cgjapan
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For iPhone 4: Super-Cute Hello Kitty Cases From Japan
Tokyo-based Japan Trend Shop, an online store selling unique gadgets and lifestyle products from Nippon, started listing something super-cute today: Hello Kitty-themed protective cases (the site is completely in English) for use with the iPhone 4. Read More
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Video: The Sense-Roid Is A Robo Jacket That Lets You Hug Yourself
I am aware we have covered the Sense-Roid, a robotic device that lets you hug yourself (don’t ask), last week already. But now our friends over at Diginfonews in Tokyo went out and shot a professional video that shows the tactile communications apparatus in action and explains it in more detail (and in English). Read More
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Japan Gets Three New PSP Value Packs Next Month
The PS Vita is coming relatively soon, but Sony Japan today announced [JP] something nice for all users still in need of a PSP: a total of three new PSP value packs. The bundles will include a PSP in Piano Black, Vibrant Blue, or Blossom Pink – and they might be the last ones you can get, at least before the Vita goes on sale. Read More
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Thanko Starts Selling The USB Butt Cooler Cushion (Ver. 2)
Temperatures neared the 40 degree Celsius mark around Tokyo over the weekend – reason enough for Thanko to start selling the so-called USB Hinyari Cushion Ver. 2 [JP], which essentially is a USB-powered cooler/cushion for your butt. The Tokyo-based crap gadget maker has offered a very similar item last summer, and apparently that cushion sold well enough to be updated this year. Read More
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Mitsubishi Shows All-In-One LCD TV With HDD And Blu-Ray Recorder
TVs with integrated HDDs and Blu-recorders are nothing new anymore, but Mitsubishi Electric is trying to score with a specific selling point: its compact design. Their REAL LCD-22BLR500, announced [JP] today, is an all-in-one device that houses a 22-inch screen, a 500GB HDD, and a Blu-ray recorder with AVREC support. Read More
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LIFEBOOK TH40/D: Fujitsu Pushes Back Release Date Of Convertible Tablet Indefinitely
Do you remember the LIFEBOOK TH40/D, the pretty nice-looking convertible tablet that Fujitsu unveiled last month? It now turns out that the Windows 7 device will not hit Japanese stores this month, even though Fujitsu announced just that just about five weeks ago. Read More
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Strange Video: Happinet Lets You Play Table Tennis Against Invisible Opponents
If you happen to be a table tennis player who’s never able to find a partner to play with, here’s your chance: a Japanese company called Happinet is selling some kind of virtual table tennis game that requires neither a second person nor a ball to play. Their so-called Takkyuu High-Tension toy is all about sounds and rhythm (strange video below). Read More -
The UNISROBO Robot Looks A Lot Like NEC's PaPeRo
China-based JUST GOOD Technology Corp. and UNIS Corp. must really like the PaPeRo, NEC’s super-cute mini robot that was first shown to the public back in 1997. Or how else can you explain the existence of their so-called UNISROBO? As Plastic Pals points out, both robots are very much alike from a design perspective. Read More
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JVC Combines K2 HD Mastering With HQCDs For Better Audio
JVC’s audio mastering technique K2 HD was first introduced to the general public in 2007. Under the standard, music is encoded in 24 bit and 100 kHz resolution during mastering but can be stored and played using conventional 16bit/44.1kHz CDs. And now, JVC has combined K2 HD with the HQCD (HiQuality CD) storage format to bring us the “K2HD MASTERING + HQCD” [JP] concept. Read More
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Video: Complete Hand Recognition With 5-Finger Mouse Amenbo (Video)
This looks like something straight out of “Minority Report”: Japan-based robot venture Double Research & Development Co. [JP] has developed a 5-finger mouse [JP] that can track the movements and pressure of individual fingers and send the information to a computer to trigger actions. Read More
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NEC's New Face Recognition System Is 100 Times Smaller Than Existing Ones
Face recognition technology that can be used to identify a given person’s age and gender isn’t exactly new. But NEC has now developed a system [JP] that’s sized at just 7x12x1cm, which is about 100 times smaller than existing solutions (according to the company). NEC also claims that their mini system needs 50 times less power than its already commercialized counterparts. Read More -
Video: Virtual Idol Hatsune Miku Pops Up As Hologram On 3D Table-Top Display
Do you remember the fvision, the amazing 3D tabletop display that we’ve shown you last year? Thanks to 96 projectors arranged in a circle, the device produces 3D images that multiple viewers can see from different angles – no glass case, 3D glasses or other extra equipment needed. And now the NICT, Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, found… Read More
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The Buru Navi Guides You By Simulating The Feeling Of Your Hand Being Pulled
The NTT Communication Science Laboratories in Japan has developed some kind of divining rod [JP] that can navigate users to a specific location by simulating the feeling of their hand being pulled in the direction of that location. All that users need to do is to outstretch their hand holding the device (palm side up) and let the so-called Buru Navi do its magic. Read More
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Ejacket: Bandai's E-Money Case Plays Kamen Rider Sounds Every Time You Make a Purchase (Video)
As far as distribution of electronic money is concerned, Japan is probably the most advanced country in the world. For years, millions of Japanese have been paying in supermarkets, department stores and other places with their cell phones or smart cards. Reason enough for Bandai to announce [JP, PDF] a very special solution for users of those smart cards: a case that plays sounds from Kamen… Read More
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Hit Video Game Professor Layton To Go Social On Mobage This Year
Konami, Sega, Hudson, Capcom: virtually every Japanese video game maker these days is producing social games, too. The newest company jumping on the bandwagon is Level-5 whose mega hit series Professor Layton will be turned into a (mobile) social game in Japan in the fall this year. “Professor Layton Royale” will become available on Mobage, a popular mobile social gaming… Read More
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CECH-3000B: Sony Announces Lighter, More Power-Efficient PS3 Model
Sony Computer Entertainment announced [JP] the CECH-3000B for the Japanese market, a new/modified version of the PS3. When compared with the previous model (the 2500B), the new PS3 is 400g lighter (it now weighs 2.6kg) and consumes 30W less power (200W now). Sony also said they will stop producing the 2500B series. Read More
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Eizo To Sell 36-Inch Display With 4K×2K Resolution For $36,000
Japanese computer display maker Eizo Nanao announced [JP] the DuraVision FDH3601 today, a 36.4-inch display whose main selling point is the resolution: 4K×2K (4,096×2,160) isn’t really that easy to beat. Read More -
Japan Takes Top Spot From China: Fujitsu's "K" Is The World's Most Powerful Supercomputer
The International Supercomputing Conference is taking place in Hamburg/Germany at the moment – reason enough for the Top500 committee to update their list of the world’s 500 most powerful supercomputers today. And it turns out that Japan, via Fujitsu’s so-called “K”, is the new No. 1 on that list. Read More
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Report: HP Moves Part Of Notebook Production From China To Japan
You don’t hear news like this too often these days, but according to Japanese business daily The Nikkei, HP is planning to shift part of its notebook production from China to Japan in the next few months. The Californian company plans to eventually manufacture all computers for sale in Japan in factories in Akishima near Tokyo. Read More
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Sega Toys' R2-D2 Homestar Planetarium Shows The Death Star
Second Sega Toys Homestar Planetarium news item in a row: following the version that’s good for travel from yesterday, maker Sega Toys took the wraps off a Star Wars model at the Tokyo Toy Show. It’s a fully functional planetarium, just in the shape of R2-D2, and it shows the location of the Death Star. Read More
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