Say it with Pictures with iSketch

Posted By: Ed Thursday, May 10, 2001 7:13:23 AM

Motorola has released iSketch, which lets users handwrite notes and make sketches then send them with an infrared or other wireless connection. The messages are also compressed and encrypted. Craig Peddle, General Manager of Motorola's Lexicus Division, said the company is in talks with with Palm to preinstall iSketch on its PDAs. It is available now for $10.

Thumbnail views provide for image review. It includes pen, line, and eraser tools. Images can be given titles and placed in categories.

"Sometimes a text message just doesn't fit the need," said Mr. Peddie. "Imagine a commuter rushing through an airport, or sitting on a noisy train, who needs to send a quick note but cannot open his laptop to initiate an e-mail. Or someone who wants to write and save a quick note to himself as a reminder that he will refer to later. This technology adds real value to wireless devices by expanding the ways they can be incorporated into the communication setting."

"iSketch is the foundation for lightweight multimedia capabilities suitable for PDAs with limited bandwidth. Messaging is the introductory capability allowing consumers to communicate more effectively through short messages," Mr. Peddle said.

Motorola says that the compression/decompression technology in iSketch uses no-loss compression techniques, which could allow the system to be used with signature verification technology at a later time.

A next version is already being developed and will be available before 2002. Peddle said it will include animated clips.

BugMe! Messenger from ElectricPocket can also do many of these same functions but costs $40.

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SMS Support

I.M. Anonymous @ 5/10/2001 8:38:31 AM #
Adding the ability to send the messages by SMS would be great. Many people in Europe use their Palm to write SMS that are then fetched through IRda enabled cell phones. SMS are particularly popular among teenagers. I think Motorola would have a huge market there.

RE: SMS Support
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/10/2001 9:00:45 AM #
I'd definitely bite on this one if there would be SMS support. I use my Palm m505 (and old IIIxe) to connect to my T28World phone to send SMS to my friends.

RE: SMS Support
wayne @ 5/10/2001 5:38:54 PM #
Here're some programs that let you send SMS messages:

http://www.geocities.com/sdgware/gsm.html

need the POP viewer than the FAQ says is not available yet

I.M. Anonymous @ 5/10/2001 10:41:21 AM #
When they build the POP3 viewer so that the pictures can be sent to any Email account, then the market will take off.



RE: need the POP viewer than the FAQ says is not available yet
SilliconMan @ 5/10/2001 7:25:44 PM #
A pop3 viewer is any email client that supports pop3 such as outlook express and outlook.

Go out and get DiddleBug people. Its free and does the same thing! Or DrawIt...

Palming away.....

BugMe Messenger already allows sending pics to non-Palm user
fkclo @ 5/10/2001 11:55:01 PM #
Strange that no one mention BugMe Messenger, It allows sending of sketches / or typed text / screen shots to normal POP3 email address. One can choose to send the pic as compressed jpg as well.

It works very well. Not a SMS client though.

Francis

Francis Lo
Hong Kong

BugMe! Messenger
Ed @ 5/11/2001 9:04:41 AM #
Francis, I think I've caught you not reading the entire article. The last paragraph mentions BugMe! Messenger.

---
News Editor
Palm Infocenter
RE: need the POP viewer than the FAQ says is not available yet
fkclo @ 5/11/2001 1:11:24 PM #
Oops, please forgive my stupidity.

Francis :-(

Francis Lo
Hong Kong

RE: need the POP viewer than the FAQ says is not available yet
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/11/2001 1:53:38 PM #
"Pop3 viewer" is obviously not talking about Outlook Express et al but a viewer for iSketch that will work with any pop3 email account!

Why not color?

I.M. Anonymous @ 5/12/2001 1:16:47 PM #
I am kind of curious why, with all the color handhelds on the market, these sketch pad apps don't have at least limited color support for color? I can think of several circumstances (for instance, drawing a map) where color would be quite useful, even if the pallate was only 4 colors.

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