SINGAPORE: If you think it's impossible to type a 160-word SMS
message in under a minute minus predictive text and spelling aids
the gauntlet has been cast.
It took Singaporean teenager Joshua Tay just 58 seconds to smash
the world record for typing "The razor-toothed piranhas of the
genera Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus are the most ferocious
freshwater fish in the world. In reality they seldom attack a
human".
As the son of a SingTel employee, however, the 15-year-old
will not be eligible for the grand prize of the SingTel SMS
Shootout on June 27.
A total cash prize of $17,500 plus a mobile phone awaits the
island's fastest fingers at the grand finals at Ngee Ann City Civic
Plaza.
Shootout hopefuls have until June 9 to register at
www.singtel.com/shootout. Time trials will take place on June 12 at
the SingTel Comcentre Theatre and outside Orchard Cineleisure on
June 19 and 20.
The official world record for typing the 160-character message is
67 seconds, set by Briton Mr James Trusler last September.
Said Joshua, who clocked his feat at SingTel's trials for its own
internal competition for staff and their families: "I was a little
disappointed when I broke the record because I knew I could type
faster than that by three to four seconds." TODAY
