New AU mobile line-up goes high-tech niche

Written by: Rebecca Milner on February 10, 2009 at 10:59 pm | In DIGITAL LIFE, LIFESTYLE / FASHION | No Comments

Not just a mobile phone, these new models are being marketed as lifestyle accessories to fit users’ specific lifestyle priorities.

KDDI has announced their new AU handset line-up for spring—a product range that indicates an increasing divergence from the idea of an “all-around good phone” into a wide-range collection of phones that are really advanced in one particular function from touchscreens to fashion design.

To that effect, KDDI is offering the Walkman Phone Premium3 from manufacturer Sony Ericsson that promises the best sound quality to date for those who are fans of AU’s Lismo music download service. Then there is the Wooo H001 (created by Hitachi), the world’s first mobile with a 3D image supported 3.1 inch liquid crystal screen, for those who prefer high-tech visuals.

Meanwhile the SH001 is a Sharp phone that excels at photography, with an 8 mega pixel camera loaded on board. And from Kyocera, AU is offering the K001, a phone with a colorful band and customized skin that allows the phone to function like a clutch purse—for the fashion conscious, or perhaps those who are tired of missing important phone calls trying to dig their mobiles out from the bottoms of their massive handbags.

Trend Potential

Hardware has come a long way, but not everyone needs what their phones can do, and prefer them to act as they want them to. From external design to interface and hardware functionality, there are endless ways to create phones to fit very niche markets. Find out how this can help your business by exploring this trend and more in our Trendpool database.

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

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 Intra-Body Communication transmits data through YOU

Written by: Michael Keferl on November 12, 2007 at 4:57 am | In DIGITAL LIFE | 8 Comments

Communications provider KDDI is now displaying one of its latest achievements called Intra-Body Communication which can use the human body to transmit high-volume data such as video and music! This is done at a frequency less than or equal to 40MHz (which has less transmission loss). The video on the monitor in the picture below is going right through the woman from her hand to the glasses and out to the monitor!

We checked out the Intra-Body Communication setup today, and were surprised at the ease of use and quality of data. The video glasses are equipped with a copper coil that touches the skin on the user’s temple. When the metal heart on the table is touched, video transmits through the body and in through the glasses as well as to an external monitor.

KDDI envisions this technology as yet another way to interact with the world physically and without using the airwaves. QR codes and RFID are all well and good, but imagine being able to download a video simply by touching a movie poster while holding your phone. Get coupons through your restaurant’s seats? Even give someone your business card through a digital handshake.

The Intra-Body Communication technology was developed in a joint research project between KDDI and the Advanced Wireless Communication Research Center of the University of Electro-Communication (UEC Japan). It is currently on display at the KDDI Designing Studio in Tokyo.

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