KazuyaYokoyama Blog

SpeedMemo won an award at Mashup Awards 7 (#MA7)

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 00:33:14 -0800

"Mashup Awards 7 (#MA7)", which is well-known Japan's No.1 Web Hack Contest, held the award ceremony on December 12 in Japan.

And an exciting thing happened to me. SpeedMemo which I develop won an award! The details of the app and award is below.

SpeedMemo

http://www.speedmemo.net

It won "Catch.com Award".

Here is the introduction web page at the official MA7.

I'm very sorry about that I couldn't attend the ceremony in Japan, but I'm glad to join the great festival. The motivation I got must inspire me to move on.

If you have your iPhone, please try it! Thanks.

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SpeedMemo 3.0 released!

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 00:15:35 -0700

SpeedMemo 3.0 has been approved on Apple App Store! We just released it! Check it out!!!

Download this application on App Store now!

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MacBook Air (Late 2010)

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 11:54:00 -0800

Here is the exciting thing at the end of this year. I got new MacBook Air (Late 2010). I wondered which option I should select, 11/13 inches, CPU, RAM, storage and so on. Finally I selected full-spec model that has 13.3 inch display, 2.13GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB Memory, 256GB flash storage and US keyboard. It took over 9 hours to transfer all documents and settings from MacBook black to new one. As you know, MacBook Air doesn't have FireWire port, so I used WiFi to transfer data. New MacBook Air is not so powerful but has much faster flash storage. All applications launch very fast and restarting system is also fast. It's comfortable and wonderful machine.

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Sony Alpha NEX-5 with Carl Zeiss Lens

Sat, 07 Aug 2010 08:53:00 -0700

I'm pleased at getting NEX-5 finally. The reason why I got it in addition to DSLR-A900 is very clear. First, NEX-5 is extremely small and light as DSLR. And the flange focus is 18mm and it supports new E-Mount lenses. It's very important for many people who take pictures outside to get high mobility. When I bring A900 somewhere, I should think about camera bags and other baggage although I can take greater photos. Second, NEX-5 supports not only E-Mount lenses but also A-Mount lenses that I already have. The combination of small camera and great Carl Zeiss lens is perfect. It also looks wonderful. If you have some A-Mount lenses, you had better try it. Finally, I used to take photos with a digital still camera but I don't any more because iPhone replaces its position. I've never been satisfied with the quality of digital still camera. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. I think using NEX-5 with customer-changeable lenses must help me get better pictures as A900 does.

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Three iPhone Apps Have Been Updated

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 09:26:00 -0700

My three iPhone Apps have been updated. They are waiting for a review now. The biggest point of this update is supporting iOS 4 multitasking. You'll see them soon. If your application doesn't care for launching and terminating of it, you just compile and build it on newest SDK and it can support iOS 4. If your application needs to care for the lifecycle, you should add some source code for entering foreground and background. Especially you should pay attention to save some user data. Moreover you can add higher resolution icons, then your application supports Retina Display of iPhone 4. It must look more beautiful. If you're unwilling to support iOS 4, it's important for lots of users to optimize your applications for iOS 4, the current OS. Enjoy your development!

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Long Time No See

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 14:40:00 -0700

I've never written my blog for 3 months. What did I do? I was thinking about lots of things; iPhone apps, Android apps and web-based apps. I understand that it's very important for me to develop web-based apps that are open open sources. Of course developing iPhone apps such as SpeedMemo and Translator is also important in aspects of studying the architecture and making money. Developing web-based apps is challenging and exciting. I'm going to write my blog, that is "lab.kazuyayokoyama.com" in Japanese only, about what I'm doing and how I'm developing it. I'll show it to you soon. By the way my iPhone apps, SpeedMemo and Translator, will be updated for iOS 4 soon.

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"SpeedMemo" iPhone App : Taking Notes Faster Than Ever Before

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 15:06:49 -0700

My second iPhone App "SpeedMemo" has been released on App Store. You're able to download this app here. Have you ever forgotten important ideas or to-do list? “SpeedMemo” is application specialized in taking the memo fast. You can take memo as soon as it starts up. After you save memo, you can e-mail memo, tweet it to Twitter and save it on Evernote. It supports the latest technology of Evernote. You know, Evernote launched "Emailing Into Evernote Just Got Better « Evernote Blogcast". It' very easy to save everything on Evernote. Please try this new app and review it if you like.

