CHICAGO
`THUR SDAY, MARCH 3 , 2005
`&Suburbs; 75ft Elsewhere
`==========~==~----~========~====================================~
`
`Zipit is king
`of messengers
`
`) .\.The K-8yte Zlpit Wireless Messenger sends
`'I and receives instant messages from 1M
`buddies on AOL, Yahoo or MSN.
`On any given day, 13 million people are us(cid:173)
`ing [M, according to the Pew Internet &
`American Life Project. Young adults are par(cid:173)
`ticularly fond ofiM; of all the Internet users
`ages 18 to 'J:l, 62 percent of them instant-mes(cid:173)
`sage. They make up the biggest segment of
`IMers, at 31 percent.
`Texting on a mobile phone can costlO cents
`a message (which adds up, as parents of ac(cid:173)
`tive texters can attest). It costs nothing to use
`the $100 Zioit Wu:eless. AU you need is a free
`1M account and a wireless connection at
`home or on the road, including in libraries,
`hotel lobbies and coffee shops.
`I've been using the Zip it for a week. The de(cid:173)
`vice quickly found my home wireless net(cid:173)
`work (the Zip it is compatible with the 802.1lb
`and 802.1lg standards) and asked for my net(cid:173)
`work's password. After a few presses of the
`comfortably spaced rubberized keys on the
`thumbpad, I'd logged into my AOL 1M ac(cid:173)
`count, and the Zipit automatically imported
`the names from my buddy list. Great. since I
`didn't want to type all those names again.
`Remember, though, you need an 1M ac(cid:173)
`count before you can use the Zipit, because
`the device cannot set up one for you.
`'fhe Zipit comes in six colors and there's
`
`no backlight, so you need a light source be(cid:173)
`hind you and overhead to read the nice-size
`characters. The battery of the pocket-size, in(cid:173)
`stant-messenger charges in three hours and
`stays charged for two to four hours of furious
`chatting. It chimes when you receive ames(cid:173)
`sage (Zipit promises an update soon that you
`can buy and download so you can stream mu(cid:173)
`sic on the messenger), and you can have 10
`chats going simultaneously with 10 people.
`You can't block messengers or set up any
`other parental controls, unfortunately, but
`you can lock your 1M account with a pass(cid:173)
`word, so everyone in the house can use the
`same Zipit with different IM accounts. The
`
`The K-Byte Zipit
`Wireless Messenger
`comes in many col(cid:173)
`ors.
`
`Zipit is free of popup
`ads, viruses or IM
`spam,
`known
`as
`spim, but there's a
`group of hackers
`right now trying to
`find other, benign us(cid:173)
`es for the Zipit. If the
`device takes off, you
`can expect malicious
`hackers will get on
`the case.
`The Zipit is a rela(cid:173)
`tive newcomer to mo(cid:173)
`bile messaging. The
`$100 Motorola JMfree
`is wireless but needs
`to be within 150 feet of
`an Internet-connect(cid:173)
`ed PC and base station. While that does mean
`Mom doesn't have to surrender the comput(cid:173)
`er while Junior texts all night long, the Zipit
`accomplishes ~ same thing at home or on
`the go. The $80 (with rebate) AT&!r Wireless
`Ogo outdoes the Zip it by adding e-mail, but it
`requires a $20 service activation charge, and
`you pay as much as $18 a month or more for
`unlimited chats and e-mail.
`Overall, the Zipit is the king of mobile in(cid:173)
`stant messaging. It's available at Amazon(cid:173)
`.com, Target.com, at Best Buy stores in Can(cid:173)
`ada, and K-Byte hopes to get the Zipit into
`U.S. stores soon.
`E-mail: egwinn@lribune.com.
`
`ZIPIT EX. 2022, pg.1
`
`

`
`Chicago Tribune | Zipit is king of messengers
`
`Page 1 of 2
`
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`THE DIGITAL PAGE
`
`WEEKLY GUIDE TO ENTERTAINMENT TECHNOLOGY
`
`Zipit is king of
`messengers
`
`
`by Eric Gwinn
`Published March 3, 2005
`
`The K-Byte Zipit Wireless Messenger sends and
`receives instant messages from IM buddies on
`AOL, Yahoo or MSN.
`
`On any given day, 13 million people are using IM,
`according to the Pew Internet & American Life
`Project. Young adults are particularly fond of IM;
`of all the Internet users ages 18 to 27, 62 percent
`of them instant-message. They make up the
`biggest segment of IMers, at 31 percent.
`
`Texting on a mobile phone can cost 10 cents a message (which adds up, as parents of active texters can
`attest). It costs nothing to use the $100 Zipit Wireless. All you need is a free IM account and a wireless
`connection at home or on the road, including in libraries, hotel lobbies and coffee shops.
`
`I've been using the Zipit for a week. The device quickly found my home wireless network (the Zipit is
`compatible with the 802.11b and 802.11g standards) and asked for my network's password. After a few
`presses of the comfortably spaced rubberized keys on the thumbpad, I'd logged into my AOL IM account,
`and the Zipit automatically imported the names from my buddy list. Great, since I didn't want to type all
`those names again.
`
`Remember, though, you need an IM account before you can use the Zipit, because the device cannot set
`up one for you.
`
`The Zipit comes in six colors and there's no backlight, so you need a light source behind you and
`overhead to read the nice-size characters. The battery of the pocket-size, instant-messenger charges in
`three hours and stays charged for two to four hours of furious chatting. It chimes when you receive a
`message (Zipit promises an update soon that you can buy and download so you can stream music on
`the messenger), and you can have 10 chats going simultaneously with 10 people.
`
`You can't block messengers or set up any other parental controls, unfortunately, but you can lock your
`IM account with a password, so everyone in the house can use the same Zipit with different IM accounts.
`The Zipit is free of popup ads, viruses or IM spam, known as spim, but there's a group of hackers right
`now trying to find other, benign uses for the Zipit. If the device takes off, you can expect malicious
`hackers will get on the case.
`
`The Zipit is a relative newcomer to mobile messaging. The $100 Motorola IMfree is wireless but needs to
`be within 150 feet of an Internet-connected PC and base station. While that does mean Mom doesn't
`have to surrender the computer while Junior texts all night long, the Zipit accomplishes the same thing at
`home or on the go. The $80 (with rebate) AT&T Wireless Ogo outdoes the Zipit by adding e-mail, but it
`requires a $20 service activation charge, and you pay as much as $18 a month or more for unlimited
`chats and e-mail.
`
`Overall, the Zipit is the king of mobile instant messaging. It's available at Amazon.com, Target.com, at
`Best Buy stores in Canada, and K-Byte hopes to get the Zipit into U.S. stores soon.
`
`----------
`
`E-mail: egwinn@tribune.com.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`http://www.chicagotribune.com/technology/chi-0503030032mar03,1,5601356.story?coll=chi-techtopheds-hed&ctrack=1&c...
`
`3/3/2005
`
`ZIPIT EX. 2022, pg.2