Computer-Synthesized Vocal Album Tops The Japanese Chart First In History

Probably first in the world history? Oricon(Japanese Billboard)’s [J] CD album chart in 5th week of May 2010 reported that the week’s No.1 was “EXIT TUNES PRESENTS Vocalogenesis feat. Hatsune Miku” [J, Amazon Japan], which is a compilation album by Vocaloids, a series brand for several voice synthesis software packages based on Yamaha’s technology published… Continue reading Computer-Synthesized Vocal Album Tops The Japanese Chart First In History

A Japanese Heavy Twitter User Pausing A Day Thought As Missing By Followers, Retweeted Frantically

Japan is increasing Twitter addicts everyday. Percentage of Japanese tweets is now about 20% and chasing USA’s 27% (by TweetSentiments). On May 30th, a Japanese girl cosplayer(= costume player, person whose hobby is wearing fictional characters costume) Jekyll Yui [J], who had been sending 50-250 tweets everyday on her Twitter account @_01 [J], stopped tweeting… Continue reading A Japanese Heavy Twitter User Pausing A Day Thought As Missing By Followers, Retweeted Frantically

Rakuten Announced Its Chinese Brand Name

Japanese e-shopping mall colossus Rakuten, who are cooperating with China No.1 Search Engine Baidu to open joint e-mall in Chinese web, disclosed their Chinese name [J]. The three Chinese letters, pronounced the same “Rakuten” are consist of original “Rakuten” in Japanese two letters and a new letter at the middle of original two. The first… Continue reading Rakuten Announced Its Chinese Brand Name

Twitter Mobile Version Now Limits 140 “Bytes” Not “letters”

Twitter API seems down and many Twitter client authors are trying to say it is not their bugs but Twitter’s glitch. Twitter official URL shortener experiment may be the cause of this trouble. At the same time, mobile.twitter.com seems to accept maximum 140 bytes, which had been 140 letters. It is the same for English… Continue reading Twitter Mobile Version Now Limits 140 “Bytes” Not “letters”

Yahoo! Japan Search Now Provides In-TV-Program Products Info

Yahoo! Japan Search Team Blog [J] announced that their search results page by TV program names show products, services and point of interests (shops, restaurants, etc.) at the top. Here is an example which I searched on Y!J by keyword “ladies 4″(in Japanese, of course), an afternoon program featuring lifestyle info on TV Tokyo. At… Continue reading Yahoo! Japan Search Now Provides In-TV-Program Products Info

Japanese mobile gaming startup GREE to open US and China offices within a year

Japan’s social networks seem to be hitting a ceiling growth-wise, and apparently they increasingly feel the need to go abroad in order to grow. “Japan’s Facebook” Mixi, which now counts 20 million members, is operating “Mixiu” in China. DeNA, the company behind mobile gaming platform Mobage-town (19.4 million members), has always been more aggressive in… Continue reading Japanese mobile gaming startup GREE to open US and China offices within a year

E/J Bulingual Digital Manga “Darling ha Gaikokujin” Goes On US iPad

Japan’s 3 million best selling comic essay “Darling ha Gaikokujin”(My Darling Is A Foreigner), which also became a movie this spring, depicting international relationship and marriage between Japanese girl and American guy, was digitized and published as one of the first Japan originated iPad manga application both on US and Japanese app store. Original Japanese… Continue reading E/J Bulingual Digital Manga “Darling ha Gaikokujin” Goes On US iPad

No iBookstore On iPad In Japan? We Have iBook!

An Apple-fan Osakan blogger Dark Kyokucho(Chief) [J] found a good way to realize rebirth of the old beautiful clamshell macintosh iBook… iPad-and-keyboard frame. At first he discovered [J] that the iBook screen space fits iPad well. Then he managed to put Apple Keyboard. Lastly, to connect iPad and keyboard by iPad Camera Connection Kit within… Continue reading No iBookstore On iPad In Japan? We Have iBook!

9 iPhones Make Family Matrix Video In Tokyo Park

Tokyo based video bloggers gathered at Yoyogi Park, one of the largest parks in Tokyo, with their iPhone 3GS and made a family movie with bullet time effect as seen on the movie Matrix. 9 iPhone users: AqbiRec, Yoshiki Kondoh, Yukina, Jet Daisuke, Ken3tv, Hapii, Asakawazu, Shingo Soejima and Motomocomo Assistant: Koji Sasagawa, Azusa and… Continue reading 9 iPhones Make Family Matrix Video In Tokyo Park