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Motorola’s Outreach to Public Safety Customers Continues with 800MHz Rebanding

Motorola Ahead of Schedule with New Software to Aid Public Safety as They Move to New Spectrum

SCHAUMBURG, IL, Jan. 27, 2006 — Motorola (NYSE:MOT) has found a way to ease the transition to new spectrum for public safety radio communications. More than a year in the making, Motorola has developed software that enables equipment critical to public safety communications to be rebanded to a new segment of the 800 MHz spectrum in order to provide less interference for public safety radio communications.

The developed software has been tested and will be available approximately three months ahead of schedule.

Public safety radio systems---those used by police, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and other systems operating on the 800 MHz band---have been experiencing interference as a result of commercial wireless carriers operating in the same or adjacent spectrum bands. To alleviate the interference between the two types of systems, the FCC has ordered a reconfiguration of the 800 MHz band, moving public safety to a lower segment of the band and commercial cellular networks to a higher segment. The developed software is needed by radios that use the NPSPAC (National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee) portion of the band.

Motorola has made the spectrum swap easier to manage for first responders by creating software that allows the radios they use every day to instantly understand which band plan is in use at a given site. The new software simplifies the transition by providing full interoperability throughout the transition.

In addition to creating the new software, Motorola’s testing facility conducted over 13,000 test cases to develop the most robust solution possible, across each of the 90 platforms that were involved.

“It was important to Motorola to get this critical milestone completed early so that we can help move the FCC’s process along and minimize disruption to our customers as they transition to the new frequencies,” said Tony Marshall, Motorola’s General Manager overseeing the 800MHz rebanding program. “We’re very proud of the early completion on such an immense effort undertaken by our software design and test teams and look forward to assisting our customers throughout the rebanding process.”

Information on the impact of rebanding upon the various users in the band is available on Motorola’s web site for rebanding. The site URL is www.motorola.com/800Rebanding

Source:  Motorola press release

Motorola A780 Named One of Three Best PDAs and Smartphones in 2005 by SearchMobileComputing.com “Products of the Year” Awards

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. – 27 January 2006 - Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT), today announced that its A780 handset was judged as one of the three best PDA and Smartphone products released in 2005 by TechTarget’s SearchMobileComputing.com “Products of the Year” awards.

Earning silver honours in its category, Motorola’s Linux-based A780 smartphone was recognized for its multitasking capabilities and easy-to-use, intuitive, touchscreen user interface, which was developed by Motorola Labs’ Human Interaction Research team. The Motorola A780 is available in markets throughout China and offers a rich end-user mobile experience that includes intense mobile office connectivity plus multi-media entertainment.

“Mobile e-mail solutions are all the rage right now among enterprises, and Motorola has a device that plays right into that business-user hand,” SearchMobileComputing.com wrote in its review of the A780. “In the area of innovation, the Motorola A780 excelled in our ratings with its simultaneous candy bar and clam configuration -- the clamshell configuration is achieved via an external dialpad that opens to reveal a 2.45-inch, 65K colour touchscreen display.”

The Motorola A780 features our China Multi-Modal User Interaction Package including Chinese and English handwriting recognition with user writing style adaptation, next word predictive input and Speaker Independent Voice Recognition with Text to Speech synthesis output. The EMEA Personal Navigation Package feature set includes internal GPS and MOTOSYNC for over the air synchronization of email, contacts and calendar with a Microsoft Exchange 2003 Server.

“The Motorola A780 allows users a seamless experience by enabling them to manage their work, home and social lives through a single device,” said Tom MacTavish, Vice President, Human Interaction Research, Motorola Labs.

“We’re honoured to be recognized for this product as it demonstrates Motorola’s commitment to advancing the future of electronic devices and enabling a future of Seamless Mobility,” said Michael Tatelman, Corporate Vice President, Go-to-Market, North Asia, Mobile Devices Business.

The A780 was chosen from among 130 new products submitted for consideration to SearchMobileComputing.com editors in four categories. The awards were judged by the editors of TechTarget’s SearchMobileComputing.com, in conjunction with a team of users, industry experts, analysts and consultants. Judges selected the Products of the Year among mobile products introduced, upgraded and shipped between September 30, 2004 and October 1, 2005.

