Tokyo, October 13 :

Japan’s leading mobile telephone operator NTT DoCoMo has launched an instrument that automatically locks itself when it is stolen, lost or left behind.

The new P903i handset made by Panasonic comes with an electronic card that fits in a wallet or handbag and allows the phone to detect when its owner moves away beyond a certain distance and take steps to stall operations, reported the online edition of New Scientist.

It also comes with a fingerprint reader and voiceprint identification capability. “Once the signal between the two objects stops transmitting, because they are too far apart, the telephone blocks itself,” the report said quoting a Panasonic spokesperson.

Another service, announced by the company, will let cellphone users locate a missing handset via satellite-navigation. Enabled handsets will have a satellite receiver capable of pinpointing its precise coordinates, which can then be transmitted back to the user.

Ironically, cellphone theft is relatively rare in Japan and lost items are often handed in to the local police station.