<span class="vcard">editors</span>
editors

Willcom Introduces New Smart Phone

Willcom, Sharp and Microsoft held a press conference yesterday at the Okura Hotel to announce the new W-Zero3 ES smartphone. The 3rd model in their series from Sharp this latest unit weighs in at 157grams and measures just under 18mm thick. Boasting a 3.3 inch VGA (480×800) LCD touch-screen display and the so-called xCrawl jog dial with Windows 6 OS running on Marvells PXA270 520MHz processor and Wi-Fi enabled this device will be available on order here by the end of June. WWJ was on-hand for the event and will post video asap, more details after the jump.

Mobikyo at Wireless Japan 2007

Mobikyo KK, publisher of Wireless Watch Japan, announced today it will co-host three popular events in co-operation with Expo Comm Wireless Japan 2007, Tokyo Big Sight, 18-20 July, the largest specialized trade show in Japan dedicated to wireless and mobile network technologies. With over 34,000 industry professionals and 180 exhibitors attending, Wireless Japan is the central meeting point for Asia’s wireless industry. See our video reports for the 2006 event Here

As 3G adoption exceeds 70 percent saturation in Japan, mobile ecosystem players are increasingly aiming to establish partnerships, tie-ups and business deals to deliver their products and services – as well as lessons learned – into emerging markets elsewhere. There has never been a better time for overseas companies to make valuable connections into Japan’s wireless industry and there has never been a better venue than Mobikyo KK’s stellar event line-up at Expo Comm Wireless Japan.

DoCoMo to Enhance Mobile Maps

NTT DoCoMo just announced that they have agreed to form business and capital alliances with ZENRIN DataCom in order to provide advanced map and navigation services for mobile phones. The capital alliance will see DoCoMo take a 10.27% stake in ZENRIN by acquiring 1,700 newly allocated shares in a deal expected to be completed by June 8. Financial details were not disclosed.

Demand Forces M-Pay Upgrade

Advanced M-Pay, the joint venture between the cellular operators AIS and NTT DoCoMo, is spending an additional 100 million baht to promote its mobile payment service, after registering faster-than-expected growth in mobile-to-mobile money refill service this year. The company also expects to earn a profit next year for the first time according to the Bangkok Post.

Battery Charging Going Wireless

Here’s a great article, from the cover of Nikkei Electronics Asia June edition, detailing the wireless transmission of electric power. As we see more services and functions for mobile devices, which naturally leads to increased usage, the demand for more battery power has clearly become an issue. Quick wireless power re-charges stations, in convenient locations, may well prove to be a more effective and popular choice to the methanol alternative.