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iPhone App "Translator" Has Been Released

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:57:17 -0800

My first iPhone App "Translator - in your hands" and "Translator Lite - in your hands" have been released on App Store. They are very simple applications. You're able to translate lots of languages from your native language with these apps. "Translator Lite" is free, and helps you to translate quickly. It supports Google Translation Service and Microsoft(Bing) Translation Service, and you can select them as you wish. If you are foreign language learner, it must help you. Please try it. "Translator" is paid application. It has bookmark, Twitter and mail supports. You can bookmark the result of translation if you think the result is good. Twitter support makes you to tweet the result directly. It's very easy operation. If you have many chances to mail with foreigners, it must be great time saver for you. The back-end of these iPhone apps use Google App Engine with Python. Google App Engine is one of the best platform as a service in my opinion. It's easy to control the scalability of apps even though it's difficult to move apps on it into other platforms like LAMP. I need to learn it more.

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A Happy New Year 2010

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 01:50:00 -0800

A happy new year 2010!!! This blog began last year and I've posted some entries into it. It's not tough for me to write blog in English but it's really tough to think my opinion in English. When I write blog, I think what to write in Japanese at first and then write it in English with translating from Japanese to English in my brain so far. It takes longer time than blogging in Japanese. I'm going to change this situation. I'll complete 'just thinking in English and writing in English'. I'll write my blog a few entries a month this year. More entries I write in my blog, more experience I have. And I got a new communication tool, Twitter last year. I've tweeted over 2,500 tweets and gotton over 300 followers for a year. Thanks to my followers for supporting me. So my output tool in English is both Twitter and blog. I won't be afraid my mistakes and will publish my opinion aggressively this year.

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A Christmas Carol: An IMAX 3D Experience

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 09:51:00 -0800

I had a spare time today. So I went to theater and saw "A Christmas Carol: An IMAX 3D Experience" with my wife. Its story was so-so but its experience was wonderful. Guess what? We can see it as 3D movie at least in Japan. We were wearing 3D glasses through the 90-minute show. I've seen 3D animation movie before, blue and red glasses was needed. 3D experience already exists around us; movies, cameras and TVs. Many 3D movies and DVDs will be released according to releasing 3D-TV next year. I'm looking forward to how our life will be changed !

A Christmas Carol (2009) - IMDb

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Providing Ideas with iPhone and Moleskine

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:47:00 -0800

I've got Moleskine that is one of the most famous memo pads. It has squared grid and is small size. Frankly speaking, I didn't like a memo pad and a schedule book because I used them for just a few months from new year day. Especially, I've never paid attention to them at all since I bought iPhone. However, I've noticed that all my ideas are based on only texts or photos because of using iPhone and Evernote. At least my ideas exist in my brain with having form, figure and graphic; so I needed to transform from figure into text purposely. I may waste my limited time. For those reason, I think I have to output my ideas as naked as nature intended. Having a pen and writing with my hand is the best way to provide ideas in my opinion. Let's get started with Moleskine.

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Google Chrome for Mac OS X

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:16:00 -0700

Google Chrome for Mac has been released. It seems to have full functions, is just an official developer preview. Anyway, It's good news for lots of Mac OS X users including me. We can download it from Google Chrome for Mac. You have to check it out if you're a Mac user. My review of Google Chrome for Mac; It has very simple UI, good-looking and is working as lightly as Safari. Firefox is more powerful than Google Chrome if you live on a web browser all the day; where is mouse gesture? where is Greasemonkey? There is no strong reason that we should choose Google Chrome for Mac with quitting Safari or Firefox in my opinion. I'm looking forward, though, to its influence to web browser market share on Mac OS X.

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How Many Platforms Does Apple have?

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:40:00 -0700

iPhone has over 20,000 apps so far and many people including not geeks use it all over the world. What does it mean for Apple? Apple has got lots of platforms to drive themselves and develop their products. The platform of product is very important for many companies. It makes money though it costs much to build it. Especially contents platforms such as music, movies and games are very strong. Once you release a product on the platform, you just focus on producing impressive contents for users. Of course you need to update your products as well as contents increase. Apple have got at least five platforms so far : music, movies, games, applications and computing. And they have connected with each other efficiently. You'll notice that the connection works on just one application; iTunes. We can sync all of our contents through iTunes with operating very easily. It's not too much to say that iTunes is Apple's platform. They are going to realize everything on the platform. What will they do next? We'll see.

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Travel in Hokkaido : 3rd day

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 02:05:00 -0700

The final day in Hokkaido : We went to Asahiyama Zoo where is one of the best zoos in Japan. It took about 2 hours from Otaru to Asahikawa through Sapporo using highway. We were driving smoothly to Asahikawa but before about 2 kilometers from the zoo there was a traffic jam for entering parking place.

We can have lots of fun even though we go there many times. They make effort to have new facilities and events every year. But it was very crowded, we were waiting for entering Penguin House for 30 mins. Anyway, it's very difficult to take pictures at zoo; I wanna new telephoto lens. I don't know it was to be nice to my parents. But they smiled and seemed to really enjoy this travel. I wanna go anywhere with them again.

