Wireless Japan 2009, Mobile Innovations Are Out There

In order to cover one of this year’s remarkable mobile exhibitions in Tokyo, I’ve checked many IT news sources, but most of new products and new services introduced at the exhibition have been already featured on Asiajin. (Probably this is what we have to be proud of, because that means we keep covering the cutting-edge.)… Continue reading Wireless Japan 2009, Mobile Innovations Are Out There

Next-Generation Web Technologies And New Marketing Solutions Meet

On Thursday and Friday at a venue near Tokyo Station[J], IT news publisher and event organizer IDG Japan and Cymen, a Tokyo-based venture in search engine optimization(SEO) and web marketing for enterprise business, jointly held a conference combining three events on Internet cutting-edge technologies and its enabling web marketing solutions. Next Ad & Marketing 2009… Continue reading Next-Generation Web Technologies And New Marketing Solutions Meet

Google Joins Forces With Japanese Astro Labs To Create Virtual Moon

In commemorating the 40th anniversary of the first human landing to the moon, on Tuesday, Google introduced a 3D map showing you the entire surface of the moon, named “Moon in Google Earth”, which is available on version 5.0 or later of Google Earth. Besides moon surface photos supplied by NASA, Japanese astronomical laboratories such… Continue reading Google Joins Forces With Japanese Astro Labs To Create Virtual Moon

MCF Announces This Year’s Award-Winning Mobile Projects (2/2)

Continued from the previous post. ———- Excellent Award (Mobile Solution Category) Won by McDonalds Japan[J] and the JV, a McDonalds’ joint venture with NTT DoCoMo, with their customer relationship marketing project by using cellphone wallet and mobile apps. Every Friday they distribute virtual discount coupons for McDonald’s meals to participating members’ handsets, which is valid… Continue reading MCF Announces This Year’s Award-Winning Mobile Projects (2/2)

MCF Announces This Year’s Award-Winning Mobile Projects (1/2)

Last Friday, Mobile content forum (MCF)[J], a consortium of many Japanese mobile device developers and mobile app developers, announced this year’s award[J] winning projects, which were chosen from brand-new innovative projects that were released in the last twelve months. ———- Excellent Award (Mobile Content Category) Won by Weathernews, the world’s largest private meteorological company headquartered… Continue reading MCF Announces This Year’s Award-Winning Mobile Projects (1/2)

Mail Order Giant To Release Wardrobe iPhone App

Osaka-based catalog mail order giant Senshukai[J] is going to introduce an iPhone/iPod app allowing you to check up showcases filled with fashionable clothes.   It is now under Apple’s consideration for upcoming release and will be available at AppStore next week. Senshukai has an experimental website, which is called Bellmaison Lab[J], developing and demonstrating new services… Continue reading Mail Order Giant To Release Wardrobe iPhone App

Brain Controlled Wheelchair Demo-ed by Toyota and Riken

The BSI-TOYOTA Collaboration Center (BTCC), which was established in 2007 by RIKEN as a collaborative project with Toyota Motor Corporation , Toyota Central R&D Labs, Inc., and Genesis Research Institute, Inc. made a demonstration of their developing wheelchair which you can manoeuvre just by brain wave, i.e. thinking. The demonstrator showed when he imaged a… Continue reading Brain Controlled Wheelchair Demo-ed by Toyota and Riken

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

Report of RubyConf China 2009

May 21st, the father of Ruby, Yukihiro Matsumoto aka Matz, visited Shanghai to attend RubyConf China 2009, the first large Ruby conference in China. The conference was an astonishing success. 450 people attended the event. All talks except keynote were given in Chinese. Matz gave a keynote which reveals design concept and characteristics of the… Continue reading Report of RubyConf China 2009

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