Digital World Tokyo | WTF?

Spreadable electronics mean OLED TVs may power themselves

Thu, 15 May 2008 01:04:00 GMT

Not satisfied with a future vision that already includes flexible screens and wafer-thin phones, a pair of Japanese companies has pushed the envelope to come up with far-fetched gadgets that do all of the above without ever going near a power socket. The key to the work by Mitsubishi Chemical and Sumitomo Chemical lies in so-called spreadable electronics - liquids containing molecules of the type used in OLED screens. Engineers like Tokitaro Hoshijima at Mitsubishi Chemical see the possibility of using spreadable electronics to create both ultra-thin displays and solar panels at the same time [subscription link]. Because solar cells and OLEDs work on similar, but opposite, principles, it is possible to make materials that both take light and turn it into electricity and also do the opposite to provide a controllable display. Hoshijima and many others are working on a molecular soup that can be spread anywhere and then dried to leave a residue layer that is only 100nm thick. This currently forms the basis for their proposed solar cell. He explains: "What I want to create is a world that does not need power sockets." He goes on to describe how his paste applied to the back of a phone could be enough to charge the device when exposed to light. By the same token, researchers at Sumitomo Chemical have created a similar organic solution that can be sprayed onto a surface to create an OLED screen. Such a display could be on a rollable piece of plastic or even applied directly to a wall. The solar-charging properties described above mean it would never need to be plugged in. Blue-sky projects like these typically take years to bear fruit, but both companies are looking at getting usable prototype devices ready within the next two years. (Crossposted to TechRadar)

Paranoid simpletons welcome all-seeing car nav system

Tue, 13 May 2008 22:48:00 GMT

Come the end of next month, one of the last refuges of escape from the digital onslaught of the modern world will be cruelly ripped from us, when Panasonic's new, fully connected car navigation system goes on sale. The two new Strada F-Class models (confusingly called CN-HX1000D and CN-HW1000D) come with the usual array of gadgets - GPS (of course), DVD and MP3 playback, hard drive, 1-seg mobile digital TV tuner, iPod link and a 7inch Viera screen, but it's the Bluetooth link that tips the balance. Drivers with a Bluetooth mobile phone can order the sat-nav to dial home to check on what's happening there. Panasonic calls this the "From Home to Car�? concept, adding breathlessly that it "effectively turns a car into a second living room.�? With a prod of the screen, the Strada can operate domestic appliances, such as lighting and air conditioners, or can tune into webcams around the house (security check, looking in on the dog?). It can even sent instructions to a home video recorder to get started on taping that rerun of Idol. The new Strada models, which differ only in dashboard configuration, are clearly impressive pieces of kit, but do we really need to be 'always on' to such an extent? Oh, the price? Each Strada will cost ¥355,000 ($3,500) when it goes on sale in June, with a release outside Japan highly unlikely. (Crossposted to TechRadar)

BSG says What the Frack? to Japanese bicycle

Tue, 13 May 2008 14:53:01 GMT

Battlestar Galactica fans on a budget might get a kick out of this Japanese Mama Chari (or 'Mom's bike') named for their favorite pseudo swearword. The ¥49,000 ($450) bicycle comes with a sturdy child seat in front of the handlebars, three gears and that all-important oedipal epithet right there on the frame for the world to see. Swooshing Cylon noises and peew-peew laser effects are your own concern.

BSG says What the Frack? to Japanese bicycle

Tue, 13 May 2008 14:53:00 GMT

Mobile barcodes now speak to us – quite literally…

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 01:14:00 GMT

Like many Far-Eastern technologies, Japan's QR Code gets attention in the West more for being exotic than for any real benefit it brings, so we fully expect the latest all-singing version of the 2D barcode to follow suit. A consortium of three companies has decided to improve on the usual URL-carrying QR Codes by tweaking the data in each black and white square to contain a brief snatch of audio and a simple image. The Voice QR, as it's called, simply needs to be scanned with the camera on a mobile phone for it to give up its hidden treasure without the need to connect to a website. That might be a squeaky voice saying "Hello," "Well done on getting into college," or "Thanks for your hard work." At least that's what the examples we saw are capable of. Quite why anyone would need any of this cumbersome technology to deliver a facile automated message - it's limited to two seconds - is beyond us, but the grinning ninnies on the product website seem to be ecstatic beyond measure. The consortium sees Voice QR Codes delivering multi-media jingles from posters, books and product packaging. For that to happen, it will have to persuade mobile phone makers to install software that understands the new kind of QR code - currently, only seven handsets are capable of doing so. Yeah, and we know it sounds like a dumbass April Fool gag, but check out the site for yourself - sho' nuff seems real. (Crossposted to TechRadar)

