We know the phone rings, but we didn't know the phone could also be a ring. But when DIARY heard about the ring-phone he rushed to the NTT DoCoMo to see for himself.
Sure enough, Masaaki Fukumoto, a researcher from DoCoMo's labs, was there to show off the 2-cm thick ring-phone, which connects to a cellphone via Bluetooth.
The voice call is conducted via human bone, Fukumoto advises. Or put another way, you put your finger in your ear. That's right. Phone. Finger. Ear. DIARY tried it himself, and experienced weather report conducting itself over the short bone highway from my ear to brain. A brilliant bit of engineering, DIARY concedes. But maybe not the next big thing.
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Still on the DoCoMo booth, some of the best entertainment at the Show is the Japanese carrier's video series on wearable communications. DIARY was particularly touched by the scenario of Mr Katami the water quality engineer and his tempestuous relationship with his cellist daughter. Should he send flowers to her concert‾ Watch it and weep.
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Siemens created a sensation on its stand with a give-away soccer ball (or football if you like). Spongey, and all of two inches in diameter, people were queuing 40 deep for them. Is that the inner child in all of us‾ Or maybe some people really do have too much time on their hands.
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Special mention must be made of the Alvarion stand. No singing, dancing or girls in jumpsuits, but a big crowd gathered every hour to watch its presentation. Incredible, but it does happen. The topic: Mobile WiMAX.