Along with this, a free proxy server service has been made available to enable display of non-standard characters in all major desktop browsers for the first time. This makes for a unique combination destined to change your outlook on mobile content, according to Richard Northcott, Enfour president.
Keitai-Font includes 206 gaiji (non-standard symbols and ideograph glyphs) and emoji (pictographs) included in Japanese mobile phones. A boon for cHTML (Compact HTML) content developers as well as casual “surfers,” Keitai-Font allows the viewing of i-Mode compatible content on Windows and Mac OS desktops without the problem of missing character and garbage content, Northcutt said. Keitai-Font fills the need made by the explosion in popularity of email and Wireless Web content targeted to i-Mode users, he added.
“Handsets using the i-Mode character set are used by 18 million people and growing daily,” Northcutt said. “Apart from the extended character set, Keitai-Font is unique in being a TrueType outline font based on 12×12 bitmap designs coming from the renowned digital design house TypeBank. Making it useful even for just that different ‘bitmap look’ in general DTP yet can be displayed and printed at any size. This makes it ideal for small screen banner-ad creation, printed manuals, screen mock-ups, handset prototyping and other specialist imaging requirements. Keitai-Font supports outline creation and PDF embedding.
Keitai-Font is available on a hybrid CD costing 7800 Yen in Japan and US $99 elsewhere including postage, handling and insurance.