Mobile barcodes now speak to us – quite literally…

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 09:14:01 GMT

Like many Far-Eastern technologies, Japan's QR Code gets attention in the West more for being exotic than for any real benefit it brings, so we fully expect the latest all-singing version of the 2D barcode to follow suit. A consortium of three companies has decided to improve on the usual URL-carrying QR Codes by tweaking the data in each black and white square to contain a brief snatch of audio and a simple image. The Voice QR, as it's called, simply needs to be scanned with the camera on a mobile phone for it to give up its hidden treasure without the need to connect to a website. That might be a squeaky voice saying "Hello,�? "Well done on getting into college,�? or "Thanks for your hard work.�? At least that's what the examples we saw are capable of. Quite why anyone would need any of this cumbersome technology to deliver a facile automated message - it's limited to two seconds - is beyond us, but the grinning ninnies on the product website seem to be ecstatic beyond measure. The consortium sees Voice QR Codes delivering multi-media jingles from posters, books and product packaging. For that to happen, it will have to persuade mobile phone makers to install software that understands the new kind of QR code - currently, only seven handsets are capable of doing so. Yeah, and we know it sounds like a dumbass April Fool gag, but check out the site for yourself - sho' nuff seems real. (Crossposted to TechRadar)

Mobile barcodes now speak to us – quite literally…

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 09:14:00 GMT

Geeky Google (Maps) goodness in Tokyo Bay

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 15:30:01 GMT

So, there we were on a jetfoil in Tokyo Bay the other day, cruising back from a DWT jaunt to Kozu-shima when we spotted this rather attractive monolith in the ocean just to the southeast of Haneda airport. Naturally, being inveterate trivia hounds and as no-one on the ship seemed to have a clue, we hit up Google Maps to find out what it was — perhaps an alien artifact? A floating sushi restaurant? Well, it seems the truth was a whole lot more prosaic, but nonetheless interesting. After spotting the mystery object on the satellite view (here), we switched to the map (here) to discover a humble ventilation shaft outlet from the underlying Tokyo Bay Aquatunnel that links the airport and Kanagawa Prefecture with Chiba Prefecture, thereby cutting out central Tokyo's clogged arteries. Apparently, the entire project, including the bridge that dives into the ocean to meet the tunnel, took 30 years to complete. Interesting. More info here for the die-hard tunnel fans.

Geeky Google (Maps) goodness in Tokyo Bay

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 15:30:00 GMT

Electric TV scaffold helps gamers Wii standing up

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 00:52:00 GMT

If you're in Japan, a Wii fan and have ¥69,800 ($675) to spare, you might want to bung it towards the chuckle brothers who run Thanko, that great purveyor of all things ridiculous. The Tokyo firm has branched out somewhat from USB-powered neckties and facemasks to bring us the wonderfully named 'Electric Up and Down Big TV Stand' - essentially a platform the raises your flat-screen pride and joy to standing eye level. If you're having a Wii while sitting down, then a normally elevated TV is probably fine, but should you need to stand up, then there's a remote control for pumping the screen vertically upwards by up to 130cm. Thanko has even built in a wired controller too, although that makes the gantry look a bit like a hospital bed. Moreover, the stand is no shirker and is able to hold TVs with screens between 40 and 60 inches of up to 50kg in weight. Although looking slightly down when playing Wii tennis or golf is hardly a major problem, we like the cut of Thanko's jib and have to give credit for doing something no sane retailer would dare attempt. (Crossposted to TechRadar)

