Audible and SimpleDevices Collaborate to Bring Audible.com Spoken Audio to SimpleMedia Services

Business Wire, May 23, 2003

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

WAYNE, N.J. & SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 23, 2003

SimpleDevices Will Integrate Audible Audio Channels and

AudibleReady(TM) Functionality Into Its Digital

Audio Services

Audible, Inc. (OTC BB: ADBL) and SimpleDevices, Inc. today announced a licensing, manufacturing, distribution and co-marketing agreement that integrates Audible.com's(R) award-winning Internet audio service into SimpleDevices's application software and hardware components.

Audible is the leading retailer of audiobooks, audio editions of newspapers and periodicals, and public radio programs for download over the Internet and mobile listening. SimpleDevices is a provider of a multi-device software platform for delivering rich content and applications beyond the PC.

Consumers who purchase SimpleDevices-enabled devices-- such as the Rockford Omnifi or the Motorola Wi-Fi simplefi-- will be able to download and wirelessly transfer to stereo systems Audible's 34,000 hours of audiobooks, audio editions of newspapers and magazines, original programs, language learning, comedy and much more.

SimpleDevices software, SimpleWare(TM), is the first to wirelessly connect home and car stereos to PCs without fussing with phone lines or Ethernet networking--users just "plug and play." By enabling interoperability with Audible.com's Internet audio service, SimpleDevices expands the array of valuable content available for wireless transmission from PCs to home and car stereos. Audible.com benefits from this agreement by leveraging SimpleDevices's relationships with manufacturers of digital audio devices to promote AudibleReady(R) audio content and features. Audible's Internet audio service appeals to consumers who hunger for audio content that provides an entertaining and informative listening experience above and beyond what music can provide.

"We are very pleased to have the opportunity to partner with an industry-leading company such as Audible," explains Gary Suttle, president and CEO of Rockford Corporation (NASDAQ:ROFO). "The core of our Omnifi system is the ability to download any type of audio content, including music and the spoken word. We believe Audible's programming will be very popular with our customers. The enormous amount of available content from Audible will give the Omnifi user almost an endless array of downloadable choices from which to choose."

"Home wireless networks that enable valuable content to be shared from the PC to home and car stereos is an important emerging market for Audible," said Guy Story, Chief Scientist, Audible, Inc. "We are pleased to enter this market with industry leaders SimpleDevices and Rockford."

"SimpleDevices is excited to enter into this agreement with Audible.com," said Lou Hughes, President, SimpleDevices. "By adding Audible's premium content and services to our SimpleCenter, the content we deliver to our OEM customers is truly a complete value added service offering."

About Audible, Inc.:

Audible(R) (www.audible.com(R)) is the Internet's largest, most diverse provider of premium spoken audio services for content download and playback on personal computers, CD or AudibleReady(R) computer-based mobile devices. Audible has more than 34,000 hours of audio programs and 135 content partners that include leading audiobook publishers, broadcasters, entertainers, magazine and newspaper publishers and business information providers. Audible.com is Amazon.com's (www.amazon.com) exclusive provider of spoken word products for downloading or streaming via the Web. Additionally, the Company is strategically aligned with Random House, Inc., to pioneer the first-ever imprint to produce spoken word content specifically suited for digital distribution, Random House Audible. Among the Company's key business partners are Apple Corp., Casio Inc., Handspring, Hewlett-Packard Company, Microsoft Corporation, Palm, Inc., Royal Philips Electronics, RealNetworks, Inc., SONICblue Incorporated's Rio Audio Group, Sony Electronics, Texas Instruments and VoiceAge Corp.

About SimpleDevices:

SimpleDevices licenses its patented, standards-based SimpleWare(TM) and SimpleCenter(TM) software to consumer electronics, PC, automotive and network equipment OEMs. The company has created a new class of connected digital device applications that provide automation, synchronization, scheduling, and unified interfaces and databases across all compatible devices. Founded in 1999, SimpleDevices has received investments from Rockford Corporation, Motorola, Proxim, Casio and private investors, and is located in San Mateo, California.

About Rockford:

Rockford is a designer, manufacturer and distributor of high-performance audio systems for the mobile, professional, and home theater audio markets. Rockford's mobile audio products are marketed under the Rockford Fosgate, Lighting Audio, MB Quart and Q-Logic brand names. Rockford's home theater products are marketed under the Fosgate Audionics, MB Quart and NHT brand names. Rockford recently completed an investment in SimpleDevices, which licenses its standards-based SimpleWare(TM) and SimpleCenter(TM) software to consumer electronics, PC, automotive and network equipment OEMs.