Ply design phone from au packs projector

Written by: Michael Keferl on August 21, 2008 at 2:17 am | In DIGITAL LIFE | 20 Comments

While some phones are making music down at the KDDI Designing Studio, the Ply concept phone from Hideo Kanbara might just be a step towards bringing the office with us.

Ply’s name is taken from the design of multilayered plywood, and each layer has its own very distinct function, ranging from a photo printer to game controller to mini digital projector.

This is of course a concept only, but in this day and age does it seem out of reach? With all the amazing games available on Japanese handsets, the controller layer is a definite plus, though it would be even better to have a wireless version to use while using the built in projector!

If you want to see Ply in person it’s on display down at the KDDI Designing Studio in Harajuku, most likely until the end of the month. If you want this in your pocket, you’ll probably have to wait a little while.

Tags: AU, design, KDDI, Mobile, Ply
Category: DIGITAL LIFE
Other categories: MARKETING IDEAS, LIFESTYLE / FASHION, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

au Design Project x Yamaha merges music with mobile in new ways

Written by: Michael Keferl on August 19, 2008 at 12:06 am | In DIGITAL LIFE | 11 Comments

As usual, the latestAU Design Project from KDDI is pushing the boundaries of what we think a mobile device should be to us. Japan is already known for putting out massive varieties of phones to cater to niche groups, so why not musicians?

The au Design Project x Yamaha does just that with a series of phones that double as musical instruments (or instruments that double as phones?). Designed by a foreign and Japanese team of young innovators (including Marianne Bailey) , these handsets are original, creative, and (the best part) actually able to make music!

The pieces below are called Box to Play and Key to Touch. While the latter may be self explanatory, Box to Play integrates a synthesizer, scratch pad, and other fun musical toys, and folds up quite nicely.

Sticks in the Air are just what you’d think…drumsticks with sensors for the beat, but they also snap together when you want to have a proper phone. Trio in Your Hand, however, flips open to create a scratch pad and sampler for mobile DJs.

For those who like something a little more tactile, Strings for Fingers and Band in My Pocket bring the orchestra into the mix.

Band in My Pocket is unique in that it comes with multiple accessories to create different instruments from the harmonica to the trumpet. Sounds are “hummed” into the handset (much like with Yamaha’s EZ TP Trumpet) with the rest controlled by the fingers.

Personally we were dying to see these in action, but missed the show. Luckily, these video’s from PingMag’s YouTube channel capture the magic.

AU’s latest design project with Yamaha will be on display at the always fun KDDI Designing Studio in Harajuku until the end of August.

Tags: AU, design, KDDI, Mobile, Yamaha
Category: DIGITAL LIFE
Other categories: MARKETING IDEAS, LIFESTYLE / FASHION, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

Weekly Blog Parts: AU Fan Meeting

Written by: Michael Keferl on May 26, 2008 at 3:08 pm | In DIGITAL LIFE, MARKETING IDEAS | No Comments

A little late on the Weekly Blog Parts, I know, but it’s time for the next AU Fan Meeting! KDDI’s AU mobile provider does this event online, where users register ahead of time, choose a character, and then all meet together at the agreed time at the AU Fan website. In this case, it’s June 3rd, 2008 at noon, Tokyo time.

New products, collaborations, and other news are given at the Fan Meeting first, giving online users unique connection to the brand. Kind of like debuting a new handset in Second Life, but in a much more practical way that resonates with more casual PC users. Above are the countdown blog parts you get when you register, and you can click on them to play three mini-games on the browser.

Tags: AU, Blog Parts, KDDI, Mobile
Category: DIGITAL LIFE, MARKETING IDEAS
Other categories: LIFESTYLE / FASHION, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

KDDI kid-friendly phones: GPS tracking and emergency services

Written by: Michael Keferl on January 17, 2007 at 9:08 pm | In DIGITAL LIFE, MARKETING IDEAS | 2 Comments

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that cell phone users are getting younger and younger these days, but these phones coming out this month from KDDI’s AU phone service are made with kids in mind. The A5520SA Series are “junior phones” that certainly look like they’re made for kids, but is this a market that needs its own phones? Young kids may be fairly ambivalent about having their own phones, but they’re more for the parents than the kids anyway.

Until recently, kids that did have phones usually got one of their parent’s old ones, but phones like that can be complicated and/or provide features that parents don’t want their kids to have. One of our good friends actually had one of her son’s ten-year-old friends “accidentally” connect to an erotic chat service, forget to turn it off, and rack up a nice $300 bill! These phones all prevent this kind of access and have settings to restrict talk-time and emails.

For these phones from KDDI, however, it’s all about letting parents worry less. They’re not only easy to use for kids, but also include GPS for parents who want to keep tabs on little Hiroshi-kun after school via their own phones. There’s also a “buzzer” button that kids can push if they get into trouble, and that will make a huge noise as well as activate the GPS and send an email to the parents with the coordinates. Because it also sends a GPS email to the parents when the phone is turned off, the battery is actually locked to the phone to make sure it always has power.

These all sound like great features, but why just for kids? Couldn’t we all benefit from some of these features, particularly the emergency ones? It remains to be seen whether phones like this are going to be standard issue for Japanese kids, but we can think of a lot of adults who would prefer to have basic, easy phones with emergency functions.

Pictures via KDDI

Tags: AU, Children, GPS, KDDI, LBS, Mobile, Safety
Category: DIGITAL LIFE, MARKETING IDEAS
Other categories: LIFESTYLE / FASHION, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS