Japan Media Review Update: November 17, 2004

JMR Staff (Annenberg School for Communication, University of Southern California)

Review
The following reviews are posted at: http://www.japanmediareview.com/japan/digest/digest.php

ANA Launches On-Board Internet Service on Some Flights
From Kyodo News via Japan Today: All Nippon Airways this week became the first Asian carrier to offer high-speed Internet access on board. For now, the service is only available on flights between Tokyo and Shanghai, but the airline said it plans to introduce service on flights to Europe in fiscal 2005. According to travelbiz.com.au, service will cost a flat rate of US $19.95 per flight or $7.95 for the first half-hour and $0.25 a minute thereafter, and it will be possible for passengers to connect via Wi-Fi. Japan Airlines, meanwhile, plans to introduce service on flights to London next month.
-- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Eric Ulken

New Cell Phones Will Sport Anti-Virus Software
From The Asahi Shimbun: As cell phones get increasingly complex, they become more susceptible to viruses. Now, in a pre-emptive strike against hackers, NTT DoCoMo is building virus protection software into its newest handsets. The anti-virus software, developed by DoCoMo and U.S. computer security firm McAfee, will detect and clean phones of potentially harmful programs. The security software will also keep itself up-to-date by downloading information about new viruses through DoCoMo's i-mode data service.
-- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Eric Ulken

Radio Tags Keep Tabs on Tokyo Students
From AP via the Los Angeles Times: A student walks into Rikkyo Elementary School in the morning, and moments later his parents receive an e-mail on their mobile phones letting them know their son has arrived safely, thanks to a digital ID tag embedded in the student's backpack. It sounds like science fiction, but it's simply the latest application of the radio-frequency identification technology already used in stores, tollbooths and building security systems. Schools in Japan have been stepping up security in the wake of several high-profile killings of children, including a 2001 attack on a school in which a man stabbed eight children to death.
-- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Eric Ulken