tag:www.digitalworldtokyo.com,2007://1 2007-07-26T14:46:54Z Movable Type 3.35 tag:www.digitalworldtokyo.com,2007://1.990 2007-05-04T09:06:50Z 2007-07-26T14:46:54Z

Phew - Golden Week in Japan has been a scorcher but we're back and ready to go again. Even better, so are the famous USB Humping Dogs you know and love.

Phew - Golden Week in Japan has been a scorcher but we're back and ready to go again. Even better, so are the famous USB Humping Dogs you know and love - we received a boatload from the factory this week with English-language packaging and the same silky-smooth swiveling canine hips. To celebrate the return of the prodigal hounds, there's a 10% discount throughout May for DWT readers. To get it, don't use the store/PayPal cart combo (although do check out the goods over there, of course). Instead, just drop us a line at salesguys[[[att]]]digitalworldtokyo[[[dott]]]com and we'll tell you how to order direct. Happy humping :-)]]> ]]> tag:www.digitalworldtokyo.com,2007://1.989 2007-05-04T08:44:37Z 2007-07-26T14:46:54Z

Quantum computers that manipulate subatomic particles to perform lightning-fast calculations came closer to reality recently when a Japanese team demonstrated that it had created a quantum circuit that could control the building blocks of atoms.

Quantum computers that manipulate subatomic particles to perform lightning-fast calculations came closer to reality recently when a Japanese team demonstrated that it had created a quantum circuit that could control the building blocks of atoms. The team, from NEC, the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN), made the breakthrough by learning how to control the coupling strength of two quantum bits, or qubits. This is seen as a breakthrough in the way the first electronic circuit led to all modern computers. Although the research is still in its infancy, any future computers based on qubits would far exceed the computational power of today’s supercomputers. One of the barriers the team had to deal with was handling the phenomenon of superposition, which allows quantum particles to appear in multiple places simultaneously. A bit like Phil Collins circa Live Aid then? (Crossposted to Tech.co.uk)]]> ]]> tag:www.digitalworldtokyo.com,2007://1.988 2007-05-04T08:44:34Z 2007-07-26T14:46:54Z

Satellite phone calls are set to come to the masses within a few years through the Japanese government’s plan to launch an orbiter with a ‘mega antenna’ so large ordinary cellphones will be able to pick up its signal with only slight modifications in their design.

Satellite phone calls are set to come to the masses within a few years through the Japanese government’s plan to launch an orbiter with a ‘mega antenna’ so large ordinary cellphones will be able to pick up its signal with only slight modifications in their design. The country’s communications ministry has announced that existing phone networks are insufficient for coping with enough phone calls after an emergency, such as an earthquake. Anyone who’s ever experienced one in Japan will vouch for the fact that it’s impossible to place a call for many hours afterwards. To combat the problem, the proposed satellite, which will be launched in 2015, will sport a dish with a 50m diameter – that’s more than twice as large as that on any existing satellite. Normal-sized phones will need modifications to be able to communicate with the new satellite, but nothing on the scale of current satellite phones. Those typically have swollen antenna larger than the phones themselves and are costly to run, limiting their use to government agencies and certain ‘look-at-me’ professionals. The new system may also be used to provide phone coverage in areas where no ground signal currently reaches, which should mean an end to balancing that nice new handset on top of a filing cabinet to get a signal. (Crossposted to Tech.co.uk)]]> ]]> tag:www.digitalworldtokyo.com,2007://1.987 2007-05-03T03:05:36Z 2007-07-26T14:46:54Z

Until this month, most folk in Europe probably weren’t terribly bothered about earthquakes or most other natural disasters, but recent events could make products like this Japanese mobile-phone hand-crank emergency charger a must-have.

