Monday, November 27, 2000		Lens on IT

Mari Matsunaga, creator of "i-mode," the Net-connecting mobile phone that's winning praise as the biggest hit out of Japan since the Walkman, displays her own mobile phone during an interview with the Associated Press in Tokyo. It's precisely Matsunaga's insistence on developing an easy-to-use product that helped attract 14 million users to i-mode and chalk up 3.7 trillion yen ($34 billion) in annual revenue for Tokyo telecommunications giant.

Nokia upped the pressure on rivals when it unveiled the 9210 Communicator mobile device with a colour display that acts like a personal organiser and lets the user make phone calls, access the Web and e-mails. The company said it is expected that the pocket-size phone to be available on the GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) market in the first half of next year. 

Kirsty Little of the Dream Engine from London performs under the heliosphere, a massive helium balloon, with a backdrop of Hong Kong skyline as part of MSN network's campaign to celebrate the launch of its Chinese Hotmail service. International Internet service providers launch aggressive marketing campaigns to attract users from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.