Continued from (Part 1). Middle part of September news which we did not write as a dedicated article. Continued to (Part 3)

Referred pages are all in Japanese, unless otherwise stated.

• Japnaese Facebook Pointed Out Full Of Fake Girls' Account - a blog listed many fake accounts and guys who have those girls on their friends list. There is a group to hunt them down and find whose photo (usually Asian model/actress) those fake accounts are using.
• iOS5 Beta7 Blocks Docomo SIM Even For Sim-unlocked iPhone - some say Apple/Softbank are trying anti-Docomo block, others say just a software bug in beta
• Some Games Shut Down On PC Version Of Mixi - PC-side Mixi is less popular than feature phone version, but not a good news for their public image
• Searchina's Reporting YouTube Blocks Korea By Manipulating K-Pop Popularity Turned Out To Be Make-Up. The Searchina replaced the post with idol news with the same URL, Yahoo! Japan removed its re-distributed news
• Real "Like" button on wall poster at Yurakucho Marion. via ITMedia blog
• Internal Affairs Minister Expresses Need For Research On Karelog Case
• Apple Japan, Inc. Dissolved And Merged Into Apple Japan, LLC - Mac Otakara's first report seems removed. The original official gazette was expired. Apple Japan Merged To Apple Japan Explained by Tetsuya Isozaki
• Facebook Japan Announces Japanese Active Users Passed 5 Million
• Shibukasa - Free Umbrella Sharing Service In Shibuya. It has an Android App. via LifeHacker.jp

***

• Ameba Mobile's Game "My Host-chan" To Be Dramatized On TV
• Pixiv's URL Shortening Service p.tl Blocked On Twitter. p.tl accept any URL than Pixiv pages and there are lots of abused cases.
• Taito Announces IdolMaster-like Talent Produce Social Game On Gree
• New service from SixApart
• Research: Japanese Using Facebook The Most, More Than Mixi And Twitter By MMD Labo. by MMD Labo.
• Gree Aoyagi To Be OpenFeint New CEO, Founder Leaves [En]. OpenFeint's release [En]
• Facebook Quiz Game Promotion For Citibank Japan
• Softbank Invests Singapore InMobi Pte 100 Million Dollars. VentureBeat covered it [En]
• Zynga localizes Words with Friends in Japanese
• Google Shopping Japanese Now Reflects Existing Stock From Major Retail Shops
• All Nippon Airways' All 6,000 Flight Attendants To Have iPad - first airline giving iPad to all crew
• Marketing Competition Japan - Univ. Students To Show English Marketing Skill
• Hand-powered Printing Machine Printogokko To End Its 34 Years History. over 10 million units sold, but PC printer has replaced its demand
• Google Japan Offering Mirror Page Of Nagoya City Official - Million People Recommended Evacuation By Typhoon Hard Rain
• Ameba Pigg Brothels Reported By Undercover 2-channelers
• Official Seven-Eleven Colored Gundam On Sale Sep 23
  

• Gree's Virtual Girlfriend Tickling Game For iPhone
• World's First Radio Controlled Wheeled Platform
• Research: Japanese Who Are Reluctant To Use Real Name On Social Media Drops Down From 89% To 62% In One Year
• Macromill released their second round of smartphone research
• Docomo Allies With Vodafone, Takes Over Softbank's Multinational Enterprise Clients
• Google Chrome: Lady Gaga Japanese version. original [En]
• Wilcom's New Frisk-size Cellphone - World Smallest & Lightest as the one having 10 digit-keys

If you want to know any specific news more, but unable to find them in other English blog/media, please let us know.

Tags: Japan IT Links by Akky Akimoto
No Comments »

At the Tokyo Game Show, a variety of businesses and organizations other than game companies have displays. This comic book software “ComiPo!” [J, E] is one of them.

