Wireless News
Wireless News

Wireless News

Camera Phone as Bar-Code Scanner

Toshiba Corp. has developed software that lets shoppers use their phones to check the reputations of products on the Internet. Shoppers only need to use the phone’s built-in digital camera to take a photo of the product bar-code label. The service will cover products that consumers are particularly concerned about, including consumer electronics products, food, books, CDs, DVDs and cosmetics. Commercial application is expected to begin in fiscal 2006 after further testing at electric appliance retailers and bookstores from February.

Gracenote and Muze Partner to Create Integrated Offering

Gracenote and Muze today announced a multi-year partnership to offer the industry’s most comprehensive and accurate global media identification and rich content solution for consumer electronics and mobile phone devices, as well as PC applications. Offering a comprehensive collection of content for entertainment products currently available in North America, Europe and other parts of the world, Muze provides album art, album reviews and artist biographies for the industry’s most influential and popular artists of all time. Integrating Muze’s award-winning editorial content with Gracenote’s industry-leading music identification technology, services and global information database will allow digital entertainment companies to easily offer their customers an enhanced media experience anywhere they ship products in the world.

New Walkman Phone Announced

Sony Ericsson unveiled their latest Walkman handset today at CES in Las Vegas. The W801i comes with Quadband GSM 850/900/1900/850 and EDGE support, dedicated music buttons in the joystick like the W900. Specs include a 2-megapixel camera with autofocus and flashlight, 1.9-inch 176×220-pixel 262k color screen, Memory Stick Duo Pro slot and 20-MB of internal memory. This latest design, however, apparently lacks the FM tuner. Scheduled to be available worldwide in the first quarter of 2006.

CES 2006 Preview

Said to be the world’s largest consumer electronics tradeshow, CES, gets underway 5-8 January, in Las Vegas. While not open to the general public, CES previews consumer electronics and wireless technologies, devices and networks from over 2,500 exhibitors. The conference program, keynotes, SuperSessions, exhibitor news and press releases announce thousands of products. Announcements for new products are available for broadband, home networking, mobile/vehicle electronics, personal electronics, satellite systems, telephones, video, WiFi and wireless communications, as well as mobile entertainment and consumer VoIP. Check out the Wireless TechZone for the full list of upcoming presentations.

Panasonic and Skype Collaborate

Panasonic Communications have teamed up with Skype to develop Panasonic Internet calling products. As its initial offering, Panasonic plans to launch a Skype-compatible cordless telephone product that will enable select Panasonic cordless telephones to interface directly with Skype. With the new product, consumers will be able to make and receive Skype and traditional calls using the same Panasonic cordless phone. Panasonic’s future Skype-compatible products will give consumers access to Skype services including SkypeOut, SkypeIn and Skype Voicemail using a cordless phone and a computer running Skype.

NEC Considers Handset Merger

NEC Corp. is hoping to tie or merge its cell phone business with that of another Japanese handset maker within the next 6 months, its president said in an interview published Tuesday in a Japanese newspaper. President Akinobu Kanasugi told the Asahi Shimbun newspaper that he wants to find a domestic partner for his company’s cell phone business. He has ruled out working with a foreign cell phone maker because NEC has a large amount of 3G-related technology and know-how that was gained with NTT DoCoMo and other domestic partners, he said.