NEC-Unitika eco-friendly material to be used in DoCoMo cellphones
February 6, 2006NEC Corp. and Unitika Ltd. said Monday an eco-friendly bioplastic they had jointly developed is due to be used in the cellphones of NTT DoCoMo Inc. The plastic, which is made with polylactic acid derived from corn, is reinforced with the fiber of another plant called kenaf, which absorbs a great deal of carbon dioxide in the air, to improve its heat resistance -- a factor making it available for use in cellphones.
Hitachi develops world's smallest, thinnest contactless IC chip
February 6, 2006Hitachi Ltd. said Monday it has developed a contactless IC chip that is the smallest and thinnest to date in the world and can be applied for use in a large variety of certificates, including gift coupons and admission tickets. The chip is 0.15 millimeter by 0.15 mm and 7.5 micrometers thick, the company said. One micrometer is one-thousandth of a millimeter.