Another Sekai Camera? KDDI’s Lab Unveils AR Cellphone App

Japan’s second largest telecommunication company, KDDI introduced today an “augmented reality” cellphone app[J] allowing transillumination of the objects you shoot with a camera embedded on the phone. This new app is now available at the experimental lab menu[J] of the company’s website. With a GPS feature and a built-in 6-axis force sensor, the app will… Continue reading Another Sekai Camera? KDDI’s Lab Unveils AR Cellphone App

Does Skimming At Bookstores Make You Feel Restless? Try It Near Utility Poles

Livedoor Wireless[J], an outdoor WiFi service provided by a dot-com company which is known for its founder being accused of fraud, teamed up with the tech company Wayz Japan[J] running a website which aggregates the content of magazine back-issues, and now any passerby-es are allowed to read the back number contents near a number of… Continue reading Does Skimming At Bookstores Make You Feel Restless? Try It Near Utility Poles

Democratic Party Opens Social Network For Tokyo Citizens

Japan’ opposition Democratic Party (DPJ) Tokyo branch has launched a new website “Tokyo Life”. Tokyo Life has two main sub-sites. One is “Tokyopedia” which is a wiki about topics around Tokyo metropolitan assembly and local administrative information. The tool used for the Wiki part is MediaWiki. It is said that the wiki editors are young… Continue reading Democratic Party Opens Social Network For Tokyo Citizens

Check Up Supermarket Prices At Station With Your Mobile

People say two key reasons why they subscribe to daily newspaper are for checking up TV program’s time table and free standing inserts provided by local supermarkets. The inserts are very important items especially for housewives who have to manage the family budgets. On Friday, it became possible for them to check up the latest… Continue reading Check Up Supermarket Prices At Station With Your Mobile

Banner? Banana? No Banner-na! AD services to seek designs from users.

Drecom[J], a company developing blogs and web2.0 services, has released an AD service to seek design of web banners for mobile sites from public users, named as “Atsumete Banner-na[J]“(meaning collect Banner-na). A banana-shaped character is used as a mascot for the service. Advertisers post themes for banners, then public users create banners and register them… Continue reading Banner? Banana? No Banner-na! AD services to seek designs from users.

McDonald’s And Nintendo Team Up To Call In More Minors

McDonald’s Japan[J] teamed up with Nintendo, and today it launches a new service allowing Nintendo DS users to download Pokemon avatars, evaluation copies of game software and discount coupon for the humburger meals for free via WiFi access points installed at 3,200 McDonalds shops in Japan, which is 85% of the entire fast food chain.… Continue reading McDonald’s And Nintendo Team Up To Call In More Minors

Original Comic Distribution To Be Launched For World’s iPhone-rs

In July, Hot Source[J], a Tokyo-based start-up company, will start online comic distrubution service specifically designed for iPhone/iPod devices, in association with Sakura Cube[J] operating an Internet comic sale site.   Unlike similar services that other iPhone/iPod app-based content publishers provide by scanning paper-printed comics, Hot Source’s new series are originally developed to be seen on… Continue reading Original Comic Distribution To Be Launched For World’s iPhone-rs

Manga Mode: DoCoMo brings e-manga to European cell phones

Japan’s biggest cell phone carrier NTT DoCoMo and major publisher Shueisha have teamed up and plan to launch an e-manga delivery service for cell phones in Europe. Dubbed Manga Mode and launched yesterday, the service already lets manga enthusiasts in France choose between about ten different titles. Certainly the manga with the biggest potential is… Continue reading Manga Mode: DoCoMo brings e-manga to European cell phones

Honda Launches Ranking Site To Encourage Owners To Compete In Fuel-Efficiency

Today, Honda Motor launched a page, titled “Eco Grand Prix”[J], on its corporate website, which shows realtime ranking in fuel-efficiency of the company’s brand new hybrid vehicle “Insight” being driven nationwide in Japan. A fuel-efficiency optimization system installed on each of the vehicles will automatically transmit data to Honda’s information analysis center, and it ranks… Continue reading Honda Launches Ranking Site To Encourage Owners To Compete In Fuel-Efficiency

Dial Phone Number To Get To Website

NTT Mediacross (NTT-MC)[J], an NTT group company specifically focusing on providing TV broadcasters with several solutions to make their programs more interactive with program viewers, introduced a new service enabling to navigate the viewers easily to a website that a broadcaster would like to present in synchronization with program broadcast.   The service is scheduled… Continue reading Dial Phone Number To Get To Website