Pedro Matias sets new texting record at LG Mobile World Cup (video)
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted January 15th 2010 9:59AM
posted January 15th 2010 9:59AM
Showcasing the "fastest, most accurate" text messengers (according to the corporation that dreamed up this little publicity stunt), the LG Mobile World Cup Championship went down yesterday at Gotham Hall in New York City. We're proud to say that the American team fared well -- grabbing second place and winning $20,000 in the process -- although in the end the cup went to South Korea. Additionally, history was made when Portugal's Pedro Matias set the new World's Record for texting by typing a 264-character text in just 1 minute 59 seconds (besting the previous record by 23 seconds). Of course, each Mobile World Cup must have its share of controversy -- in this case, Engadget Mobile's very own Chris Ziegler led a silent protest during the awards ceremony. The group was reportedly upset over the use of QWERTY phones (the LG enV3 in this case) to break the record. "The only true test of texting skill is a numeric keypad, without T9," he said. "Hell, it's the Morgan Pozgar affair all over again. Is nothing sacred?" PR and video after the break. [By the way, we totally made the last part up.]
THE FASTEST, MOST ACCURATE TEXTER IN THE WORLD IS CROWNED AT THE LG MOBILE WORLD CUP IN NEW YORK CITY
Team Korea, Receives $100,000 and World Champion title following global texting competition
SAN DIEGO, CALIF., January 15, 2010 /PRNewswire/ - LG Electronics MobileComm U.S.A., Inc. (LG Mobile Phones) hosted the first ever LG Mobile World Cup, which concluded yesterday with Young-Ho Bae, age 18, and Mok-Min Ha, age 17, from Korea as the winning team. The duo took home the title of LG Mobile World Cup Champions, and split the $100,000 in prize money, after beating out 24 participants from 12 other countries after an intense five game series.
Contestants competed for the title on some of the latest and most innovative LG mobile handsets including LG enV3, LG BL20 and LG GW520.
"It is amazing that our team won the world title! Every moment in every round of the texting game was just awesome!" said Young-Ho Bae. "We are very thankful to LG for the chance to participate in the world texting championship. It's an additional delight that we got to meet new friends from different countries in one of the most exciting cities in the world."
Morgan Dynda and Kate Moore from the United States placed second splitting $20,000, and Juan Ignacio Aufranc and Agustina Montegna from Argentina placed third splitting $10,000. In addition to the main competition, the players attempted to set a new Guinness World Records® record for fastest texting, using the LG enV3 handset. A new record was set by Pedro Matias, age 27, from Portugal who typed a 264-character text in just 1 minute 59 seconds, thus shaving 23 seconds off the previous record, set by Finland's Arttu Harkki on April 27, 2005.
The LG Mobile World Cup took place on January 14th in New York City at the historic Gotham Hall. During the competition, players competed in various texting missions, including break the wall, monster popping, moving pillar, running relay and racing replay. In each mission, contestants were tasked with the challenge of typing in phrases on their LG mobile devices exactly as they appeared on nearby LG plasma screens with no typos or abbreviations while trying to be quicker than their opponents.
Finalists selection for the LG Mobile World Cup began in May 2009 with a series of national texting contests across 13 countries including Canada, Indonesia, Portugal, Brazil, Russia, South Africa, Mexico, Argentina, Korea, Spain, Australia, and New Zealand. After several months, 26 contestants were chosen to compete in teams of two in the hopes of becoming the word's fastest texter.
About LG Electronics, Inc.
LG Electronics, Inc. (KSE: 066570.KS) is a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, mobile communications and home appliances, employing more than 84,000 people working in 115 operations including 84 subsidiaries around the world. With 2008 global sales of USD44.7 billion, LG is comprised of five business units –- Home Entertainment, Mobile Communications, Home Appliance, Air Conditioning and Business Solutions. LG is the world's leading producer of flat panel TVs, audio and video products, mobile handsets, air conditioners and washing machines. LG has signed a long-term agreement to become both a Global Partner and a Technology Partner of Formula One™. As part of this top-level association, LG acquires exclusive designations and marketing rights as the official consumer electronics, mobile phone and data processor of this global sporting event. For more information, please visit www.lge.com.
About LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company
LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company is a leading global mobile communication and information company. LG creates handsets that provide an optimized mobile experience to customers around the world with its cutting-edge technology and innovative handset design capabilities. Increasingly, LG is pursuing convergence technology and mobile computing products. LG will continue to take leadership in the mobile communication environment with stylish designs and smart technology. For more information, please visit www.lgmobilephones.com.
