These days, Japanese K-tai terminals have grown exactly like a Swiss Army Knife. Both are bulging with hundreds of useful, useless and ridiculous features. Presently, the only stunt a 3G K-tai can't perform well is slicing Prosciutto di Parma for your sandwich, while its Swiss brethren are extremely good at it. It's not because Japanese K-tai are clumsy, but its manufacturers do not want their proud products totally banned on the flight. Ah well, this is a tough time. Crazy American airports ban absolutely everything shiny and glittery.

Already having heavily overloaded with two digital cameras (high-res main and mid-res sub), Osaifu K-tai (mobile wallet), One Seg (digital terrestrial TV for mobile), MP3 player and a full browser, Japanese K-tais will have to accept another obligatory function by April next year. Sure, a GPS unit. So far, this bulky gear has been an optional feature only.




Archetypical school pack for Japanese kids impregnated with a GPS K-tai.

Parents and teachers can trace their whereabouts easily.
Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), which has the jurisdiction over all telecommunications services, announced that new 3G K-tais should have a GPS module stashed somewhere in their tiny bodies. No, no, MIC's aim is not to give a golden business chance to GPS chip manufacturers. It, as a genuine bureaucrat, is simply in its favorite game again, controlling and harnessing K-tai users.

This is, indeed, a Japanese version of US e911 (Wireless Enhanced 911 Rules). Another control maniac in America wants to catch the whereabouts of every single mobile phone user, especially in the security manic depression after September 11. Obviously, American users did not eagerly go along with this fever, and the first target, end of 2005, was ignored.

US e911 uses the trigonometric calculation from a few base stations. Japanese solution would be neater and simpler, though somehow more expensive. For example, a young lady finds a stalker following her. She calls 110 police emergency number with her K-tai.

Police Dispatcher: "All right, Miss, where are you now?"
Young Lady: "I, I don't know... Somewhere Shibuya area."
Police Dispatcher: "No sweat. Your K-tai has already sent it to us. Let's see...
Right, walk 10 more meters towards Shibuya station. On your left side, there is a 7-Eleven convenience store. Go in, and wait there. One of our bicycle officers will rush there to meet you in 2 minutes flat. OK?"
Young Lady: "Thanks, thanks, indeed."

If her K-tai is in "no GPS data transfer" mode, the police dispatcher can manually override it and get the information onto his display anyway. GPS positional data can be sent to only three distress numbers: 110 (police); 118 (coast guard); and 119 (fireman/ambulance). If you have a small inflatable with rotten outboard engine, 118 call will be extremely beneficial for your health on the sea.

Even before the MIC guideline, mobile operators in Japan have been busy packing ever-shrinking GPS unit into their K-tais. The number two, KDDI/au, has been especially enthusiastic. Almost all its K-tais now have GPS capability. NTT DoCoMo has been somehow lukewarm to GPS K-tai. But since its Kids' K-tai with GPS spotter system became extremely popular, it has converted to the GPS cult. Presently, almost half of the new DoCoMo K-tais have GPS units in them.

What would be the next step when all Japanese K-tais are packed with this location gear? Sure, of course, cashing in!

Navigation service, for instance. Present Kaa-nabi (car navigation system) which is bulky, stinky and very expensive, will be soon replaced by a nimble GPS K-tai navigation. Car drivers will simply set their K-tai on the dashboard, and ride into the scary Japanese traffic. Some of the vehicle's intrinsic functions will be able to move to K-tai, too. Speedometer, for example. Paying road toll with Osaifu K-tai through wireless? Easy, already been started. And, soon, starting engine with your K-tai as a driver authentication device.

Watch out, vehicle drivers in Japan. Your GPS K-tai might take over your beloved car one day.

 

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