New Tech & Services
New Tech & Services

New Tech & Services

DoCoMo and HP Announce Sensor Platform

NTT DoCoMo and Hewlett-Packard just announced they have been conducting joint research with the goals of developing a new application platform to interconnect cellular telephone systems and sensor networks and the development of a prototype of new middleware platform. Designed to work with networks found in homes and businesses that utilize sensors relying on a variety of transmission methods the Sensor Network Middleware Platform enables interactive communication between those networks and mobile phones.

Mobile Payments Research Report

Strategy Analytics released this new report ‘Mobile Contactless Payments – Growth on the Horizon’ analyzing payment for goods or services using phones instead of cash, credit or debit cards. At a global level, activity in the mobile phone contactless payment market today is still negligible; over the past two years the only bright point has been the FeliCa service in Japan, which has provided a model for the speed with which services can take off if the right players and the right structure are put in place. The report estimates that FeliCa will drive $900 million worth of payments in Japan during 2006.

Mobile TV Embedded e-Coupon System

Nippon Television Network (NTV) and NTT DoCoMo have jointly developed a system to distribute and store video-embedded e-coupons and e-cards to and in cellular phones capable of receiving one-seg terrestrial digital broadcasting. The system uses the one-seg data broadcasting band to automatically store broadcasting program information in a one-seg-capable handset regardless of whether or not it displays broadcast video. NTV and DoCoMo are considering distributing location-dependent coupons and coupons intended for users with target attributes.

OKI Launches Face Sensing Engine 3.0

Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. announced the development of Face Sensing Engine (FSE) Ver3.0, a middleware for embedded systems. OKI adds a new function that can detect several faces from a data of a single photo and can verify specific faces, providing industry-leading processing performance. Photos taken by mobile phones are usually stored based on the date and time the particular photo was taken, which makes it difficult to sort them and search among them. With OKI’s FSE ver.3.0, photos are automatically stored according to who is in the photo, enabling easier access to the photo.

3G Phone Checks Drunk Drivers

According to an article in the local media, a cell-phone-enabled breath analyzer system developed by DoCoMo is proving popular among bus and transport companies. The new system, which uses a DoCoMo 3G handset, is designed to be foolproof. First, the driver makes a video-phone call to his or her company and breathes into the analyzer connected to their cell phone. The video image showing the driver blowing into the analyzer and data regarding the alcohol concentration on his or her breath are transmitted to the company and confirmed by computer there.

M-Commerce Convergence Announced

East Japan Railway Company (JR East), NTT DoCoMo, JCB, and bitWallet just announced that they have agreed to share a common platform to enable their e-payment brands — Suica, iD, QUICPay and Edy — to share the same point-of-sale reader/writer device and data center. The system is expected to begin commercial operation with the Suica and iD brands in January 2007, with QUICPay and Edy [ .jpg image ] to be added subsequently.