Source:  Motorola press release

Public Chooses Favourite Vision of Seamless Mobility in Motorola College Competition; Purdue Student Honoured for Short Film

“MYMOTOCHOICE” winner emerges as online favourite from among more than 500 entries

SCHAUMBURG, Ill., 25 January 2006 – The crowd favourite and “MYMOTOCHOICE” winner of Motorola’s first-ever MOTOFWRD competition – a nationwide college search for the best depiction of the future of technology and communications – is Purdue University graduate student Andrew Davidson’s short film “Hey, that would be nice!”

Davidson’s piece takes a voyeuristic tour of real life – seamless mobility style. The technology and psychology student answered Motorola’s challenge to create a set of solutions that work to provide easy, uninterrupted access to information, entertainment and communication when, where and how people want regardless of the device, service, network or location with one unified system.

“I took the everyday moments where I pause and ask myself, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if my (insert device here) could do this?’ and took those to the next level by integrating everything,” said Davidson.

His text-focused, soundtrack-backed film includes a smart alarm clock that resets itself on a cell phone if it is not functioning properly, morphing music that follows the user from room to room to car via a location-aware ring and an automatic date planner that spots rain in the forecast before a picnic date and reschedules at a favourite restaurant.

Selected from more than 500 entries from 220 universities in the U.S., Davidson was named as one of ten finalists in the MOTOFWRD competition. His entry, along with the other top finishers, was posted online for public voting. As the online favourite, Davidson receives $2,500 and a product prize package.

Other MOTOFWRD winners include grand prizewinner John Finan, Duke University, and runners-up Ryan Panchadsaram, University of California, Berkeley, Brian Ho, Virginia Tech, and James Goodrich, Northwestern University.

Finan and three runners-up were chosen by a panel of industry experts including founder of dodgeball.com Dennis Crowley, founder of blackplanet.com Omar Wasow, futurist Dr. James Canton, youth culture expert DeeDee Gordon and sci-fi authors Cory Doctorow and Catherine Asaro.

Source:  Motorola press release 

Motorola Introduces New High Speed Indoor Access Point

Motorola AXPT for deployment on any existing UMTS network; supports existing UMTS and HSDPA devices

SWINDON, UK – 25 January 2006 – Taking the next step in its mobile broadband strategy, Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) today introduced its new High Speed Access Point – Motorola AXPT – for enhanced indoor mobile broadband access. The Motorola AXPT was unveiled to leading mobile operators around the world, with live over-the-air demonstrations revealing exceptional coverage and capacity directly indoors.

Motorola AXPT, which can be added to any existing UMTS network, is designed to enable mobile operators to tap into the lucrative enterprise broadband market by maintaining cellular traffic after the user moves indoors. Motorola AXPT was developed to address the specific indoor coverage and capacity challenges that mobile operators face when delivering HSDPA mobile broadband within the enterprise space.

HSDPA provides specific challenges to mobile operators as a stronger signal is required to deliver the broadband speeds at the high 3G frequencies. In addition, capacity must be increased to satisfy office-based broadband usage, which could congest the current cellular network. Motorola AXPT is designed to help mobile operators retain and grow broadband usage on their cellular network, by reducing the need for users to switch to alternative fixed or wireless broadband services in the office environment.

“The enterprise market offers an exciting opportunity for operators looking to grow 3G business and deliver new mobile broadband services with HSDPA. Enterprise customers in particular want convenience, with one device, one bill, one provider for all communication services and the same experience on the move and within buildings,” comments Raghu Rau, senior vice president, global marketing and strategy, Motorola Networks. “The Motorola AXPT takes a novel approach, adopting the WiFi model to deliver cost savings to the enterprise whilst retaining the benefits of cellular solutions. It delivers high quality coverage and capacity in-building directly where operators need to serve their enterprise customers.”

Motorola AXPT’s innovative architecture and design combines traditional network functionality, such as SIM authentication, circuit switched voice and roaming with IP backhaul in a discreet wall mountable form factor. This reduces expensive site costs associated with traditional cellular networks and enables large-scale deployments of access points in a similar manner to WiFi.

