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

Year: 2005

Vodafone K.K. Applies for 1.7GHz W-CDMA 3G Field Test License

Vodafone K.K. announced that today it has applied to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications for licenses to operate W-CDMA experimental radio stations on the 1.7GHz frequency band, marking the first time in Japan for an existing 3G mobile operator to apply for a field test license on this frequency band. After receiving a field test license, Vodafone K.K. plans to conduct field tests for approximately 6 months in Chiba prefecture to investigate radio wave propagation characteristics and building shadowing effects, as well as measure in-building penetration loss while operating on the 1.7GHz frequency band.

Mobile Fun and Games for Index Corp. and Takara Toys

Mobile Fun and Games for Index Corp. and Takara ToysMobile content distributor Index Corp. is looking to put more play into mobile content through a new alliance with Takara Toys. Japanese Game powerhouse Konami has washed its financial hands of all shares in Takara making room for Index to move into this big corporate box of marketable fun. Index Corp. has agreed to purchase 22.2 percent of the toy maker’s outstanding shares at a cost of around 11 billion yen reportedly. The partnership aims to use Takara’s lineup of popular TV animation and toys to drive development of content incorporating the Index Group’s mobile centered expertise.

The two have partnered before. Takara’s Bowlingual dog translator, see WWJ video here, is now our in the US and Canada and was jointly developed with Index and includes mobile phone functionality. In January 2004 Index and Takara set up a company to work on joint projects.

Credit Cards Go Wireless on DoCoMo Felica Handsets

Credit Cards Go Wireless on DoCoMo Felica HandsetsImpulse credit card purchases are set to take a frighteningly mobile turn in Japan after NTT DoCoMo and the Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group ended several days of speculation to formally announce a strategic business and capital alliance to bring credit card payments onto DoCoMo’s Felica IC-equipped handsets. DoCoMo plans to invest nearly 100 billion yen in the venture, acquiring 34 percent of Sumitomo Mitsui Card’s (SMC) common shares for approximately 98 billion yen (over $942 million), including new shares to be issued by SMC. The technology will be enable users to swipe their Felica handset in front of a code reader and confirm credit card purchases automatically. No definite rollout date was given.

Sure, it’ll be convenient — but is it secure?

Massive Mobile Multi-Player Game Rollout Announced

Massive Mobile Multi-Player Game Rollout AnnouncedDoCoMo ruled 2004 with their 900i-series 3G phones and exclusive Final Fantasy VII spin off game ‘Before Crisis’ but spring 2005 belongs to KDDI. Japan’s leading 3G carrier has just whipped out a whole new posse of BREW-based mobile multiplayer games for their WIN CDMA 1X 3G handsets: Bandai’s Gundam (Kidousenshi Gundam 3D Meguri Ai Sora Hen); Bomberman 2 from Hudson; Armored Core; Ace Combat by Namco; Sega Rally; Street Fighter II and more. In February, KDDI launched EZ Game Street a new gaming platform powered by Square Enix; the user-friendly image-based interface and landscape of 350 games is set to become even more engaging with this boulevard of multiplayer options powered by new, fixed data rates.

Hello Kitty V@mp Music Player

Hello Kitty V@mp Music PlayerHere kitty, kitty. The Sanrio Hello Kitty Bearbrick special version Apple iPod is hardly cold on Sanrio store shelves when here comes another audio player full of Hello Kitty’s megabrand of marketable goodness: NHJ’s digital audio player helps cool cats customize a meow mix of music via 256 megas of built-in flash memory boosted by SD memory cards (up to 512 MB). Compared to the iPods mini’s fat, 1,000-song capacity, this is just kibble at a mere 192 songs a shot. But this unit targets those who buy Hello Kitty rice cookers, toaster ovens, computer monitors and tissue box covers, not hard-core mobile audiophiles.

Japan Study Finds Cellphones Safe

Japan’s four mobile operators have announced interim findings [.PDF] that radio-frequency energy from mobile-phone base stations does not affect human cells. The World Health Organization has recommended further research with respect to the safety of these waves and, in response, the companies started examining the biological effect of microwave exposure from mobile phones and base stations in November 2002. The results will be announced at the Bioelectromagnetics (BEMS) Annual Meeting, 19-24 June, 2005, in Ireland, and have also been submitted to the BEMS Journal.