Quick post on a solar powered phone from Sharp, available through KDDI AU and Softbank Mobile in Japan, meaning there are both CDMA and UMTS versions. (Coverage by Wireless Watch Japan of a review by Nikkei Tech-On.)

I got to see this phone (not use it, though) during a trip to Japan last month. I do wonder how much time a cellphone (at least one in urban Tokyo) spends directly in sunlight, unless you place it near a window. Nonetheless, snazzy; feel-good; takes advantage of Sharp’s capability to integrate components from its business units; and likely apt for overseas markets.

Venture Beat’s Matt Marshall, with venture investor Tim Chang, recently ran an article on the long-term viability of wireless data plans. I spoke with Matt Marshall during his research on the subject. Interesting, thought-provoking article, which elicited a lot of comments, both below the article and elsewhere.

KDDI Research Institute published a report (Japanese-language) I did on white space communications, i.e., unlicensed communications over TV spectrum.