Technology makes mark: MW picks the top Midem launches.(Digital)

The Midem exhibition hall, within the Palais des Festivals, was awash with new technologies promising much for the future development of the industry last week.

From new mobile handsets and download services to new-style ticketing systems, gadget freaks and technology boffins certainly had plenty to get excited about.

Vodafone demoed its new Radio DJ service, which launched in France during Midem week. Powered by Sony NetServices, Vodafone Radio DJ enables customers to tailor music to their own personal tastes. Once users have registered via a website, they can listen to music in three ways: through pre-defined channels, personal channels or collections. Tracks bought on mobile phone or PC are downloadable via both devices via the service, which will launch in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain over the coming months.

An application which would win the approval of Live 8 promoter Harvey Goldsmith--who delivered an impassioned plea at Midem for the live industry to reduce the role of secondary agents and online auction sites--was offered by London company Redeem It. The company has developed a system which enables codes to be sent to phones, which are them redeemed at the venue door--the user presses the phone up to a scanner to receive a printed ticket. Not only does the system cut down both on forgery and eBay touting (the codes cannot be transferred between phones), but it also has a wide range of marketing and branding applications.

Sony Ericsson presented its new W810 Walkman phone in Europe for the first time. The quad-band handset, which was launched in Las Vegas at the beginning of this month, will be the fifth music-enabled Walkman phone when it becomes available from the end of January. Sony Ericsson's handset strategy centres on flash storage capability and the company is launching 4Gb chips in April, followed by an 8Gb chip in the first half of this year.

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