In many cases, capacity of Motorola AXPT is comparable to existing wide area cellular base stations, allowing it to handle the vast volumes of traffic needed to satisfy the high demands of today’s enterprise market. Motorola AXPT provides mobile operators with a solution that competes with WiFi on performance and operational costs whilst supporting existing UMTS and HSDPA devices.

The live over-the-air demonstrations to operators around the world showed applications such as email, video streaming and music downloads delivered over Motorola AXPT simultaneously to UMTS and HSDPA devices at speeds up to 3.6 Mbps.

Motorola AXPT will be demonstrated at 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona from 13^th – 16^th February.

Source:  Motorola press release

Motorola Announces General Availability of Its MOTOMESH™ Multi-Radio Broadband Solution For Municipal Wireless Networks

Drug Forfeitures Afford Riviera Beach to Join Over a Dozen Cities Deploying MOTOMESH for City-Wide Wireless Connectivity

Riviera Beach, FL – January 23, 2006 – Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) today announced general availability of MOTOMESH, its multi-radio, high performance mesh networking system that delivers a total municipal wireless communications solution. The system addresses the needs of public safety, public works and public access in a single network by leveraging multiple radios in both licensed and unlicensed frequency bands. Motorola also announced that the city of Riviera Beach, FL has been added to the list of over a dozen municipalities to deploy MOTOMESH as its metro-area wireless network.

The MOTOMESH™ multi-radio broadband solution, whose architecture supports up to four radio networks in a single access point, enables complete municipal-wide wireless connectivity. By combining radios in the unlicensed 2.4GHz and the newly licensed 4.9GHz public safety spectrum in single network architecture, MOTOMESH allows municipalities to provide WiFi access to public users, license-free mobile broadband to public works users, and dedicated licensed network connectivity and security to public safety users over a single network.

“By delivering state-of-the-art applications into the field, officers have the resources they need to proactively reduce crime and serve the Riviera Beach community,” said Riviera Beach Chief of Police Clarence Williams. “With MOTOMESH we have the ability to expand the network to bring on other municipal agencies, as well as provide residents, businesses and tourists with wireless internet access in the future. This flexibility allows us to more efficiently address the needs of our citizens while staying within our budget.”

Since MOTOMESH supports the newly licensed 4.9GHz public safety band in addition to municipal WiFi, it can qualify for grants available through homeland security funding, as well as other public safety related grants. The Riviera Beach Police Department (RBPD) was able to utilize seized drug money to purchase the MOTOMESH system and reduce the city’s dependence on low-speed cellular data services. The new mesh system offers higher-speed connections and is able to support the mission critical data and video needs of officers in the field. For example, the MOTOMESH network allows RBPD officers to monitor high-quality video feeds from cameras placed in heavy traffic and high-crime areas. Officers also now have mobile broadband access to county criminal justice databases, Amber Alerts, and the county mug shot and fingerprint system (CAL-ID).

The MOTOMESH system also allows RBPD officers and other first responders to better prepare and react to hurricanes and other disasters. In addition, the RBPD plans to form a partnership with local officials from the Department of Homeland Security and the Port of Palm Beach to achieve an entire metro-area deployment of Motorola’s mesh technology.

“Riviera Beach’s creative approach to funding and deploying a mesh-enabled video and data system demonstrates the forward thinking that is needed to keep our communities safe and secure,” said Richard Licursi, Vice President of Motorola’s Mesh Networks Product Group. “Motorola is excited to provide Riviera Beach with the tools it needs to achieve seamless mobility for mission critical and community critical broadband access.”

A Technical View Of MOTOMESH
Every MOTOMESH access point contains two standards-based 802.11 (WiFi) radios and two of Motorola's widely acclaimed Mesh Enabled Architecture (MEA®) mobile broadband radios. One set of WiFi and MEA radios operate in the unlicensed 2.4GHz band, and one set operates in the licensed 4.9GHz public safety band. This minimizes potential interference between first responders and public WiFi users and enhances the security of mission critical communications. Many competing solutions rely on “virtual private networking,” which means municipal workers, first responders and the public have to compete with each other for bandwidth and access over an unlicensed WiFi network. MOTOMESH allows municipalities to serve diverse communities of interest without the risk of public WiFi users interfering with Public Safety users.

