Mitsukoshi Deploys Mobile RFID System for Designer Jeans

Mitsukoshi will soon introduce a system that uses mobile phone-like PDAs to read RFID-tagged designer jeans and quickly check which sizes are available. [via RFID in Japan]

"The system will be introduced at nine Mitsukoshi department stores across Japan. Nihonbashi and Sendai stores will be the first to introduce it on September 1."

Samsung Joins 4G Race For Speedy Data Transfer

Samsung Electronics Co. plans to demonstrate today fourth-generation wireless phone technology capable of exchanging signals much faster than most fixed-line broadband services, such as digital subscriber line and cable, according to the WSJ.

"The 4G technology to be demonstrated will take several more years to become commercially viable. But Samsung says it has created mobile transmitters and receivers that can exchange data at 100 megabits a second in a vehicle moving as fast as 37 miles an hour.

The Korean company also will demonstrate today another system that can exchange data via a wireless connection 10 times faster than that, or at one gigabit a second, at a fixed point.

By comparison, broadband DSL data moves at less than one megabit a second, and most cable broadband systems exchange data at about five to six megabits a second."

PhoneCam Street Magic

Marco Tempest is a virtual magician and he has created some brand new magic under a new set of strict rules, using his Nokia N73 camera phone.

"I then upload the videos to YouTube directly from my camera phone. They are raw and unedited and do not use any post production. The videos are somewhat a response to the recent flood of magic programs which use Hollywood style editing and post-production to make the magic possible. "

According to his e-mail, Marco is doing incredibly well, There are more than 300 websites hosting copies of his videos already and he has received offers from content aggregators from major phone networks to license this content." We wish him continued success!

View videos on YouTube here PhoneCam Street Magic Series !

Nokia's "Eye on Fashion" Camphone Contest

Nokia has just launched an "Eye on Fashion" contest in India for camera phone photos. [via Alan Reiter's Camera Phone Report]

"The winner receives a high-end Nokia phone.

The contest runs through September 22 and participants may submit a maximum of three images -- taken with a Nokia phone -- based on the theme of "what's your fashion statement."

Scotland. Alert over mobile phone 'chicken'

According to the BBC, the Scottish police have issued a warning after children were seen playing "chicken" with traffic on a busy main road and filming themselves on mobile phones.

This follows the previous craze of dangerous and illicit road races filmed with cameraphones:

-- Rebels Without A Cause in Saudia Arabia captured by cameraphones - Young people illegally road racing in the Middle East and how spectators gather to catch the races and crashes on their videophones.

-- Young drivers are posting footage of themselves on the internet racing through busy streets - he craze has been sweeping the US, Japan, The Middle Eastand police have promised a crackdown before it takes hold in the UK.

Barcode authentication on your mobile

Asian Mobile Messaging gateway MacroKiosk has just launched an SMS barcode authentication system, reports The The Malaysia Star.

"Dubbed Mobile Authentication Services (MAS), it allows mobile phones to be used as a tool to authenticate online ticket purchases as well as collect rewards points.

"MAS, which combines compact two-dimensional (2D) barcode and GSM picture technologies, converts text or picture messages into a 2D barcode that can be transmitted to the mobile phone via SMS or WAP push.

... The system is secure as each barcode is unique and there will be “only one available in the whole world at any one time.

Additionally it is not possible to forward the barcode to another phone because of the limitations of GSM technology. "

The Mobile Phone as a Digital SprayCan

Nokia's project called ‘Mobspray’ is based on the graffiti writing practice of ‘tagging’ were writers leave their individual tags (often a stylised signature) in physical locations. [via Nokia Blog]

Instead of actual physical graffiti we allow users to leave virtual graffiti (using a Nokia 5140 phone with RFID/NFC shell) on RFID tags which have been placed at actual locations in this case around our university campus.

SprayCan graffiti divides communities and generations in terms of how it should be dealt with in terms of either complete acceptance or punitive action. In this project we have developed a system that tries to bridge the divide as it both provides writers with a means of tagging their environment, using mobile phones and RFID tags, whilst minimising the physical effects to the landscape for the communities where it resides.

How does it work?

Writers’ tags are deposited, and collected, from a database operating on a central server using a GPRS connection initiated by a Java application on a Nokia 5140 with an in-built RFID reader. These tags are currently displayed on the writers phone but the system is being evolved so that they can be projected on walls in urban landscapes.

Documentary Shines Light on Citizen Journalism

a href="http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=31&aid=106640">E-Media Tidbits reports on Citizen Journalism: from Pamphlet to Blog, a new 15-minute citizen-produced documentary that takes a quick, informative look at the the genesis and current state of citizen journalism.

