Year: <span>2008</span>
Year: 2008

Year: 2008

DoCoMo Introduces 19 New Handsets

DoCoMo just announced the new 906i and 706i series offering with 19 handsets and 64 body colors, which will be launched starting June 1. The flagship 906i series – with all the usual high-end functions – will roll 8 new models, three from NEC, two from Sharp and one each via Panasonic, Fujitsu and Sony Ericsson. The 706i line-up introduced 11 ‘extra-slim’ models with One-Seg digital TV and a water-proof model for the bath. There’s plenty of material to wade through but some of the stand-out features include the addition of Flash 8 capabilities and a huge new video streaming portal.

DoCoMo Announces Mobile to PC Service

DoCoMo will launch a new service called Pocket U which will enable subscribers to view and browse, from anywhere, content such as video, music, image and text files stored in their home PCs via mobile phones as of June 6, 2008.

Customers will require a flat-rate data plan and subscription to the Pocket U service will run an extra $5 per month. Apparently a VPN will be used to prevent third-party users from pretending to be subscribers of the service.

Panel Urges Limit on Mobile for Kids

A Japanese government panel has called on parents and schools to help limit the use of mobile phones by children to prevent them from accessing “harmful” information on websites. These measures are necessary to “protect children from harmful information and other negative influence involving the use of mobile phones” including “crimes and bullying,” the report said. It called for limiting mobile phone for children use just to voice calls. More details after the jump

Renesas Considers Taking FOMA Global

According to this report, Renesas is interested in offering the FOMA platform as a handset reference design to companies outside Japan. FOMA, or Freedom of Mobile Multimedia Access, is Docomo’s 3G network standard design followed all Japanese handset makers that provide cellphones to DoCoMo. Considering the vested interest of Renesas in SH-Mobile this ‘news’ is not surprising. However, it does indicate that more players and products are gearing up for the shift towards LTE.

McDonalds Japan Rolls RFID Coupons

McDonalds Japan has announced the deployment of an e-wallet coupon and payment system, using Felica and DoComo iD readers, at 175 locations as of May 20th with the target of all 3,800 retail shops nationwide to be completed by 2009. While the company has been active in the mobile space since 2003, quoting 10 million registered users, this effort was touted as the first of it’s kind during a recent press conference held here in Tokyo. More details after the jump.

Hakuhodo Wins Mobile Marketing Award

The annual D&AD award winners have been announced with a ‘Yellow Pencil’ going to an interesting campaign by Tokyo-based agency Hakuhodo for snack food client Tohato.

The World’s Worst War used two new spicey snack flavors as opposing forces and engaged players to invite friends, thereby increasing their own personal rank, to join forces of either the Habanero Evil Army or the dreaded Satan Jorquia… Yikes. Better to watch the video!

Via Communities Dominate Brands.