Cincy Typing Challenge Names Finalists of Speed Typing Competition

CINCINNATI, OH--(Marketwired - Jul 23, 2013) - The Cincy Typing Challenge, presented by TREWGrip, Inc., today announced the eight contestants who will compete for the $5,000 grand prize at the Finals of the speed typing competition on Thursday, July 25, 2013 from 6-9 p.m. at Cincinnati Museum Center.

The top speeds in the keyboard category were (names in bold will compete in the Finals):

1. Sean Wrona; 173 WPM
2. Robert Price; 137 WPM
3. Steven Lim; 128 WPM
4. Matthew Makepeace; 126 WPM
5. Samuel Raptis; 120 WPM
6. Stephen Jones; 112 WPM

The top speeds in the typewriter category were (names in bold will compete in the Finals):

1. Susan Steinkamp; 50 WPM
2. Robert Price; 48 WPM
3. Pat Stratman; 47 WPM
4. Jolie Young; 46 WPM

More than 140 people competed at the Qualifying Rounds on July 20^th at Cincinnati Museum Center, with 10 typing more than 100 words per minute. Contestants competed on computer keyboards, typewriters and mobile devices with the average speed exceeding 64 wpm. The fastest four from the typewriter and fastest four from the keyboard categories advanced to the finals and will compete in head-to-head competitions using a new TREWGrip device. TREWGrip will be introduced to the public at the Finals of the Cincy Typing Challenge. Bob Herzog from Local 12 WKRC will be the celebrity MC for the Finals. The event is free and open to the public, and will feature numerous door prizes from event partners, including 4EG, Butterbee's American Grill, The Cincinnatian Hotel, Lykins Oil, Moerlein Lager House, Tender Towne and The Walking Place.

"We had a tremendous turnout on July 20th with a broad representation of competitive typists and people simply wanting to have fun and test their speed on a keyboard or typewriter," said Mark Parker, president of TREWGrip. "Whether the finalists were fast on a typewriter or on a keyboard, the top eight now have a chance to prove themselves on TREWGrip, a mobile QWERTY text entry device that allows mobile individuals to type with 10 fingers while standing or walking. The Finals competition is an opportunity to see how well they can translate their traditional typing skills to TREWGrip. The one who does it best could walk away with the $5,000 grand prize."

Following the Qualifying Round, each of the eight finalists received a TREWGrip device to practice for the Finals. The handmade devices were specifically crafted for the Finals event. (TREWGrip expects production of the devices to start in January 2014.) A website with tools and games was developed to help the finalists acclimate to the uniqueness of the rear-type technology.

Parker added, "We developed TREWGrip, the first rear-type, mobile QWERTY device, to help mobile workers fully capitalize on the convenience and innovation of modern mobile devices. The finalists will be the first people in the world to use the new device. With a few hours of training, we are confident that they will achieve tremendous results. TREWGrip not only challenges traditional typing methods, it provides a solution to mobile's biggest productivity hurdle; efficient and effective data entry."

For more information about the Finals of the Cincy Typing Challenge, visit www.cincytypingchallenge.com.

About TREWGrip
TREWGrip is a handheld "rear-type" device that has tactile keyboard keys for typing, but on the backside. The standard QWERTY key layout is split and rotated so the hands gripping TREWGrip can also do multi-finger text entry. By maintaining the QWERTY key layout, typists can quickly transfer competencies from a traditional keyboard to TREWGrip without having to learn an entirely new skill. TREWGrip also provides visual cues on the front, which help users with varying levels of typing expertise easily locate the typing keys on the back using simple hand-eye coordination. For more details, please visit trewgrip.com.