Wacom Press Release

Wacom(R) Penabled(R) Technology Delivers Advanced Digital Pen Performance to Industry’s First Total Solution for Electronic Paper

Portable Electronic Reading and Writing Application from iRex Technologies Employs Wacom’s Digital Pen Technology Featuring Enhanced Pressure-Sensitivity for Superior Control

TOKYO, Jan. 17 /PRNewswire/—Wacom Co. Ltd, the leading electronic pen technology manufacturer, announced today that its Penabled cordless, battery-free pen technology has been selected for iRex Technologies’ electronic paper applications—the first complete solution for portable electronic reading and writing. The solution delivers the established easy to read, low-power advantages of electronic paper with the capability to get content from various sources (e.g. Internet, PC or flash memory cards), as well as the ability to capture user input with Wacom’s Penabled technology.

Powered by Wacom’s Penabled technology, the iRex solution offers a new electronic reading and writing solution that combines a revolutionary electronic paper display with wireless networking and digital pen input. Its 8.1” display, with 16 grey levels, ensures excellent legibility both indoors and outdoors while still offering a thin, lightweight device for easy portability. The intuitive user interface, based on traditional reading and writing principles, means it is easy to apply to both professional and leisure uses.

iRex’s solution leverages Wacom’s electronic pen technology to create a natural and intuitive feel with 256 levels of pressure sensitivity. The pen enables more accurate input control so lines can be precisely drawn to required thicknesses depending on how hard the pen is pressed on the screen. Mistakes are easily corrected with the pen’s built-in eraser, also featuring 256 levels of pressure sensitivity.

The iRex electronic device will be available for distribution to its business partners by April 2006.

“Our solution is applicable to the immediacy of the Internet, while obtaining the ease and flexibility of paper-based reading and writing regardless of location,” explains Hans Brons, CEO of iRex Technologies. “Wacom Penabled technology is the key element that helps our solution give users a natural and intuitive feel as if they are using the traditional pen and paper. We are very excited to work together for the emerging market of electronic paper solution.”

“Wacom’s digital pen solution provides increased pressure sensitivity, which gives users precise feedback and control over what they write and draw,” said Masahiko Yamada, CEO, Wacom Co. Ltd. “Wacom’s partnership with iRex Technologies is a significant step in the expansion of our services to customers around the world, and we are excited about this new relationship.”

With advanced features that enable new interface functions such as application zooming and Flight Point(TM), the Wacom Penabled electronic pen also allows users to easily manipulate different applications and the ability to smoothly switch between them. As the sensor that controls the pen is embedded behind the display, it ensures the display is more durable, achieves 100% luminous light transmission and eliminates color wash.

How Penabled Pens Work
A Wacom Penabled pen operates without batteries or wires by taking advantage of patented technology developed by Wacom in which an electromagnetic signal is sent from a sensor board to a pen and returned for position analysis, pressure sensitivity and other information. The Penabled pen therefore needs no batteries or cords. It also has the ability to ‘hover,’ allowing the pen to move the cursor without actually touching the LCD screen.

About Wacom
Founded in 1983, Wacom is the world’s leading manufacturer of pen tablets and interactive pen displays with customers worldwide using its cordless, battery-free, pressure-sensitive pen technology for digital content creation. Wacom’s patented electromagnetic resonance technology, called Penabled, is also offered as an OEM solution to manufacturers of PC and Macintosh computers. Most of today’s Tablet PCs count on the advanced features and reliability of Penabled technology for pen input. In the future, Penabled technology will play a leading role in the development of such mobile devices as smart phones and PDAs.

Wacom is a global company with its parent company, Wacom Company Ltd, based in Japan and subsidiaries in North America (Wacom Technology Corporation), Germany (Wacom Europe GmbH), United Kingdom (Wacom Component Europe), China (Wacom China Corporation), Korea (Wacom Digital Solutions), Australia (Wacom Australia Pty, Ltd), and other local offices across Asia Pacific. Visit www.wacom.com for more information.

About iRex Technologies
iRex Technologies BV, based in the Netherlands, is a spin-off from Royal Philips Electronics NV. It has already secured capital funding from ABN AMRO Capital and Main Capital.