Team Korea, Receives $100,000 and World Champion title following global texting competition
SAN DIEGO, CALIF., January 15, 2010 /PRNewswire/ - LG Electronics MobileComm U.S.A., Inc. (LG Mobile Phones) hosted the first ever LG Mobile World Cup, which concluded yesterday with Young-Ho Bae, age 18, and Mok-Min Ha, age 17, from Korea as the winning team. The duo took home the title of LG Mobile World Cup Champions, and split the $100,000 in prize money, after beating out 24 participants from 12 other countries after an intense five game series.
Contestants competed for the title on some of the latest and most innovative LG mobile handsets including LG enV3, LG BL20 and LG GW520.
"It is amazing that our team won the world title! Every moment in every round of the texting game was just awesome!" said Young-Ho Bae. "We are very thankful to LG for the chance to participate in the world texting championship. It's an additional delight that we got to meet new friends from different countries in one of the most exciting cities in the world."
Morgan Dynda and Kate Moore from the United States placed second splitting $20,000, and Juan Ignacio Aufranc and Agustina Montegna from Argentina placed third splitting $10,000. In addition to the main competition, the players attempted to set a new Guinness World Records® record for fastest texting, using the LG enV3 handset. A new record was set by Pedro Matias, age 27, from Portugal who typed a 264-character text in just 1 minute 59 seconds, thus shaving 23 seconds off the previous record, set by Finland's Arttu Harkki on April 27, 2005.
The LG Mobile World Cup took place on January 14th in New York City at the historic Gotham Hall. During the competition, players competed in various texting missions, including break the wall, monster popping, moving pillar, running relay and racing replay. In each mission, contestants were tasked with the challenge of typing in phrases on their LG mobile devices exactly as they appeared on nearby LG plasma screens with no typos or abbreviations while trying to be quicker than their opponents.
Finalists selection for the LG Mobile World Cup began in May 2009 with a series of national texting contests across 13 countries including Canada, Indonesia, Portugal, Brazil, Russia, South Africa, Mexico, Argentina, Korea, Spain, Australia, and New Zealand. After several months, 26 contestants were chosen to compete in teams of two in the hopes of becoming the word's fastest texter.
About LG Electronics, Inc.
LG Electronics, Inc. (KSE: 066570.KS) is a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, mobile communications and home appliances, employing more than 84,000 people working in 115 operations including 84 subsidiaries around the world. With 2008 global sales of USD44.7 billion, LG is comprised of five business units –- Home Entertainment, Mobile Communications, Home Appliance, Air Conditioning and Business Solutions. LG is the world's leading producer of flat panel TVs, audio and video products, mobile handsets, air conditioners and washing machines. LG has signed a long-term agreement to become both a Global Partner and a Technology Partner of Formula One™. As part of this top-level association, LG acquires exclusive designations and marketing rights as the official consumer electronics, mobile phone and data processor of this global sporting event. For more information, please visit www.lge.com.
About LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company
LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company is a leading global mobile communication and information company. LG creates handsets that provide an optimized mobile experience to customers around the world with its cutting-edge technology and innovative handset design capabilities. Increasingly, LG is pursuing convergence technology and mobile computing products. LG will continue to take leadership in the mobile communication environment with stylish designs and smart technology. For more information, please visit www.lgmobilephones.com.
I could beat that, with my bluetooth keyboard and my iphone :p
@Joeyjoejoe Shabadoo
Was it really necessary to bring the iphone into this? Anyways what is your point, I can type faster on my ti-89 with the keyboard hooked on, does it really matter?
@SlaterGS well I actually own an iPhone. If I owned a different keyboard compatible one believe me I would have used it instead.
@Joeyjoejoe Shabadoo
Sorry, just sick of those trolling looking for any excuse to throw in an Apple reference. I like Apple, but there is enough news about them.
@SlaterGS def agree, I hate fanboi stuff more than most. I have a mac, pc, xbox, ps3, wii. Why cant we all just get along?
@Joeyjoejoe Shabadoo
By the way, my BT keyboard takes forever to start up on my PC, I think there would be 30 sec gone by the time it decides to start typing (though it is an older model.) XD
@SlaterGS still gives you 128 seconds to write a 254 character text, seems plausible. Where is the line drawn? WHERE!!!