Users equipped with MEA radios can also form wireless broadband networks directly between themselves, by leveraging MEA’s client meshing capabilities that enable instant tactical networks to be formed on demand. Users do not have to set-up or pre-engineer these instant networks since the mesh is self-forming and self-healing. In addition, Motorola’s unique Multi-Hopping® technology turns each user into a router/repeater, allowing them to hop through other users to reach MOTOMESH access points. As a result, every user makes the network stronger - extending network coverage and creating more data paths through the network. As with all MEA radio based systems, fast and accurate tracking capabilities are available without the use of GPS satellites. This feature can improve asset deployment and management around the city or at an incident. Together, Motorola’s one of a kind Multi-Hopping, client meshing and inherent position location capabilities offer a complete incident communications solution, anytime and anywhere.

About Motorola Mesh Networks Product Group
Motorola’s mesh networking technology was originally developed for the military battlefield in order to provide instant, ad-hoc communication networks where fixed infrastructure was not available or deployable. As a result, users receive a robust mobile broadband communications network that is self-forming and self-healing. The technology is capable of delivering seamless broadband data connections and real-time video transfers to vehicles moving at highways speeds. Motorola’s unique Multi-Hopping® technology turns every mesh-enabled user into a router/repeater, so every user makes the network stronger. It also allows users to hop through each other and form instant ad hoc peer-to-peer networks among themselves, anytime, anywhere. The system also features fast and accurate tracking capabilities without relying on GPS equipment or satellites.

Source:  Motorola press release

Growing California County Taps on Motorola for Mission Critical Communications System

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. –January 20, 2006 – Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) announced that the company will install a multi-jurisdictional Public Safety Information System (PSIS) for Fresno County (CA) Sheriff’s Department. Fresno County is located near the centre of the San Joaquin Valley and is one of the fastest growing counties in California. In the fourth quarter of 2005, the county awarded Motorola an $8 million contract to build, install and deploy a Public Safety Information System that will provide real-time computer-aided dispatching across more than 40 state, local and federal agencies that operate in the county’s jurisdictional area. Motorola’s turn-key system will provide real-time computer aided dispatching, mobile, in-vehicle computer systems and records management. It also will integrate with a local correctional records management system, which tracks an inmate population of approximately 3,000. Additionally, the system will allow for expansion into adjoining counties’ systems to enhance interoperability in the area. “The department looks forward to the increased effectiveness provided by the Motorola's system in responding to 911 calls within the county and the communities served by our allied agencies. The seamless integration of computer aided dispatch and records management data with the Corrections Management System will speed booking and record keeping in efficiently processing inmates and managing their activities during their stay in the jail”, said Steve Forker, Sheriff's Administrative Services Director. Forker added, “The Sheriff’s Department is working with the guidance and approval of the County Board of Supervisors to develop this regional public safety information system to serve allied police agencies, other county departments, and state and federal law enforcement entities”. Additionally, Motorola is working with Fresno County on requests for assistance regarding challenges that often occur in the process of investigating criminal activities due to cross system issues, disparity in accuracy of data, and inability to reach necessary resources at time of need. “Motorola designed this integrated suite of emergency dispatch applications in a highly configurable format, giving each public safety agency the flexibility to configure business rules and display options to meet their individual needs,” said John Thompson, director of public safety applications sales for Motorola.

Source:  Motorola press release

Motorola Goes Mainstream at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival

“Moto on Main” Hits Park City as the Premier Must-See Destination For Filmmakers and Celebrities PARK CITY, Utah – 20 January 2006 – For the ninth consecutive year, Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) will have a presence at the premier showcase for American and international independent film, the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. This year, Motorola will host its high-end, intimate outreach headquarters, “Moto on Main,” right in the heart of Park City’s annual Festival. “Moto on Main” promises to be one of the hottest destinations at the Festival. Located in the centre of bustling Main Street, Moto on Main will offer attending celebrities and filmmakers a well-deserved reprieve from the busy Festival as well as a chance to check-out the latest in Motorola’s consumer products. Motorola’s featured products will include Hollywood’s must-have mobile - the RAZR - as well as the brand-new PEBL, among other products. The company’s full line of consumer products will be available for guests to sample. To compliment its outreach efforts, Motorola will once again team up with key brands including Nintendo, Kiehl’s Since 1851 and Oakley. Video game giant Nintendo will be featuring its latest games and game systems, including the hottest portable system Nintendo DS, and Nintendo Game Cube and Game Boy Micro. Festival-goers can stop by and take a quick Wi-Fi spin on Mario Kart DS or get a first-play with some of the latest games. Kiehl’s Since 1851 will be featuring its renowned skin and hair care products. In addition, guests of Moto on Main can sign up for one of Kiehl’s exclusive outdoor excursions, including a Hot Air Balloon Ride, Canine Sledding, Snowmobiling and a Ski Challenge with Olympic medallist Picabo Street. Oakley, an innovator in product design and technology will feature Motorola’s RAZRWire, the first Bluetooth integrated eyewear, THUMP 2, sunglasses integrated with an MP3 player, as well as their outerwear and goggles perfect for taking on the slopes in Park City. “For nine years Motorola has been both a sponsor and a supporter of the Sundance Film Festival – one of the most prominent Festivals showcasing independent film today,” said David Pinsky, Director of Entertainment Marketing for Motorola, Inc. “This year, Motorola will be providing an intimate, one-on-one environment for its guests. Year, after year, Motorola has proven to be among the most popular destinations at the Festival.” This year, Motorola will once again be teaming up with videogame publisher Ubisoft to host its popular Late Night Lounge on Park City’s legendary Main Street on Saturday, January 21st. Starting just one minute before midnight, Motorola’s invite-only party is the hottest ticket in town for Festival-goers. Motorola’s continued participation at the Sundance Film Festival is an example of the company’s high-profile presence in Hollywood. This past November Motorola’s Entertainment Marketing Office kicked-off the holiday party season when it celebrated its seventh anniversary in Hollywood. The event featured a performance by the original divas of hip-hop, Salt-N-Pepa, and was attended by a bevy of A-List celebrities. In addition to other sponsorship and product placement programs, Motorola continues to serve the entertainment industry with its state-of-the-art showroom providing an intimate setting enabling both celebrities and industry leaders to experience Motorola’s innovative and unique products first-hand.

Source:  Motorola press release

EarthLink Announce Relationship with Motorola and Tropos

Contract includes design, installation, system integration and hardware for first five municipal network deployments

ATLANTA, Ga. Jan. 19, 2006 — EarthLink (NASDAQ: ELNK), the nation’s next generation Internet Service Provider, today announced it has signed a contract with Motorola, Inc., (NYSE: MOT) for it to provide wireless equipment, design, installation and system integration for the initial five major cities where EarthLink will deploy municipal wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) broadband Internet access networks.

EarthLink has already been selected as the operator in two markets, Philadelphia and Anaheim, Calif. Motorola will provide its MOTOwi4™ portfolio of products, including its Canopy™ high-speed backhaul and Wi-Fi mesh network equipment supplied to Motorola by Tropos Networks (http://www.tropos.com). Motorola will also install and provide system integration and support services for the networks operated by EarthLink.

Motorola will install the Tropos MetroMesh Wi-Fi mesh network equipment on city light poles that will enable wireless data connectivity between consumers and the Internet. The system forms a wireless mesh, routing data to produce the best possible user experience. The Tropos networks will be supported and optimised using Tropos Control, a suite of configuration, monitoring and maintenance tools.

“Our collaboration with Motorola and Tropos enables EarthLink to build state-of-the-art wireless networks that will provide these municipalities with low cost, high speed broadband access for residential and business customers, visitors and city employees,” said Donald Berryman, president of EarthLink’s Municipal Networks Division. “This Wi-Fi solution opens the door to consumers that want inexpensive and ubiquitous access to the Internet on their own terms.”

“Motorola is involved from network design to system integration in some of the nation’s largest and most aggressive municipal wireless broadband projects in terms of coverage area and complexity,” said Raghu Rau, senior vice president of Global Marketing and Strategy, Motorola Networks. “Motorola continues to be the global leader in municipal communications engineering and technology. Our MOTOwi4 portfolio provides EarthLink with the solutions that fulfill municipal communications network requirements, and enable low cost, high speed wireless Internet access.”

