NTT DoCoMo unveils self-locking phone

0 Comments | AFP, October, 2006

TOKYO (AFP) — Japan's top mobile telephone operator, NTT DoCoMo, has announced plans to launch a handset that automatically locks itself when it is stolen, lost or left behind. The new P903i handset, made by the Panasonic brand, comes with an electronic card that fits in a wallet or handbag and allows the phone to detect when its owner moves away beyond a certain distance.

"Once the signal between the two objects stops transmitting, because they are too far apart, the telephone blocks itself," a Panasonic spokeman said. NTT DoCoMo, which is preparing to soon launch 14 new handsets, also plans a feature allowing customers -- for a monthly fee after a free trial period -- to find lost handsets through a satellite-based navigation system. The phones are also equipped with a...