General Magic Inc demonstrated a prototype screen phone using its MagicTalk intelligent natural language voice user interface at the Digital Living Room event yesterday. The prototype, code- named Magic Phone, is designed to offer home users a subset of General Magic’s Portico voice and data network service, previously known as Portico, and due to be launched at the end of July (CI No 3,406). Portico is a network service intended to integrate voicemail, e-mail appointments and internet data in one place, accessible via the phone or through any internet access account with a browser. The system is on trial with Bell Atlantic Mobile, BellSouth Cellular Corp, Cellular One and Triton Communications and will be sold through a nationwide chain of about 100 telephony resellers who at present sell long-distance, voicemail and cellular services. The voice activated Magic Phone version, in the words of the company, may someday enable home users to retrieve information such as traffic reports, stock quotes, weather, movie listings, e-mail and voice mail, by asking for them. The prototype, intended for hands-free operation, didn’t include either web browser, keyboard or stylus. The Magic Phone’s lineage comes in part from General Magic’s Magic Cap mobile operating system software and the hand-held hardware that was its primary focus until two years ago, combined with the agent and voice technologies the Sunnyvale, California-based company is concentrating on nowadays. The Magic Phone, about the size of an office desk phone, will be tested with focus groups to determine what sort of features consumers would want before any marketing plans are put into place.
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