NPLA Inplay Technologies (MM)

InPlay Technologies (NASDAQ: NPLA) today unveiled its patent-pending WriteSense� digital pen technology, coupling active RF pen input with capacitive touch systems. WriteSense eliminates the need for a separate electromagnetic digitizer by communicating directly with the capacitive touch sensor, resulting in a smaller three-dimensional form factor and a cost-effective solution. Popularized by the iPhone, capacitive touch technology enables many advanced features over other types of touch input. However, it is limited in that it requires a finger�s ability to provide capacitive coupling to interact with the screen. The traditional stylus will not work with a capacitive screen. Nor will fingernails, or even use with gloves, causing frustration to users. Working with InPlay, OEMs can integrate WriteSense into the existing capacitive touch architecture already being adopted for mobile devices. The active digital pen enables the precision, accuracy and speed of pen input, and the ability for advanced features based on InPlay�s unique digital architecture. Unlike most pen input systems that utilize analog communication, InPlay technology uses digital stream communication, bringing stronger performance and enhanced feature capability. �Our new technology enables active pen capability at an incremental cost when capacitive touch systems are used,� said Van Potter, InPlay president and CEO. �We believe that our technology could be rapidly adopted in the tablet PC and e-reader markets. We are also seeing strong interest from the Smart phone segment.� In a recent report, ABI Research forecasts global revenue for touchscreens in Smart phones and other mobile devices to reach $5 billion in 2009. The report notes a significant opportunity in Asia for touchscreens that support handwriting recognition using a stylus because of the character alphabet used in the region. Resistive touch technology, along with an active pen or passive stylus, currently dominates this market. OEMs prefer the gesture and multi-touch features capacitive pen technology offers in mobile applications, but where handwriting recognition is required, they are forced to use resistive technology in small form factor applications or the more complex and costly traditional digitizer for larger applications such as tablets and notebooks. �WriteSense eliminates the cost and performance barriers to integrated capacitive touch and pen in all these applications,� Potter continued. �Target applications also include integration into track pads.� WriteSense advantages: No additional ITO or glass layers required, resulting in high optical performance Low-cost integration and thin stack-up by eliminating the digitizer behind the LCD or a specially configured LCD Active RF pen enables high-resolution pen capability, gesture support Digital architecture allows for feature expansion Low power, battery free Simple supply chain, standard components InPlay has demonstrated prototypes of WriteSense to various OEMs and strategic partners. WriteSense will be commercially available mid-2009. About InPlay Technologies InPlay Technologies is a developer of innovative human interface devices for computing and communication products. Our mission is to help make complex products easy and intuitive to use by providing a natural method of interaction. InPlay�s integrated digital pen and touch technologies automatically recognize pen or finger input, allowing the user to choose the most effective input method. With the only digital-communication based pen input system, our products offer significant advantages over traditional analog designs. Like the evolution of cell phones from analog to digital, our roadmap enables an increasing number of useful features and functionality for computers, Smart phones and other electronic products. Visit www.inplaytechnologies.com for more information. This news release contains certain �forward-looking statements� within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding potential adoption of our technologies in the tablet PC, Smart phone and other markets, and estimations of cost and performance advantages. Risks and uncertainties that could cause results to differ materially from those projected include lack of market acceptance of our products, insufficient resources to successfully commercialize our technology and other uncertainties described from time to time in our documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-KSB for the year ended December 31, 2007 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 24, 2008. These forward-looking statements represent our beliefs as of the date of this press release and we disclaim any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.