Calligraphy Text Messaging on Chinese Pocket PC Phones

[Crystal Eitle]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://pi.parascript.com/piweb/news/press-releases/061003-PI-dopod-release.asp' target='_blank'>http://pi.parascript.com/piweb/news...pod-release.asp</a><br /><br /></div>This is neat: a company called Pen&Internet has reached an agreement with the makers of the dopod Pocket PC Phone (available in China) to bundle their riteMail handwritten email software with every dopod Pocket PC Phone. Since the written Chinese language comprises literally thousands of characters, this makes perfect sense.<br /> <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/dopod_riteMail_panda_200high.gif" /> <br />"With the tradition of Chinese calligraphy and handwriting, riteMail is a natural application for mobile messaging in China. Users can now wirelessly correspond in their own handwriting, adding a personal touch, flexibility and ease of use to email."

[Gerard]

http://www.luthier.ca/other/forum/handwritten_note.gif
Still, it's cool and all. Just scarcely revolutionary. I could do it with a Casio E-100 if I liked.

[beq]

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: I just love the flower doodle in the bottom left corner. Not to mention the panda doodle in the sample snapshot by whoever that Chinese writer is...

Anyways, the riteShape technology (or whatever it's called I forget) is pretty nifty (similar to Corel's app for Tablet PC as I recall). And requiring only Java on a client to view everything onscreen could be useful I guess in some cases...

[sponge]

I would love an IM'ing client that'll send everything as pictures. IE, for AIM, direct connect when the PPC enters handwriting mode, and just send the pictures.

[Crystal Eitle]

Wow, tough crowd. What can I say Gerard, it seems to be a slow news time right now. I saw this press release from Pen&Internet and thought it looked interesting....

[Gerard]

Geez, no one gets my sick sense of humour. Of COURSE one can make an image-based email by devious means, but being able to do so simply, with very low bandwidth requirements and ease enough for a rank beginner is a KILLER advantage, especially for all the languages not supported by Microsoft. I can see bushmen using this in 10 years, using symbol drawings to supplement voice recordings... Really cool for speedy transmission of small technical details when in a chat, if one's email client can work at the same time as a chat program.

There was a thing linked from pt's site, probably still is, where line drawing could be shared in realtime via a web-based app. One could actually watch lines forming which were generated on the other side of the world. Some kind of PPC-oriented 'white board'. That looked cool too. :)

[daveshih]

For all of you who requires East Asian input (be it typing or penning), take a look at www.MActionTech.com or www.mobem.com or www.GismoTech.com.

What I really like in these products is Chinese caligraphy recognition, real-time, too! It really beats tapping on small screen keyboards. Check it out at: http://www.mobuy.com.tw/shop/product_img/MP01004_5.gif

I've looked at RiteMail and it looks interesting, almost like the Ink technolog on the MS Tablet PC. But without the OS integration, the use is really limited.

David

[Courtney]

Just to clarify the difference between riteMail and what else is out there, as well as what makes riteMail a cool app....

1) riteMail is multi-platform, so if you have a friend with a Palm-based device, or want to send it to someone back at their desktop using Windows, it will work for all of them.

2) The other difference with riteMail is that it is fully interactive electronic ink, so the message arrives in the body of the recipient's email, not as an attachment as the notepad programs mentioned earlier. The recipient can edit the message, markt it up and respond. This is not possible with the other notetaking programs on the market.

3) Additionally, check out the quality of ink in riteMail compared to what you get in your scratch pad -- riteMail is much smoother, not jagged as you'll see in the other notepad programs. Yet riteMail's file size is still very compressed, making it easy to email.

4) riteMail has a built-in shape recognition program, called riteShape (the little button in the UI with the circle and square). This is a very handy tool for quick charting and diagramming, I use it all the time.