e.Digital Corporation (fka EDIG)

[Tinroad]

Sensory Inc. and Texas Instruments Sign Speech Processor Agreement Sensory to Expand Its Product-Line With Industry-Leading Speech Synthesis
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/010611/2339.html

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 11, 2001--Sensory, Inc., the leader in dedicated speech recognition chips and embedded speech software, announced today that it signed an agreement for the rights to continue production of Texas Instruments Inc.'s (NYSE:TXN - news) MSP50C6xx speech synthesis integrated circuit (IC) product line. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Under the terms of the agreement, Sensory will begin supporting new customers immediately and TI will continue to accept orders for the MSP50C6xx products through the end of 2001. At that point, TI will transition the product line, tools and all operational activities to Sensory.

Both Sensory and TI have seen increased demand for the combination of speech recognition and high-quality speech compression from their respective customers. According to Todd Mozer, Sensory's president, ``Sensory can now address our customers' needs for speech recognition and compression from a single source. Sensory now has on its product road map the introduction of a single chip that combines the best of both worlds.''

Sensory, Inc., released the first commercially successful speech recognition IC in 1995, and has grown its line to include the RSC series of general-purpose micro-controllers and a line of application-specific standard products (ASSPs), including the Voice Direct, Voice Extreme, and Voice Dialer chips. Since Sensory's introduction of the first fully integrated speech recognition chip, it has been the leader in dedicated speech recognition chips and embedded speech software selling into areas such as toys, education, security, automotive, media players, home automation and cell phones. Sensory's RSC-364 has been implemented in millions of consumer products, making this award-winning chip the best-selling speech recognition IC in history.

Texas Instruments created the commercial market for speech synthesis chips through its line of talking educational learning products introduced in the mid-1970s. TI expanded its speech synthesis IC line to include new technologies running on low-cost micro-controllers for use in toys, education, language translation, security and home monitoring.

The MSP50C6XX products are TI's most recent generation of speech-synthesis ICs. They include a 12.32 MIPS processor for high-quality low data-rate speech compression and MIDI music synthesis, with plenty of power left over for other processor and control functions. Members of the MSP50C6XX line can store as much as 37 minutes of speech on chip and include as much as 64 I/O pins for external interfacing. Integrating this broad range of features onto a single chip enables developers to create products with high quality, long duration speech at very competitive price points.

Craig Dalley, TI's speech product manager, says, ``Sensory is a great fit for our line of speech processors. They are a leader in speech recognition and, with the addition of the TI speech synthesis ICs, they should be able to continue to grow their speech chip market.''

About Sensory, Inc.

Founded in 1994 and based in Santa Clara, Calif., Sensory, Inc., is the leading provider of high-quality, low-cost speech-recognition and speech-synthesis technology. Sensory's speech technology is embedded in consumer products such as personal electronics, Internet appliances, interactive toys, and high-end telephone and automotive applications. Sensory offers a complete line of integrated circuit (IC) and embedded software solutions, including the Interactive Speech(TM) line of low-cost ICs, the Fluent Speech(TM) large-vocabulary software engine and the Fluent Animated Speech(TM) technology. Sensory's customers include leading companies in the consumer electronics and embedded product markets, such as JVC, Hasbro, Mitsubishi Wireless, Mattel, Sega, Sharper Image, Fisher-Price, Sony, Tektronix, Toshiba, Uniden, VOS and Westclox. More information is available from Sensory's Web site at www.sensoryinc.com.

Note to Editors: Voice Activation, Voice Extreme, Interactive Speech, Fluent Speech and Fluent Animated Speech are trademarks of Sensory, Inc. All other trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.