MSNBC.com And MobileAria Announce Content Agreement to Deliver Voice-Enabled, Customized News to Drivers -- 92 Channels Available On Demand to MobileAria Subscribers

    REDMOND, Wash./MOUNTAIN VIEW, Ca.--Sept. 26, 2001--MSNBC.com, the no.1 Internet News site, and MobileAria Inc., pioneer of True Hands Free voice-enabled productivity services for the driver, today announced an agreement to provide MobileAria service subscribers with voice-enabled access to 92 different news, sports and entertainment channels on demand.
    Each subscriber's service can be personalized to cover only the news of interest to that subscriber, so he hears what he wants when he wants to hear it.
    "Through this agreement with MSNBC.com, drivers will be able to access the news, sports and financial information they want, at whatever time they want, without being bound by the programming times and news selected by radio and TV stations," said Michael Orr, CEO of MobileAria. "This alliance with the top-rated news site in the United States safely provides personalized, premium information to drivers and helps them capitalize on the time spent in their cars without ever taking their eyes off the road or their hands off the wheel."
    MobileAria service subscribers will be able to hear MSNBC.com news clips optimized for the in-vehicle environment and personalized to each mobile user's needs. MobileAria users will be able to access breaking news, current events, investment and stock market news, sports, entertainment, health, science and technology, travel and business news from a variety of leading news sources.
    "MSNBC is focused on expanding its scope so it can deliver its award-winning news and information to the most people, whether they're at home, at work or on the road," said John Nicol, President and CEO of MSNBC.com. "The agreement with MobileAria allows MobileAria subscribers to keep pace with news they are interested in as it happens while they're in the automobile, no matter where they are or when they want to hear it. We're excited to work with a telematics leader and pioneer of hands-free information services for the automobile."
    With an intuitive user interface that uses voice activation and text-to-voice technology, MobileAria's True Hands Free productivity service is designed to allow drivers to responsibly access personal information and use email and location-based services while keeping their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. MobileAria's initial service offering is expected to launch in the fourth quarter of 2001.

    About MobileAria

    Mountain View, Calif.-based MobileAria is the pioneer of True Hands Free voice-enabled productivity services for the telematics industry. MobileAria's patent-pending technology frees drivers to access their world responsibly in any automobile using leading voice, GPS, Bluetooth and other wireless technologies. Investors include Delphi Automotive Systems , Mayfield Fund and Palm, Inc. . For additional information, please visit www.MobileAria.com

    About MSNBC.com

    MSNBC.com is the number one news site based on audience data tracked by the Internet measurement service Media Metrix(TM). The leader in breaking news and original journalism on the Internet, MSNBC.com delivers the best of NBC News, MSNBC Cable, CNBC, NBC Sports, MSN, and Newsweek. MSNBC is a 24-hour cable and Internet joint venture of Microsoft and NBC News