Translation Tool: New Option Between Human Profession And Computer’s Imperfectness

Today, in Japan, it seems that there is a boom in launching a new business category called “Social Translation”. Last week a Tokyo-based tech start-up Anydoor[J] launched a web-based new translation service, which is named Conyac, allowing participating members to do translation work. Japanese translation industry has annually USD2B worth of its market volume. Basically,… Continue reading Translation Tool: New Option Between Human Profession And Computer’s Imperfectness

ex-Livedoor CEO Takafumi Horie Begins Twitter and Got 2,500 Followers in 5 Hours

Takafumi Horie, aka Horiemon, who founded livedoor, one of the Japanese major web companies, who was arrested by securities fraud in 2006, began twitter and quickly getting thousands of followers in hours today. His first post [J] was “I started twitter. I’m thinking what to eat for lunch”. Later he reported he had eaten squid… Continue reading ex-Livedoor CEO Takafumi Horie Begins Twitter and Got 2,500 Followers in 5 Hours

Sony Makes Mashup Screensaver for Blue-Ray Recorder Promotion

As a part of their blue-ray disc recorder promotion, Sony gives away Windows/Mac screen saver on their site. After pressing “download” button, you have to scroll down the terms of use to the end to make the second download buttons enabled. Association with the recorder having an ability to find programmes by user-registered keywords and… Continue reading Sony Makes Mashup Screensaver for Blue-Ray Recorder Promotion

IVP Launches New Fund Raised By Web2.0 Celebrities In Japan & China

On Wednesday, Infinity Venture LLP[J] announced it would launch a new fund targeting investment on mobile start-ups in Japan and Mainland China. The Fundraisers for this are founders and presidents from tech-startups including DeNA (Mobile SNS) , Mixi[J] (SNS), Opt (web advertising agency) and P&A (investment firm founded by Rakuten‘s former CTO), who have made… Continue reading IVP Launches New Fund Raised By Web2.0 Celebrities In Japan & China

Japan’s Leading Publisher Fails To Monetize Its Main Portal

Reportedly Japan’s leading publisher Kodansha seems to have stopped updating its portal site on June 1st. The portal site, named “Moura[J]” (meaning “covering the entire world”), was launched in 2005, following the web edition of the publisher’s popular weekly magazine “Gendai[J]“.   Almost 50 web editorial staffs were notified to dismiss the  team so lately as… Continue reading Japan’s Leading Publisher Fails To Monetize Its Main Portal

Two Twitter Business Card Generators

From Japan, where business cards (Meishi) are salarymen‘s alter ego and represents an important part of tao of business, two twitter related business card services are accidentally released in two consecutive days. The first one, Meishitter by @feiq makes a miniature-sized of your twitter home in name card style. Released on 31th of May. The… Continue reading Two Twitter Business Card Generators

One Month Long Closing Of Alumni SNS Incites Anxiety About Personal Data Leak Of 3.5M Users

A Nagasaki headquartered SNS focusing on connecting classmates that you used to be together with has been closed since early May, which incites its 3.5 million users about possible personal data leak and forces them to lose ways to keep in touch one another. The SNS is “Kono Yubi Tomare[J]” also known as “Yubitoma”, named… Continue reading One Month Long Closing Of Alumni SNS Incites Anxiety About Personal Data Leak Of 3.5M Users

Japanese Manga/Anime: Simulcast and Same Day Release On Two Sides Of The Pacific

This coming Sunday, Toei Animation, Shueisha[J] and Fuji-TV will start broadcast the popular Japanese TV animation series “One Piece” on the Internet for North American audience, in association with U.S. based largest Internet animation distributor, FUNimation Entertaiment (inaccessible from Japan). Every episode will be available just one hour after its original broadcast in Japan. (c)Copyright… Continue reading Japanese Manga/Anime: Simulcast and Same Day Release On Two Sides Of The Pacific

Is It For Monitoring Your Performance, Or Preventing You From Adult Disease?

NTT DoCoMo announced today it would launch a new service providing corporate users with health advisory for preventing their employees from adult disease. If a corporate user applies for the service, NTT DoCoMo will start collecting vital data from pedometer-enabled cellphone handsets owned by the company’s employees, they can be advised by health nurses and… Continue reading Is It For Monitoring Your Performance, Or Preventing You From Adult Disease?

Earn Points In Mobile Game, Plant Trees In Chinese Desert

On Wednesday, Two Tokyo-based mobile tech start-ups Ceres[J] and Orso[J] jointly launched a forest growing mobile game called “Morippy”.   In the game a user can virtually grow a forest by getting along with three characters representing animal, plant and fungi on behalf of all ecosystem factors. You can earn reward points on the game in… Continue reading Earn Points In Mobile Game, Plant Trees In Chinese Desert