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Asus' EeePC 1003HAG equips WWAN, ventures forth on NTT DoCoMo's FOMA network

by Ross Miller posted Apr 28th 2009 at 2:44AM

Following in the footsteps of past Eee PC's like the 901, ASUS' Japanese-bound 1003HAG boasts an internal wireless WAN module and supports NTT DoCoMo's FOMA network with 7.2Mbps on the downlink. For a more local connection, there's 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR. As for the rest of the hardware, it's pretty much netbook status quo: a 1-inch WSVGA screen, Intel Atom N280, 1GB RAM, integrated graphics, 160GB HDD, and an apparent 4.3-hour battery life. Price is 69,800 yen (US $722) and launch date is May 16th -- that should give you plenty of time to figure out if you want the black, white, or pink version.

[Via Engadget Japan]

NTT DoCoMo's overheating BlackBerry Bold not caused by battery, says RIM

by Ross Miller posted Feb 27th 2009 at 6:41PM

While RIM and Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo still don't know why their BlackBerry Bold is feeling a little toasty around the keyboard, the duo has ruled out a likely culprit, the battery, as its unwelcome heat source. Word on the street is an estimated 30 people have issued complaints about the mobile device heating up while recharging, with around 4,000 units being sold before DoCoMo halted sales. One analyst speculates the issue -- which so far has affected only Japan -- may be based on region-specific software of other customizations. We're sure the pair are working around the clock to get to the bottom of this malfunction, but in the meantime, we recommend dusting off the ol' 8707h to get that retro BlackBerry feel -- y'know, just for kicks.

NTT DoCoMo halts BlackBerry Bold sales after reports of overheating

by Donald Melanson posted Feb 27th 2009 at 10:58AM

It's apparently not quite the same fire hazard that the truth in advertising standard-bearer Quickfire is, but NTT DoCoMo doesn't seem to be taking any chances with its newly-launched BlackBerry Bold, with the Japanese carrier now suspending sales of the smartphone after some reports of it getting a bit too toasty for comfort. Apparently, some 30 users reported that the keyboard "heated up" while the phone was recharging, although it's not clear if that's due to the charger or the handset itself. For its part, RIM says that the issue "appears to be specifically limited to the BlackBerry Bold devices sold in Japan," and that expects to be able to fix the problem and resume sales of the Bold "shortly." In the meantime, stay frosty, Japan.

[Via Yahoo! News / AFP]

NTT docomo and Sharp show projector phone at MWC

by Sean Cooper posted Feb 18th 2009 at 4:47PM

We had a brief peek at yest another pico projecting set at MWC, this time an NTT docomo Samsung affair without a name, price, or even a release date. Specs are as sketchy as these are usable in a brightly lit room, but the hopes are this device will be used for services like mobile TV, home theater (yeah, right), document editing, presentations, and video calling. We were enthused to see the mock ups (pictured above) of where the design of this device could go -- and we're hoping that by next year the bricks we've seen lately will be gone and sleek design will become the norm. We filmed a bit of it in action and honestly, we've seen TI's pico projector before and it doesn't seem to have changed significantly. Follow the link to see the media.

Gallery: NTT docomo and Sharp show projector phone at MWC

Continue reading NTT docomo and Sharp show projector phone at MWC

NTT Communications bringing WiFi to Japanese bullet trains in 2009

by Darren Murph posted Dec 19th 2008 at 10:01AM

Remember that Type N700 train that became Japan's fastest in mid-2007? Yeah, well it's about to get a lot more fun to ride. Starting next year, passengers on the ultra-quick bullet trains will be able to hit up their favorite blogs and banter about aimlessly via email / IM at 270 kilometers per hour (that's 167 miles per hour for you Yanks). The service will reportedly be an extension of NTT Communications' HotSpot service, and we're told that download speeds should reach around 2Mbps. As for cost, the fees will be at the usual HotSpot rate, which runs from ¥500 ($5.73) per day to ¥1,680 ($19.25) per month, or in other words, rates you'll totally pay to stay connected on the brisk runs from Osaka to Tokyo.

