NEC America, Inc. and Vuico, LLC, announced the availability of Vuico’s GoWireless PRO solution for NEC’s 525 High Definition Mobile (HDM) phones. The program was developed to provide a compelling solution for mobile users and includes free cell phones (after rebates) with the purchase of wireless and data services. The 525 HDM model is a GSM/GPRS quad band mobile handset, allowing individuals to access their email when traveling internationally.
DoCoMo unveiled the new mova® 506i series of three PDC (2G) i-mode mobile phones [.jpg image] in Tokyo and WWJ was on hand to video the event. These new handsets feature cameras with effective resolutions of more than one million pixels. They also come with infrared ports for exchanging data and photos with compatible handsets, performing infrared-based functions such as remote-control operation of appliances and authentication and cashless payments with your Visa credit card.
A new video encoding method nicknamed the “mammoth Codec” is attracting the attention of engineers in a wide range of equipment development sectors. The primary reason is the high data compression ratio, significantly better than that offered by existing Phase 2 (MPEG-2) or MPEG-4 Visual schemes. Many authorities working on international standards for encoding technology feel that little further improvement can be expected in the compression ratio, making the new technique a trump card that closes out the current series of MPEG-based Codecs, which began with MPEG-1.
On top of launching full-scale digital-satellite-to-mobile-terminal broadcasting services on July 1, Mobile Broadcasting Corp. (MBCO) and its main technology backer Toshiba Corp. are making a strong, and they believe attractive, push to generate digital broadcasting revenue streams for Japan’s wireless carriers in April 2006 when DoCoMo, KDDI, and perhaps Vodafone K.K. will unleash mobiles with digital TV tuners on them. Talking to Shigekazu Hori, vice president and general manger of Toshiba Corp.’s Network Services & Contents Control Center last week, the planets could finally be aligning for a tailor-made revenue model that will finally convince Japan’s carriers to equip mobile phones with television. And, of course, as mentioned by DoCoMo’s Keiji Tachikawa last week, the fact that MPEG-4 standards have been settled and H.264 is coming doesn’t hurt either.
NTT DoCoMo, Inc. announced today it will field test a controller that enables home appliances to be operated with 3G FOMA® handsets. The controller enables operations such as programming the recording of a TV program and then viewing the playback on the phone, turning air conditioners and lights on an off, and viewing live video from the controller’s built-in camera. WWJ’s video program from CEATEC in Oct. ’03 features a demo. of the technology.
Seiko Epson Corporation and SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. have announced that they would merge their liquid crystal businesses to form a new company. The new company will be known as SANYO EPSON IMAGING DEVICES CORPORATION and is planned to begin operations in October 2004. Epson will hold 55% of the joint venture, and SANYO 45%. The new entity will aim to become a leading manufacturer of small and medium-sized LCDs for mobile phones, digital cameras, and for use in automobiles.
