Yesterday, Sammy announced details of three very different new products compatible with its muPass melody transmission service which enables consumers to transfer ringtones from their phone to various devices over infrared.

The first is a police speed trap radar – a product commonly installed in cars in Japan. Using muPass, drivers can change the sound played to alert them when speed traps are near. The second product is a mobile for babies (the sleep inducing device - not a phone!) which plays melodies that can be uploaded and overwritten by mobile ringtones. The last product revealed is a digital banner for commercial use. As well as changing the melody it plays to entice customers over muPass, users can change the message displayed on the banner by means of a special i-mode appli.

muPass has been around for a while, but products supporting it have so far been thin on the ground – the only other product I am aware of is a cooker made by Sanyo which plays ringtones to alert the consumer when cooking time is up. I wonder how many people are actually prepared to pay for this feature…

# posted by Jan Kuczynski @ 8:23 am