WW-76

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J@pan Inc presents the Wireless Watch Japan Newsmagazine:

W I R E L E S S W A T C H J A P A N LITE

Commentary on the Business of Wireless in Japan
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Issue No. 76 (Lite Version)
Tuesday, October 14, 2002
Tokyo

+++ Noteworthy News
--> NTT Data Tests Wireless IM Technology in Baseball Stadium
--> Toshiba to Unveil Bluetooth Mobile Storage Device
--> NTT DoCoMo Introduces Anti-spamming Functions
--> In-Vehicle LAN Implementation Begins in Japan; Next-Generation

+++ Subscriber Statistics, Corrections, Credits, Administrivia

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+++ Noteworthy News
(Long URLs may break across two lines so copy to your browser.)

--> NTT Data Tests Wireless IM Technology in Baseball Stadium
http://neasia.nikkeibp.com/wcs/leaf?CID=onair/asabt/news/211424
Source: Dow Jones on Yahoo, Oct. 4

EXTRACT: NTT Data Corp. recently conducted a test of its wireless instant
messaging (IM) technology using mobile phones among spectators at a baseball
stadium. The experiment was held during the professional baseball game between
the Yokohama BayStars and the Yakult Swallows at Yokohama Stadium on Oct. 12.
The participants were required to bring either NTT DoCoMo's 503i/504i mobile
phone series or KDDI/au's "ezplus"-compatible handsets. Before entering the
stadium or during the game, they were required to download, from the Yokohama
BayStars' official Web site, the dedicated client software.

COMMENTARY: Participants could access real-time information from the dugouts,
and, after predicting which player would make the first hit of the game, win
prizes (including BayStars-brand products autographed by the team's players).
NTT Data's Air Messenger Java client should be available as part of
fully-fledged push services at stadiums, concerts, and other large-crowd venues
later in 2003. Keep an eye on this one -- it's a sure-fire money maker not the
least for DoCoMo (who gets the packet revenues). "Groupware" like this is bound
to do extremely well here in this most group-oriented of societies.

--> Toshiba to Unveil Bluetooth Mobile Storage Device
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_689676.html?menu=news.technology
Source: Annanova, Oct. 14

EXTRACT: Toshiba is set to launch a Bluetooth-equipped portable storage device.
The Hopbit will offer 5GB of storage, enough for around 1000 MP3 audio tracks
and 3000 digital images from a three-megapixel camera. The Bluetooth module will
allow users to seamlessly transfer data from other devices such as handheld
computers. It's expected to receive its debut at the World PC Expo, which opens
in Tokyo on October 16.

COMMENTARY: Based on looking around at Yodobashi Camera and several other big
electronic retailers lately, it appears that any sort of Bluetooth-equipped
storage device will have some catching up to do. WLAN (802.11b)-based products
-- either for networking individual PCs or for setting up home wireless LANs --
seem to have taken over a lot of shelf space. Furthermore, the traditional
magneto-optical (MO) drive mass-storage market niche seems to be under assault
from Firewire (IEE1394)-based devices. These are basically hard-drive enclosures
into which data fanatics (Aren't we all?) have stuffed a multigigabyte drive of
their choice and that connect to a PC or notebook via Firewire providing
450-Mbps transfers (for backups, etc.). No matter how great Bluetooth may be,
it's still more expensive at retail here and is not as simple as a good 'ol
fashioned cable.

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--> NTT DoCoMo Introduces Anti-Spamming Functions
http://www.japancorp.net/Article.Asp?Art_ID=4042
Source: Dow Jones on Yahoo, Oct. 4

EXTRACT: NTT DoCoMo and its eight regional subsidiaries announced today that
they will introduce a new function that will allow users to block "wangiri"
(one-ring) calls, starting October 31, 2002. The move is a part of ongoing
anti-scam countermeasures DoCoMo is taking to eliminate the massive number of
offensive calls being placed. The new function allows users to register up to 19
offending telephone numbers on a dedicated DoCoMo network. The network will
immediately intercept calls placed from these numbers and play a recording that
informs scammers that calls will not be accepted by the receiving party.

COMMENTARY: The beauty of this system is that once placed on the intercept list,
the wan-giri scam caller will thereafter be billed for making any calls. If the
call originates from a landline, then NTT DoCoMo's parent NTT will simply apply
the billing screws to whoever owns the number. If you can't shut 'em down by
law, then hit 'em, where it hurts (in the pocketbook).

================================EVENTS===============================

>> THE BROADBANDING GLOBAL SUMMIT 2002
Focusing on the coming revolution in ubiquitous networks and their
global and social impact, this two-day event will bring together
Japan's top wireless, technology, and strategic thinkers from
industry, government, and academia, including:

** Masanobu Suzuki, President, NTT Communications
** Jeff Richardson, Director of Corporate Strategy, British Telecom
** Keiji Tachikawa, President, NTT DoCoMo
** Andrew Fried, Director, PWC Consulting
** Kiyoshi Mori, Director-General, Int'l. Affairs Dept., MPHPT
** Anna Gomez, Deputy Chief, International Bureau FCC (USA)

22-23 October 2002, Hotel Laforet, Shinagawa, Tokyo
Y225,000 per person, incl. documentation, luncheon, cocktail party
For registration info, access: http://www.meikikaku.co.jp/entry.pdf
or send mail to bbs2002hh@meikikaku.co.jp.
MEI Planning Co., Ltd. T: +813-5966-3210

>> 3G MOBILE WORLD FORUM 2003
15-18 January 2003, Tokyo, Japan

As with our hugely successful 2002 event, 3G Mobile World Forum 2003
will present a realistic view of 3G opportunities and provide clear,
concise, independent, and timely knowledge and insight to energise
your business needs in the Converged Economy. Learn how to transform
3G technology and demand for new high-value services into revenue
across the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, and the US.

For further information: http://www.3gmobileforum.com
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--> In-Vehicle LAN Implementation Begins in Japan; Next-Generation
Spec Competition Heats Up
http://neasia.nikkeibp.com/wcs/leaf?CID=onair/asabt/fw/211426
Source: NEAsia, Oct. 15

EXTRACT: With the electronic control of automobiles rapidly advancing, a
movement to build a local-area network (LAN) in vehicles is gaining momentum.
Lately, Japanese automakers, which used to fall behind the leading European
automakers in implementation, have started catching up rapidly. In order to
transmit movie and music data, the information network requires even faster
information communication than X-by-Wire. At present, the candidates for the
specification are "Media Oriented System Transport (MOST)" and "Intelligent
Transportation Systems Data Bus (IDB)-1394 ." This competition for dominance has
become almost as though it is European makers versus Japanese/American makers.

COMMENTARY: MOST, developed through a JV including BMW, DaimlerChrysler, and
Oasis SiliconSystems (Germany), offers 24.5Mbps and appears to be one standard
that could win. But the IDB-1394 standard, based on the IEEE1394 specification
(see "Firewire" in news item above) has been developed by the IDB Forum --
comprising Japanese and US electrical equipment makers. Note that an IEEE1394
Firewire peripheral device (digicam, etc.) would be compatible with a vehicle
network system that uses IDB-1394. While Ford Motor had announced it would adopt
IDB-1394 in new 2005 models, it appears that this will now be pushed back. MOST,
meanwhile, seems to have the lead as BMW has already used it in that maker's
7-series vehicles. The wireless connection, of course, is that all these
car-area networks will have to have some sort of wireless gateway to access the
rest of the world. DoCoMo would like that gateway to be a FOMA handset, we
think... ;-)

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+++ Subscriber Statistics, Corrections, Credits, Administrivia

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