Until this month, most folk in Europe probably weren’t terribly bothered about earthquakes or most other natural disasters, but recent events could make products like this Japanese mobile-phone hand-crank emergency charger a must-have. From an obscure mail-order specialist called Nodaya Denki, the Eco Air’s [sic] charger costs ¥1,980 and relies on elbow grease to provide talk time when there’s no regular power source, such as after one of Japan’s almost-daily quakes or a power cut. Three minutes of winding the crank on the side of the phone-sized device should provide up to eight minutes of call time, which – and this is the point – could be the difference between being entombed in rubble forever or pulled out alive. Aside from the phone charger, there are also red and white LED lamps that will run for 20 minutes after the same amount of winding. Best of all, the set supplied with the Eco Air’s includes cables with adapters for phones on all of Japan’s major networks, so there’s no reason why this cheapo lifesaver shouldn’t become available overseas. (Crossposted to Tech.co.uk)]]> ]]> tag:www.digitalworldtokyo.com,2007://1.986 2007-05-02T03:20:37Z 2007-07-26T14:46:54Z

Last month we looked at the next-generation barcodes commonly found in Japan and pondered why few people seem to actually use them. It seems we aren’t alone in thinking that something can be done to encourage their use, as the latest versions of the QR Codes now include images and video.

Last month we looked at the next-generation barcodes commonly found in Japan and pondered why few people seem to actually use them. It seems we aren’t alone in thinking that something can be done to encourage their use, as the latest versions of the QR Codes now include images and video. The so-called Design QR barcodes move things on a step from plain black and white squares to spruce them up with personalised logos and even moving pictures. Although no new functionality is added, the thinking behind the development is to catch the eye, drawing attention to the new codes and thus to whatever mobile websites they link to. As with advertising on regular internet sites, more clicks on mobile sites equate to more revenue for advertisers or greater exposure for non-commercial sites. Examples given by IT DeSign, the company behind making QR look better, include portraits in barcodes that connect to online resumes, cutlery to indicate a restaurant and, of course, cutesy characters just for the heck of it. With a concerted effort to promote Design QR due to begin in Japan later this month, it seems likely that our initial gloomy prognosis for the dotty little squares was a little premature. (Crossposted to Tech.co.uk)]]> ]]> tag:www.digitalworldtokyo.com,2007://1.985 2007-05-02T03:13:24Z 2007-07-26T14:46:54Z

Mid-sized Japanese ISP and telecoms provider J:COM is launching a domestic security package that will rival, at least in part, the U-Consento service we saw from NTT last week in the intelligent-home stakes.

Mid-sized Japanese ISP and telecoms provider J:COM is launching a domestic security package that will rival, at least in part, the U-Consento service we saw from NTT last week in the intelligent-home stakes. The Peace of Mind service is being offered to J:COM’s existing internet subscribers as an add-on that will allow them to monitor their homes remotely. Using a combination of IP webcams, dedicated company servers and customers’ mobile phones, any designated part of a house can be monitored from afar for unexpected changes. User-intervention is kept to a minimum by using software to look for anything untoward. If, for example, a camera detects that a door has been opened or a mango juiced, it sends images to the J:COM server, which then alerts the user by phone or normal email. Although such technologies aren’t new, their inclusion as part of an ISP package could mark their becoming more mainstream than previously. (Crossposted to Tech.co.uk)]]> ]]> tag:www.digitalworldtokyo.com,2007://1.984 2007-04-27T05:15:43Z 2007-07-26T14:46:54Z

This weekend sees the sticky old Golden Week public holiday period begin in Japan, with a mad rush to do exactly the same thing as everyone else and sit in traffic jams or visit incredibly crowded 'attractions.'

This weekend sees the sticky old Golden Week public holiday period begin in Japan, with a mad rush to do exactly the same thing as everyone else and sit in traffic jams or visit incredibly crowded 'attractions.' Naturally, we can't help ourselves and will be doing the same, as will all the tech companies in this fair land. As we've said before, we can't make up the news (can we?), so hang on in there and normal service will be resumed sometime next week. Weather permitting, of course. Thanks for being there... m(_|_)m]]> ]]> tag:www.digitalworldtokyo.com,2007://1.983 2007-04-27T05:09:04Z 2007-07-26T14:46:54Z

Clarion Japan’s newest in-car satellite navigation system may just be the most advanced driver aid seen since the last episode of 24 and its host of BS technologies. The MAX9700DT is both a full entertainment system and a GPS unit, but costs more than many second-hand cars.

