The latest Mobinet study from A.T. Kearney reports that 41 percent of the world’s wireless phone users expect to be regular or heavy users of data services by 2005. The Index looks at current and planned usage of wireless data services such as mobile email, games, music downloads, photo messaging, and news updates and the strong user demand represents a whopping 200-percent increase over the past year. Have mobile data services finally reached a tipping point?
The Symbian operating system powers many cellular phones, and also supports a wide range of third-party applications—including games. Unfortunately, one popular game turned out to have a “cracked” version that was secretly infected with a Trojan horse. The Mosquito Dialer Trojan infects the popular game Mosquito with code that secretly messages pay-per-call numbers.
Toyota Motors announced today that it will sell a new Pipit Phone model, a unique PHS handset [.jpg image] it has developed with PHS carrier DDI Pocket and Kyocera, at its auto dealers as well as its mobile phone shops across Japan, beginning on September 4. The new model has a security alarm built into the back side of the handset, an emergency call function to send out an emergency alarm to up to three pre-registered numbers. The handset also supports free access to PiPit Web, a location information site operated by Toyota, as well as email.
Japan’s telecommunications ministry reportedly plans to introduce a new tax for spectrum used by home information appliances and high-bandwidth wireless local area networks. The proposed fee would be collected when users purchase LAN products, according to a media report. We’re waiting for the ‘crats to propose a tax on garage door openers next.
After fake batteries have caused some Nokia mobile phones to explode, IDG reports today that NEC Electronics Corp. said that it has tweaked its — get ready for this — CipherUnicorn-S encryption technology which verifies battery authenticity in cellies, digital cameras, and other gadgets.
One of the world’s telecom R&D powerhouses, NTT DoCoMo, has released a fascinating report reviewing the advances in cell phone technologies that enable today’s tiny, portable pocket rockets to surf the Web, transmit multimedia mail, and play sophisticated games. In 1985, the first Japanese mobile phone that could be used away from a car battery supply was called the “Shoulder Phone” and weighed in at about 3 kilograms.
Microsoft will take its first step toward a true open source-like OS when it releases Windows CE 5.0 to the public July 9. However, it will not end the licensing program for the mobile OS, there will still be a $3 license fee for every device using Windows CE code. Microsoft has been expanding the scope of its Shared Source Initiative (SSI) for the past few years in response to criticism that it was too closed when it came to allowing third-party developers to create applications based on the Windows OS.
LG Electronics announced Thursday that it will provide its handsets to the largest GSM operator of the US, Cingular. According to LG Electronics, it will export Tri-band GPRS camera phone (L1200) that can provide roaming service between the US and Europe and super-small-sized dual band GPRS color phone (C1300).
Sony’s design flaws, and ultimate failure, also came from a misunderstanding of its target audience, as well as poor design. But size wasn’t the problem, rather it was usability by the American consumer. (An interesting and almost-compelling analysis of differences between US and Japanese consumers that goes beyond the odious “American thumbs are too big” argument; well worth a read as this issue directly applies to 3G cell phones. — Ed.)
Originally published as a guest column in Fierce Wireless, 9 June – Ed.
If 2001-2003 has been Phase 1 of Japan’s 3G era (all three major carriers launched W-CDMA or CDMA 2000 networks in this period), then 2004 is definitely shaping up to be Phase 2 — and the difference is that now Japan 3G is moving overseas. The assault is being led in part by Japan’s keitai makers who, under NTT DoCoMo’s lash, have invested heavily in sophisticated new terminals and are now looking to markets further afield in order to generate additional ROI.
