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TORONTO, Canada - January 22, 2002 - Cyberwalker Media, a Toronto-based technology content agency, today announced the launch of SMSglossary.com. In the spring, Canadian wireless carriers will connect their text messaging networks together. In anticipation of an upswing of interest in SMS (Short Messaging Service) functionality from Canadian mobile phone users, Cyberwalker Media decided to launch a guide to SMS lingo. Since text messaging between cellular phones is limited to about 150 characters, SMS users in Europe and Asia have developed weird acronyms and short forms for words and phrases. For example, M$ULkeCrZ translates as "Miss you like crazy!". SMSglossary.com is a Web guide to this bizarre lingo. "While working on a story about SMS technology for Digital Journal magazine (www.digitaljournal.com) I saw an opportunity," said Andy Walker, Editor of Cyberwalker Media. "There's not much in the way of comprehensive and dedicated SMS resources on the Web, so we built the site. It's designed to be a one-stop information source for all those interested in text messaging. I expect we will attract both existing SMS users from around the world as well as newcomers to the technology in the Canadian and US markets." The site lists SMS terms alphabetically and also groups them into terms associated with certain activities. "Research shows that text messaging is used by teens to coordinate their schedules, flirt, and communicate with their friends," said Walker, "so we decided to create sections that subdivide these activities." The site includes pages called: Happy/Sad/Mad, Romance and Schedule.
It will also list news bulletins about emerging SMS news in Canada.
As the U.S. carriers move toward connecting their SMS networks, an "SMS
in America" section will also be created. Walker has become one of Canada's most respected technology writers. His columns have been syndicated across Canadian newspapers. He has appeared as technology expert on dozens of television shows across Canada and he is read by millions on the Web. He is also Editor-at-Large for Digital Journal magazine. After working for some of the most prominent news outlets in Canada, Walker went on to become a key developer with Southam New Media, which created Canada.com and the dotcoms associated with Southam newspapers. In 1997, he joined MSN.ca and was trained at MSNBC, then went on to help launch Microsoft's on-line Canadian news presence. In 1999, Walker, 34, launched Cyberwalker Media, a content agency that now syndicates his own work as well as writing by Cyberwalker Media's talented writers. Besides SMSglossary.com, Cyberwalker Media also publishes the tech help site Cyberwalker.com which receives three million page views a year. Walker is a frequent contributor to CP24's HomePage, a Canadian technology TV show broadcast across Southern Ontario. He is also authoring a book about wireless life in Canada. --30-- CONTACT: Andy Walker, 510-548-4005 or editor@cyberwalker.com
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