Clarion Japan’s newest in-car satellite navigation system may just be the most advanced driver aid seen since the last episode of 24 and its host of BS technologies. The MAX9700DT is both a full entertainment system and a GPS unit, but costs more than many second-hand cars. The ¥341,250 unit will be available in Japan from the end of June as part of a new Clarion line-up that puts the focus on large 7in widescreen LCDs and digital television. All models include a 1-seg TV tuner for broadcasts tailored for mobile devices, but the top of the range also includes a standard terrestrial digital tuner for picking up all free-to-air stations. It’s easy to ignore the navigation element of a machine like the 9700, but Clarion’s usual 3D street display is present and the software can search for and navigate to particular shops or stores based on data broadcast on the digital TV channels. Elsewhere, there’s a 40GB hard drive paired with a DVD drive, from which ATRAC, WMA and MP3 files can all be played. The screen is touch-sensitive and can replicate the interface of any iPod (what else?) connected with the appropriate cable. Audio output is of the 5.1 variety, maxing out at four channels of 50W each, while there are SD and Memory Stick slots and even a MiniDisc player. We’d mention the AM/FM radio but it seems somehow insignificant beside that lot. (Crossposted to Tech.co.uk)]]> ]]> tag:www.digitalworldtokyo.com,2007://1.982 2007-04-27T05:03:45Z 2007-07-26T14:46:54Z

Five months after being moved upstairs at the Sony division responsible for the PlayStation, Ken Kutaragi – the console’s original inventor – has agreed to step down entirely.

Five months after being moved upstairs at the Sony division responsible for the PlayStation, Ken Kutaragi – the console’s original inventor – has agreed to step down entirely. Sony made the announcement on Thursday, highlighting that it was Kutaragi’s own choice and that he had been planning to retire for some time. He will leave his post as CEO and chairman of SCEI on June 19. The CEO role vacated by Kutaragi will pass to Kaz Hirai, who was previously installed in Kutaragi’s SCEI president role after the perceived failure of the PlayStation 3 at launch. Kutaragi will be given the title of honorary chairman and will act as an advisor to the main body of Sony. News of what is essentially the departure of the man behind Sony’s very move into gaming in the early 1990s has not come as a surprise. Kutaragi’s removal from day-to-day running of SCEI last year left him with nowhere to go but into retirement – a completely typical move in Japanese business. Kutaragi’s official statement on his departure left the door open to future gaming work, possibly even in competition with Sony. He said: “It has been an exciting experience to change the world of computer entertainment by marrying cutting-edge technologies with creative minds from all over the world. I'm looking forward to building on this vision in my next endeavors.” (Crossposted to Tech.co.uk)]]> ]]> tag:www.digitalworldtokyo.com,2007://1.981 2007-04-26T08:15:18Z 2007-07-26T14:46:54Z

We’ve all seen dozens of tedious attempts at piping internet connections through the home using existing electrical wiring and power sockets, but this is the first-real world product to use the concept to deliver music through the same channels.

We’ve all seen dozens of tedious attempts at piping internet connections through the home using existing electrical wiring and power sockets, but this is the first-real world product to use the concept to deliver music through the same channels. Pioneer Japan’s Music Tap MT-01 system has often been displayed by the company at trade shows under a different name (Power Line Sound System), but never actually appeared on shop shelves – that’s about to change, with a Japan release slated for mid-July. For ¥70,000, Japanese shoppers will get a control unit to go wherever the music source is, along with two 25W speakers and a single 5W speaker to place around the house. An iPod adapter is available too for an extra fee. Multi-room playback means music from two separate sources can be channeled to different rooms. The control unit can hook up to more or less any audio source through its dual analogue inputs and USB ports. The smaller speaker even features a motion sensor that can be set to strike up the band when someone enters the room. Call me old-fashioned, but that sounds like an annoyance, rather than a feature.]]> ]]> tag:www.digitalworldtokyo.com,2007://1.980 2007-04-26T08:15:16Z 2007-07-26T14:46:54Z

On a day when we’ve seen a few stories about getting our homes more wired, we have news of a Japanese system that allows users to remotely control home appliances via a cellphone.

