NTT DoCoMo’s New Sound Technology Revolutionizing Conference Calling and Mobile Gaming?

Japan’s NTT DoCoMo today announced that it has developed a new technology for mobile phones that will allow users to assign different virtual positions, spatially, to various sound sources when wearing headphones. For example, this would allow different parties in a conference call to sound as if they were sitting at a table in front of the user. One caller might sound as if he were across from the user, while others could sound as if they were sitting to the user’s left or right.  The company says that it plans to develop the technology for “eventual commercialization”, and expects to see application of the technology in gaming, conference calls, and tele-education. DoCoMo is planning to demonstrate the technology during the Wireless Technology Park 2009 event in Japan this week.

Honestly, I think it sounds pretty cool.  How many times have you been on a conference call and it pretty much sounds like your on the F train with everyone’s voices just blending together.  According to DoCoMo it would sound just like if you were in a meeting.  You will hear voices to your left, right, left front, and right front.  As long as I don’t hear voices coming from behind me I think it is pretty cool.  I do think the gaming aspect of this technology might be more useful and profitable.  Whether it is successful or not I like the innovation and technology.  Sometimes I forget that the main point of having a phone is to talk and I think the phone manufacturers do also.  Sure, I can get a new Centro in any color of the rainbow, but when was the last time someone tried to make your call better, or more effective for that matter.

For the complete info please visit:

http://www.mobileburn.com/news.jsp?Id=7006