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IZI Robotics' CUBO reads books to kids, teaches English
We're pretty sure the CUBO must come from a combination of the words "cute" and "robot" (or perhaps, cueball?) because this is just the most adorable little thing that we've ever seen. IZI Robotics has just demoed this brother of Netoy at the Next Generation Computing Show 2006 in Korea, and the staff of AVING was wowed by its myriad of abilities; CUBO can read books to kids, teach English, provide "home monitoring," update the news and weather, give a wake-up call, and even comes with something called "robot mail." We're not sure what that is, but we're hoping that it isn't the sinister communications channel that we've been fearing all robots have for when they take over the world with their collective cuteness.
Japanese hardware sales, 11 September - 17 September: English Sonnet edition
The DS Lite in Japan, a force highatop its mighty throne, which cannot fall,all others can do naught but look and sigh,their sales so impeded by strongest wall. For the Lite and the 'Two, arrows rise, yet the PSP sinks to the abyss,the downward red glare is blinding to eyes, so vastly clear that something's amiss. Wii will do well, if past numbers are true, the people are ready for a new sun to shine, and as Sony stumbles almost on cue,Nintendo steps up and gives us a sign. For the full story, simply check below, though these figures may prompt a languid "so?" - DS Lite: 134,885 21,045 (18.49%) - PS2: 34,189 14,307 (71.96%) - PSP: 26,995 2,146 (7.36%) - GBA SP: 2,330 226 (10.74%) - Game Boy Micro: 1,244 557 (30.93%) - Xbox 360: 928 166 (15.17%) - Gamecube: 630 66 (9.48%) - DS Phat: 478 580 (54.82%) - GBA: 27 14 (107.70%) - Xbox: 7 2 (40.00%) [Source: Media Create]
Translation the visual way: MEDIASEEK's Camera Dictionary
Word's just in that cameraphones have real-world applications (besides tracking down the miscreant who stole yours), and Japanese firm MEDIASEEK is looking to capitalize with its Camera Dictionary utility. The software scans English words you snap and provides their Japanese translations on the fly, while links allow the user to hop online for more detailed information -- pronunciations, examples, and the like. Probably not terribly useful for reading a novel in a language you don't understand, but for translating, say, an Engadget post, this could be just the ticket. From the press release it sounds like Camera Dictionary will be available on KDDI's au network, but if they ever get around to adding a Japanese-to-English version, you can bet we'll be pestering American carriers to get on board. [Warning: PDF link]
Moe girls try to teach you English [Update 1]
English is a difficult language to learn, which is why the Japanese love making games to help you in your quest to master the language. And as you know, there's no better way to teach someone than through scantilly clad girls, But if the girls of that other English school were a bit too... real for your tastes, worry not! You can have a moe (which means "cute girls") teach you in Moegaku. These chibi anime girls look even younger than the girls of Simple 2500. If you want video proof, you got it!(Fake comments totally ripped off of Joystiq.)[Via QJ][Update 1: The title is Moegaku. Considering how I can read hiragana, that was a stupid, stupid mistake. Also, movie embedded after the cut.] Reader Comments (Page 1) 1. Why don't you just blog about some REAL PSP NEWS. Or should this blog be called Perverted Japanese Porn... Fanboy. Posted at 4:22PM on Aug 26th 2006 by Maxwell 0 stars 2. I'd hit it! Posted at 5:46PM on Aug 26th 2006 by Player1 0 stars
Why fanboys make for poor marketers
There are plenty of signs that indicate when a letter has been thoughtlessly composed by a fanboy and the latest one to violate our inboxes boasts nearly all of them. Punctuation and grammar are horrifying and alien concepts, logic is tossed away like an explosive javelin and any semblance of coherence is dangerously teetering on the edge of a dark abyss. In other words, it usually elicits a few good laughs. We present to you the unedited letter we received from a fanboy urging us to purchase a PS3 (hint: it's a very powerful super computer). Sony PS3 is not a games console its actually a very powerful super computer because you can't have a games console which costs £425 people wouldn't buy it my PS3 magazine said that almost 50 percent of us say its better priced and some of us agreed that it was to expensive or cheap the main problem with PS3 is not the price at all its how many you are getting in the UK for last I heard they said there were going to be 4 million consoles shipped next year in March 2007 but you people have really got to respect Sony you can't say buy a 360 or Nintendo just because you can't afford the price on it its not Sony's fault and it isn't Kutaragi's either there is no point sitting on a sofa all day and night waiting for the PS3 to come out on launch day November 17th here is a list what you can do to wait for PS31. Enjoy what's on your PS2 collection at the moment2. Just don't buy anymore games for PS2 wait until the new PS3 comes out3. Get a Job earn money you need £425 so you can work hard for it but save it for PS3.4. Watch your DVDs more and enjoy your collection and get all the new releases on DVD complete all PS1 and PS2 games5. Don't waste money on 360 and Wii get a PS3 on launch day to get one you might have to pre - order it but you need to do that otherwise you won't get one you can get a good offer from GAME.
WTF fun in English
WTF, the darker, more sinister Wario Ware-ripoff, is heading to the states in September. The original called Baito Hell was fairly Japanese (read: crazy), but how does the English translation of the game fare? According to Gamespot, pretty well. Their description of the game sounds a bit too much like my life: "From chopping wood to performing contract killings to trying to get a girl's phone number, WTF ostensibly has it all..."Check out Gamespot for some new videos from the American version of the game.
