Yay, more product knock-offs! This time around, we see the "i-Pocket," which is clearly a phony version of the iPod mini. But instead of having a hard drive, it has...drum roll please...a memory card slot.

Now why didn't Apple think of this?

My latest employment is for Weblogs Inc., where I'm the editor of Engadget Japanese. It just launched today.

Engadget Japanese is, as its name implies, the Japanese version of Engadget. I haven't really been presented with a whole lot of problems translating from Japanese to English for TechJapan here or Gizmodo (back when I was with them), but as you can imagine, translating into Japanese is a whole different story.

Thankfully Japanese people seem to understand the cryptic nature of their language and have been, for the most part, forgiving.

My employment with Engadget Japanese will in no way have any adverse effect on my coverage here at TechJapan. In fact, I only agreed to work there if they let me continue TechJapan. So no worries about Non-Compete Contracts or anything similar.

Uniqlo is sort of like the Old Navy of Japan, minus the ultra-annoying commercials o­n TV. They feature clothing that is cheap and suitable to be worn in most casual situations.

The company is introducing an iPod shuffle case called "color wear for iPod shuffle." Details inside.

If you've ever wanted to use your phone while in the tub but was afraid to because of the water, you're in for a treat. Ishizaki Materials has a new waterproof soft case so that you can use your phone anywhere around water, including the bathtub.

One of Japan's largest ISPs, the Softbank Group, is expanding the coverage of their IP-based video-delivery service, BBTV, to all of Japan's 47 prefectures from July 1. The price of the service is pretty reasonable (approx $20-30/month) but I'd want to check out the video quality before committing to the service.

Targus Japan has a new mouse coming out that glows in 7 different colors, which I hadn't seen announced over here in the States. Probably for good reason, too...

Yodobashi Camera, a major Japanese electronics retail chain, has announced a new point card that features "FeliCa" contactless IC technology.

Now that NTT DoCoMo, JR East Japan, JR West Japan, ANA, and several other major organizations have announced FeliCa-related products and/or services, I'm beginning to wonder exactly how long it will be before we see it here in America.

More details o­n the new card inside.

Here's a nice o­ne from Scythe. The "FOLDABLE MOUSE" reminds me of something that should have come out in the 80s, but I guess some inventions just take their time. As indicated, the mouse does indeed "fold."

Sanwa Supply has a new USB gamepad coming out that looks strikingly similar to the NES gamepad. I guess people who use emulators a lot would be interested in something like this. I'm pretty sure some modder has already rigged up a NES > USB bridge of some sort, but at least this product is cheap (only $13 or so).

The "Prototype Robot Exhibition" is currently going o­n at that 2005 World Expo in Aichi, Japan. PC Watch has some absolutely maniacal coverage of the entire event, including over 70MB of video content. Be sure to take a look if you're even remotely interested in robotics, as Japan is the capital for that sort of thing.