Cybiko
Launched in the spring of 2000, the Cybiko was a youth oriented hand held computer and organizer hailed as a "Teen Dream Machine". It was not a cell phone, but rather a wireless two way radio device that incorporated text messaging capabilities. Marketed as a "PDA for kids", it was unique in the fact that its functionality was limited to a maximum range of 300 feet. After only two generations of the device, it was discontinued, but has had sporadic revival attempts made by the manufacturing company, Cybiko Wireless, Inc.
Contents
Origins
The Cybiko was conceptualized by an engineer named David Yang. Yang was born in 1968 to a Chinese mother and an Armenian father. He grew up in The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, aka Armenia in the former Soviet Union. At age 17 he moved to Moscow and enrolled in the prestigious Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. Fresh out of his university training, in 1989 along with partner Alexander Moskalev, Yang created what would become the world renowned ABBYY Software Company. Originally known as BIT Software, Yang's first company was born out of the idea of creating a dictionary software. Today ABBYY has offices in 9 countries (Russia, Germany, the United States, Ukraine, the UK, Cyprus, Japan and Taiwan) and their products are sold in 130 countries. In addition to dictionary software, ABBYY made its name through innovation and achievement in document recognition, data capture, and other forms of linguistic software. The ABBYY FineReader program has won numerous awards from organizations like PC Magazine, PC World, KM World, and Business Solutions Magazine. This is a program that converts document images and PDF's into editable and searchable files. Through multiple versions in multiple years, FineReader remains ABBYY's best selling product.
Developement
In 1999, during a hospitalization, Yang's boredom was the source of the idea for the Cybiko. He wondered if there was an untapped 20 something market for electronics, but ultimately realized the sea of pre-teens was a more viable market for his wireless device. Yang then contacted Chicago business man Donald Wisniewski and the two formed Cybiko Wireless, Inc. In their partnership, Wisniewski would be the president of their company, and work out of Bloomingdale, Illinois, and Yang would be the CEO and he and his team of software engineers would operate out of Moscow. By the spring of 2000, the Cybiko was up and running and ready to be sold in the U.S.
Technical Specifications
With the corporate team headquartered in Illinois in the U.S., the development and technology team based in Moscow, and the manufacturers located in Taiwan, the Cybiko was a global enterprise.
First generation product specifications:
Full qwerty keyboard (plus a stylus)
Screen: LCD
Processor: Hitachi H8S 11 MHz
Weight: 122g
Dimensions (L x W x H): 7.1 cm x 2.2 cm x 14.5 cm
All this and the Cybiko only retailed for a semi-affordable $99. The device had a transmitter similar to those used in cordless phones, and this is what allowed users to connect to each other wirelessly. Whether through text messages or gaming, a Cybiko owner could interact without anyone in their vicinity (a 300 ft. radius) that also had a Cybiko. When setting up a new Cybiko, the owner had the option of entering general profile information, things like age, city, sex. And the device was equipped with a setting that allowed users to be alerted when other Cybikoians that had similar profile information entered the viable range.
Design and Functions
Gaming
Launched in 2000, the Cybiko was a youth oriented hand held computer and organizer. It was not a cell phone, but rather a two way radio device that incorporated text messaging capabilities. Marketed as a "PDA for kids", it was unique in the fact that its functionality was limited to a maximum range of .19 miles. After only two generations of the device, it was discontinued, but has had sporadic revival attempts made by the manufacturing company, Cybiko, Inc.
Launched in 2000, the Cybiko was a youth oriented hand held computer and organizer. It was not a cell phone, but rather a two way radio device that incorporated text messaging capabilities. Marketed as a "PDA for kids", it was unique in the fact that its functionality was limited to a maximum range of .19 miles. After only two generations of the device, it was discontinued, but has had sporadic revival attempts made by the manufacturing company, Cybiko, Inc.
Organizer
Launched in 2000, the Cybiko was a youth oriented hand held computer and organizer. It was not a cell phone, but rather a two way radio device that incorporated text messaging capabilities. Marketed as a "PDA for kids", it was unique in the fact that its functionality was limited to a maximum range of .19 miles. After only two generations of the device, it was discontinued, but has had sporadic revival attempts made by the manufacturing company, Cybiko, Inc.
Text Messaging
Launched in 2000, the Cybiko was a youth oriented hand held computer and organizer. It was not a cell phone, but rather a two way radio device that incorporated text messaging capabilities. Marketed as a "PDA for kids", it was unique in the fact that its functionality was limited to a maximum range of .19 miles. After only two generations of the device, it was discontinued, but has had sporadic revival attempts made by the manufacturing company, Cybiko, Inc.
Marketing and Youth Appeal
The Cybiko in School
Reviews
"The Cybiko from Cybiko, Inc. is a crossbreed between a PDA, a Gameboy, a walkie-talkie and a mini keyboard. It looks like a little strange at the first encounter, but you’ll get used to the design pretty soon."
Generations: From Classic to Xtreme
Downfall and Discontinuation
Revival Attempts
Cybiko Today
David Yang
Donald Wisniewski
Bibliography
Gwin, Peter. "From Russia with Buzz." EUROPE Feb. 2001: n. pag. Web. 5 Nov 2010.
