they use the keypad to compose text messages for SMS, SIM Toolkit and browser applications, making our phones the ideal platform for system operators to roll out advanced services."
"With the introduction of wireless services such as two-way messaging and Web access, T9 Text Input makes it possible for customers of Mitsubishi phones to easily and efficiently use these new applications," said Don Davidge, vice president of sales and marketing for Tegic Communications.
"Functional design, productivity features and T9 Text Input will give users of Mitsubishi's new phones a powerful communication tool."
About the Mitsubishi 310
The G310 is an entry-level GSM phone with a sleek new hourglass design. Its large display, large keypad and simple menu operation make this phone extremely easy to use. The six-line graphical display shows four lines of text and two lines of icons. And, the combination of soft keys and Mitsubishi's Express Key make menu navigation and feature selection quick and effortless.
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About the Mitsubishi G340
The G340 shares the features of the G310 but also adds a calendar, a clock with an alarm and a built-in vibrator. Its flip-style design protects the keys from accidental presses while the phone is in a purse or pocket. The G340 will be available in October.
About the Mitsubishi G410
Weighing just 3.5 ounces, the G410 is a small phone with big features. Its five-line, electro-luminescent display is large and easy to read at night. A user programmable shortcut key and soft keys eliminate repetitive entries and keystrokes. Advanced features include a calendar, a calculator and a built-in vibrator.
The flip-style design prevents accidental key presses. And, the lithium ion battery provides 90 minutes of talk time and more than three days of standby time. The G410 will be available in the fourth quarter.
About the Mitsubishi MobileAccess T250
The T250 is a dual band/dual mode TDMA IS-136 phone for voice services and provides access to Internet and data services over the CDPD packet data network. The T250 is very easy to use, with a large 10-line screen with adjustable fonts and a 16-character bit-mapped LCD display. Memory features include a 99-entry phone book, nine super speed dial numbers and 99 speed dial numbers.
About T9 Text Input
By incorporating T9 Text Input into mobile communications products, companies are solving the fundamental problem of how to quickly and easily type and send messages.
Although each key on a telephone keypad can be interpreted in multiple ways -- a single press on the "5" key could be "J," "K," or "L" -- T9 Text Input uses an internal database to automatically scan possible variations to determine the correct word.
For example, entering the word "call" into a mobile phone will take just four key presses with T9 Text Input rather than 10 key presses required by conventional "multi-tap" text entry.
Language Availability
T9 Text Input is available in a variety of languages including Chinese, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean (Hangul), Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish. T9 Text Input supports Simplified and Traditional stroke-based Chinese, as well as phonetic Pinyin and BoPoMoFo text input.
Work is also underway toward the completion of versions of T9 Text Input software for Eastern European and Middle Eastern languages.
<snip >
Tegic Communications, the leader in alphabet-based and Japanese and Chinese character-based text input technologies for handheld devices, was founded in 1995 to develop and market text input technologies for the telecommunications and computing industries. The company has worldwide patents, both issued and pending, on T9 Text Input.
The software is licensed by manufacturers representing more than 90 percent of the annual worldwide wireless phone production. <snip>
<<Business Wire, 09-20-99, 10:02 Eastern>> |