Electric TV scaffold helps gamers Wii standing up

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 07:52:00 GMT

Crazy or crazy smart? Toshiba boss bets house on standard DVD

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 02:01:00 GMT

Anyone familiar with the conservative nature of big Japanese business will tell you that Toshiba's decision to drop HD DVD like a hot brick was almost unseemly in its haste, even though the firm had little choice. Instead of slowly running down production and sales, Toshiba CEO Atsutoshi Nishida went straight for the jugular last month and put the whimpering format out of its misery, but what's next for the hard-man boss after such a high-profile failure? Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Nishida explained that Toshiba will switch focus to standard DVD players and even suggested that Blu-ray will struggle. He said: "What people don't realize is that Hollywood studios are going to release new titles not just for Blu-ray but for standard DVDs as well, and there are a far greater number of current-generation DVD players out there." That's all very well, but isn't the fact that DVD machines are as cheap as chips a bit of a problem? Apparently not: "If you watch standard DVDs on our players, the images are of very high quality because they include an upconverting feature. And we're going to improve this even more, so that consumers won't be able to tell the difference from HD DVD images." While Nishida clearly has nerves of steel, it's hard to see many people who want to watch high-quality video not actually buying a high-definition machine. It just doesn't make sense. Although he's clearly banking on a price difference in favor of his players, it won't be long before Blu-ray decks hit the price sweet-spot that made DVD a must-buy product a few years ago. (Crossposted to TechRadar)

Crazy or crazy smart? Toshiba boss bets house on standard DVD

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:01:00 GMT

Anyone familiar with the conservative nature of big Japanese business will tell you that Toshiba's decision to drop HD DVD like a hot brick was almost unseemly in its haste, even though the firm had little choice. Instead of slowly running down production and sales, Toshiba CEO Atsutoshi Nishida went straight for the jugular last month and put the whimpering format out of its misery, but what's next for the hard-man boss after such a high-profile failure? Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Nishida explained that Toshiba will switch focus to standard DVD players and even suggested that Blu-ray will struggle. He said: "What people don't realize is that Hollywood studios are going to release new titles not just for Blu-ray but for standard DVDs as well, and there are a far greater number of current-generation DVD players out there.�? That's all very well, but isn't the fact that DVD machines are as cheap as chips a bit of a problem? Apparently not: "If you watch standard DVDs on our players, the images are of very high quality because they include an upconverting feature. And we're going to improve this even more, so that consumers won't be able to tell the difference from HD DVD images.�? While Nishida clearly has nerves of steel, it's hard to see many people who want to watch high-quality video not actually buying a high-definition machine. It just doesn't make sense. Although he's clearly banking on a price difference in favor of his players, it won't be long before Blu-ray decks hit the price sweet-spot that made DVD a must-buy product a few years ago. (Crossposted to TechRadar)

Cholera, ‘flu and many more diseases tackled by eating rice

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 23:17:00 GMT

A seemingly bizarre experiment in genetically engineering plants has come up with a strain of rice that could make vaccination injections a thing of the past. Researchers working at the University of Tokyo's Institute of Medical Science are working with experts in the fields of drugs, agrobiology and genetics to change the makeup of rice to include cholera proteins. When the rice is fed to laboratory mice, it causes them to develop antibodies to cholera in the same way a standard vaccination would work. The implications - if the team can increase the load to a level suitable for humans - are that important drugs could be delivered easily in rice that can be cooked and eaten, instead of having to be transported carefully and distributed like traditional medicines. Other diseases are also being tackled, as are other foodstuffs. So far, these include influenza vaccines in rice and anti-cancer interferon drugs carried by strawberries. (Crossposted to TechRadar)

