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NTT DoCoMo shutters French subsidiary, doesn't mean much
You know how the old saying goes: when one NTT DoCoMo office opens, another closes. Okay, we just totally made that up, but it's appropriate here seeing how Japan's largest carrier is shutting down its French subsidiary -- named "DoCoMo Europe (France) S.A.S.," if you must know -- and replacing it with a more pedestrian "representative office" in January of next year. Ultimately, the move means very little to anyone outside NTT DoCoMo; the subsidiary had been created to help Europe and Japan stay on the same page regarding UMTS standardization way back in '98, and now that said task is complete, there's not much purpose for its existence. For what it's worth, the newly minted representative office will be "monitoring" Europe's telecom industry, so be warned, folks: NTT DoCoMo is watching you.
NTT DoCoMo's FOMA 905i handsets on the loose in Japan
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-9589%[Via The Unwired and Impress]
NTT DoCoMo's Wellness Navigator thinks you're fat, smell funny
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.
NTT DoCoMo looking towards intrabody communications
We've certainly seen instances of intrabody communications at work, but now NTT DoCoMo is looking to join the fun and hopefully tie cellphones into the equation. Apparently, the firm has "various devices" in development that could utilize an "advanced handset" in certain forms of wearable electronics to give users the ability to unlock doors, make payments and exchange data with a friend with a simple touch. The prototype mobile packs a sensor produced by Kaiser Technology Company, and while the current version can only transmit data at 40-kilobytes per second, a speedier flavor is surely on the horizon. [Warning: Read link requires subscription]
HTC's HT1100 (Nike) with TouchFLO lives... on Japan's DoCoMo
There it is, the HTC HT1100, aka Nike, aka the Touch II WinMo 6 Professional slider we've been anticipating. This FOMA handset packs HSDPA (naturally, for DoCoMo) and GSM for international roaming while representing HTC's second handset to feature the TouchFLO interface. The QVGA display has been trimmed back to 2.6-inches while the sliding keypad chunks it up a bit to 112 x 51 x 16.9-mm / 130-grams. 802.11a/b/g WiFi, SIP support, Bluetooth, 2 megapixel camera (with a 1 megapixeler up front), FM tuner (?), and microSD round out the specs. So it's official, now we just need a release a bit say, closer to home.
NTT DoCoMo announces new FOMA 904i handsets
We've all accepted the reality that Japan has the straight up coolest handsets on the planet, and this lineup of NTT DoCoMo's new flagship 9 series does nothing but up the ante. From the pic's top left to bottom right, we have the NEC N904i, Sharp SH904i, Panasonic P904i, Fujitsu F904i, and Mitsubishi D904i. As an upgrade to the FOMA 903i series, the new 904i stable brings a pile of new goodies to the table with features like "2in1" support (more on that in a moment), Uta-hodai (full track download), and Chokkan Game (game downloads with motion control), with One-Seg mobile TV reception and HSDPA on select models The 2in1 support is one of our faves, with two separate phone numbers, email addresses, and address books, all accessed via a mode-switching function which allows a, b, or dual-mode -- no word if dual-mode enables both numbers at once. We're also loving the Chokkan Game support, but the press release shared no detail about the touted "intuitive motion" beyond mention of finger tracing, tilting and waving as means of control. Pocket Wii, anyone?
New Wii-like phone unveiled, everyone ducks
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/New_non_Nintendo_Wii_phone_unveiled'; Are we missing something here? Mitsubishi's new DoCoMo D904i model phone has a motion sensor inside it, allowing, according to Reuters, gaming like on the "popular Nintendo Wii console." We wish we could play Wii outdoors too, but never really hoped that the thing we were flailing around wildly could also be what we were watching the game on. Actually, the actions look less pronounced than Wiimote movement on the DoCoMo site, though we're still not super crazy about waving our expensive phone around like it was on fire. This isn't the first time Mitsubishi is trying something like this though (see their DS-esque phone), so maybe they've thought of the possibility of their phone becoming an extremely dull shuriken. (If so, can you share a little of that non-slip love with Nintendo?)There's no mention of whether the gadget will come to the U.S., but the Wii has garnered a few fans here, so maybe there's hope we could someday see DoCoMo injury lawsuits on our shores.
Some of NTT DoCoMo's 904i series phones in the wild
NTT DoCoMo is poised to unleash yet another torrent of new models on an unsuspecting (or are they "suspecting" by now?) Japanese public, this time around with the 904i series. As the name suggests, these models follow up the 903i series launched just a few months back, reinforcing our hatred for the rate of product development exhibited by pretty much every other carrier and manufacturer in the world. Shown here are the D904i, SH904i, and F904i in clockwise order from the upper left, from Mitsubishi, Sharp, and Fujitsu, respectively. Specs aren't yet official, but as usual, we can expect these phones to rock unreal displays, clean our bathrooms, and create world peace.