On a day when we’ve seen a few stories about getting our homes more wired, we have news of a Japanese system that allows users to remotely control home appliances via a cellphone. A small branch of telecoms giant NTT, NTT Neomeit, will commence field-testing the U-Consento service in May with a view to offering it to NTT’s broadband customers for ¥500 a month from September. The hardware involved is relative simple – a Wi-Fi router at home receives user orders and relays them to an infrared transmitter that can, for example, turn on a video recorder to catch the evening’s sumo roundup they otherwise wouldn’t get home in time for. Non-IR devices, like lights or fans, need an adapter in their power sockets to switch them on and off at the wall. When the hardware’s simple, it’s a safe bet that the software isn’t, which is true in this case. NTT Neomeit has created an interface that users access on a phone’s web browser, from which they can choose from a list of options or can monitor a log of exactly what has happened already. That latter option is also slightly Orwellian, as the company suggests it could be used to monitor housebound elderly parents to check on their TV viewing habits, among other things. The winning combination of two subjects close to the Japanese heart – old people and television – is sure to guarantee success for U-Consento. (Crossposted to Tech.co.uk)]]> ]]> tag:www.digitalworldtokyo.com,2007://1.979 2007-04-25T08:28:45Z 2007-07-26T14:46:54Z

Headsets for making internet telephone calls, particularly for Skype, are ten-a-penny, but there aren’t a great number of speakerphones and certainly none is as stylish or cheap as the latest from Buffalo Japan.

Headsets for making internet telephone calls, particularly for Skype, are ten-a-penny, but there aren’t a great number of speakerphones and certainly none is as stylish or cheap as the latest from Buffalo Japan. For ¥9,800, Tokyo businesses operating on a shoestring can avail themselves of Buffalo’s elegant BSKP-CU202/SV. As with most products from the firm, the naming is a mess, yet the functionality is anything but. The desk-phone needs no drivers, simply plugging into a USB port. As it’s bus-powered, there’s no need for an AC adapter either. In addition, a total audio output of 6W through three channels makes the setup a reasonable speaker system for most machines. Lastly, with both echo- and noise-canceling circuitry installed, the CU202 should put paid to those annoying quality problems that dog Skype and its 171 million users worldwide. Oh, and we should probably point out that there’s absolutely no reason not to plug in and fire up an alternative/better VoIP app, such as Gizmo. (Crossposted to Tech.co.uk)]]> ]]> tag:www.digitalworldtokyo.com,2007://1.978 2007-04-25T08:22:50Z 2007-07-26T14:46:54Z

During a busy week for Japan’s largest cellphone company, NTT DoCoMo, it has emerged that the firm has plans to use the nation’s ubiquitous phones as interactive health monitors.

During a busy week for Japan’s largest cellphone company, NTT DoCoMo, it has emerged that the firm has plans to use the nation’s ubiquitous phones as interactive health monitors. An admission that future DoCoMo phones will include devices such as thermometers and blood-pressure meters appeared in Japanese business magazine Nikkei Electronics. It comes a week after NTT Data, another arm of the parent company, announced a limited trial that networked existing phones with external healthcare devices. Given the highly competitive nature of Japan’s saturated phone market, the admission – made by a spokesperson at the side of Monday’s 904i series handset launch – is likely to spark a rush by other networks to provide similar features on future phones. As with the home healthcare system we looked at recently, the new phone hardware will be networked to a central database that can be analyzed to monitor long-term health. Because Japan has a rapidly aging population, there’s no need for a crystal ball to predict the runaway success of the new phones if and when they arrive. (Crossposted to Tech.co.uk)]]> ]]> tag:www.digitalworldtokyo.com,2007://1.977 2007-04-25T08:16:42Z 2007-07-26T14:46:54Z

Sony chose a rainy afternoon in downtown Tokyo today to unveil a revolution in digital cinema – a projector that can show full cinema-size movies at four times the resolution of standard high definition, with an anti-piracy server system on the side.