Cholera, ‘flu and many more diseases tackled by eating rice

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 06:17:00 GMT

Panasonic Blu-ray boss says HD DVD death was suicide

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:34:01 GMT

One of the marketing bigwigs behind Blu-ray has gone public with an astonishing claim that Toshiba has only itself to blame for the flop that was HD DVD. Masayuki Kozuka, a planner for Panasonic's storage devices, believes it was not technical standards or studio support that handed the format war to Blu-ray, but Toshiba's decision to offer sale prices on HD DVD hardware for a limited period last November. Speaking to Nikkei Publications, Kozuka said: "I guess what sealed Toshiba's fate was its $99 pricing on Black Friday [in the US]. That pricing must have discouraged every manufacturer from entering the HD DVD player market." Explaining the bizarre claim, he added: "I believe Chinese manufacturers' entry to the US market was [the] HD DVD supporters' last hope. Given the market price at $99, however, it became impossible for any other manufacturer but Toshiba to enter the market." He didn't stop there with the strangeness - moving on to look at the predicted rise in movie downloads, Kozuka said: "Movie companies earn income by showing movies at theaters first and then by selling them as home video packages including Blu-ray Disc titles. Only after gaining the majority of their sales through these two business channels do they offer their content to video-on-demand, pay-per-view and TV broadcast services." In other words, legitimate film downloads will come only after rights holders milk every other distribution channel dry. So, when might we get legal content from the studios then? Not anytime soon, according to the Panasonic man: "Our associates in the home video department don't see any reality in the business of 'downloading an entire movie'. I'm not sure - about seven or eight years from now, though." All we can say is to ask Mr Kozuka if he's ever heard of BitTorrent or The Pirate Bay - if he had he might come across as a little bit more credible and less of a suit. (Crossposted to TechRadar)

Panasonic Blu-ray boss says HD DVD death was suicide

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 07:34:01 GMT

One of the marketing bigwigs behind Blu-ray has gone public with an astonishing claim that Toshiba has only itself to blame for the flop that was HD DVD. Masayuki Kozuka, a planner for Panasonic's storage devices, believes it was not technical standards or studio support that handed the format war to Blu-ray, but Toshiba's decision to offer sale prices on HD DVD hardware for a limited period last November. Speaking to Nikkei Publications, Kozuka said: "I guess what sealed Toshiba's fate was its $99 pricing on Black Friday [in the US]. That pricing must have discouraged every manufacturer from entering the HD DVD player market.�? Explaining the bizarre claim, he added: "I believe Chinese manufacturers' entry to the US market was [the] HD DVD supporters' last hope. Given the market price at $99, however, it became impossible for any other manufacturer but Toshiba to enter the market.�? He didn't stop there with the strangeness - moving on to look at the predicted rise in movie downloads, Kozuka said: "Movie companies earn income by showing movies at theaters first and then by selling them as home video packages including Blu-ray Disc titles. Only after gaining the majority of their sales through these two business channels do they offer their content to video-on-demand, pay-per-view and TV broadcast services.�? In other words, legitimate film downloads will come only after rights holders milk every other distribution channel dry. So, when might we get legal content from the studios then? Not anytime soon, according to the Panasonic man: "Our associates in the home video department don't see any reality in the business of 'downloading an entire movie'. I'm not sure - about seven or eight years from now, though.�? All we can say is to ask Mr Kozuka if he's ever heard of BitTorrent or The Pirate Bay - if he had he might come across as a little bit more credible and less of a suit. (Crossposted to TechRadar)

Biotech nose filters keep delicate nostrils oh-so clean

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 01:44:00 GMT

The impending hay fever season here is kinda uncomfortable in a 'contents of your sinuses pouring out of your nose' way, so it's a joy to report that the geniuses at Bio International Japan have come up with a high-tech way to keep all that runny junk up there where it belongs. The, er, Nose Mask Pit, is basically two pieces of gauze on a rubber plug for each nostril that you shove up your hooter. A discrete plastic cord runs between the two halves and apparently it's almost invisible. Unless you look, that is. Anyway, keeping out pollen and the various pollutants that make modern life so rubbish is clearly a good idea, so I'd be happy to pay the ¥1,480 ($14) each pack of eight costs. Oh, and there are four sizes, ranging from a Hello Kitty 8mm diameter to a Manilow-esque 13mm. Just try not to sneeze. (Bio International, Via Kaden Watch)

Honest / insane retailer swaps old HD DVD for new Blu-ray gear

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 01:07:00 GMT

Amid the rush to wring the last few pennies out of HD DVD's rancid and yellowing corpse, at least one retailer has had the decency to front up and look after its unfortunate customers. Edion, the owner of several chains of electronics shops there has taken the unusual step of extending the hand of sympathy to anyone who bought an HD DVD player or recorder from it and is offering to exchange the useless machines for new Blu-ray devices [Japanese, PDF]. Throughout March, customers can return any of seven Toshiba HD DVD decks and swap them for a BD unit from Sony, Panasonic or Sharp. If the latter is more expensive, customers need to make up the balance, but if it's cheaper they'll actually get a refund of the difference. Edion's press release was refreshingly forthright about the HD DVD situation, giving as a reason for the exchange program the fact that "[HD DVD] customers can no longer use their purchases properly." Extending the largesse even further, the company also promised to keep selling HD DVD movies and blank disks to anyone who needs them. Now that's the kind of customer service we could do with in the West. (Crossposted to TechRadar)

