Category Archivejapan
Gizmodo on 28 Nov 2006
Japan’s Sharp W-Zero an iPod for Dirty Old Businessmen
Japanese tech magazine Nikkei Trendy just released their Top 30 Coolest Products List. DS Lite game Brain Age was at the top of the list, but rounding out number 5 was Sharp’s W-Zero3–like an ipod for dirty old businessmen.
To qualify, products had to be released between October 05 and September 06, so the Wii and the PS3 and all the other wonderful things that we’ve been talking about recently will have to wait til next year’s list. –Lisa Katayama
Top 5 Coolest Japanese Products 2006 [Tokyo Mango]
Gizmodo on 07 Nov 2006
Apple Not Happy With Japanese Sex Aid gPod
The makers of a sound-activated vibrating sex aid, a two-man company in Osaka, Japan, have managed to get Apple all riled up. The reason? They’ve named their gadget the gPod, after “the G-Spot and jii, the Japanese word for masturbation.” Stuck inside the cooter (the official medical term), the gPod connects to iPods, cellphones or music players, and apparently vibrates in sync to the audio.
Apple started fighting the Japanese company when the latter started applying for trademarks around the world, eventually sending a Japanese lawyer and repeated requests to stop using the gPod trademark. The company laughed off Apple’s requests and said they would fight if Apple ever decides to sue.
Apple Computer Inc., meanwhile, is, unlike gPod users, keeping tight-lipped about the case.
– Jason Chen
Buzz on handy gPod a poison apple for US giant [Mainichi - Thanks Walter!]
Gizmodo on 07 Nov 2006
Zabady Streams TV Around The House With Wi-Fi
Japan’s Twinbird is coming out with a gadget that wirelessly streams TV all throughout your humble abode. Called the Zabady (which is Yiddish, I believe, for “wild” or “crazy”), it’s comprised of a 7-inch screen that sports a 480×234-pixel resolution and a corresponding dock. A/V sources like TVs and DVD players are plugged into the dock, which then uses Wi-Fi to spit the image out to the 7-inch screen. Think of it like a Slingbox, but for short distance location shifting.
The inclusion of Wi-Fi may be impressive, but it’s all for naught if the screen is rubbish. – Nicholas Deleon
Product Page (in Japanese) [Twinbird via Akihabara News]
Gizmodo on 06 Nov 2006
PS3 Commercial Makes More Sense in Japanese
The last PS3 commercial we laid our eyes on gave us nightmares and scarred us for life thanks to a naked Chucky-style baby. This one (which was made for Japan’s launch) makes a lot more sense, despite it being in Japanese. It goes straight to the point (11/11) though we still think they need a new ad agency. – Louis Ramirez