NTT DoCoMo reveals fall 2008 lineup: Bold, E71, 20 others

by Darren Murph posted Nov 5th 2008 at 8:02AM

Hot on the heels of RIM's BlackBerry Bold finally hitting AT&T sales channels comes word that Japan's NTT DoCoMo has also joined in to offer the handset. As the Asian carriers dump their cornucopia of fall 2008 mobiles onto the world, this particular one is serving up 22, all divided into the STYLE, PRIME, SMART and PRO series. Naturally, the latter category piques our interest the most, as it hosts the Bold, Nokia E71, HTC Touch Pro (HT-01A), HTC Touch Diamond (HT-02A) and Sharp's decidedly handsome SH-04A. Feel free to have a look at the entire family (and their respective launch dates) just below in the read link.

NTT's energy-generating shoes spotted without any sign of style

by Darren Murph posted Oct 20th 2008 at 9:32AM

For shame. We know good and well engineers can concoct energy-generating garb that actually looks good enough to wear, but evidently those fashion-minded gurus weren't hired for this project. Granted, we have all ideas the image you're quizzically staring at above is NTT's first go at a pair of power-packing sandals, but there's clearly a good ways to go before these things are cute / safe enough to wear on the streets. Might we suggest shoving all that hardware inside of something? The "all hanging out" look just isn't working here.

[Via TokyoMango, image courtesy of AFP / Getty]

NTT says one of these days these boots are gonna charge your gadgets

by Tim Stevens posted Oct 16th 2008 at 10:07AM

Phone battery constantly dying as you wander from place to place, moving in and out of reception and leaving it straining to find a signal? You aren't alone, and if you're not the sort to wear a conductive dress (in public, at least) you may want to keep an eye out for some new kicks in the works from NTT. Their soles are filled with water, displaced as the wearer walks and forced through a tiny turbine. Current prototypes generate 1.2 watts of electricity, enough to power your iPod as you strut, but by the time these things hit production in 2010 the hope is to more than double that to 3 watts so that you can charge up your mobile, too. Sounds fantastic, but we're a little unsure about running wires down our pants to get that juice where we need it.

Scent-emitting advertising trial sniffs out suckers in Japan

by Darren Murph posted Jul 28th 2008 at 10:52PM

Apparently July is a hot month for ad trials in Japan, as just weeks after a number of 65-inch digital posters were installed in a Tokyo train station, in flies word that yet another consumer-luring installation is being tested. Recruit and NTT Communications are delivering Scent-emitting LCD Display Systems to an underground mall in the heart of Japan, each of which rely on a 42-inch LCD and a scent-sprayer that emits delightful odors to correspond with the on-screen imagery. The goal is to attract onlookers and get them to grab a nearby coupon book, but considering that the experiment shuts down on August 1st, you should probably get your nose down there in a hurry if you're looking to score some savings.

Nintendo brings DS wireless service to Japanese McDonald's

by Nilay Patel posted May 27th 2008 at 5:07PM

Stateside DS gamers can already get online using free WiFi at McDonald's, but now Nintendo's bringing a slightly different version of the service to Japanese McD's: customers can log in to get menu information and download free game demos. The service is being rolled out at 21 Tokyo-area restaurants with an assist from NTT, which also provides DS wireless service at Japanese train stations, so things should get lit up fairly smoothly. You'd better hurry if you want to join in on the fun, though: the test program ends on December 28th.

NTT floats a "Mobile Fragrance Communications" biscuit

by Thomas Ricker posted Apr 7th 2008 at 6:10AM

The morning has only begun and already the first oddity has been unleashed in Japan. You're looking at NTT ~~DoCoMo~~ Communications "Mobile Fragrance Communications Kit" which is based on the same scent delivery technology NTT has already deployed into homes and movie theaters. Fragrance playlists are downloaded to your DoCoMo phone and then transmitted over Ir to the portable "aroma generator" pre-loaded with base fragrances. The scents are then unleashed into the room under the accompaniment of new-age MIDIs and animated GIFs we presume will include dancing pandas and Hello Kitty cats. Ugh. The pilot program runs from April 10th to the 20th and will undoubtably be a huge success in the land of the uprising robo-san.

