Worlds First Megapixel Phone
Japans J-Phone said it will launch the worlds first camera phone with resolution of more than a million pixels Thursday, outpacing rivals NTT DoCoMo and KDDI. J-Phone, a Japanese unit of Britains Vodafone, said it will initially dispatch only 300 units of the megapixel phone, manufactured by Sharp Corp, for sale at four outlets in Tokyo and surrounding areas. The new handsets will retail for 19,800 yen ($169.7) apiece.
Read the full story on: CNN.com
Siemens: India to Head 3G Applications Development
One hundred additional Indian engineers will join Siemens 400-member team of software developers at the companys R&D center in Bangalore, India, the German electronics company said Wednesday in a statement. The center will assume global responsibility for developing applications, such as location-based services and multimedia messaging, to run over new 3G networks based on WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) technology, Siemens said. Siemens also plans a major assault on the Indian mobile phone market by introducing six phones currently available in other markets. “Until now, weve focused mostly on selling Indians less-expensive phones,” said Axel Schafmeister, a spokesman for Siemens Information and Communication Mobile Group. “We will continue to offer an inexpensive entry-level phone but intend to offer the same phones to users in India as we do in Europe and other markets. We see substantial demand.”
Read the full story on: IDG
NEC to Ship GSM Handset in U.S. by Midyear
NEC Solutions plans to release a GSM handset in the United States around the middle of the year, the company said Wednesday. The 515 is a high-end phone that will be initially targeted at consumers. It features an OMAP (open multimedia applications processor) chip from Texas Instruments and a baseband GSM/GPRS chip from Agere Systems. With a color screen and support for Java downloads, the 515 is expected to attract gamers and media buffs to upgrade from older cell phones, the company said. The release of the 515 HDM handset will mark the companys re-entry in the U.S. market, where it sold analog phones several years ago.
Read the full story on: InfoWorld
Agere Boosts Next-Gen Wireless Apps
Agere Systems is partnering with two technology providers to ramp up the companys software platform for wireless handset manufacturers. Through licensing agreements with mobile software firms Esmertec and Openwave, Agere will be able to stay up to speed with competitors as they roll out data applications for advanced wireless networks. Openwave and Esmertec gain a powerful channel for their latest messaging platform and Java virtual machines, respectively, while Agere now can offer a more robust GSM/GPRS chipset for wireless terminal manufacturers.
Read the full story on: Wireless NewsFactor
Juniper Packs Wi-Fi Hot Spot in a Box
Juniper Networks is getting ready to launch a low-price wireless “hot spot in a box” bundle, hoping to take a bite out of Cisco Systems lead in the lucrative market for Wi-Fi network gear. In a few weeks, the company will begin selling the bundle, targeted at telephone, broadband and cell phone service providers that offer public Wi-Fi access. The $800 package, which will also be sold by partner Colubris Networks, includes all the hardware, software and technical know-how necessary to build a subscription wireless network inside a single cafe, hotel or restaurant. Carriers spent about $500 million last year on Wi-Fi equipment to add hot spots to their networks.
Read the full story on: CNET News.com
National Semiconductor Closes Cellular Baseband Unit, Cuts 340 Jobs
National Semiconductor on Wednesday said that, effective immediately, it is closing its cellular baseband business unit and, in connection with this, is reducing its workforce by 340 positions. The company said it expects to incur charges of approximately $25 million to $30 million in the fourth quarter of its fiscal year, which ends May 25, 2003, for severance and impairment of assets. The closure of the cellular business unit and the job cuts were made under the “profit-improvement” actions launched at that time. Under the plan National is trying to exit some digital semiconductor businesses and is prioritizing R&D spending on higher-margin analog businesses.
Read the full story on: EBN