"... Taking a wide-angle view of the citizen journalism phenomenon, the documentary looks at the genesis of citizen journalism in the pamphleteers of the 18th century (most notably Thomas Paine), through the 'zine movement of the late 20th century, and into its current form online in blogs.

... The filmmakers are also careful to point out that while there is widespread interest in citizen journalism, the remains a "digital divide" between those who have access to and time for technology and those who don't -- as well as the limitations of time, power and money faced by citizen journalists."

Cattle producers embracing wireless

Agricultural technology company TekVet is using IBM services to power its wireless radio frequency identification technology that monitors the health of livestock to help ensure the safety of beef and dairy products. [via News.com]

"The live tracking technology in which an RFID sensor inserted into an animal's ear relays its body temperature, location and more to a series of wireless receiving stations from a range of 300 feet to 500 feet away. The collected data of millions of cows at a time are then transmitted to TekVet's data center of IBM servers via a private satellite network.

TekVet customers can access the temperature and animal identification information online to evaluate the health of their cattle for a wide range of infections and medical conditions."

Related:

-- RFID in cows' stomacs

-- Microchips tag stray Delhi cows

Quirky videos about office are fun on the Net, but raise sticky policy ssues

A growing number of employee-created videos - often shot in a goofy way on hand-held devices - are showing up on sites such as YouTube.com, MySpace and Metacafe.com. Newsday reports.

"... Fun can be in the eye of the beholder. Video scenarios can be embarrassing to the employer or even to other employees. They can violate trade secrets. And they're even potentially illegal.

Just when employers were getting a handle on workplace blogging - whether it's OK for employees to blog about the office and, if so, under what kinds of restrictions - companies are starting to call their attorneys about this latest online happening.

It's telling that even as technology is allowing employers to monitor and regulate employee behavior, it's also paving the way for workers to spoof, or even vilify, the boss or workplace. Some employers have begun to add yet another layer to their employee policy manual with the do's and don'ts of camera and video use in the workplace.

View CJP Behind the Magic on MySpace. They're good!

Paris Hilton video clip exclusive to Vodafone mobile

Vodafone customers will be the first in the Netherlands to watch latest video clip of Paris Hilton on their cell phones, reports Slashphone.

"The video clip will be available on Vodafone mobile handsets from next Monday, three days before it is broadcast on television."

Porn Star arrested because of snaparazzi

A Japanese actress featured in scores of pornographic movies was arrested for walking nude in Yokohama while a producer filmed her, according to The Washington Times.

"The actress, Arisa Shimuzu, and the president of a company that makes pornographic videos, were both charged with indecent exposure. "A man and a teenage girl used their cell phones to take pictures of them and then turned over the results to police".

Related: - More ordinary citizens have been using their camera phones to dispense high-tech, low-cost justice

New Passport Holder Claims to Block Unwanted RFID Signals

An Orem Utah-based forensics company is now selling metal mesh bags that it claims will stop identity thieves from accessing the newer US E-Passports.

Paraben Corporation, known for their mobile phone forensic kits, is selling a nickel, copper and silver mesh "Passport StrongHold" bag which will block RFID transmissions from hitting unopened passports.

[DailyTG via digg]

Related:

-- Could the New RFID Passport Trigger a Bomb?

-- RFID passports, not so secure?

-- RFID Locator and RFID Blocker

Half of UK Phones have Cameras

The number of camera enabled cell phones currently in use across the UK now exceeds 33.5 million, according to The Mobile Data Association, reports Cellular News.

"This represents more than 50% of the 67 million handsets in use in the UK today."

CBS To Promote Shows Through Bluetooth Downloads

A new CBS marketing campaign enables users to download video clisp on their mobile phones from interactive posters. Rafat Ali reports on Moco News.

"CBS is starting a trial in New York City, installing five interactive posters in Grand Central terminal, which will allow users to download video clisp on their mobile phones, using Bluetooth. These half minte clips will be scenes from one of the CBS’ four new prime-time programs — “Shark,” “Smith,” “Jericho” and “The Class” — as well as its hit show “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.” A viewer can later delete the clip, or save it and pass it along.

Some Bluetooth campaigns have already been launched in the U.S. Absolut Vodka streamed a song from rock star Lenny Kravitz through billboards in NYC and LA."

"AirPlay TV" Mobile Gaming

Mobile phone gaming companyAirPlay and Sprint-Nextel have announced the world’s inaugural mobile phone-to-television interactive game, according to MobileCrunch.

