Toshiba Connects Cell Phones with PCs

Electronics maker Toshiba announced earlier this week that it has developed software that will allow Windows PC users to access their home computer through a mobile phone.

Dubbed "Ubiquitous Viewer," the program will allow the user to use Microsoft Office and other productivity software remotely, as well as enable them to open and modify files. It will also allow the customer to access e-mail, and use the computer's Web browser and other programs on the home PC.

Toshiba engineers developed a mobile phone menu and created compression technologies specifically for the technology. This will allow a large amount of data necessary to be transferred between the phone and PC in order to make Ubiquitous Viewer a useful application.

"It offers users real-time PC access at all times, whether they are sitting in a park or traveling on a train," Toshiba said in a statement. "Ubiquitous Viewer is a breakthrough software innovation that bridges the gap between mobile phones and PCs."

The program will make its debut on Japanese wireless provider KDDI in March 2005. According to Toshiba, other carriers are interested, but the company declined to give specifics.