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Now a Phone that Recognizes Owner
Techtree News Staff, Oct 30, 2006 1310 hrs ISTNTT DoCoMo's new phone, the P903i, has astonishing capabilities such as being able to recognize the owner, locking-up when the owner's too far away...
NTT DoCoMo, Japan's top mobile carrier, has reportedly come out with a new mobile phone, the P903i, which is equipped with advanced security features.
The company says that the new mobile phone can recognize its owner, automatically locks when the person gets too far away from it, and can be found via satellite navigation if it goes missing.
It is learnt that the P903i comes with a small black card about the size of a movie-ticket stub, which works as a security key by connecting wirelessly with the cell phone. If an owner keeps the card in a bag or pocket, the phone recognizes when the card moves too far away and locks automatically to prevent someone from making a call. The user can choose to have the phone lock when it is 26 feet, 66 feet, or 130 feet away.
Moreover, people who lose their security cards can punch in a password to unlock the phone. But they will have to buy a new card to set the lock again. This extra security is handy because like other recent Japanese phones, the P903i can be used as a credit card or as a prepaid cash card.
On this occasion, Mamiko Tanaka, a spokeswoman from NTT DoCoMo, said that security is increasingly a key function for mobile phones as they become loaded with more sophisticated features. Handset makers are all competing to come up with interesting ways to strengthen security.
The P903i phone also has a facial identification feature that prevents hackers from getting personal information from the phone, if it is within set distance of the security key. This feature will unlock the phone if a picture the user takes of himself matches the stored data.
Besides, if the phone ever gets lost, the owner can put the phone number into a Web site, and the map will pop up showing the phone's location using a Global Positioning System.
Meanwhile, pricing and availability of the P903i are not known yet.
The company says that the new mobile phone can recognize its owner, automatically locks when the person gets too far away from it, and can be found via satellite navigation if it goes missing.
It is learnt that the P903i comes with a small black card about the size of a movie-ticket stub, which works as a security key by connecting wirelessly with the cell phone. If an owner keeps the card in a bag or pocket, the phone recognizes when the card moves too far away and locks automatically to prevent someone from making a call. The user can choose to have the phone lock when it is 26 feet, 66 feet, or 130 feet away.
Moreover, people who lose their security cards can punch in a password to unlock the phone. But they will have to buy a new card to set the lock again. This extra security is handy because like other recent Japanese phones, the P903i can be used as a credit card or as a prepaid cash card.
On this occasion, Mamiko Tanaka, a spokeswoman from NTT DoCoMo, said that security is increasingly a key function for mobile phones as they become loaded with more sophisticated features. Handset makers are all competing to come up with interesting ways to strengthen security.
The P903i phone also has a facial identification feature that prevents hackers from getting personal information from the phone, if it is within set distance of the security key. This feature will unlock the phone if a picture the user takes of himself matches the stored data.
Besides, if the phone ever gets lost, the owner can put the phone number into a Web site, and the map will pop up showing the phone's location using a Global Positioning System.
Meanwhile, pricing and availability of the P903i are not known yet.
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(2) Comments
Manish Kesarkar
,Mumbai, on Nov 02, 2006 09:01 AM
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