Japan to set up test zone for next-generation wireless technology for seniors

TOKYO: Japan will set up an experimental high-tech wireless zone on one of its islands next year, where sensors will allow doctors to remotely monitor the health of the elderly and alert motorists to nearby pedestrians, a news report said Saturday.

Produce such as vegetables would carry IC tags that could send information such as where they were grown to shoppers' mobile phones, according to Kyodo News agency.
Sensors would monitor the movement of pedestrians and notify nearby drivers, and check the heart rate of elderly people living alone for round-the-clock monitoring by local hospitals, according to the report.

IC tags are tiny computer chips with antennas which can be used to track products.
To test the technology, the government intends to cooperate with telecom carriers, electronics manufacturers, automakers and other companies, the report said. Technology deemed successful will then be offered nationwide.

The wireless zone will likely be set up on the northern island of Hokkaido or southern island chain of Okinawa, where there is less radio wave interference, according to Kyodo. Calls to the ministry for confirmation went unanswered Saturday.

Japan is already a global leader in wireless technology.A 1 billion yen (US$8.7 million; €6.6 million) project in a central Tokyo shopping area uses 1,200 tiny computer chips embedded in lampposts, subway-station ceilings and roads to beam maps and store guides to passers-by

Source: International Herald Tribune

Phone for seniors slows down voices

NTT DoCoMo’s new mobile phone for the elderly actually looks rather appealing.

The Raku-Raku Phone Basic is the latest in a very successful line of functional, but usually dull, handsets aimed at making the senior population feel part of the mobile generation here. And at getting them to open their wallets once a month, of course.

The newcomer, which will go on sale in April for about ¥20,000, was designed by Kenya Hara, the art director of Muji and features plenty to keep granny (and some tech writers) happy.

Most unusual is the ‘Slow Voice’ feature, which – as you might guess – slows down the spoken words coming through the earpiece for easy listening. Then there’s ‘Clear Voice’ noise detection, which takes account of surrounding noise levels and adjusts the earpiece and ringtone volume to suit.

On top of that, the silver set gets an automated voice that reads out onscreen text from email or web pages and announces incoming caller identities and a pedometer that can work out daily calorie consumption.

Although there’s no camera, the Raku-Raku Phone basic weighs just 103g, has a 2.4in screen, a standby time of up to a staggering 560 hours and a certain elderly chic that guarantees success in this rapidly graying nation.

From Digital World Tokyo