short takes

by staff
February 4, 2002

• Game show junkies now can use their Web-enabled wireless phones to play their favorite games, compete with other users and win prizes–just like the contestants on television. Seattle-based Mobliss Inc., a wireless media company, has partnered with FremantleMedia Ltd. to provide wireless games based on “The Price is Right” and “Family Feud.” “The Price is Right” will feature up to 60 different pricing games and a “Showcase Showdown.” Advertisers will get the opportunity to have their product messages spotlighted during the game. “Family Feud” will include audience survey questions and challenge the player to guess the most popular answer. Competitors earn points based on answering questions correctly in the shortest amount of time.

• Tachyon Inc., a two-way, enterprise-grade satellite broadband service provider, entered into a development partnership with the Space Directorate, Space and Missile Defense Battle Lab, United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command to develop transportable products for two-way broadband data networking communications. Tachyon and the Space Directorate will independently fund each of their own efforts under the partnership. The joint project will serve as a vehicle for early introduction of commercially available technology to the U.S. Department of Defense. Products resulting from the alliance will be unveiled at the Millennium Challenge 2002 this summer.

• PrinterOn Corp., an Internet printing solutions company, is teaming with Palm to make its PrinterOn PocketWhere application available to users of Palm’s recently released i705 personal digital assistant. The application will allow Palm i705 users to view, fax and print documents and e-mail attachments wirelessly. PrinterOn PocketWhere for Palm OS will be integrated into the MyPalm portal, accessible via the i705, as part of the Palm.Net wireless service. It also will be available at www.palm.com/wireless/apps and at palm.printeron.net.

• Computer terminal designer Network Computing Devices Inc. announced its first mobile thin client, the NCD ThinSTAR Voyager. A wireless tablet that supports a 12.1-inch diagonal liquid crystal display, the Voyager provides mobile access to information on Windows and Web servers over a wireless network. It supports text input with an advanced handwriting recognition and can be updated over any TCP/IP network. The Voyager is priced at $1,695 and is available through NCD resellers.

• Touchtone Corp., a software solutions developer, is extending real-time wireless remote access to its Wintouch eCRM service on laptops. Wintouch eCRM is a Web-based customer service, sales force and marketing automation and partner relationship management software package accessing IBM iSeries AS/400 servers. Users can choose between cellular digital packet data or CDMA versions for real-time field and service access to CRM data.

• Nokia and chinadotcom Corp., an integrated Internet company in Asia, are partnering to promote mobile services in China. The companies recently launched the Nokia integrated wireless platform for short messaging service and wireless application service, which features Nokia’s ring tone and picture-messaging technology. Subscribers with Nokia 3330 or 3350 phones will be able to select a range of downloadable animated screen savers and game pack downloads to further personalize their phone. [WIM]