January 20, 2005
TOKYO - New software from Toshiba Corp. will let you edit documents, send e-mail and reboot your Windows computer remotely through a mobile phone. That'll let you get work done wherever you may be, including commuter trains or bus stops.
Toshiba is planning to offer the service in Japan by the end of March through CDMA1X mobile phones offered by KDDI Corp.
Similar services with other carriers, including overseas, are in the works, Toshiba officials said.
The idea of accessing personal computers through mobile phones isn't new, but the software has been limited in capability. Toshiba says its Ubiquitous Viewer handles virtually all the Windows PC functions.
But making a cell phone work like a keyboard and mouse and trying to view computer screens on a tiny display can be quite a challenge. You need to do a lot of button-punching and scrolling.
And in a recent demonstration, the mobile connection failed twice before a document could be copied and pasted as an e-mail attachment.
Toshiba is initially targeting the corporate work force, though it says individuals can use it to record TV shows, work security cameras and control air conditioners tied to home networks.
Prices have not yet been decided, Toshiba said.