“The combination of EarthLink, Motorola and Tropos is poised to quickly bring the benefits of metro-scale WiFi mesh to municipalities throughout the U.S.,” said Ron Sege, president and CEO of Tropos Networks. “We have seen an aggressive increase in the successful implementation of mesh technology, leading to the tremendous demand for municipal Wi-Fi projects that now exists. This is the beginning of a great relationship with the unique skills, vision and market presence necessary to deliver the great economic and social benefits this new technology enables.”

The affordability of the technology and its mobility aspects enable the networks to reach new audiences not serviced by traditional fixed broadband providers. Potential customers consist of ‘Digital Divide’ residents who could not previously afford high-speed Internet service and current narrowband subscribers looking for faster, mobile, always-on connections at costs comparable to dial-up. Other potential customers include occasional users such as tourists and business travellers who want economical Internet access, on demand.

About EarthLink
"EarthLink. We revolve around you(TM)." As the nation's next generation Internet service provider, Atlanta-based EarthLink has earned an award-winning reputation for outstanding customer service and its suite of online products and services. Serving over five million subscribers, EarthLink offers what every user should expect from their Internet experience: high-quality connectivity, minimal online intrusions and customizable features. Whether it's dial-up, high-speed, voice, web hosting, wireless or "EarthLink Extras" like home networking or security, EarthLink connects people to the power and possibilities of the Internet. Learn more about EarthLink by calling (800) EARTHLINK or visiting EarthLink's Web site at www.EarthLink.net.

Source:  Motorola press release

Ready-to–Wear Communication and Entertainment: Motorola and Burton Launch the Audex™ Jacket Series

Motorola’s newly formed TEAMMOTO showcase the ultimate winter sports jacket and latest handsets

Libertyville, Ill and Burlington, VT – 20 January 2006 – Kicking off the winter sports season, Motorola Inc. (NYSE: MOT) and Burton Snowboards today announce the commercial availability of the Bluetooth-enabled Audex Jacket Series.

Motorola and Burton are also expanding their global relationship with the newly formed TEAMMOTO – a Motorola-sponsored snowboarding team comprised of Burton riders from across the globe.

TEAMMOTO consists of elite riders including Hannah Teter (USA), Luke Mitrani (USA), Marko Grilc (Slovenia), Jussi Oksanen (Finland), Tadashi Fuse (Japan), and Kazuhiro Kokubo (Japan). More information on TEAMMOTO can be found at www.hellomoto.com/burton.

“It is with great enthusiasm that we announce the commercial availability of the Audex Jacket Series and the furthering of our relationship with Burton via the emergence of TEAMMOTO,” said Bruce Hawver, VP and Director, Companion Products Group, Motorola, Inc. “The team will push our products to the limit every time they’re out on the slopes. It’s a great opportunity to get even more insight to the sport we are manufacturing products for and work with athletes who live and breathe something they are so passionate about.”

The new Audex jacket allows winter sports enthusiasts to experience seamless connectivity – at the touch of a button – from one environment to the next. The product was jointly developed by Motorola and Burton to bring wearable technology to active consumers.*

At the centre of the Audex jacket is a control panel located on the left-hand sleeve, allowing for simple and easy access to your incoming and outgoing calls, and music selections. Connect a compatible Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone** to the panel wirelessly, while hooking up your iPod® player via hidden, unobtrusive wires within the jacket. Speakers and a microphone are located in the hood for taking and making calls as well as listening to music.

The Audex jacket is the first in a line of products co-developed by Motorola and Burton. The next products, the Audex Protective Gear, are expected to be available this month. The gear includes the Audex Helmet and Audex Padded Hat, both equipped with Bluetooth stereo headphones, featuring easy-to-use control buttons for convenient and wireless on-the-go talking or music-listening.

Pricing and Availability
The Bluetooth-enabled Audex™ Jacket Series is now available online at www.burton.com, Burton specialty shops and www.hellomoto.com. Costs range from $599.95 for the jacket. For more information on product and Motorola’s relationship with Burton, please visit www.hellomoto.com/burton.

