NEC Biglobe, one of the largest Japanese ISP/portal releases iPhone app "Push-Ups Dojo" to count, record and share (of course, on Twitter) your push-ups.

I am sure that there are already many exercise recording iPhone apps. This one directly uses iPhone's touch panel as a counting sensor. You need to touch the iPhone on the floor with your nose (or chin?) to count.

Move instruction is here.

Get Biglobe Push-Ups app [iTunes Store]

Our favourite trickster Kayac also made the similar one (without Twitter linkage) half an year ago.

Push-Up from KAYAC inc. on Vimeo.

Get Kayac's Push-Ups app [iTunes Store]

Both might be inspired by a popular Japanese TV program on which athletes compete in several different exercise program. There is a replica of the push-ups switch from the program sold by Konami in Japan.

Tags: Japan by Akky Akimoto
No Comments »

China's largest e-commerce company Alibaba.com seems to have a good sense of humour and doing viral marketing there in the secret Chinese web.

Chinese film creator Hu Ge(胡戈) makes a parody movie of the former US president Bush's dodging thrown shoes at a press conference in Iraq.

In the movie the president was less patient than Bush and throws back his shoes, then...

English audio, Simplified Chinese subtitled, enjoy,

YouTube seems to blocked in China so this movie should be copied for attendees of the academic conference in Sapporo, Japan.

via Media Pub [J]

Tags: China, Joke, USA by Akky Akimoto
No Comments »

Dentsu Inc., Japan's largest advertising agency, announced that they started experimental coupon platform iButterfly with free iPhone application.

The application "iButterfly - Coupon Entertainment" can be downloaded for free until the end of March 2010 (requires iPhone 3GS).

On the mobile application, user can look through the iPhone app to the town and find butterfly flying around. By shaking iPhone like using butterfly net, user catches the virtual butterfly carries coupons and contents related to the location.

During the experimental period, three companies or shop group provide the butterflies.

• Tokyo Music Map Group - shops offering good back ground music provides discount coupon
• Yamada Denki - Japan's biggest electric store chain will offer coupon at its Ikebukuro branch
• Tokyo Gas - regional gas provider will offer a coupon for free novelty at three showrooms

Chou (butterfly in Japanese) is used here in double meaning, with another same sound "Chou" which means "collection book".

Dentsu is planning to add more "Chou" such like "Nationwide local mascot characters collection book", "All Yamanote Line stations collection", "Today's Fortunetelling", "iPhone App recommendation", etc.

[Update] The movie how it is played,

Tags: Cellular Phone, Japan, New Service by Akky Akimoto
3 Comments »

Square Enix, who holds two best selling Japanese role playing game series, Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy, announced on Facebook their Final Fantasy I and II are being ported to iPhone/iPod Touch.

In Japanese cellphone market, Square Enix has been offering downloadable early Final Fantasy. Final Fantasy Mobile [J] on three major carriers offered the first Final Fantasy in 2004 (2006 for Softbank Mobile. original in 1987), Final Fantasy II in 2005 (original in 1988), Final Fantasy IV in 2009 (2010, last week, for Softbank Mobile).

Final Fantasy II for Docomo i-mode was even bundled for Panasonic cellphone P901i in 2005.

So Final Fantasy I, II and now IV are all playable on most of Japanese cellphone. Now Square Enix is targeting growing smart phone iPhone to cover 99% of cellphones in Japan. But this also means they are to sell the game not only isolated Japanese cellphone market but also to the world.

Tags: Cellular Phone, Japan by Akky Akimoto
1 Comment »