[Via Impress]

Toshiba updates Gigabeat lineup from obscure to niche

by Thomas Ricker posted Feb 7th 2008 at 5:42AM

There was a time not too long ago when Microsoft and Toshiba seemed poised to make the Gigabeat a household name. That all changed when Microsoft killed PMC and then blazed a manufacturing trail of its own with the second generation Zune. Nevertheless, Toshiba trudges on with enhancements to their Gigabeat U-, V-, and T-series of audio and video players. The ¥34,800 (about $327) V81 doubles the flash of its V41 to 8GB while tweaking the 1Seg recording capabilities. The ¥15,800 (about $149) U407 and U408 are just 4GB updates to their 1GB/2GB sibs while sporting an enhanced GUI. The ¥29,800 ($280) T802 (pictured) then, is just a T401 with double the flash (8GB) and new deal to make the wildly popular (in Japan) GyaO video service available for download from NTT hotspots around Japan. Right, the Japanese rough-equivalent of the domestic iPod, Starbucks, T-Mobile, and iTunes mashup. Well, at least you've got your HD DVD business to fall back on Toshiba. Oh... right.

[Via Akihabara News]

Read -- T802
Read -- V81
Read -- U407/U408

iPhone coming to Japan's NTT DoCoMo?

by Thomas Ricker posted Dec 18th 2007 at 3:35AM

According to the Wall Street Journal Asia, Jobs and Co are in Japan working out the details for a domestic iPhone launch. It's no surprise then that Jobs was rumored to have just met with NTT DoCoMo's president, Masao Nakamur, to discuss the deal with the largest carrier in the world's second-largest economy. As usual, Apple seems to be playing the carriers off one another with rumors that The Steve is courting Softbank as well. However, "people familiar with the situation" say that DoCoMo is the first choice. While the revenue sharing is a sticking point as usual, WSJA says that Apple doesn't expect to have any difficulty closing the deal. Funny, that's what everyone was saying about Vodafone in Europe.

P.S. -For what it's worth, NTT DoCoMo does not run a GSM / EDGE network. Any iPhone released on DoCoMo's FOMA service will be UMTS / HSDPA -- right, the 3G iPhone.

NTT DoCoMo's FOMA 905i handsets on the loose in Japan

by Thomas Ricker posted Nov 1st 2007 at 7:07AM

It's just not fair. While we're lucky to bear witness to a single hot handset release per month, our Japanese brethren just received a batch of 10 new handsets to swoon over courtesy of NTT DoCoMo. The very best of the best from the new FOMA 905i series includes the Panasonic Viera P905iTV and 5 megapixel Sony Ericsson Cyber-shot SO905iCS. As you'd expect from a handset sporting the Viera branding, the P905iTV is all about the mobile TV with a feature that smooths-out 1Seg's 15fps mobile broadcast rate to display it at 30fps on that 3.5-inch 480 x 854 pixel display. The 17.7-mm (0.7-inch) slab also packs HSDPA and a battery capable of a 1-month standby. Otherwise, it'll pump that TV-to-vein fix for 6-hours straight or up to 80 hours of SD-Audio or 65 hours of WMA if that's your preference. Meanwhile, the Cyber-shot SO905iCS brings a 5 megapixel CMOS camera with 3x optical zoom and 2.7-inch, 480 x 864 pixel display to the Japanese market. It features an LED flash, face recognition and anti-shake stabilization while busting a 24-mm (nearly 1-inch) girth. Plenty more of these two in the gallery below.

Gallery: NTT DoCoMo's FOMA 905i handsets on the loose in Japan

[Via The Unwired and Impress]

NTT DoCoMo's Wellness Navigator thinks you're fat, smell funny

by Thomas Ricker posted Oct 4th 2007 at 5:03AM

When you don't have any friends and your robot has been locked up for "juicing granny," there's always the Wellness Navigator ready to give it to you straight. The NTT DoCoMo / Mitsubishi device is said to include a pedometer and pulse rate monitor while measuring such social taboos as bad breath and body fat content. We assume it makes phone calls too. No pricing or availability yet, but we're pretty sure it will ship with a free subscription to Cosmo and a one-week "starter pack" of diet pills.