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Sharp Pantone 5 ICS phone has 8 color choices, 3.7-inch screen -- oh, and a radiation detector
Color us shocked and jealous at the new Android 4.0 phone from Sharp -- strange and wonderful even by Japan's highly elevated standards. The eight colors of the 3.7-inch Pantone branded phone from carrier Softbank are nice for sure, but the ability to sense between .005 and 9.99 μSv/h of radiation is in a new category altogether. Though Sharp has hedged a bit by describing the detector as "non-compliant" with Japan standards at this point, the possibilities seem endless for such a feature -- the ability to constantly report your location and radiation level to Facebook comes to mind, for instance. It will be offered -- in Japan only, we presume -- with a 4-megapixel rear camera, eight Pantone colors, 0.3-megapixel front camera, 854 x 480 resolution, and will be dust-proof and waterproof. The price hasn't been discussed yet, but we can't imagine too much quibbling whatever it is, for a phone that could keep you gamma-ray safe. Update: We have an image after the break showing how Sharp reduced the radiation circuits into a tiny package needed for the Pantone 5. The phone even has a dedicated button for the feature.
Panasonic preps samples of next-gen ReRAM devices, NAND preps for early retirement
The Galaxy S III may rock an impressive battery life, but if Panasonic has its way, even greater benchmarks could be on the horizon. The company is ready to start making samples of a new ReRAM microcontroller, and -- like Sharp and Elpida -- it could start mass production as soon as next year. Here's a little refresher: ReRAM is a new kind of memory with re-write speeds far superior to NAND because it doesn't need power to hold onto information. Panny's chip will initially be used in simple devices like fire alarms, but the tech could eventually find its way into our TVs and even smartphones and tablets. But seriously, are we even capable of living in a NAND-free world?
KDDI reveals its Summer 2012 collection: Android smartphones are still hot
It's that time of the season again, as Japan's mobile carriers unveil more alternate-universe models that we'll probably never see elsewhere. Leading the pack is the final version of Fujitsu's long-time-coming quad-core Android phone, arriving as the Arrows Z ISW13F. With NVIDIA's Tegra 3, WiMAX connectivity, 16GB of built-in storage and a 4.6-inch 1280 x 720 display, Fujitsu's somehow jammed it all into less than 11mm of smartphone. The 13-megapixel camera includes an Exmor R sensor, while a microSD slot can add up to 32GB of space. The AQUOS Serie is another belle of KDDI's spring ball, with a 4.6-inch 1280 x 720 display, 1-seg TV tuner and a 12-megapixel camera on the back. It's also the first phone to pack both NFC and Felica mobile payment hardware into the same device, mobile wallet fans. The collection is also joined by the HTC J and the final retail version of Kyocera and KDDI's "Smart Sonic Receiver" in the Urbano Progresso -- a phone that transmits sound through vibration. Any ex-pats in the mood for a new keitai can take a closer look at the rest of the new family at the source below. Update: Kyocera has confirmed to us that the Smart Sonic Receiver used in the Urbano Progresso is indeed the same tissue conduction technology Kyocera demonstrated last week at CTIA Wireless.
NTT DoCoMo expands its instant translation trials to 10 languages and 10,000 users
NTT DoCoMo's high-speed over-the-phone translation service has hit its second wider trial, aiming to test its skills with 10 languages and 10,000 subscribers -- up from 1,000 during its initial tests in 2011. DoCoMo has thrown in a few more details on how its real-time translator works. The feature is split into three steps: first, the carrier's servers recognize what you're saying, parses it into another language through its own cloud services and then converts the final translation into an audio message. The service currently functions with any Android device running version 2.2 or higher and a separate app will handle the interpretation for French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai. The Japanese carrier aims to launch a commercial version by March 2013 -- just in time for that vacation to see those falling cherry blossoms.
iPhone was Japan's best-selling smartphone in 2011, Android more than comfy as well
It's deemed likely that Apple had the top-selling cellphone in Japan this past fall, but how did it do in all of 2011? Quite well, if you go by MMRI's estimates. The iPhone had 30 percent (almost 7.3 million) of the Land of the Rising Sun's 24.2 million sales among individual smartphone labels, or nearly double Sharp's 17.5 percent. Don't think that Android-powered smartphones like the Aquos SH-12C didn't make an impact, though: virtually every other smartphone in Japan, 69 percent, was running some flavor of Google's mobile OS. Apple managed to shake up a sometimes insular overall keitai market as well, having come just short of Fujitsu for the top spot in all cellphones. Researchers are expecting the smartphone space in Japan to grow by a healthy 15 percent in 2012, although it's still a wildcard as to whether or not KDDI's iPhone support will keep Apple riding high for another year.
PayPal and Softbank announce new joint venture in Japan, mobile app
PayPal has joined forces with Softbank to bring its mobile payment system / digital wallet to Japan. PayPal Here uses an encrypted card reader -- like its BFF Square, and more recently, VeriFone -- to minimize users' cash dependency. There's also a redesigned app that makes it easier for customers to locate participating merchants while they're out and about. The $25 million joint venture targets small businesses, especially those using iPhones (though it also works just fine on Android), and will be made available to the Japanese masses over the next several weeks. We're sure the setup will be used exclusively by the forces of good to stimulate the local economy.
