Archive for the 'New Tech & Services' Category

Japan Trials RCS Initiative

The GSMA today reported significant progress with its Rich Communication Suite (RCS) initiative, a service that provides mobile operators with a feature-rich portfolio of interoperable communication services, enabling customers to access a wide range of advanced messaging applications direct from their handset’s contact list.

Posted: 15 February 2010 | Filed under: New Tech & Services, Sign of the Times | ..Continue >> 

MediaFlo Good to Go for Japan

The ministry has recognized MediaFLO as one of two official technologies for nationwide mobile multimedia broadcasting services in Japan. This milestone signifies that MediaFLO-enabled mobile TV services may be deployed in Japan once spectrum is made available in 2011. Congrats to the team there as we have followed their course to enter the market here over the last few years, for example this video interview with Ali Zamari at Wireless Japan trade-show in 2007 and the presentation by Kazuhiko Masuda – President – MediaFLO Japan Planning Inc. at MoMo Tokyo later the same year.

Posted: 12 November 2009 | Filed under: Japan Market, New Tech & Services | ..Continue >> 

Go!TOKYO - The Latest GMAP App

The guys at GMAP have been working very hard over the past few months to develop a new iPhone app., called Go!TOKYO, targeted at people either living or visiting here should find rather useful. Designed with English speakers in mind, it was created to help get folks around the maze of subway platforms and guide you through to puzzling locations, using the companies exisiting database of great maps, most often to be found ’somewhere’ near a metro stop. For a whole 350jpy (about $4) on iTunes this one is a no-brainer!

Posted: 3 November 2009 | Filed under: Japan Market, New Tech & Services | ..Continue >> 

Fujitsu Exhibits 3D Motion Sensor Engine

Fujitsu announced that they have developed “3D motion Sen Synge engine” technology that three-dimensionally measured the movement of the body of the person who had it by using the sensor built into a mobile phone. The application program “ETGA swing lesson” as a featured example is able to check the golf swing was developed to demonstrate the potential applications of this service.

“ETGA swing lesson” analyzes the orbit of the swing form from the body movement data, and diagnoses the swing. It only has to install the cellular phone equipped with the acceleration sensor and the giro sensor in the small of the back, and it is possible to compare it with a past best swing of the self besides the evaluation and advice are received. It exhibits at “CEATEC JAPAN 2009″ held in Makuhari Messe on October 6th.

Posted: 29 September 2009 | Filed under: New Tech & Services, Sign of the Times | ..Continue >> 

EZ News Adds TOHO Cinema Channel

KDDI’s EZ News EX mobile platform adds TOHO theaters info feed w/movie features, times, locations, reviews & coupons [J] http://bit.ly/C9dEf

Posted: 11 September 2009 | Filed under: Japan Market, New Tech & Services | ..Continue >> 

Solar Charger for iPhone

iPhone owners will be happy to hear there is potential salvation for extra juice while on the run coming soon via this external solar panel charger. Tagged at about $40 and available as of Sept. 1st it will also connect power-up thirsty Nintendo DS and PSP and Japanese 3G handsets as well.

Posted: 25 August 2009 | Filed under: New Tech & Services, Sign of the Times | ..Continue >> 

Au One Mobile Health Portal

Mediba has launched the Au One Health mobile portal which includes; medical symtoms Q&A, Dr. office, hospital and drug store locations along with health insurance details, physical fitness and healthy cooking tips. According to the announcement over 150,000 locations are searchable in the database, including dentists, with over 10,000 over the counter items listed as well.

Posted: 14 August 2009 | Filed under: Japan Market, New Tech & Services | ..Continue >> 

Security Robot with Mobile Ads

Tech-On has a great article on the digital future of robotic security services, with this An9-PR on display by ALSOK sporting an impressive laundry list of gadgetery. Aside from range of LCD touch panels, we’ll get to that after the hop, it touts a face-recognition camera, embedded FeliCa RFID functions, human range sensors and WLAN connectivity for positioning and reporting. Standing 160cm (about 5ft) tall and tipping the scales at 200kg this real-life cousin of R2D2 comes with a hefty price tag of about $150k and will be available for monthly lease of about $3,000 including on-going maintenance fees.

Posted: 7 August 2009 | Filed under: New Tech & Services, Sign of the Times | ..Continue >> 

Applix Offers Mobile Game Deployer

Aplix announced [in Japanese] they will introduce their Mobile Game Deployer - MGD - application targeted at domestic content providers in order to enable auto transcoding for the Windows Mobile Marketplace. Designed to convert existing i-Appli programs, originally configured to run on i-mode terminal specs, the software will apparently also handle the tricky touch and rotation panel functions.

Posted: 5 August 2009 | Filed under: Content Providers, New Tech & Services | ..Continue >> 

AEON and DoCoMo Open Marketing Co.

As first announced on March 31, the JV between DoCoMo and leading department store chain AEON group launched on 24 July. The new entity, AEON Marketing, will combine RFID point of sale details from purchasing preferences along with targeted marketing via mobile phones in order to increase efficiencies, leading to higher purchase ratios at stores, as well as improve customer loyalty. The new company was founded on 800 million yen (approx. $8M usd) and is mainly owned by AEON group with 71% of the share, with DoCoMo holding the 29% balance of stock.

Posted: 25 July 2009 | Filed under: Editor's Note, New Tech & Services | ..Continue >>