I realize it's been an awfully long time since I've posted anything o­n TechJapan, so my sincere apologies go to all of our avid readers who have been waiting (apparently there are 501 people still subscribed, says FeedBurner). I guess most of the audience has already moved o­n.

Basically, I came to Japan in January 2008 and have been working since. I don't think I really have time to manage the site, at least in its prior format, while working. That's not to mention that I haven't really been using the internet much, or even paying a whole lot of attention to consumer electronics news.

So needless to say, my priorities have shifted significantly. I launched this site during my freshman year of college, back when I had heaps of free time. If I get free time now I usually drink, (try to) play golf, or go somewhere I've never been before. Translating a news article about yet another DVD player with MP3 capabilities isn't so high o­n my list these days.

But that isn't to say we'll never be back again. There's a reason I still pay the $120 a year to keep this site here. What's the reason? Well, o­ne day I'd like to start a company of my own, so perhaps this is my final hideout of entrepreneurial spirit. Oh, PSP-Vault, that spin-off site I started, I sold for a decent sum of money that remains in my bank account today (putting it in the market didn't seem like a great idea at the time).

Therefore I'll just throw this out here in case anyone is listening -- what would YOU like to see TechJapan become? Stick with news? Add more business-y analysis? More columns/features rather than straight-up translation? Now that I'm actually in Japan it's theoretically easier for me to be where the action is, so to speak. A shop? I can walk to Akihabara in about 10 minutes from my apartment, in fact it's closer than my office.

Of course even those options all assume we stick to our Japan technology focus. Just because the URL is "www.techjapan.com" doesn't mean we have to talk about that. Maybe I can turn this into a blog where I instead talk about whisky made with ice from Antarctica, girls at car shows, and similar gaijin subjects?

Unfortunately the comments module o­n this site seems to have broken, and I'm definitely too lazy to fix it. So if you have a response, please just send it to zmcnulty@techjapan.com. Thanks!

Oh, and since a few people have asked...www.techjapan.com is not for sale.

Not a whole lot to say about the MusicMug from Idea International that you can't guess from the pictures. Or the name, for that matter.

It's a ceramic mug with an integrated (passive) speaker on the bottom. Plug the cable into your iPod or other portable audio device, put it in the cup, and you've got a portable audio system fit for even the most spartan of living environments. As for why the mug doesn't have a handle, Idea International's Chief Designer, Masato Tokuno, stated in the below interview with ITmedia that he didn't want people mistaking the MusicMug for a coffee mug, pouring coffee all over their music player. Likewise, he didn't want people to have to worry about where to grab the MusicMug when transporting it. Retails for 3,990 yen.



Inspired by:
http://plusd.itmedia.co.jp/lifestyle/articles/0609/25/news059.html

Idea International:
http://www.idea-in.com/

Access is ready to release the "NetFront LocationFree Player for PocketPC" later this month.

You may be familiar with Sony's LocationFree product, since we've covered it a couple times here at TechJapan. If you're not familiar, LocationFree is a product that allows you to transmit your TV programs to a client over the internet. Hook the LocationFree box up to your cable and your wireless internet, then use your LocationFree client to access the box. The result is realtime TV anywhere you have a wireless internet connection.

LocationFree has a number of clients available: PC, Mac, the LocationFree LCD, and Sony's PSP. It looks like you can add PocketPC devices to that list.

By the end of this month, Access will release a PocketPC client for LocationFree. The client will be going for 2,079 yen on Vector and other online software stores. You'll need Microsoft Pocket PC 2003 or Windows Mobile 2003 or above.



Inspired by:
http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/docs/20060915/access.htm

Press Release:
http://www.access.co.jp/press/060915_02.html

Version 4.0.2080 of Google Earth is out, and it adds several new capabilities. The primary new capability is official support for Japanese navigation -- some areas were previously supported, but this new version offers official support. Likewise, several new Japan-centric features have been added, such as vastly improved maps for Japan, including 3D display capabilities for Tokyo, Osaka, other major cities, and even 3D display capabilities for people's houses. Apparently the ability to display 3D houses is not available for other countries yet. Hit up this page to download it.

Sanrio Corporation announced they'd be releasing the the "Hello Kitty Apple Shaped LCD Color TV" via their online shop on September 27th. It's going for 84,000 yen.

The TV is a 9.6" LCD with resolution of 800 x 600. The apple opens to reveal the screen and two 3W speakers. It has an integrated analog tuner, and AV input.



Inspired by:
http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/docs/20060904/sanrio.htm

Press Release:
http://www.sanrio.co.jp/bus_info/news/h18/180904.html

A Japanese company called "Astala Vista" has officially announced their "Astala Vista" DVD rental vending machines. The machines will be placed in 10 stations in the Tokyo Metro on the 25th, and the company plans to have machines in as many as 150 private railyway stations before the end of the year. More details inside.

If you're for some reason obsessed with pyramids, you'll be pleased to know that "The PC-Factory" has released their pyramid-shaped ATX PC case called the "LUXOR." Retailing for 52,800 yen, the LUXOR doesn't include a power supply. It consists of two pieces: the top part tht houses a 5" drive bay and the power switch, and the bottom part housing the mobo and power source. In total, there are two 5" drive bays, one 3.5" drive bay, and two 3.5" shadow bays. There are two 8cm fans: one on the side and one on the bottom.



Inspired by:
http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/akiba/hotline/20060826/etc_pyramid.html

The PC-Factory Homepage:
http://www.thepc-factory.com/

Willcom will be launching "Willcom ADSL Service Type 2" o­n the 24th, which allows those without landline phone contracts to use ADSL services. In December of 2005 the company introduced "ADSL Service Type 1," bringing ADSL access at home, AIR-EDGE wireless access while away, and fixed landline service to a single bill.

ADSL Service Type 2 will be available in two different packages: "ADSL50M Mega Course" for 4,773 yen per month, offering a download speed of 50.5Mbps and upload speed of 12.2Mbps, and "ADSL3M Course" for 3,873 yen per month, offering a download speed of 3Mbps and upload of 1Mbps. There's a sign-up fee of 5,145 yen, but sign up before September 30th and the fee will be waived if your service starts by November 30th.

Inspired by:
http://plusd.itmedia.co.jp/mobile/articles/0608/22/news030.html

Press Release:
http://www.willcom-inc.com/ja/corporate/press/2006/08/22/index.html

We'll start our day with an announcement from Synaptics, an American company that manufactures touchpads used in notebook PCs. In collaboration with Germany's PilotFish, they've developed a buttonless mobile phone called the "Onyx." It takes advantage of Synaptic's "ClearPad" capacitance touchscreen technology.

Traditionally, transparent touchscreens have been clear membranes placed over standard LCDs, requiring the user to use something like a stylus to register input o­n them. ClearPad however is similar to the touchpad of your laptop computer, meaning it can recognize complicated gestures and such drawn with just a finger.

This approach opens a number of new avenues for mobile phones -- ITmedia gives examples of drawing an "X" o­n the screen to close an application, sending messages by dragging them outside the window, and answering a phone call just by touching the phone.

Since Synaptics is an American company, they have an English press release and product site already available. The ITmedia article is here.

NHC's new device in the "Magic Talkers" line is a portable media player for those who want to try their luck at English conversation. Readers of this article however may be more interested in the device's other functions, such as playback of DivX and XviD files.