@SlaterGS was it really necessary to complain about that? You're being overly sensitive. No one can mention "iPhone" without someone blowing up. Would it be better if he said another brand?
@Joeyjoejoe Shabadoo that's the worst name i've ever heard! lol
@crappypunk Come back, Joey Joe Joe! He didn't mean it!
@crappypunk T.T *cries*
@Joeyjoejoe Shabadoo
You all get +1 vote for simpsons reference.
@Joeyjoejoe Shabadoo wow people REALLY hate apple, even my comments with nothing to do about apple were down ranked.
@Joeyjoejoe Shabadoo It's because people are sick of people like you who make a comment about an iPhone when the post has NOTHING to do with Apple. Makes you look like a moron with the "My dad can beat up your dad" kind of comment. Your Jesus phone is not the phone of all phones, just one where you're over paying a monthly rate plan, waited 3 versions just to send a picture via text message, and one where you need to pay for applications where I get for free with other phones. That's why.
@JunkNugget Well maybe people should be less butthurt. If I owned a ti-89 and posted the same thing it wouldn't have gotten half of the response. The only reason I used iPhone is because I have one, I don't think it is better, nor was that my intent. It was a comment on how far the concept of texting can be taken (to wireless keyboard) when it is too far and honestly everyone saw the word iPhone and flipped a shit.
I bet it wasn't a touch screen keyboard.
PORTUGAL wins!
@Johanu I always thought teen here write too fast.. It's just crazy, like a national sport..
@Johanu
I don't know whats more surprising Portugal winning or the fact that it wasn't a teenage girl but, rather 27 year-old male that out text a bunch of teens...
@PlatinumSkeet
It also wins the US in alphabetical order. And in literacy (percentage).
Força tugas!
QWERTY is cheating.
@(Unverified) not if all you care about is winning ;)
I know, I know. I'm morally twisted.
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@trevr put those thumbs to good use
hai
@trevr I have to admit, after I saw the picture and I read the title I thought it said "PEDO Matias sets new texting record at LG Mobile World Cup."
@trevr
You're "highest ranked" but i'm up-ranking you anyway
@trevr
ASCII art FTW!
@trevr Oh good. I was hoping someone would make this a news story.
That American girl is way more cute than the Koreans.
@JXCGunrunna jailbait
@JXCGunrunna But there all ugly.
@prewreckless
They're and I disagree. If I were a few years younger (15ish) I would be all over that.
@JXCGunrunna
Wow! I was waiting for the first comments about the underaged girl...
@JXCGunrunna
Yeah...some Korean girls look like a guy.
@JXCGunrunna
Absolutely. What does the korean woman look like she's been training at a military school, but the hottie on the left trains by sexting all of her boyfriends?
@roach
and some american girls are the size of gorillas
your point?
@JXCGunrunna she's 16... and I bet she's got a 2 year old in less than 8 years judging from her "Miss Teen USA"-like interview skills...
@JXCGunrunna 'it's a man baby'
@JXCGunrunna
Whoaa, just realized that Korean is a.... female?
@JXCGunrunna
Legal in the UK and pretty much the rest of the world...
Im really sure I could destroy, with one thumb... where do I sign up for next year?
@MVMNT are you talking about the phones now...? I'm so confused..
VOTE PEDRO!
94 cpm on my iPhone. is this slow? how fast is everybody else? and what phone?
@PattyXXX 382 characters in a minute and twenty seconds. and using a palm pre
@PattyXXX
Yeah, really slow. I use an iPhone and type about 70 wpm.
if we can use qwerty keyboards, then i could beat it. i timed myself for a minute and twenty seconds and i got 382 characters with two spelling mistakes... so i dont know whats the big deal with these people. i should try this crap out too maybe i'll make it to first place. ha ha ha
@dart7507 Yeah lol; glad I'm not the only one who tried :P
@dart7507 yeah the record doesn't seem fast at all, to be honest... I know this very... ummmmm.... cute girl and if I send her a text, i get one back within about 1 minute. never ceases to amaze me, and I know her phone, this is on a T-9 number pad. She's 25 so this generation grew up with thumb pads, I don't see why a teen should be any faster. If anything, the thumb pad skillz could be lost rather quickly if querty and soft keyboards win.
I just tested and without any preparation I type about 100 cpm on the iPhone, with zero mistakes.