Year: <span>2005</span>
Year: 2005

Year: 2005

Mobile Intelligence Japan – Akihabara Walking Tour

Mobile Intelligence Japan - Akihabara Walking TourAfter months of preparation, our MIJ mission to Tokyo kicked-off Sunday afternoon with a casual walk-about through the famous Akihabara electric town district. Over the coming week of scheduled meetings and events, we plan to post a daily update — right here on WWJ — of the highlights to provide subscribers a current snapshot of Japan’s mobile space. MIJ has an extensive agenda lined up, including company visits and presentations from many of what we believe to be the most interesting local players, a major networking event at Mobile Monday tomorrow night and a whole day out at Tech Disneyland — the CEATEC trade show.

You’ve got to experience it to believe it!

While most of these discussions will be held ‘off-the-record’ to gather info just for MIJ participants, we are looking forward to gaining an even deeper insight of where the industry is today and how things are shaping up for 2006 and to sharing what we can.

Sony's Newest Aibo has a Nose for News

Sony's Newest Aibo has a Nose for NewsSony’s robotic pup Aibo gives new meaning to the term newshound. In its latest evolution Aibo ERS-7M3/T has the ability for short-term memory mapping and news reads through a version of web syndication– RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds. “With one simple voice command Aibo can read the morning’s headline news while its owner folds the laundry,” said Toshi Kawai, senior manager of Entertainment Robot America (ERA), a division of Sony Electronics in a prepared statement. The AIBO Net News reader capability enables the robot to read its owner news or weather from a choice of RSS feeds available on many websites.

Puppy also comes loaded with the AIBO Diary in case owners want to know what he is up to while they are out of the house. Aibo can take pictures and add notes on its daily activities to its diary. (Yes but what if he’s lying?) The diary can be shared by uploading entries directly to a blog site. The dog has its own blog now. Bring on the apocalypse.

eAccess Courting Goldman Sachs

ADSL Broadband firm and mobile carrier wannabe eAccess is in discussion with American’s Goldman Sachs Group regarding significant investment in the firm. eAccess issued a Japanese press release in response to an article in the Nihon Keizai Daily. The article reported that the company plans to partner with Goldman Sachs with an investment by the American corporate giant of 25 billion yen through GS Capital Partners. Goldman Sachs has ties with Universal Studios Japan and could smooth plans for eAccess to distribute Universal video games over Japanese 3G cell phones. The article went on to say that they may also develop phone-based travel content including golf and hotel reservations for properties with Goldman Sachs ties.

Vodafone Makes E-Moji Mail Work

Vodafone Japan is making it easier for Japanese multi-slackers to stuff their email full of pictographs and surf it on over other carriers’ systems intact and with no extra steps. Due to differing specifications with each carriers’ pictograms (or E-moji), it hasn’t been possible for Vodafone users to send emails that included picture fun to other carriers’ handsets. The company’s pictogram conversion function now automatically changes the Vodafone pictogram codes into the corresponding display format for DoCoMo and KDDI cellphones.

Toshiba's 3.2 Megapixel Image Sensor

Toshiba has announced the latest addition to its line-up of Dynastron complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors for integration in mobile handsets. The new ET8E99-AS [ .jpg image ] brings 3.2-megapixel capability to cellular phones and other camera-enabled mobile devices in a small package, offering, according to the company, low-power consumption and high-level performance. Samples of the new sensor are available immediately and mass production will start within the calendar year. The ET8E99-AS will be exhibited at CEATEC JAPAN 2005, from October 4 at Makuhari Messe.

Japan's Mobile Digital Terrestrial TV to Launch April 2006

Japan's Mobile Digital Terrestrial TV LaunchWe have signal. Mobile digital terrestrial TV broadcasting hits the wireless airwaves in Japan April 1st, 2006. Japanese telecom carriers and commercial broadcasters will be ready to start simulcasts of hybrid terrestrial digital programming and data feeds to cellular phones in just a few months. “Our handsets will be ready to comply with that date and we are targeting March/April 2006 release of mobile digital terrestrial TV phones,” NTT DoCoMo spokesperson Tomoko Tsuda told WWJ.

No April Fools prank, the start up date was announced by Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Vodafone also confirmed to WWJ they should make the April deadline. “We are gearing up production to have handsets ready in time for the start of this new digital TV service,” says Vodafone spokesperson Matthew Nicholson. Details on when other broadcasters will start mobile programming and what contents they plan to spin to mobile should be available soon.

DoCoMo Announces Japan's First Digital Broadcast Cellphone

DoCoMo Announces Japan's First Digital Broadcast CellphoneDoCoMo has developed their first mobile handset to receive terrestrial digital broadcasting and analog TV in one 3G Foma package. The P901iTV handset, by Panasonic, targets the start of mobile digital broadcasting in April, 2006 and will make its public debut at the upcoming CEATEC Japan 2005 trade show October 4 to 8 at Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba. (WWJ will be on-hand to get photos and video!)

The twist-style handset comes with a 2.5-inch, wide-view main LCD screen plus a sub-display, antenna-embedded earphone for enhanced TV reception, and 2.2-megapixel camera. The handset can only handle around 2.5 hours of continuous digital TV viewing; 1.5 hours of analog — ruling out Lord of the Rings style 3-hour viewing marathons. DoCoMo’s Osaifu-Keitai mobile wallet is part of the package as well, enabling the phone to be used as electronic money.

Vodafone and KDDI have had demonstration models of terrestrial digital TV receiver/handsets for some time. Last may their latest versions were up and running at the NHK Science and Technical Research Laboratories open house. Vodafone displayed the 801SH Sharp CDMA Qualcomm handset with a hybrid split-screen displaying TV images on the upper half with the bottom reserved for scrolling data feeds. KDDI showed off a similar au prototype handset by Sanyo. Check-out our video report from that event here.

Vodafone Enables Pre-Paid via ATM

Vodafone Japan has announced that starting 17 October 2005 it will offer a new service for its Prepaid Service which will allow customers to recharge their prepaid mobile phones at bank ATMs or via internet banking. Using the electronic payment system, dubbed ‘Pay-easy’, customers will now be able to recharge their prepaid mobile phones at financial institution ATMs by using their bank cards or cash, and also via internet or mobile banking. This new service will be available to most existing Vodafone Prepaid Service customers and will be Japan’s first that allows clients to recharge their prepaid mobile phones at ATMs of financial institutions.

Fixed-Mobile Convergence Plan

Local media reports Vodafone KK and Japan Telecom may be looking to integrate their mobile and fixed line assets. Such a move would allow cell phones to work as landline handsets for use indoors. Fixed line rates are significantly lower than mobile charges and synchronicity between the two sectors could result in huge savings for individuals and businesses. It would also significantly accelerate Japan Telecom’s move into the wireless sector.

KDDI Develops Prototype Fuel-Cell Mobile Phones with Toshiba, Hitachi, Ltd

JCN; KDDI, with partners Toshiba Corporation and Hitachi, Ltd., is pleased to announce that prototype mobile phones powered with fuel cells will be exhibited in the KDDI booth at CEATEC JAPAN (Makuhari Messe), to take place from October 4. KDDI had been in co-development with Toshiba and Hitachi since July, 2004 on next-generation fuel cells for use in mobile devices such as cell-phones. The fuel-cell mobile phone co-developed by Toshiba and KDDI is based on the au handset A5509T. The system used is a hybrid type, with power supplied by a compact fuel cell and fuel tank at the back of the handset, plus an internal lithium ion battery. It uses high-concentration methanol to achieve a battery capacity 2.5 times the conventional value with a single refill. This feature enables the handset to be used for a long time.