KDDI Offers Motorola Set-Top Box That Transfers Content To And From A Mobile Phone

Motorola (NYSE: MOT) has announced a new line of set-tops that allow users to transfer content to and from mobile phones without the need for a PC. Japanese operator KDDI will be the first to use the new boxes for a service called au Box. The box has a host of media capabilities: a built-in CD player will allow users to rip CDs and then transfer the music to a phone or media player, and users will be able to upload video from their personal video recorders and then transfer that video to a mobile handset. Phones and media players can also be connected to the box and play music through integrated speakers. The service, scheduled to launch Nov. 1, will be leased to subscribers, CED Magazine reports. The converged platform is based on the KreaTV open software, which Motorola acquired when it bought Kreatel Communications in early 2006.