"ComiPo!" is released by the ComoPo! production committee, (Web Technology Com Corp., committee chairperson: Keiichi Tanaka), and it’s a program that’s like, "Even though I can’t draw a picture at all, I can make a 3D comic in a flash!"

So, you can easily create a comic by combining backgrounds with various 3D data and speach bubbles inside the pre-prepared panel layout.  Because it’s 3D, you can set the character objects at any angle within 360°, and also change the pose.  You can also make them hold things like handbags and umbrellas.  Furthermore by updating the software when the time comes, new 3D data will be added.  Secondary use is possible if for non-profit / non-commercial purposes, and a for-profit version is also possible for commercial use.

Actually, examples of business-related use have recently been taking place.  Here is a publication of all of the labor laws regarding “ComiPo!” works.  The writer basically purchases a for-profit version of “ComiPo!” and it seems that manuscripts have been created and published.

What’s more, from September 15th the ComiPo! production committee is releasing an English Version of “ComiPo!” as “ComiPo! (English Version).  This will have all contents and the user interface converted into English, so 20 different frequently used “BANG” and “SHHHHSHH” English sound effect letterings from American comics can be used.  Also 102 European characters (51×2 types) are included, such as [ç ä á à â], appearing on the screen as drawn lettering fonts, so fans from non-English speaking countries should be able to get into it.  When I checked it on Twitter, directly after release many foreigners seemed to be writing tweets about it, and among them were tweets in Spanish, Portuguese, and other languages other than English.
From here on, the ComiPo! production team is thinking of producing 3D data for mascots of local governments and such offering collaboration projects using Data from ComiPo!  People of governing bodies of all countries, why don’t we activate the landscape with ComiPo!?

ComiPo! “Even though I can’t draw a picture at all, I can make a 3d manga in a flash!” [J]

Translation authorized by VSMedia

See Also:

Official English site [En]

Comipo's official release [J]

Tags: Japan, News by Chiho Komoriya
No Comments »

Taito [J] is coming out with “Space Invaders Infinity Gene LITE for Mobage,” an Android game app on DeNA’s [J] Mobage [J] platform.  They are also planning an iOS version for this Fall.

“Space Invaders Infinity Gene LITE for Mobage” is a free app which allows users to get a taste of the evolution of “Space Invaders Infinity Gene” which is distributed in the Japanese Android Market.  Any users who use Mobage on smart phone can play, and there is also an original stage exclusively for Mobage.  As you play “Space Invaders Infinity Gene” you see that the leveling up, the spaceship, the stages, the BGM, and the whole system of the game itself is an “evolutionary” shooting game.  This game is already available on feature phone and iOS devices, PlayStation3, Xbox 360, and is a popular title which has won many awards around the world.

(C)TAITO CORP.1978,2011

Translation Authorized by VSMedia

Tags: Japan by Chiho Komoriya
No Comments »

Japan's 2nd biggest convenience chain-store Lawson makes its image character girl 'Akiko-chan' transformed to Vocaloid, Yamaha's artificial voice synthesizer brand well-known by used for a popular virtual singer Hatsune Miku.

The official Lawson-channel [J] is made on Nico Nico Douga.

via ITMedia

See Also:

Asiajin » Japanese Virtual Diva Hatsune Miku First US Tour In July

Tags: Japan by Akky Akimoto
No Comments »

eBook Initiative Japan Co., Ltd., who runs Japanese online e-book mall eBookJapan [J], announced that their IPO at Tokyo Stock Exchange Mothers section has been approved [J]. The planned date is October 28.

eBookJapan started selling online book since year 2000, when the company was established. The site now boasts 50,000 e-books, 80% of which are online manga(comics).

Readers are offered for Windows, Macintosh, iPad/iPhone/iPod touch, Android and Windows Phone.

In Japan, there is an e-comic authoring tool vendor Celsys has already been listed on Tokyo Stock Exchange Second Section.

Tags: Japan, News by Akky Akimoto
No Comments »