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DoCoMo and LG to Develop 3G Phone

DoCoMo and LG to Develop 3G PhoneNTT DoCoMo, and Korea’s LG Electronics just announced a basic agreement to jointly develop a dual-mode 3G FOMA handset that works on both W-CDMA and GSM/GPRS networks. The new handset will be capable of international roaming and equipped for all basic FOMA functions, including videophone and even i-mode mobile Internet access. Commercialization is targeted for spring of 2006. Though this move may seem rather like MSN and Yahoo coming out and agreeing to create joint web pages, DoCoMo needs to hustle up more offshore business even if it means sleeping with the enemy.

Mobile Phones Shake up Shareholder Meetings

Mobile Phones Shake up Shareholder Meetings

What is the sound of one hand tapping? If you are a shareholder in NTT DoCoMo it could be a pretty loud sound indeed reverberating right into the executive boardroom. Shareholders at NTT DoCoMo’s Tuesday, 21 June, shareholders meeting will be able to vote by cell phone through a secure site tapping in ‘yea’ and ‘nay’ at their convenience without trudging all the way down to the New Otani Hotel in Akasaka.

NTT is one of a growing number of Japanese corporations mainstreaming cell phones into shareholder operations. Panasonic, video game maker Taito Corp., [.pdf] and Sony [.pdf] are each allowing M-votes at shareholder meetings this year. Voters receive an access code and password in their voter’s invitation/agenda (generally sent out a couple of weeks in advance). For the Panasonic meeting on 29 June, m-voters connect quickly to the secure site by scanning a QR code (scroll down) which kick starts the password process. DoCoMo shareholders also streamline through with a QR code. Both secure mobile and Internet voting sites may be handled by banks such as UFJ for Sony’s meeting or Chuo Mitsui Trust and Banking at Panasonic’s.

DoCoMo's Premini II S: Lightweight Phone Fun

DoCoMo's Premini II S: Lightweight Phone Fun

DoCoMo’s tiny Mova Premini mobile-phone series by Sony Ericsson is getting a color boost for summer. New Premini II S color combinations of orange/silver, white/lavender, and blue/green push the palm-size handset beyond its mini-macho borders into new territory.

For the Premini II S, the company created a playful Flash movie site called Premini TV. Click on ‘Color Shuffle’ and ‘Light On’ plus the colored dots positioned above them for light effects, then run the mouse over the musical Premini II S handsets covering the screen. It may not sell any phones but it’s fun and DoCoMo needs to keep that frontal lobe awareness with younger consumers.

Nintendo Goes Wild for WLAN

Nintendo Goes Wild for WLAN

Nintendo confirmed plans to set up around 1,000 wireless LAN access points to support online gaming for its dual-screen handheld DS system. The Japanese-language Nikkei Business Daily reported the Kyoto-based game giant planned to push connectivity in conjunction with the release of new online games. In a telephone call with WWJ a Nintendo spokesman confirmed that though no press release had been issued, those statements were made at a company event. Access points will reportedly be set up in game stores, electronic boutiques, etc., by the end of this year.

Vodafone K.K. Enlists New Celebrities

Vodafone K.K. just announced that it has enlisted two Japanese celebrities, Junichi Okada and Misaki Ito, to promote the companies services in Japan. Junichi Okada and Misaki Ito will feature in new TV advertisements, to go on air from the end of June, that are part of the current “Vodafone, beyond borders” ad campaign. Advertisements in newspapers, magazines and other media will begin from mid-June.

Apple to Launch iTunes in Japan

Apple Computer Inc. plans to begin its iTunes Music Store online music downloading service in Japan in early August, The Nihon Keizai Shimbun learned Monday. Apple’s service is expected to offer the largest collection among Japanese music downloading sites, with 500,000 to 1 million domestic and foreign songs. Mora, currently the biggest Japanese music downloading site, offers around 200,000 songs.

Vodafone: JPY260 bn 3G capex

Vodafone KK , Japan’s third-largest mobile operator, will boost its capital investment by 50 percent to 260 billion yen ($2.43 billion) this business year to accelerate installation of base stations for 3G services, the Nihon Keizai business daily said on Tuesday.

Skype Powers VoIP in Japan with Fusion

Skype Powers VoIP in Japan with FusionCostly Japanese domestic phone prices are looking to take a tumble with low-priced hybrid fixed-line/IP telephony services. The newest team-up pairs Japan’s Fusion Communications with Skype Technologies. Fusion’s patent-pending gateway technology takes incoming number-based calls and works with Skype’s database to route them to Skype IP telephony subscribers using the 050- prefix, similar to NTT Communications’ Click-2-Connect IP phone service, also using the 050 designation. Skype works with Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and PDAs using Pocket PC. Users typically connect through their PC. Is Skype, the no-cost free Net telephony provider, finally going to turn a profit?