Sony chose a rainy afternoon in downtown Tokyo today to unveil a revolution in digital cinema – a projector that can show full cinema-size movies at four times the resolution of standard high definition, with an anti-piracy server system on the side. The ¥15 million SRX-R220 CineAlta 4K digital projection system projects almost 9 million pixels in a 4096 x 2160 arrangement, giving it four times as many dots as a 1920 x 1080 HD TV. Naturally, a projector like this isn’t meant for the home enthusiast – Sony hopes to sell it to Japan’s cinemas and to have it in 1,000 screens by 2010. The inexorable progress of HD TV into the home has inevitably raised the bar of consumer expectation when it comes to picture quality, leaving the CineAlta 4K in prime position to meet those sales targets. The projector has plenty of high-end technology powering its 20m-wide ultra high-definition displays. A 4.2kW bulb provides the light source, while mirrors, a prism and something Sony calls a ‘Silicon X-tal Reflective Display’ deliver the images to the screen. Other 4K digital projectors have been on Sony’s catalog for a couple of years now, but have been unsuccessful due to the lack of protection provided against piracy. To that end, the high price also includes a rack of RAID hard drives known as a ‘media block’ that hold the films to be project in encrypted form. The JPEG2000-encoded flicks are decrypted by a key unique to each projector only when needed in an effort to stop would-be pirates simply walking off with the hard drives. To make use of them, it would be necessary to take the 300kg projector along too, which could prove tricky. Still, there’s nothing to stop ne’er-do-wells sneaking in a high-definition camcorder and taking their chances with the powers that be. (Crossposted to Tech.co.uk)]]> ]]> tag:www.digitalworldtokyo.com,2007://1.976 2007-04-24T08:29:46Z 2007-07-26T14:46:54Z

When we brought you news on Japan’s latest feature-packed mobile phones yesterday we also promised to look into exactly how the new handsets will make use of their built-in gaming motion sensors.

When we brought you news on Japan’s latest feature-packed mobile phones yesterday we also promised to look into exactly how the new handsets will make use of their built-in gaming motion sensors. So, here it is - one of the first titles to appear is ‘You are Gundam’ from Bandai. Contrary to the cynical coverage on many tech websites today, it does seem that the games are likely to actually be playable due to a strong element of audio feedback. Naysaying aside, the similarities to the control method used in Nintendo Wii games are remarkable, although there’s no suggestion of anything untoward, as the technology in the DoCoMo 904i series phones is supplied by GestureTek of California. In You are Gundam, available for ¥105 a month on the P904i and SH904i, progress through a series of scenarios is displayed onscreen and is accompanied by audio prompts. At the appropriate moment, the player is called upon to, for example, slash a weapon across an enemy robot. This is done by waving the phone vigorously to match the character’s movements. Ho hum. Whether or not this passes muster is judged by the phone using the camera to work out real-world angles and velocities and applying those to the game scenario. If successful, fresh robot sushi is on the menu and the game carries on. Frankly, it all sounds pretty dull, but at least it's obvious that Wii-like games on a phone are possible. Bandai also announced another downloadable game but, as it involves using a phone-controlled net to scoop goldfish from a barrel (it's a Japanese thing, yeah?), we’ll leave that one to its own devices this time. Needless to say, if this new breed of all-action mobile games takes off, Japan’s train journeys will never be the same again.]]> ]]>