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V-Live vs. i-mode: Observations from Tokyo Big Sight

Tim Harrison’s speech was the highlight of Wireless Japan 2003 for many — an oasis of information in an otherwise dreary lineup of pat speeches by DoCoMo’s Tachikawa and KDDI’s Onodera. Harrison talked eloquently about the guiding principles that have let V-Live grow to 1.5 million, the lessons learned from Japan, and how their service is different from the domestically brilliant, and so far internationally dismal, performance of various i-modes.

Report: Wireless Japan 2003

Report: Wireless Japan 2003Japan’s wireless broadband networks are rapidly accelerating with the development of cutting-edge technologies and Wireless Japan 2003 is the place to see it all. We’ve put together quite a package from this year’s show, including an on-camera interview with Vodafone Global Content Services’ Tim Harrison on his view on how V-Live is different from i-mode. We grabbed shots of Sanyo’s OLED 3G concept-model handsets and KDDI Labs’ new TV-Mobile unit; and caught up with Gartner Japan’s Mitsuyama-san who gave us her take on this year’s conference. Full Program Run-time 15:35

TDK Begins Volume Production of 0603 Type Multilayer Chip Varistor

TDK Corporation begins volume production of the industry’s first* 0603 type (0.6 mm x 0.3 mm) multilayer chip varistor this August. The new chip varistor is about one-fifth the volume and weight of previous products. In order to respond to the demand for smaller, lighter, and lower power consuming mobile devices including cell phones, PDAs, laptop computers, and digital cameras, semiconductor elements are being made with higher degrees of integration and to operate on lower voltages.

Japan mobile handset sales up 33.7%

Sales of mobile phone handsets in Japan totaled 11.9 million units from January to March, up 33.7% from a year earlier for the second consecutive quarterly rise, Gartner Japan Ltd. said Wednesday. Handset sales rose due to a slight increase in new mobile phone subscriptions and brisk demand to replace existing handsets with high-end, camera-equipped models.

DoCoMo to Market New Compact, Lightweight FOMA Videophone

NTT DoCoMo and its eight regional subsidiaries today announced that they will begin marketing the 3G N2102V videophone from July 18, 2003. The smallest in the FOMA series, the new model boasts a compact and lightweight (109g) design that is on a par with 2G handsets. It also features an enhanced mail function and longer battery life. The N2102V’s enhanced Speed photo mail function allows users to simultaneously call and send mail with attached photos taken either on-the-spot or previously saved. When enabled, the function automatically displays the e-mail address link of the person being called.