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Sony's Newest Aibo Dances to a Wireless Beat

Sony's Newest Aibo Dances to a Wireless BeatSony’s new-wave handheld PSP game device breaks on Japanese shores 12 December, see the WWJ video here. Unfortunately, anyone beyond the Land of the Rising Sun will have to wait until March (maybe) to get their hands on one. Those with a wad of yen (dollars or Euros) to spend, though, can plunk it down right now on another Sony entertainment gizmo — one that sits on your lap instead of in your palm. Enhanced wireless connections have Sony’s newest version of their PC pooch Aibo sitting up and playing music, taking photos and dancing to a wireless beat.

Admittedly, ‘Robot as Pet’ is still a difficult concept to get around. Sure, some people prefer the touch of cold, hard metal on their skin rather than fluffy fur — but generally they don’t answer to the name ‘Pet Lover.’ (Though they may follow similar commands, “Sit! Beg!”) Even Sony seemed to realize their dog ‘bot needed more to justify its high price than just playing fetch and lurching slowly (very slowly) after its little plastic ball. The company has redesigned and repositioned the shiny ERS M2 version of Aibo as an enhanced audiovisual machine.

NEC Sells MIR Solution to Telefonica Moviles Espana

NEC Corporation today announced that it has received an order for its Messaging Intelligent Router MMS (MIR) solution from Telefonica Moviles Espana, S.A., Spain’s largest mobile operator with 18.7 million subscribers. With a population of 41.11 million people and an 83% mobile phone penetration rate, Spain boasts one of the highest levels of mobile phone penetration in Europe. The MIR Solution is a server software system that can easily be added on to existing MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) and mail server systems of mobile operators. The MIR solution is an advanced, new method to extract necessary data from MMSs and transfer it to a charging system enabling flexible and attractive charging menus.

DaTang Mobile and Dilithium Networks Unveil First TD-SCDMA Video Phone

DaTang Mobile successfully demonstrated the first TD-SCDMA Video Phone in Beijing this past week. The video phone, using the Dilithium Networks market leading 3G video telephony protocol stack, achieved high quality end-to-end video telephony with 15 frames/second video communications on 64 kb/s bearer. In addition to the basic video telephony function, DaTang Mobile also demonstrated the “Picture in Picture”, “Picture Shelter” and “Voice Shelter” enhanced functions. The demonstration also featured Dilithium Networks patent pending AnswerFast technology, which significantly reduces the session set-up time.

Vodafone Ships New 3G Phones

Vodafone K.K. have just announced they will commence sales of their new 3G handset lineup, the Vodafone 902/802/702-series, starting with Nokia’a V702NK [.jpg image] 8 December in the Kanto-Koshin region, 10 December in the Tokai and Kansai regions, and other areas following thereafter. New Vodafone live! 3G services like video call roaming, large-size mail, and streaming will also be offered from 8 December to coincide with the sales launch.

Recent Mobile Developments — UPDATE

In yesterday’s WWJ Newsletter I mentioned the news last month that DoCoMo had developed a software platform for FOMA 3G phones — comprising two options: both Linux and Symbian (sorry Bill!), adding “This is big news.” WWJ’s ever-keen Digital Media Director Lawrence Cosh-Ishii pointed out last night that, in December 2003, we carried a video report from Big D’s year-end presser wherein then-CEO Tachikawa said: “Simply speaking, Microsoft is not offering an open standard and an open minded approach” and that DoCoMo “prefers Symbian and possibly Linux for 3G OS.” Never let it be said that WWJ editors miss a chance to say We Told You So!

Japan's Phones Are Coolest

When NTT DoCoMo unveiled its latest third-generation mobile phones on Nov. 17, gadget lovers were not disappointed. The new handsets, manufactured by five leading Japanese electronics makers, can download videos, play games, pay for groceries at convenience stores, and work as remote controls for TVs and other devices. Oh — they also make and receive phone calls. “This is the epitome of a 3G phone,” says Takeshi Natsuno, DoCoMo’s managing director for multimedia services. Not to be upstaged, Japan’s other carriers are putting the finishing touches on their own new phones, featuring everything from music downloads to international video-calling on super-sharp color displays.