The NTT DoCoMo booth, aka "the candy store"
We were just reminiscing about the wonderful, albeit far too brief time we had at Spring CTIA last month, which naturally led us to start digging through our piles of leftover pictures from the event. The NTT DoCoMo booth was a special treat for many folks at the show who've never had the opportunity to experience the Japanese carrier's strange and wonderful wares in their natural environment -- Japan, that is -- so we took our sweet time perusing the goods. Even for jaded old hacks like ourselves who've pretty much seen it all, many of NTT's handsets continue to widen our eyes and put smiles on our faces when we finally have the chance to play with them. We hope this little gallery conveys even a small fraction of the fun we had at the booth! NTT DoCoMo at Spring CTIA 2007
NTT DoCoMo demonstrates simpler vocoder for mobiles
The actual process of encoding and decoding voice for transmission over the air is probably one of the less appreciated sciences (arts?) in the phone game, so we've got to take our hats off to NTT DoCoMo for circling back and taking another look at the process. It seems our favorite FOMA carrier has gotten together with DoCoMo Communications Laboratories USA (who else?) to lay the groundwork for a new vocoder that takes about half the processing power as methods currently in use, allegedly without sacrificing call quality. It's far past the theoretical stage, too: HTC Zs were used to demonstrate the tech at Wireless Technology Park 2007 last week in Japan. Of course, less processing power means less juice drain, so we're happy to throw our support behind this little initiative.
Let your fingers do the objecting
Excuse us if this post has a typo in it or something. We're dividing our time between writing it and packing up all our worldly possessions.You see, it's ... well, there's a Gyakuten Saiban 4 cell phone theme for the FOMA 903i that makes your phone's menu look like the game's menu, and puts GS4 backgrounds, animations, and sounds on the phone. It even has special screens associated with things like sending mail and receiving phone calls.Every time we use our only partially-themed phone (which only has a Phoenix Wright background and ringtone, and nothing else) causes us pain. We have to go to Japan, immediately.
NTT DoCoMo recalls 240,000 SIM cards on roaming issues
NTT DoCoMo joined the million-plus battery recall party late last year, and now it has started a new party all its own -- recalling SIM cards en masse. The Japanese carrier said that it would be recalling 240,000 SIM cards for existing subscribers due to roaming problems with the cards. The carrier said that the recalled SIMs could malfunction when trying to be used outside of Japan (read: abroad), making the accompanying handsets useless for talk or data. New SIM cards are coming to the affected handsets for free, so the next time you take that i-mode handset somewhere outside NTT DoCoMo's area to not work, make sure you've swapped that SIM first, okay? Otherwise, you may get mad while roaming and take lighter to card.
McDoCoMo: McDonald's and NTT DoCoMo team up for payments
This is great use of cell technology -- we need this at Starbacks, like, yesterday... essentially, DoCoMo's FeliCa-based "Osaifu-Keitai" e-wallet service allows users to purchase goodies by just swiping their cell phone over a special reading device; no need to remember PINs and passwords or having to dig cash out of your pocket. A new deal struck between the two corporate giants gets Mickey D's into marketing Osaifu-Keitai based services, including the use of DoCoMo's "iD" platform for paying for those delicious McRibs and Chicken Selects. The companies will also be launching some sort of membership club this fall that'll presumably give special benefits for folks whipping out their phones instead of their cash or plastic. As long as we can keep splatter ketchup off our gorgeous SO903iTVs, we're cool.
NTT DoCoMo achieves 5Gbps downlink in 4G field trials
As America struggles with the transition to proper 3G networks, Japan continues to make strides towards the fourth generation of mobile phone networks. In field experiments, NTT DoCoMo, the largest mobile phone operator in Japan, achieved an approximate 5Gbps downlink data rate. That beats previous tests by a factor of two, as DoCoMo managed to achieve 2.5Gbps over a year ago in December 2005. The increase in data rates appeared to be as simple as doubling the number of antennas -- the MIMO technology in use takes advantage of multiple antennas capable of transmitting signals independently: more antennas = more data -- and using a proprietary solution for receiving the signal. So, what are the prospects of the Japanese public getting their hands on a wireless standard that can download up to 640MB per second? Not great, for the moment at least. DoCoMo is planning on releasing its specific findings regarding the technology at 3GSM in Spain: when they do, we'll know more. Until then, just try and keep the drool off the keyboard, ya hear?
