Japan

Blood-type phone charm could score you a date

A bloody odd cell phone accessory--a strap that displays your blood type for all to see--is apparently quite popular in Japan. But lest you think it was invented to aid victims in the event of a medical emergency, it more commonly serves as a sort of relationship road map in a country that views ABO blood type as indicative of personality and romantic compatibility. You know, "You're an A, I'm a B, wanna go out tonight?"

Dating services in Japan use blood type to make matches, employers use it to evaluate job candidates, and morning TV … Read more

For trainspotting, try the Yamanote Line Watch

It takes a true Japanophile or fashion dork to love this watch and wear it. Made by Japan's Seahope, this timepiece screams "tourist souvenir" and "geek alert," and not in a very flattering way, either. However, if you've ever been on the Yamanote Line during rush hour and can't get enough of the sights, sounds, and body crush at Tokyo's busiest underground rail, the Yamanote Line Watch offers four choices. These replicate the electronic bulletin boards at Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Ebisu, and Shinagawa stations.

Note the key word "replicate." That reads … Read more

Unicycle-riding girlbot hits the road

Bicycle-riding robot Murata Boy has a cute new cousin--and she's so one-upping him by getting around on a unicycle.

Murata Girl, aka Seiko-chan, can ride forward and backward at 2 inches per second--or idle in place. Tiny sensors tell the bot when it's about to bump into something, and gyroscopes on her back, plus a spinning disc embedded in her stomach, help her stay balanced.

Murata Electronics, an electrical components maker based in Japan, uses Murata Boy to promote science education and advertise its brand. It describes Murata Girl as "active but shy" (she occasionally blushes) … Read more

iPhone gets no love in Japan

Citing a myriad reasons from marketing and usability to the lack of features common in Japanese phones, the WSJ is reporting that the iPhone is a bit of dud in Japan.

According to market-research firm MM Research Institute, Apple sold about 200,000 phones in Japan in the first two months. Since then, however, demand has been falling steadily, and analysts now widely believe sales are unlikely to reach a total of 500,000 units. That is half the one million units that they previously thought Apple could sell. One big challenge is that Japanese users already have access to … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 808: Apple, give us our Podcaster!

In today's show, Rafe joins us for a discussion of useless video blobs, the implications of, uh, Internet "shopping," the NPD numbers that read Tom's mind, and the U.S. Senate's "enormous gift" to Big Content (per Ars Technica). Also, we rouse the Buzz Militia from their stupor to launch an attack on Apple's arbitrary and annoying App Store approval process. Save Podcaster!

Listen now: Download today's podcast

EPISODE 808

Committee amends, approves 'enormous gift' to Big Content http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080911-committee-amends-approves-enormous-gift-to-big-content.html http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10039745-38.html… Read more

Noda Nagi, artist who showed cute to be weird, dies at 35

Japanese artist Noda Nagi, known for her ecstatically odd aerobics videos and her charming hybrid stuffed animals known as Hanpanda, died Sunday according to reports.

I had just been thinking of her work, having recently unearthed my Hanpanda (right) and placed it at a key watchful position in my new home. She had a great ability to hijack the "cute" aesthetic that characterizes much Japanese popular artwork and turn it more bizarre while maintaining some charm.

Though I only had the chance to meet her once when I served as a mysterious (and unidentifiable) extra for one of … Read more

Windows XP remains dominant in Japan

Vista launched in Japan just over 19 months ago. Coincidentally, I was in Tokyo at the time and wrote about the launch on my old blog where I noted a serious advertising blitz (along with every electronic store breaking the release date by a full week.)

Nearly two years later, Vista has 24 percent of the market. Since we don't know what the expectations were, it's hard to know if this is good or bad. I suspect it's not great based on the survey data that shows 90 percent of those surveyed said they came to use … Read more

Microsoft and 12 others invest in Japanese TV

Microsoft and Japanese phone company NTT are joining 11 other companies in taking a stake in Japan's first 24-hour-English language broadcasting service.

The new TV channel will be majority-owned by Japan Broadcasting or NHK, which will issue new shares through private placements with the 13 investors to launch the new TV service. NHK will own a 60 percent in the new TV service and the 13 investors will have stakes of less than 5 percent each. News of the new channel, which is the first of its kind in Japan, was first reported by the Japanese financial newspaper Nikkei … Read more

The 404 176: Where we play with Duck Hunt all day long

Our surprise guest today is Bristol Palin, daughter of would-be VP Sarah Palin! We regrettably rescind our drooling over yesterday's picture of the Governess--it's fake! Today's show is chock full of Google goodness, atom smashing, motherfrakkers, and a tried and true geekout on the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie! Special bonus: Senor Space Beer returns to The 404!

And now for a subject near and dear to my heart. After releasing a positively craptastic CGI effort, the folks over at Playmate Toys unofficially announced that the sequel will be a back-to-basics live-action movie! To me, this … Read more