23half Inc., a pioneer of technologies that extend the functionality
of camera phones, announced the availability of Thrrum MMS Search to
Sprint wireless subscribers. A service already available to AT&T subscribers.
Thrrum MMS Search enables camera phone
users to find and browse information related to their physical
environment using the Picture Messaging service integrated into their
phones. Users can capture a picture of any text with their camera phone
and send the picture as a picture message to m@thrrum.com. Relevant
search results are then sent to the users' phones. The Thrrum MMS
Search service is presently in beta and is available free of charge to
Sprint wireless subscribers in the United States.
Thrrum MMS Search brings together visual recognition technologies
and information search in the context of camera phones. Based on
technology first demonstrated by 23half in 2005 in the "nThrum"
technology demonstrator, Thrrum MMS Search presents a unique approach
to hyperlinking the physical world with related information. The MMS
Search technology is protected by an extensive suite of patents pending
worldwide.
About 23half Inc.
Comment from Wireless and Mobile News:
We wonder how many pictures will be taken of Starbucks signs and Pizza boxes.....
"The Thrrum MMS Search service was first introduced last month,"
said K. Gopalakrishnan, CEO of 23half. "Now, Thrrum MMS Search is also
available to Sprint subscribers. Sprint subscribers can point their
camera phone at a book, a product label or any printed material, take a
picture and send a picture message to get relevant information right on
their phone. With Thrrum, any text that you see around you becomes a
hyperlink that can be "clicked" upon with your camera phone."
With more than 500 million camera phones sold annually, Gartner
Research predicts camera phones sales to exceed 1 billion by 2010.
Combined with ever increasing adoption of MMS usage, the connected
camera in phones presents a new platform for innovation.
23half Inc. is a Mountain View, CA based provider of wireless
information services. 23half's contextual information services for
camera phones, Thrrum Cameraphone Search and Thrrum MMS Search
transform camera phones into visual information portals for the
physical environment.