Source:  Motorola press release

Mood-sensing Cell Phone Concept Brings Seamless Mobility to Life; Earns Top Prize for Innovation in Motorola Competition

“MOTOFWRD” grand prize winner from Duke University awarded $10,000 scholarship, new Bluetooth-enabled car, apprenticeship with Motorola’s Chief Technology Office

Public asked to vote online for MYMOTOCHOICE winner

SCHAUMBURG, Ill., 17 January 2006 – Seamless mobility links us to our world anytime, anywhere, and in the mind’s eye of John Finan, a Duke University graduate student and grand prize winner of Motorola’s first-ever MOTOFWRD competition, it may soon help interpret the tones and mood of every day life.

Designed to improve social interactions, especially for tens of thousands of people who suffer from a mild form of autism called Asberger’s Syndrome, Finan’s “Mood Phone’’ would light up in a spectrum of colour – from warm reds to cool blues – based on the verbal patterns of everyday speech received through the handset. Seen through the corner of the eye, the visual stimulus would help users interpret the mood and inflection communicated through the words and phrases they hear.

The biomedical engineering Ph.D. candidate’s concept was judged to be best among the scores of ideas presented through Motorola’s first-ever MOTOFWRD competition that asked college students to envision the future of seamless mobility. Concepts ranged from the fantastic to the practical: mobile technology that could access information, contacts, music and video with the blink of an eye, to location-aware cell phones that could lead to new friendships, inspire public debate, or help identify and book a vacant parking spot in a crowded downtown.

“I entered this competition because I thought Motorola was asking the right question with their theme of seamless mobility,” said Finan, a Dublin, Ireland, native. “A new toy can entertain for a time but a new tool that really makes you feel closer to home and freer to move can change behaviour, and that is how a revolution begins.”

“The Mood Phone is a truly inventive technology solution to a problem most of us wouldn’t assume could be answered with a mobile device,” said Padamasree Warrior, Motorola’s chief technology officer. “If the technology becomes reality, it would make all of our lives easier. But the most important idea here is that these college students who entered the MOTOFWRD competition have truly impressed us with their level of innovation and creativity.”

For his grand-prize-winning concept, Finan was presented today with $10,000, a Bluetooth enabled BMW and a suite of Motorola products during a New York award ceremony. Finan will also serve an apprenticeship with Motorola’s Chief Technology Office focusing on the next generation of Motorola mobile technology. Just like in his winning “Mood Phone” entry, he will be researching how devices that give physical cues enhance user experience.

Finan and three runners-up were chosen from a pool of entries representing more than 500 students and 220 universities. The entries were judged by a panel of industry experts including founder of dodgeball.com Dennis Crowley, founder of blackplanet.com Omar Wasow, futurist Dr. James Canton, youth culture expert DeeDee Gordon and sci-fi authors Cory Doctorow and Catherine Asaro.

“We were blown away by the entries we reviewed,” said Crowley. “We saw everything from mood-affecting technologies to gadgets that speed household chores to communications platforms that allow everyone to voice their opinions to the world. Choosing a winner was difficult.”

The three runners-up were awarded $2,500 and product prize packages. The students and concepts are:

Seamless Mobility Will... – James Goodrich, Northwestern University
Goodrich’s vision of seamless mobility facilitates economic development, advances health care, and allows people to communicate across language barriers. His essay also explores a promise of cheaper, more accessible devices, software for “rent,” allowing users to pay for functionality only when needed, and self-organizing, viral networks to give service to difficult-to-reach communities.

College Life 2010 – Brian Ho, Virginia Tech
It is a dream come true – a personal computer, PDA, GPS navigation platform, cell phone MP3 player and credit card all in one place. Ho’s concept brings all of the information to display in the user’s peripheral vision via specially-equipped glasses and a wristwatch.

Outspoken Architecture – Ryan Panchadsaram, University of California, Berkeley
Panchadsaram’s graphic piece redefines the notion of speaking your mind. His Outspoken Architecture prompts people to sound off via mobile video devices on everything – concerts, current events books and more. The information is shared with others around the world who search the topic or are alerted to the video posting when in the area of the event, venue or tangible space by their location-aware devices.

Still to be named by public online voting is the MYMOTOCHOICE winner who will receive $2,500 and a product prize package. The competition’s top 10 finalists’ entries and voting are available at www.motorola.com/motofwrd. Online voting ends January 18 at 5 p.m. (CT).

Source:  Motorola press release