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KDDI's au design project creates cellphones that double as instruments
KDDI's au design project has churned out plenty of interesting cellphone concepts over the years, and it looks like its latest batch is no exception, with it enlisting the help of Yamaha to develop some cellphones that double as musical instruments. That includes the self-explanatory "Strings for fingers" and "Sticks in the air" concepts pictured above, as well as the "Box to play" synth / scratch pad combo, the "Key to touch" foldable keyboard, the "Trio in your hand" scratch pad / sampler, and the "Band in my pocket" device, which accommodates a number of accessories to create instruments ranging from a harmonica to a trumpet. What's more, unlike some concept devices, KDDI actually had some working prototypes to show off, which you can check out in action in the video after the break (be sure to dig into the links below for some more pics and videos as well).[Via textually.org, Trends in Japan]
LG shows off Rolex cellphone concept
LG has already teamed up with Prada and Roberto Cavalli on a couple of fashionphones, and it now looks like it might be ready to work with another similarly high-end brand as well, with TechDigest catching sight of a Rolex concept phone the company recently had on display. Unfortunately, LG doesn't seem to have allowed any pictures of the mysterious yet surely classy phone to be taken, although TechDigest has thankfully provided a description of it to make up for that unfortunate absence. Apparently, the centerpiece of the phone is a presumably-genuine Rolex watch-face that's embedded in the casing, which gets complemented by "luxurious leathery exterior," all of which reportedly looked "reassuringly expensive." While there's no word on a possible release, or any evidence of Rolex's direct involvement for that matter, TechDigest says the phone, and other concept devices on display (including one with a " fully transparent keypad"), were all "pretty well manufactured," which suggests a release could at least be possible.
Willcom puts whole handset inside headphones
Japan's Willcom sure doesn't have a shortage of handsets that rock the foundation of what a wireless phone should be, so enter this entry: a handset inside a headset. Willcom's conceptual "handset" here (that will never be in your hand) will accept a Willcom W-SIM so that the wireless headset sitting on top of that noggin can actually make independent voice calls as well. Since W-SIMs integrate a PHS wireless receiver right onto the card itself, it's easy to give non-wireless devices that capability -- so why not let that music-laden set of headphones have some fun, right?[Via Slashphone]