Napster's microSD Napster To Go kit for Japan
Think Napster isn't serious about being big in Japan? Well check this from the former P2P darling. No, it's not tradeshow shwag -- it's microSD storage (and USB cable, a couple of adapters, and Napster logo stickers) that will cost ya a big fat ¥10,000 (about $82) premium for the privilege of advertising their service on Hagiwara Sys-Com's 1GB card, or ¥5,000 ($41) for the 512MB model. Apparently, Napster won't be pulling punches in support of their recently launched direct-to-mobile download service with NTT DoCoMo. The new cards and adapters allow select handsets from the FOMA 902i and new 903i series of devices to get in on Napster to Go which requires a microSD card for syncing. Of course, any microSD card will work but why cloud the issue with facts? Still, having recently boosted revenue guidance for the quarter, perhaps Napster just like Big in Japan has to exit their home turf to get super... once again.[Via Impress]
DS phone, not by Nintendo
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/DS_phone_not_by_Nintendo'; Imitation is the best form of flattery: Japanese mobile phone operator NTT DoCoMo has unveiled the Mitsubishi-built D800iDS, yes, a dual-screened celly that features a touch screen in place of a keypad. The D800i will even include a PictoChat-like utility, allowing users to exchange hand-written messages and crude drawings. As pictured, games will also be a key component of the new phone, which will debut in white, just as DS Lite did.DS Lite has owned Japanese sales charts since its launch (the thing prints money, really). But can Nintendo's success be so easily duplicated in the mobile phone market?
NTT DoCoMo rolls out ten phones; in other news, sky is blue
We think we've finally ceased to be amazed when Japan's NTT DoCoMo drops some endless array of new phones on its domestic market. Sure, the latest gaggle -- which includes the multi-manufacturer 703i series, the SO903iTV from Sony Ericsson, and the D800iS from Mitsubishi -- holds a number of claims to fame, but we're trying our darndest to stand firm in our commitment to remain unmoved by the torrent of Far East-style technology. The 703i variants from NEC and Panasonic, denoted with a "μ" on the ends of their model numbers, are said to be the thinnest WCDMA handsets in the world at 11.4 millimeters, the D800iS includes a second display in place of the keypad for handwriting recognition and various "ooh, aah" kinds of functionality, and the Bravia-branded SO903iTV rocks 1seg for mobile TV reception. We have to admit, our resolve is wearing a bit thin here; anyone care to fly us out to Japan?
Epson cranks out "world's smallest" GPS module
Apparently Epson is hoping that small is in, as the firm is pumping out yet another "world's smallest" object, and this time it's a wee-sized GPS module. Crafted specifically for tiny applications like mobile handsets, the S4E19863 measures just 7- x 6- x 1.28-millimeters and purportedly holds the title for "world's smallest GPS chip." Already available in NTT DoCoMo's FOMA 903i series, Epson has begun shipping these things in bulk, hoping to add GPS functionality to other miniscule handsets as well. Built to receive even the faintest signals indoors and out, the chip also boasts "3GPP-compliant positioning modes (MS-Based, MS-Assisted and Autonomous)" to offer greater compatibility across the board. Plus, we bet it's just a matter of time before these tiny positioning modules are up and running in some streamlined dog collar for the "anxious pet owner" crowd.[Via Far East Gizmos]
NTT DoCoMo recalling 1.3 million Sanyo batteries
Just when we thought things couldn't get any worse, and we actually believed (ever so slightly, mind you) that these battery recalls had reached their end, here's another 1.3 million that are being returned to sender. Japanese mobile giant NTT DoCoMo has recalled 1.3 million Sanyo-derived batteries due to multiple reports of the Li-ion cells generating "excessive heat" and causing "ruptures" in some instances. The batteries are reportedly found in claims made by Sony, but doesn't exactly provide for happy holidays when you consider that the company actually lost users (17,500 to be exactly) overall last month, which hasn't happened since the firm opened in July 1992.[Thanks, kaztm]
Monotone: Square-Enix colors the mobile kingdom
You won't find Kingdom Hearts director Tetsuya Nomura's new portable RPG on a Sony or Nintendo handheld. Monotone was developed exclusively for the mobile phone market and is a subscription-based (¥210 per month; under $2) puzzle-RPG, in which the protagonist must restore color and sound to his world (and no, he's not a wolf-god).For a limited time, Square-Enix is accepting fan-submitted content, presumably to inspire new characters, monsters, and quests that could be added to the game at a later date. There's also an in-game points system, which encourages players to redeem their hard-earned points for ringtones and wallpapers. Monotone is currently available on Japan's DoCoMo network. In other words, you won't be playing it.
