Note PC with LCD touchpad (1)--Netbook-like notebook

Do you often use the touchpad of your notebook PC?

Does it work well as you like?

SHARP Corp. announced Tuesday that it will launch its new notebook PC Mebius PC-NJ70A with an LCD touchpad embedded on it in mid-May.

Its specs are like a netbook.

Digital signage at subway station

Are you often lost at subway stations in Tokyo?

The subway station would help you find your way by offering the digital signage service.

The service trial will be conducted at Ginza station of Tokyo Metro from April 20 to June 30 this year by Hitachi, Ltd. and Tokyo Metro Co., Ltd., they announced on April 17.

The digital signage device features a touch-screen interface and shows some information including location.

They have yet to tell whether all the information shown is multilingual.

3D digital signage at airport

NTT Com and MS team up to improve VoIP

Are you using an IP telephony service and satisfied with the quality and usability?

A new IP telephony service for businesses will emerge after August from the collaboration between NTT Communications (NTT Com) Corp. and Microsoft (MS) Corp., they announced Wednesday.

They are expected to combine NTT Com's IP telephony service .Phone IP Centrex and MS's unified communications software Office Communications Server 2007 (OCS) to launch new services that enhance the usability and slash the communications cost of IP telephony.

3D digital signage at airport

Nihon Unisys, Ltd., one of Japan's ICT-related service companies, announced Monday that it has installed a 3D digital signage unit at Central Japan International Airport for a three-month field demonstration.

The unit displays 3D videos that you can view without special glasses.

Online-sent scent (11)―Digital signage

J:COM to launch data broadcasting service

Jupiter Telecommunications Co., Ltd. (J:COM), Japan's CATV MSO (multiple system operator) giant, announced on March 27 that it will begin to provide a data broadcasting service on its original digital community channel J:COM Channel through most of the CATV stations subject to J:COM on April 1.

The service will bring the audience useful information such as local weather and road traffic.

The information will be available even for the audience who doesn't subscribe to any of J:COM's pay channels.

J:COM is expected to leverage the interactive features of the service for a variety of promotion activities.

Two CATV channels got in black screen
J:COM to increase HD channels

MNO and MSO teams up to achieve FMBC (2)―Cellphone works as remote of STB

Another of the collaborations between KDDI Corp. and Japan Cablenet (JCN) Ltd. is expected to emerge this month.

The collaboration yields the feature that allows you to control JCN's STB installed at your home to record TV broadcasts via your KDDI (au) cellphone even from outside.

(Some types of JCN's STBs and KDDI [au] cellphones support the TV recording.)

MNO and MSO teams up to achieve FMBC (1)―Cellphone works as entrance to CATV

J:COM to increase HD channels

Jupiter Telecommunications Co., Ltd. (J:COM), Japan's MSO (multiple system operator) giant, announced on February 20 that it will begin to increase the number of CATV channels that deliver HD programs in April.

The number will go up by 10 to 32 in 2009, making up about 40% of the total channels J:COM provides.