New Tech & Services
New Tech & Services

New Tech & Services

HP Opens RFID Lab in Japan

Anticipating that a 950-MHz band will be assigned for RFID applications in Japan, Hewlett-Packard Japan Ltd. will open a RFID verification facility in May in Japan with three partner companies. HP’s partner companies include Toyo Kanetsu Solutions K.K., IDEC Controls Ltd. and ThreeQ. Ltd., all of which are familiar with implementing logistics controlling systems in Japan. Designated an HP RFID Noisy Lab, the lab will be located in Toyo Kanetsu’s plant in Kisarazu, Chiba prefecture, similar to a U.S. lab HP operates in Omaha, Nebraska.

Connextion by Boeing Price Plan

Connexion by Boeing today announced initial pricing and details for its new high-speed Internet service for the maritime market, scheduled for commercial availability this fall. The Connexion by Boeing service is available today on flights offered by Lufthansa, SAS, Japan Airlines, ANA and Singapore Airlines. In addition, China Airlines, El Al, Korean Air and Asiana have announced their intent to install the Connexion by Boeing system on their long-range aircraft.

Vodafone KK Expands Roaming Areas

Vodafone K.K. announced today that it will expand global roaming service areas for Vodafone live! and mobile data communications to 51 countries and regions as of 30 March 2005. Since launching its 3G service in December 2002, Vodafone K.K. has tied up with operators outside Japan providing W-CDMA and GSM/GPRS network services. In addition to offering voice roaming, Vodafone K.K. has also enabled its customers to access mobile data communications services abroad with the same Vodafone K.K. handset that they use in Japan.

Japan Rail, DoCoMo State Mobile Suica Plans

Mobile Suica Launch VideoRecently, East Japan Rail (JR East) and NTT DoCoMo held a press event in Tokyo to announce the January 2006 start of “Mobile Suica” which will allow i-mode phones to serve as train tickets. WWJ’s Gail Nakada filed her report here and today’s video program gives you a ring-side seat to learn how Big D and JR plan to win over the hearts, minds and wallets of millions of mobile-phone using commuters (and most of them are). As you’re watching today’s press conference, there are several key points to keep in mind. First, until now, it has in fact not been possible to use your phoneas a train ticket in Japan. Despite all the live demonstrations, trade show hypeand media speculation around FeliCa, the FeliCa-based Suica cards used by JR andthe FeliCa-based i-mode handsets sold by DoCoMo have been incompatible. Yes, you could use your FeliCa handsets to buy a ticket, but the phone itself was not the ticket.

ELLEgirl gets 'Mobotized,' and Invites Readers to 'Point, Click and Connect'

ELLEgirl Magazine (published by Hachette Filipacchi) and Mobot today announced a 12-month partnership to create “mobotized” advertisements for ELLEgirl. Mobot’s visual search and recognition technology solution combined with camera phones makes it fun, rewarding and easy, for ELLEgirl readers to interact with their favorite consumer brands, providing instant gratification to teens living the mobile lifestyle. “This partnership works well for ELLEgirl’s teen readers that use mobile phones daily,” said Russ Gocht, CEO of Mobot. “For the advertiser, each picture can launch a thousand possibilities.”

Vodafone Blocks Disguised Numbers

Vodafone KK said today the company would implement measures to prevent the display of disguised incoming call numbers. For calls that originate on other networks and terminate on Vodafone KK handsets, the company will identify calls suspected of stemming from disguised call number displays, and not display them to the receiver based on meeting predefined conditions. The system will start operation today and is due to be completed nationwide by 22 March.