May 2011 Japan IT Links (Part 1)

Early part of May news which we did not write as a dedicated article. Continued to (Part 2) Because of the Golden Week holiday, there were very few releases on Japanese web. Referred pages are all in Japanese, unless otherwise stated. Toyota Features Hatsune Miku For North America Promotion Nikkei Trendy’s Twitter/Facebook Usage Chart After… Continue reading May 2011 Japan IT Links (Part 1)

Twitter Support Admits The-Same-IP-Address-To-Follow Feature Shortly Tested

photo © 2006 d. FUKA | more info (via: Wylio) A Japanese blogger nanomomonga inquired Twitter privacy support on the issue that some Japanese found to be recommended undesirable acquaintances, who should not link their real lives and secret Twitter activities, on Twitter at home and office, possibly identified by using the same global IP… Continue reading Twitter Support Admits The-Same-IP-Address-To-Follow Feature Shortly Tested

Asahi Shimbun Follows To Nikkei, Digital Subscription Starts Today

Asahi Shimbun, one of the largest newspapers in Japan and the world, is to start “Asahi Shimbun Digital” at 3 p.m. today, May 18th 2011, which is seen on its teaser page [J] (thanks @kansai_takako). The teaser page does not tell much, but I think the “digital” means paid-subscription of online version, like Nikkei has… Continue reading Asahi Shimbun Follows To Nikkei, Digital Subscription Starts Today

Twitter Finds Recommended Users From The Same IP Address? Rumor Frightening Japanese Users

Some Japanese Twitter users started complaining on May 14th that Twitter recommends their family, colleagues and their own secret sub-accounts to them on “Who to follow” field on the sidebar. (examples picked up on a Togetter page [J]) They wrote that they hide their Twitter existence from their family and colleagues, or never told anyone… Continue reading Twitter Finds Recommended Users From The Same IP Address? Rumor Frightening Japanese Users

Cloud Girl – Microsoft Windows Azure Manga Promotion

Microsoft Japan is teasing its online comic series “Cloud Girl”, which promotes Windows Azure cloud service. The first episode of this “Cloud Girl” with subtitle “Mado to Kumo to Aoi-sora”(windows, clouds and azure sky) is said to be released late this May 2011, on a prologue. The heroine, Claudia Madobe (@Claudia_Azure “madobe” means window-side in… Continue reading Cloud Girl – Microsoft Windows Azure Manga Promotion

Code Boxing With Kinect And Tython, Muscle Programming Language

A Japanese blogger id:gongoZ [J] released “Muscle Programming Language/Framework: Tython” on May 14. This Tython, released as an open source project, with Kinect enables you to program by body movements. In short, you can program by boxing in front of Kinect. See a video demo here, id:gongoZ could code to put out “Hello, World” only… Continue reading Code Boxing With Kinect And Tython, Muscle Programming Language

Feel-on: Twitter Comicalization Client On Web/iPhone

Feel on! is a Twitter client service by a Japanese startup L is B. This client analyze your Twitter timeline with its Social Emotion Engine(SEE), and show each tweet with emotionally matched comic character and color. Feel on! web browser version was released on today May 13th. iPhone version (English and Japanese) was released already… Continue reading Feel-on: Twitter Comicalization Client On Web/iPhone

Rakuten Switches Portal Search Backend To Google

Rakuten, Japan’s huge online mall, announced on 10th that they are to use Google search on their portal Infoseek Rakuten. Infoseek Rakuten has been using Yahoo! Japan search backend, and requested Japan Fair Trade Commission to investigate if Yahoo! Japan-Google search alliance is antitrust. Naver, Korean-originated search engine running Japanese search site, announced [J] on… Continue reading Rakuten Switches Portal Search Backend To Google