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New W950i Walkman Phone

Sony Ericsson has introduced the W950, an ultra-slim, ultra-stylish, UMTS-enabled device with 4GB of onboard storage complete with touch screen for simple navigation through music genres, playlists, individual songs or music albums. The music player within the W950 has the functionality and sound quality of an equivalent standalone device. Its 4GB storage can take up to 4,000 songs and the sound quality, delivered on high quality headphones, makes listening to music a real pleasure. A new graphic-rich interface on the Walkman player makes it easy to navigate around the music library by song, artist or playlist and now it’s possible to search visually by browsing through album covers using the stylus and touch screen.

3G Mobile Future: Exclusive Interview with Tomi Ahonen

3G Mobile Future: Exclusive Interview with Tomi AhonenTomi Ahonen is a smart guy who’s done a lot of observing and thinking about the 3G future. He reports that planet Earth has 2 bn mobile phones, with more phones in use than cars, credit cards or televisions, and that advertisers, businesses and governments are all trying to understand how the mobile future will download. For a glimpse into the future, Tomi was in Tokyo last month for the 3G Mobile World Forum 2006 where he observed that Japan already has the handsets, the networks and users who have migrated to 3G, while “the rest of the world is just starting to understand and discover this opportunity.”

He points out that in Japan, roughly 30 percent of all mobiles are 3G phones, compared to the UK, where it’s only 8 percent. “We have a long way to go to catch up.” WWJ’s Lawrence Cosh-Ishii caught up with Tomi for a tightly-focused interview covering 3G, 3.5G, consumer service definition, key technologies and how marketing and advertising are starting to recognize the potential of mobile.

NEC Mobile Solutions and Handsets at 3GSM

NEC Corporation announced that it will display a series of high-end mobile handsets including the world’s thinnest 2.5G fold-type camera-phone, a prototype HSDPA 3G mobile phone and other end-to-end mobile solutions and handsets at 3GSM World Congress 2006, Barcelona. At this year’s 3GSM World Congress, NEC will unveil a selection of integrated products and services that show how NEC is adding value today to its customers by providing end-to-end solutions. Visit Hall 8, Booth No. A03a.

NTT DoCoMo, Nippon TV Form Business Tie-Up

DoCoMo said today that it has agreed with Nippon Television Network Corp. (NTV) on a business tie-up to develop content and related services that combine mobile communications and conventional TV programs. Under the agreement, the companies will form a seven-year limited liability partnership, D.N. dream partners LLP, on April 3, 2006 (tentative), with DoCoMo investing five billion yen and NTV five billion yen. The partnership will invest in content and also develop content itself, including TV programs that can be viewed with mobile phones.

Bouygues Buys NEC Video Platform

NEC Corporation announced that NEC, via its subsidiary NEC France received an order for a video streaming solution from Bouygues Telecom in France. The video streaming platform developed by NEC, which consists of a set of servers and integrated software based on PacketVideo Network Solutions technology, enables Bouygues Telecom customers to watch live TV and a smooth and speedy access to Video-on-Demand on i-mode enabled EDGE Handsets.

Softbank to Broadcast Mobile TV

Softbank Corp. plans to start a nationwide video broadcasting service for mobile phones by the end of 2012, Softbank officials said Wednesday. The Internet services firm, which will enter the mobile phone market in spring 2007, will ask the telecommunications ministry for a broadcasting license as early as next year, the officials said. Softbank plans to succeed by using a range of attractive broadcast programs, including its own productions, they said.