A Tokyo-based Internet ad solution company, Fringe81 [JP], revealed their new ad optimization software called Iogous [JP].

Iogous is a specialized tool for optimizing display ad creative. Iogous enables to try numerous combinations of designs, colors, and texts with statistical method.

Fringe81 says that the tool achieves few hundreds percent improvement of click-through-rate. It means they can give more than doubled revenue for display ad publishers.

Iogous is already adopted by 20 publishers and 26 advertisers. Many publishers and agencies endorsed the tool. It suggests that a quick reception of the tool.

There is a similar tool called Snapads in the market. That tool was already TechCrunched.

Tags: Japan, Software, Technology by Shunichi Arai
2 Comments »

Shinjuku-based web app developer Axsh Co.,Ltd.[J] introduced an open source software called Wakame-vdc(virtual data center) which allows you to develop a public cloud service of your own, by enhancing Wakame-fuel that has been originally developed for making it easier to configure server instances and network setting on Amazon EC2.   You may download it and use it for free for non-commercial use.

The company developed it with aiming at automating miscellaneous procedures at data center facilities, and it is expected to be adopted by three to four data center companies in a year.

Author’s note: Axsh (or Akushu) means shaking hands with someone in Japanese.   Wakame stands for a kind of seaweed.

See Also:

• Wakame Project Page at Ruby Forge
• Introduction to Wakame [J]

Tags: Company, Japan, News, Software by Masaru IKEDA
No Comments »

Japanese mobile system/application developer KLab Inc. [J] announced that they had developed a clone of Kindle Developer’s Kit (KDK) and Kindle Emulator.

The official KDK has been available for limited beta developers since February. Klab release said that they could not wait approval so that they built the emulator from Amazon’s specification documents.

Currently, not all Java interfaces are supported, but two main classes which are needed to realize key input and screen rendering are implemented.

As testbeds, two popular games – Tetris and Load Runner – are made on it. Tetris’s source code is also provided.

Here is a movie how NES emulator is running on the KDK clone.

With the KDK clone, you may develop Kindle application before you can access official KDK. Although KLab does not mention it, Kindle applications may be able to run on this emulator (in your Java SE 6 on PC).

See Also:

KLab’s news release [J]

Tags: Japan, Software by Akky Akimoto
6 Comments »

Konami Digital Entertainment released virtual dating simulation game Love Plus[J] for the iPhone/iPod touch on Monday.   There is a series of  three apps corresponding to three heroines starring in the game, which are Love Plus iM (Aika Takamine), Love Plus iR (Rinko Kobayakawa) and Love Plus iN (Nene Anegasaki).

Left: An composite picture demo using augmented reality of Love Plus.   Right: A Collage picture of Steve Jobs who presents the iPad on which Love Plus runs. (source: Yomige 4[J])

Beside playing the game, it allows you to get a shot of you and the heroine as a couple by the iPhone-embedded camera.   Now you can feel as if she were just next to you – but only in the picture unfortunately.

Some GPS-enabled virtual conversation features are expected to be added in the future app updates.

The following video is taken by iPodStyle[J] at Konami’s demonstration party held Monday at Sofmap Mac Collection Akiba[J].

Available only at Japanese AppStore.

See Also:

• New Dating Game Robs Boys Of Loves In Girlfriends

Tags: Japan, Software by Masaru IKEDA
4 Comments »

Yahoo Japan released 16 free iPhone Apps simultaneously at Japanese iTunes Store. By locating each app on the screen correctly, like solving a number slider puzzle, you can depict a face of the most famous character in Japan, Doraemon.

Each app icon is designed to be a part of the face of this character. Usually, iPhone app icons have a unique gradation effect  common to all, but icons of those apps don’t have such kind of effect on them.

These apps were released as a part of the campaign to promote the animation movie of Doraemon. Apps are comprised by 11 comic book  apps, a battery level checker app, mini-game apps and etc.

Currently, 16 apps are all ranked in the top 20 free apps in Japanese iTunes App store.

Tags: Japan, Joke, Software by Hiroumi Mitani
1 Comment »