DoCoMo adds info service to wallet phones
Someday, Japanese cellphone customers may truly embrace NTT DoCoMo's wallet phone technology, and really start using their cellphones to make purchases. In the meantime, though, NTT has to find some way to get customers to use the things, and the latest attempt is an information service dubbed ToruCa, which will allow cellphone users to wave their phones at dedicated kiosks to retrieve free information. In an example cited by NTT, a customer could wave the phone at a kiosk in a record store and get extra info about artists, lyrics, and coupons. Sounds a lot like the Bluetooth ads that European and American advertisers have started foisting on unsuspecting cellphone users — except that you have to actually request the info. Somehow, we don't see this catching on, even with cellphone-happy Japanese consumers (besides, who shops in record stores anymore?).
