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There’s no denying that SMS text messaging has been a tremendous success. With hundreds of millions of SMS users worldwide, it makes sense that NEC is looking to cash in on what it hopes will be the next-generation of the short messaging service.

NEC demonstrated their “Bubble Talk” technology at NXTcomm in Las Vegas and it sounds like it could gather a decent audience. Bubble Talk is essentially a voice SMS message that allows users to send short voice-recordings to compatible handsets in the same way that they send SMS text messages.

The Bubble Talk technology is reportedly integrated so that sending a Bubble Message (?) is as seamless (and possibly more convenient) as sending out a text message. Seven carriers are apparently on board with the problem, and NEC is in talks to bring their Bubble Talk tech to other carriers.

Will Bubble Talk manage to gain traction against SMS text messages? There’s a certain level of comfort and ease associated with the kind of faceless and voiceless interaction that text-based messaging allows. Can Bubble Talk convince users that voice-messages are just as convenient and comfortable?

[Via: AVING]

While NEC’s Flask Phone might not help you smuggle any reasonably-priced alcohol into that kitschy nightclub in West Hollywood, it’ll help you save the environment one handset at a time.

The NEC Flask Phone features a large liquid-reservoir that holds the precious “fuel” that is converted to electrical juice. Without the need to recharge the device with electricity, NEC’s Flask Phone should reduce your carbon footprint a bit.

There seems to be a “recharging” port on the bottom-end of the fuel-cell, possibly allowing for the liquid-fuel to be re-filled when needed. Just don’t open up the fuel-cell and take a swig.

NEC says that they’ll be releasing the liquid-powered handset sometime in 2008 with a touchscreen. We’d love to see this handset hit the US, but chances are we’ll only dream of a fuel-cell handset in 2008.

[Via: ChipChick]

Japanese handset manufacturers must have gone crazy from all the domestic market demands for the high-end devices. So, it doesn’t surprises to see NEC going wild with its latest concepts. Not that they are too futuristic, it’s just I can’t imagine myself using a phone with a carpet or leather keypads. On the second thought, they are too futuristic for my taste! The scissor-like phone, watch-like phone… - it’s just not my cup of tea… Take the jump for more pics.

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NEC’s really on a roll with innovative new technologies these days. Their new M2 LSI chip allows for twice the power efficiency from the same battery. NEC says that their new system will “drastically cut the energy used by a cellular phone” - giving you a longer lasting mobile phone. Since a phone is only as good as its battery life. The new chips should start showing up in 3G phones by year end.

The M2 LSI chip is a perfect match for NEC’s 8 megapixel CMOS sensor. The new “system chip capable of processing cameraphone images at resolutions of up to eight-megapixels,” can even do “image stabilization circuitry as an option.” Look for this new badass imaging sensor in October!

[Via: Engadget Mobile]

With more and more phones these days coming packed with all sorts of wireless technologies, it makes sense that somebody develop technologies that will allow the device which wireless technology is best suited for a particular action. Case in point, the USPTO has awarded NEC a patent on their technology for smart file downloads.

The technology has been designed for phones with built-in wifi radios - allowing them to connect to any wireless access point. The idea is to have the phone decide, on its own, whether to download a file over-the-air (OTA: via cellular networks) or through a wifi network (wireless access point). Apparently, the tech is capable of determining which of the two networks (WiFi or cellular) would be best suited for downloading a particular file (considering cost and speed).

We’re waiting for someone to patent a technology that lets our mobile phone make our decisions on what to eat for dinner - that’s always such a hard one to figure out.

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Yo yo form factor seems appealing to some designers. Last month we’ve showed you ModeLabs’ version of YoYo phone, and this time it’s Shaik Ridzwan that designed such device. Shaik designed this device as senior at Academy of Art University in San Francisco in a corporate-sponsored project. As you can see from the images below, his Yo Yo phone is one weird device with futuristic look and feel. Interesting thing to note is that this device comes with wireless headset that can be neatly stowed away in the Yo yo leash ring, just like in real Yo yo. We got Shaik to talk more on the design and here is what he had to say.

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We’ve already talked about NTT DoCoMo’s plans to enter the fashion phone market. Well, they’re in!

As announced, the Japanese carrier worked with an award-winning designer Stefano Giovannoni on the new line of 3G handsets. As a result we now have a ultra-cool FOMA N904i available in Orange Cut, Day and Night, Urban Blue, and Pink Soda colors.

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Corn really does have a lot of different uses. We can use it for food, cooking, and even gas for our cars (E-85 ethanol). Now, thanks to the R&D team at NEC, we can use corn to make plastics. We’ve seen this eco-friendly technology used to make disposable tableware, but now we can benefit from bio-degradable cell phones as well. With double the heat conductivity of stainless steel, corn-plastic is poised to replace traditional plastics - and devices can shave precious millimeters by doing away with heatsink materials.

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Again, it’s the Japanese cell phone market that impresses. It’s not enough that their handsets already look way-too-sexy, NTT DoCoMo wants to add a designer label on them and rip the benefits from fashion-savvy cell phone buyers.

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