"According to their press release, Sprint’s entire subscriber base will get the opportunity to download a new interactive game that will allow them to participate in the upcoming Emmy Awards broadcast.

By using their mobile phones viewers can guess which actors and actresses are going to win various categories as well as by answering various trivia questions during the broadcast. Points are earned for correct answers though the release doesn’t specify if prizes will be awarded to players with the highest scores."

China to broadcast 2008 Olympics on mobile phone TV

China will start trial broadcasts of TV programs for mobile phones next year, and will use the DMB or digital media broadcasting system to show the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a government newspaper reported Tuesday. [via the Canadian Press]

The Smalls Mobile Movie Competition

The Smalls is a newly launched competition launched by devilfish, with partners including London Design Festival and E-CR, celebrating the enormous creative possibilities offered by the latest generation of MP3 players and mobile phones. creativematch reports.

"Open to both professionals and students, it's about celebrating big ideas, not big budgets, say the organisers.

The only requirements are that entries are no more than 3 minutes long and represent an interpretation of the inaugural theme “Moving”. ... Click here for entry details.

parkingidiots.blogspot.com

Parking Idiots in Singapore invites the public at large to send in photos of inconsiderate motorists, or as they put it, "all those idiots who can't park properly".

Just a month after parkingidiots.blogspot.com was started in March, over 50 photos had been sent to the blog owner to be posted, reports Singapore's Electric New Paper. "By June, there were almost 300 cars featured in its hall of shame".

"The cases featured in these blogs are usually extreme ones such as owners who park on two lots and on lots meant for bikers or the handicapped, and those who park indiscriminately and block the access of other drivers."

Other motorists hall of shames from around the world

-- RottenDriver.com Shames the Maniacs by SMS - Rotten Driver from California encourages people to text message in the license plate number of rotten drivers.

-- MS campaign appeal for informants - to single out polluters - Public transportation operators in Jakarta might have to pay more attention to their vehicles' emissions as Jakartans now have a chance to complain by SMS about the fumes they are spewing out.

-- Snap a picture of a traffic offender - The Transport Ministry of Malaysia is inviting the public to help enforcement officers keep an eye on traffic offenders so that action could be taken against them. So the next time you see a traffic offence being committed, snap it on your handphone or camera and send it to the Hall of Shame section of a newly launched road safety website.

-- Framed! Photos taken by general public net errant motorists in Malaysia - Malaysian authorities have issued summonses to some 40 motorists whose alleged road offenses were exposed in an online Hall of Shame.

Chinese Mobile Channel In US

U.S. mobile video aggregator SmartVideo Technologies and Asian content distribution company Content Asia Network have teamed up to launch a Chinese language mobile video channel in the US, reports Moco News.

"Mobile users can subscribe to the CAN channel for $4.95/mo. This subscription page can be viewed in English, Traditional Chinese or Simplified Chinese.”

In their own words: "The Content Asia Network is your passport to the exciting world of Asian programming anytime, anywhere. You will enjoy real-time access to the very best content produced in Asia, including the hottest TV shows, movies, sports, news, comedy, drama, business and cultural programs through cell phones and PDAs.

Galvaphone Project

With Galvaphone, you can send your current emotion and galvanic skin response to the person you are about to call. An MIT Media Lab project by Rachel Kern.

"Want to make a phone call? First, strap on your galvactivator, and describe how you are feeling at the moment.

Send your current emotion and galvanic skin response to the person you are about to call. Your potential call recipient can then use this information to decide if he or she wants to accept a phone call from you at that particular moment. Don't waste any more time calling people who don't want to hear from you in your current affective state!"
Click here to see how it works.

Galaphone was inspired by another of Racher Kern's project, written up in 2005, the Emotophone,

15x15.org project pays homage to Andy Warhol

The project pays homage to the artist Andy Warhol and also marries‚ together two of the most prolific new media technologies: the web and mobile camera phones. 15x15 is a world first, whereby users or viewers can actually contribute to the piece directly from their mobile cameraphone.

15x15.org has had videos submitted from: the UK, Ireland, USA, France, Finland, Turkey, Netherlands, Israel, Sweden, Argentina, Korea, Russia, Japan and many more countries.

The site has been viewed literally in every corner of the world nd has been gaining momentum with over 10,000 visitors some days.

In the 21st century art is being fundamentally realigned for anyone and everyone. 15x15 is a homage to Warhol, a realisation of the artistic utilisation of new media technology and the democratisation of art in the age of digital production.

WhereIsHere: Sign Translation Mobile Service and Social Network

Justin Oberman on mopocket has written up a friendly site, whereishere.net, "a mobile social service that wants to make the world a little smaller, one street sign at a time".