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Travel in Hokkaido : 2nd day

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:53:00 -0700

We had so-called "free plan" that travel agency make reservations of hotels and flight tickets. So we could go anywhere by car. The 2nd day : We decided to go to Kamui Cape where is the west from Otaru. It took 1.5 hours from Otaru along the shoreline. On the way to Kamui Cape we had heavy rain but it changed to sunny when we arrived there.

Frankly speaking I didn't expect the view of Kamui Cape but it was beautiful place. We could see deep blue, the horizon and the mountain with cloud. After that we went back to Otaru seeing Mt. Yotei and had lunch at Niseko View Plaza. It was sunny but chilly and we felt the wind was cold.

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Travel in Hokkaido : 1st day

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:38:00 -0700

Actually I've never traveled with my parents as all-expense-paid trip before. My parents, wife and I went to Hokkaido where is the north part of Japan to be nice to my parents. The first day: we went to Sapporo from Shin-Chitose Airport. We had all-you-can-eat of mutton barbecue and crabs at Sapporo Kirin Beer Park. My mother says that lamb meat smells bad for her but she ate them very much. They were very delicious. My father was drinking beer without paying attention to driving car because I was driver all the day. That was all for being a good son and I was glad they were pleased with this travel.

After lunch we went from Sapporo to Otaru where is a beautiful place to see, eat and walk. It took about 1 hour by car. Then we checked in Grand Park Otaru that was called Hilton Otaru. If you search the hotel on the web, you should try to type both hotel names.

Otaru has a wonderful canal "Otaru Canal". Hotels around the canal are convenient to do sightseeing but the rooms are small and like business hotel sometimes. On the other hand, Grand Park Otaru is a little far from the canal but the rooms are big and clean. We stayed at ocean-view rooms fortunately. You should ask the clerks about ocean-view rooms even though you have the opposite side room as your reservation.

We can go to the central of Otaru from the hotel by bus or taxi. It costs about 800 yen ($9) by taxi. If you spend your time to do sightseeing, eat something delicious and drink beer or Japanese Sake, taxi is the best way to move in my opinion. In Otaru there are a few parking space for visitors. We bought lots of Kitaichi Glass Art, saw Otaru Canal and had dinner at old Otaru warehouse at the night.

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Change of Government and Generation

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 15:21:00 -0700

I'm not really interested in politics but talk about it. This general election in Japan shows lots of experienced old councilors lose their chairs. This is not only because of distrusts for Liberal Democratic Party but also because of expectations for young councilors of Democrat Party. I think that change of generation in Japanese politics is more important than change of government. The elected people should overcome challenging problems and achieve a certain result. That must be the base of the future for Japan.

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My Blog is Back with Twitter

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 01:43:00 -0700

I started my Japanse blog(bluetune) in 2003 when I was a collage student. I've been blogging but recently it's likely to be stopped and restarted. There is a vicious circle that something new like Twitter occurs to me and my blog update is stopped. I 'live in' Twitter the past year and the pace of blogging is getting down. I've never felt like updating my blog because I've done everything on Twitter instead. If you're interested in me, you can follow on Twitter : Kazuya Yokoyama (kazz_yokoyama) on Twitter Twitter is usually expressed as "Micro Blogging" and it's easy to say. I think Twitter is a real-time tool not micro blog of character limits. Tweets on Twitter get feedback on blogs and blogs as well. The circulation that Twiter and Blogs are connected with each other will make many people happy. I'm thinking about how to use Twitter and blogs after this.

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Got iPhone 3GS x 2

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 15:22:00 -0700

We made a reservation of new iPhone 3GSs last week, and then we got them. The black one is mine and the white one is my wife's. I'm deeply concerned with DoCoMo that is a carrier we've had connection for over 9 years. Mobile Number Potability in Japan is very easy to use for us. We needed just 1 hour for the processing of getting iPhones. If you want to know the goodness of iPhone, you may visit the other blogs. I write the bad points of it for ordinary people like my wife below.

When we reply with IMAP mail, we have no choice except the quotation.
We can't configure the e-mail sounds in detail.
It's hard to understand whether i.softbank or SMS/MMS we have to use.
We can't check received e-mail writing new e-mail.

In my opinion, they are not really matter without using it everyday. I'm looking forward to how my life will be changed with iPhone 3GS.

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Google Wave

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:40:00 -0700

I understand what is Google Wave since Google announced it at Google I/O. After all, Google wants to become Microsoft in web browser world, doesn't it ? There is no doubt that a lot of software engineers get excited about it, but I don't think every people want it. It can be "The Innovator's Dilemma" in my opinion. Many people don't really want to sort everything out with only web browser. Google has holded all the power and control of software but it's most important to suggest an impressive hardware gadget with it.

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