New Tech & Services
New Tech & Services

New Tech & Services

IC Tag Child Protection Service

NTT DATA Corporation, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., its communications Inc., Tokyu Security Co., Ltd., and TRENDY Corporation announced that they have developed an expanded IC tag ‘i-safety’ Service that is expected to help reduce traffic accidents involving children, in addition to help protect them from crime. The expanded service, which is still in the experimental stage, alerts drivers to the presence of children in the vicinity thanks to a voice-recording from an electronic information device in the car that warns ‘Children nearby. Please be careful.’

Faith to Launch High-Class Voce

There’s a new MVNO coming to U.S. shores called Voce, created by Faith Inc., a Japanese content provider that made its footprint in the American mobile market through its polyphonic ringtones. Voce says it will provide “first class” personalized wireless services, to become available this year, include unlimited calling, data downloads, “velvet glove” customer service, the latest technologies, and a new cell phone every four months, according to the company.

2006: Japan's Year of the FeliCa eWallet Phone

2006: Japan's Year of the FeliCa eWallet PhoneAccording to the ancient Chinese calendar, 2006 is The Year of the Dog. More importantly, it’s shaping up to be The Year of the eWallet. Launched last summer, DoCoMo’s FeliCa-based wallet phones are a growing success and competitors Vodafone and KDDI have scrambled to launch their own FeliCa-equipped models.

A recent survey points to wide consumer satisfaction and even the BBC have started reporting on Osaifu Keitai (wallet phones). The BBC’s ‘Click Online’ producer caught up with me last month in Tokyo; they were in town to cover CEATEC, but also wanted the tech and business-model details on DoCoMo’s ‘i-mode FeliCa‘ mobile service, as well as how people are using them. The result was a pretty good TV programme (if I may say so myself), which you can watch on the Click Online site(WWJ subscribers log in for full story).

Smell Tones for Mobile Phones

Aromatherapy wafts to a high tech edge with Japanese "smell tones" for mobile phones.  Scented mobile phone charms release a variety of fragrances to signal incoming calls and email using an electronically stimulated micro scent generator built into a cell phone-style charm. Keitai KunKun (KunKun is Japanese shorthand for the act of actually sniffing) releases a light burst of fragrance for five seconds after the arrival of a call/mail. At least pockets and purses will be sweetly scented. 

Virtual Girlfriend for Your Mobile

Hong Kong-based Artificial Life, Inc., a provider of mobile 3G technology and applications, have just announced that its flagship and award-winning 3G product: V-Girl – "Your Virtual Girlfriend" – will launch with 3 in Hong Kong today. WWJ has been following the roll-out of Artificial Life products over the last few months and we expect to see them in Japan very soon as the company is in negotiations with the major carriers here.

DoCoMo Launching Mobile Credit Card

DoCoMo’s Osaifu keitai (mobile wallet) line of cell phones will soon have their own branded virtual credit card for mobile payments. The iD card (‘i’ as in “i-mode”) will be launched on December 1, 2005 and will enhance existing credit card services by giving credit card owners the option of making payments via a DoCoMo wallet phone linked to the card, in addition to conventional payments with their plastic credit card. That means charges through the phone will automatically be deducted from the user’s designated credit card. Just waving the phones in front of dedicated reader/writers at stores will start the payment process.