If you're in a foreign contry and you need to translate a sign - and if you're not in too much of a hurry- take a picture of a sign with your camera phone, upload it, and someone from the community will translate it for you. It's not clear so far how you get the translation, hopefully by SMS.

This article reminded of one of the Navy's high tech gadgets, written up in 2004 which wasan instant translators for documents and street signs.

"Take a picture of an Arabic newspaper, a Chinese menu or a Farsi instruction pack, and send the image to the servers of SpeechGear, an ONR-backed company based in Northfield, Minnesota.

SpeechGear processes the image and text and sends back an English version to the phone in about 15 seconds."

Could the New RFID Passport Trigger a Bomb?

Kevin Mahaffey, a director of software development at Flexilis demonstrated how a US RFID passport, (to be issued in October), possesses inevitable security risk that could cause bodily harm.

We read about a potential security risks earlier this month, that "electronic passports had a major vulnerability that could allow criminals to clone embedded secret code and enter countries illegally", but Mahaffey is claiming much worse than identity exposure, he claims US RFID enabled passport scould actually be remotely triggered to blow up. [via RFID blog via digg]

"Mahaffey and his colleagues presented a passport attached with RFID tag and placed a small explosive charge nearby. The passport is about half-inch open. It can be put in pocket or purse. Mahaffey proved how the explosion could be occurred when the passport came within a foot of it. Video demo on YouTube of dummy blowing up, from the detonation of the RFID passport in it's pocket.

See also article in ABC.

Children’s underwear with barcodes of parents cell phone number

Korea's Digital Chosunilbo writes about wearable MP3 players that will hit their market later this year and other smart outfits due to launch soon, including children's underwear with barcodes.

"Beaucre Merchandising and Fashion Consulting Group will introduce “smart” clothes equipped with a fabric cord and buttons that act as an MP3 player and can be connected to earphones.

Other types of smart outfits to be introduced within a year or two: outdoor sportswear, which automatically adjusts by measuring body temperature and outside temperature; and healthcare wear, which measures vital signs of people during exercise and sends the information to the server of a fitness center.

And of interest to this column:

Children’s underwear with a barcode containing the cell phone numbers of parents to help them find their children if they get lost.

Circle shape QR Codes

A variation on the QR Code, ShotCode "produces..err.. circle codes. Again it's a similar idea. Point your camera phone at the image and you'll be taken to a special website or shown information", according to CoolSmartPhone.

China Mobile to launch mobile blogs

China Mobile will develop its mobile blog service by cooperating with 10 Internet companies, including Sina.com and China Blog, The Beijing Morning Post reported today via Shangai Daily"

"It will launch a mobile blog competition as the first step to promote its blog service."

Mobile TV with picture-in-picture feature

Samsung have announced the Samsung SCH-B470, a mobile-TV-picture-phone enabling users to insert a picture on the other half of the screen, next to the TV program their watching - or, doing any of the million other things a Samsung phone will let you do.

[via Mobile Mentalism]

Mobile Phone Removable Storage Expected to Rise

According to recent data compiled by The NPD Group, a growing number of mobile phones now come equipped with feature slots for removable media, reports Cellular News. "These slots are designed to accept memory cards, which consumers can use to port music, video, photos and other digital media between their phones and other devices".

"In much the same way that carriers and handset manufacturers introduced text-messaging functionality ahead of mainstream consumer demand, they are now anticipating consumers' potential needs for more media storage," said Neil Strother, wireless industry analyst for The NPD Group. "As with any new feature, however, if and or when consumers will actually follow the industry's lead is an open question."

New short film by Gary Oldman premieres on the Nokia Nseries Studio

noticias reports that a new short film by Gary Oldman premieres on the Nokia Nseries Studio August 14, that's today.

"Entitled Donut, the film is being screened on the Nokia Nseries Studio, a groundbreaking online mobile movie community where aspiring directors can now upload and showcase their own mobile videos.

... The film demonstrates not only the DVD-like video capture quality of the Nokia N93, but also how advanced mobile video devices offer the unique ability to shoot and share spontaneous instants in everyday life.

...The site is designed to promote mobile moving making: you can find inspiration from Gary's film or some of the other videos shot on a Nokia N93 by creative visionaries from around the world, plus new themes to explore with your mobile video device are regularly posted on the site."

[ A negative for Nokia's studio, having identified me as browsing from Switzerland, their pages are displayed in German, and there's no way I can click on an English versionl. Dear Nokia, Switzerland is made up of 4 national languages. ]