Soft Skin English School Little Sexy Girl
It's late at night, so the more risque Fanboy stuff starts getting posted. This amazing video shows you footage from Soft Skin English School Little Sexy Girl, a program that teaches you English. Or tries to. By showing you near-naked girls. There's a hilarious mini-game, where you play rock paper scissors, and every time you win, the girl takes an article of clothing off. You won't see naughty bits, but this is absolutely not safe for work. So, the video is after the cut.*Picture completely unrelated. Well, it shows you yet another inappropriate English program for a portable device.
Monolingual
One of our readers recently wrote in and asked us how he could slim down his install of OS X. One simple way is to get rid of all those languages that you don't use which are installed by default with OS X (if you hit 'Customize' while installing OS X you can really cut down on the bloat by only installing the languages and print drivers that you will use).Monolingual is a freeware app that deletes all those other pesky languages from your Mac (just be careful not to delete the language you use because the only way to get them back is to reinstall OS X).I just ran it on my Macbook and it freed up 2.4 gigs of space, though it did take about 30 minutes to run.Update: Be careful to only remove the extraneous languages from your Mac using this program (as I did). Uncheck all the 'Architecture' options, otherwise you'll break Rosetta and blame me (and no one wants that).
Frame City Killer killed; RPG to replace it in lineup
If internet reports are to be believed, Frame City Killer has been cancelled, with an unnamed RPG replacing it in Bandai-Namco's roster of upcoming games.We knew that FCK (as it's affectionately known in the gaming community) was having some problems -- with multiple delays stemming from poor graphics and inadequate content -- but most 360 owners expected the game to come out one way or another sometime later this year.If you're a member of the Frame City Underground (the official fan community for the game), a pretty clear announcement in English has already been made. Check out the full text below. FCK ... we'll miss you.[Thanks, murph, Blue_Six, & a tipster who'd like to remain anonymous; via Evil Avatar & GameFront]See also: Original Japanese announcement page; Google auto-translation Frame City Killer missing until summer at the very least Namco responds to criticism, sends Frame City Killer back to the lab Frame City Underground official announcement (must log in for it)
DS gets wordplay, Japanese-English dictionary
Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten was released for the DS in Japan today, bringing an affordable electronic Japanese-English dictionary to the masses. KSRJ's major selling point is its stylus functionality, allowing users to input kanji (stroke-sensitive) and kana onto the touch screen. Japan Chronicles compared Nintendo's new toy tool to Canon's pricey ($299–$470) Wordtank V80 Chinese-Japanese-English dictionary, which also allows kanji inputs via a stylus. Here's what the site liked about KSRJ: Price* Same J-to-E and E-to-J dictionaries Word search by kanji English pronunciation Very readable, especially on a DS Lite Easy-to-use search history Useful quiz modes World clock Calendar Here's what Wordtank V80 does better: Vastly superior navigation Superior Japanese dictionary (Super Daijirin vs. Meiky%u014D) Includes Chinese dictionary, as well as dedicated English and Kanji dictionaries Stylus-controlled navigation Includes real (not virtual) keyboard *We're not sure what the official retail price for the dictionary software is, but we found KSRJ for as low as $48 at goldenshop.com.hk.
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children reports from Hollywood
For the Final Fantasy fans lucky enough to be near Hollywood yesterday night -- and in line for free tickets during the middle of a regular workday -- there was much rejoicing to be had as Advent Children celebrated its U.S. theatrical premiere in style.Siliconera has a write-up on the event with quotes from most of the American voice actors in attendance, who, along with the audience at hand, watched the film in English for the very first time. Lip synching may have been off due to the low-resolution print the actors had to work with, but even Rachel Leigh Cook -- pictured here with her character Tifa Lockheart -- declared herself a new fan of Final Fantasy after the show.Helpful Joystiq Contributor epobirs also had something to report from the screening yesterday, where he gives us an Ain't-It-Cool style rundown of the event. If you want the rest of his reflections on the requirements of the Academy in Oscar nominations, as well as what it takes to "assert your hetero nature ... after watching a movie packed with metrosexual men," simply continue reading below for more. Siliconera's report can be found by clicking on the image of Ms. Cook above or the Read link below. Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children will be out on DVD/UMD April 25th.[Thanks, epobirs; image of Tifa courtesy of Eyes on Final Fantasy]
Phil Harrison's media Q&A video from GDC
Can't get enough Phil Harrison in your life? Check out this video from the media Q&A following his GDC keynote for 20 minutes of Phil-y love (and maybe a few furtive glances from Kaz Hirai sitting in the background).We just love how Phil "swerve[d] a couple of the questions" regarding the hard drive and other hardware-related issues, but we also like how he managed to clarify those questions regarding "content offerings" that will be charged at a "premium," though he did say that there were "no plans to charge for [multiplayer gaming] at the moment."But, yeah, Mr. Harrison wasn't as combative in his answers as some media outlets portrayed him, which is another great step for platform executives who tend to make rather grandiose statements and fiery claims. If you want to see as well as hear the Phil handle all comers, this is one of your best chances yet. We'd love to hear it all clearly in English at E3, too.[Thanks, Fan; video courtesy of Jean-Baptiste Su of Citizen Valley]