Biotech nose filters keep delicate nostrils oh-so clean

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 08:44:00 GMT

Honest / insane retailer swaps old HD DVD for new Blu-ray gear

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 08:07:00 GMT

Amid the rush to wring the last few pennies out of HD DVD's rancid and yellowing corpse, at least one retailer has had the decency to front up and look after its unfortunate customers. Edion, the owner of several chains of electronics shops there has taken the unusual step of extending the hand of sympathy to anyone who bought an HD DVD player or recorder from it and is offering to exchange the useless machines for new Blu-ray devices [Japanese, PDF]. Throughout March, customers can return any of seven Toshiba HD DVD decks and swap them for a BD unit from Sony, Panasonic or Sharp. If the latter is more expensive, customers need to make up the balance, but if it's cheaper they'll actually get a refund of the difference. Edion's press release was refreshingly forthright about the HD DVD situation, giving as a reason for the exchange program the fact that "[HD DVD] customers can no longer use their purchases properly.�? Extending the largesse even further, the company also promised to keep selling HD DVD movies and blank disks to anyone who needs them. Now that's the kind of customer service we could do with in the West. (Crossposted to TechRadar)

Japanese PC makers say crappy MacBook Air design drives cost up

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 23:31:02 GMT

Whatever your feelings on the MacBook Air - underpowered fancy Dan or a gorgeous lust bauble - it's an undeniably superb feat of engineering. Or is it? A team of Japanese engineers has other ideas. Working with Nikkei Publications on a MacBook Air teardown, a crack team of engineers from unnamed Japanese PC makers came to the conclusion that Mr Jobs' finest has a "perfect, sophisticated external appearance, but its insides are full of waste." Staggeringly, the assembled nerds discovered that the Air has been built with so much redundancy it has ended up far more expensive than it needs to be. They found, for example, a wasteful 30 screws used just to secure the keyboard and unnecessarily complex hinges. Even better for Apple's would-be competitors in the ultra-light space, all "found the structure hard to comprehend." One was so shocked at the waste inside the machine, he said, "If I proposed such a design, our company would never approve it." Another added: "I can't find anything that is technically superior. We can make the same computer at a lower cost." As for why the MacBook Air should be so oddly designed, the group speculated that Apple simply handed the blueprints to the Taiwanese manufacturer, Hon Hai Precision Industry, and asked it to make the computer exactly according to spec. Typically, manufacturing plants provide on-the-job feedback about new hardware and refine the design as they go - something Apple likely didn't do, according to the report. If the Japanese experts are to be believed, it seems Apple has plenty of wriggle room should it want to either improve the MacBook Air or - more likely - make a far cheaper second model sometime next year. (Crossposted to TechRadar)

Japanese PC makers say crappy MacBook Air design drives cost up

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 23:31:01 GMT

Japanese PC makers say crappy MacBook Air design drives cost up

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 23:31:00 GMT

Brethalyzer phone keeps watchful eye on Japan’s truck drivers

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:55:00 GMT

Big tech companies like NTT DoCoMo come up with dozens of unusual applications for their gear every year, but most tend to end up consigned to glossy brochures that describe some anodyne 'perfect' future. One bizzaro contraption that is apparently out in the wild is Big D's FOMA-based Videophone Alcohol Check System [scroll down to the bottom]. As the above photo shows, it's in use on at least one truck round these parts. I've no idea how accurate or indeed how useful something like this is, but here's what DoCoMo says about it: The Videophone Alcohol Check System service enables bus and delivery companies to easily monitor drivers in the field at any time. Drivers blow into a breathalyzer connected to a handset and the alcohol concentration is transmitted to a computer at the head office. Inebriated drivers cannot have someone else take the test for them, because the person's identity is confirmed via the videophone's camera as they take the test. Not to spoil their fun or anything, but isn't it all a bit Orwellian?