Introducing Newsclip for BlackBerry: Virtual Reach Inc. Launches its First Application for Mobile Content
TORONTO, ON - 02 March 2005 - Virtual Reach Inc. ("Virtual Reach") announced today the release of Newsclip for BlackBerry, a premier software application designed to provide users with an effective and efficient means of accessing the wireless Internet. Using the latest in technology and innovation, Virtual Reach has successfully managed to bridge the usability gap between accessing the Internet on your wireless device and browsing and retrieving content.
Like any innovative technology product, Newsclip was designed to address a problem, and in this case, it was the utility of mobile Internet browsers. "Anyone who has used a mobile browser to access the Internet," commented President, Brian Goldberg, "knows that it can often be a time consuming, even frustrating experience, and rarely successful." With Newsclip, users are given an application through which they can access and manage Internet derived content with ease. "We want to provide rich and meaningful user experiences with our application," added Goldberg.
Newsclip, as it is released today, is in version 1.0, with other enhanced versions scheduled for release later in the year. This current version is an application designed for BlackBerry only. As an application, Newsclip functions as a means for delivering news headlines, whether national, international, sports or business related directly to your handset. It is designed and built on an RSS platform. RSS, or "Really Simple Syndication", is a relatively new phenomenon that is quickly becoming an Internet standard. Using an XML format, it has become an easy formatting standard for publishing content and, by extension, subscribing to the same content. "We recognize the importance of RSS and the changing landscape of the Internet," said Tas Tsonis, Chief Executive Officer. "RSS is becoming the new backbone of the Internet, and we’re pleased to offer a compelling application using RSS driven content for BlackBerry users, he added.
Newsclip comes loaded with what are known as RSS "feeds" or "channels". Within the application, you can add any feed from the list, or you can program your own by entering the URL for the RSS feed. Of the many features in Newsclip, users will first note the user interface which is menu driven and similar to that of the BlackBerry, allowing intuitive use and easy navigation around the application. "Our goal was to make accessing and reading news content fun and easy on wireless devices. We chose the BlackBerry platform for Newsclip for its tremendous flexibility and utility," said Jay Steele, Chief Technology Officer.
Of the many features of Newsclip, also included are:
- Subscribe to and read RSS feeds from an almost unlimited set of RSS feeds from all over the world;
- Send news articles to contacts in your address book;
- Browse to the news article web site for full article contents;
- A comprehensive library of popular RSS feeds embedded in the application;
- Supports RSS 0.91, 0.92, 0.93, 0.94, and 2.0;
- Download news articles and read them offline or when you are out-of-coverage;
- A simple, intuitive user-interface that will appeal to fans of the BlackBerry user-interface paradigm;
Newsclip for BlackBerry can be installed through either a desktop manager or using the "over-the-air" URL. It is available immediately and can be found at Handango.com.
About Virtual Reach Inc.
Virtual Reach is a leading developer of compelling and useful software applications for wireless devices, specializing in the efficient delivery of content and media to mobile handsets. The Virtual Reach suite of products are built on a platform using RSS, or “Really Simple Syndication”, a fast growing and open Internet standard used for syndicating various forms of content throughout the world. With its flagship product, Newsclip, users are provided with the ability to access, manage and consume content of all kinds directly on their mobile handset with ease and efficiency.
Founded in 2004, Virtual Reach is a privately owned company with its corporate head office in Mississauga, Ontario. For more information on Virtual Reach and its RSS solutions for wireless and mobile platforms, please visit www.virtualreach.com.
Virtual Reach, the Virtual Reach logo, and Newsclip are all trademarks of Virtual Reach Inc.
The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited. RIM, Research In Motion and BlackBerry are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be pending or registered in other countries.
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| Contact: | Robert Belliveau Director, Business Development |