Fujitsu app analyzes zits and skin tone, delivers professional advice to your phone
That's right, you can finally get rid of that Tamagotchi you've been using to pick those perfect skincare products. Fujitsu is teasing a new app that's capable of measuring specific characteristics of the skin, even with less-than-ideal lighting conditions. We normally have to put up with the hassle of having to visit our friendly neighborhood skincare professional every time we need accurate info about our zits, blemishes or what color makeup to wear to the Star Trek convention. Fujitsu wants to put that power in your pocket, identifying appropriate products before you get to the beauty bar. Maybe this one isn't destined for record downloads, but it could make life a little bit easier -- take a look at the descriptive graphic above if you don't believe us.
Sega urinal game 'Toylets' goes on sale to general public, sink companion still missing (video)
In an effort to reduce male patron's messiness (and grab some cash from locales not necessarily associated with gaming) Sega's Toylets can now be found in restrooms across Japan -- and even in a handful of cities overseas. You won't need to make the laborious trek to your nearest bar or arcade to beat the high score any more, however, as Sega's now put the urinal games terminal up for sale to (Japanese) Joe Public. A sensor at the base will detect pressure and, er, volume which acts as the controls. A screen at eye level will show your progress, and you can expect several short-but-sweet games in the style of Rhythm Tengoku or Warioware. It all comes a price though -- you'll need to stump up 140,000 yen (around $1750) for the device itself and 10,000 yen ($125) a piece for games. The porcelain is (unfortunately) not included.
HTC's J ISW13HT WiMAX smartphone slips out for KDDI, quickly takes cover
Ooh, what do we have here? Japanese site Sumahon!! (a play on the word for "smartphone" in good, old Nihon) reports that HTC posted details about a new WiMAX-capable phone for KDDI to join the carrier's WiMAX Samsung Galaxy S II -- the HTC J ISW13HT. The company apparently jumped the gun, though, as the page has since been unceremoniously pulled -- but not before the aforementioned site grabbed some screenshots. According to the tale of the tape, er, phone, from the site, the ISW13HT rocks Android 4.0 with a coating of Sense 4.0, a Snapdragon S4 chip, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage plus a microSD slot. One screen grab also states that the phone has a 4.3-inch qHD display. Sizewise, the handset is 66mm wide, 132mm tall and 10mm thick. Weight is listed at about 142 grams. A visit to the official ISW13HT page reveals a "page not found error" but that likely won't be the case for long -- that "Spring 2012" grab probably wasn't created for kicks. UPDATE: The site for the ISW13HT is active again so hit the source link for more details -- in Japanese, of course.
Professors develop food-magnifying glasses, no need to super size
Big eyes, small stomach. We've all been there at some point, when we load our plate up with more than our tummies can handle. Now, a team of Professors at Tokyo University has created special glasses that magnify the food on your plate, to create the illusion of larger portions, and trick your brain into creating a sensation of fullness. Now this might just sound like "magnifying glasses" but to give it credit, it's a little smarter than that. The diet-specs house a camera that only expands your nosh (up to fifty percent,) and not your hands. The proof of concept has been backed up by a small group test of 12 people. The subjects consumed 9.3 percent less cookies when magnified, and ate 15 percent more when the treats were set to appear smaller. Certainly these are the wackiest glasses we've seen in, oh, over a week.
Suzumo SushiBot pumps out 300 Kwik-E-Mart rolls per hour (video)
We tend to avoid scooping up sushi whenever there's no chef in sight -- at, say, a grocery store, or a gas station -- but we've always assumed there was a human cranking out maki somewhere behind the scenes. If Suzumo's SushiBot makes it to the production line, that may no longer be the case. The compact machine doesn't exude beauty in the traditional sense, but what it lacks in elegance it easily makes up with efficiency. The contraption can plop down rice clumps for nigiri at a rate of 3,600 per hour, and -- perhaps even more impressively -- it can construct one complete sushi roll every 12 seconds, with some human assistance to place fish on the rice. We tend to like the imperfect handmade feel of the traditional Japanese delight, and we're surely not alone, so don't expect to see one these pop up in your neighborhood Asian eatery. Supermarkets, hospitals and airline caterers may be more likely to pick up a SushiBot, however. Hungry? Intrigued? Roll past the break to see how it works.
Phantasy Star Online 2 posts a benchmark and character creator for all [Updated]
If you're an American fan of Phantasy Star Online 2 -- or heck, just a non-Japanese fan -- you're kind of out of luck at the moment. The game is currently not anywhere near a translated state, and testing has thus been mostly limited to Japanese players. If you're in that unlucky boat, however, things are getting at least a little bit better now. The game's character creator and benchmark has just been released for all, whether or not you're testing the game or even able to read the language. A fan blog for the game features both screenshots of the character creator and corresponding benchmark as well as a guide to getting the program to work on your machine. While it's not quite the same as being able to log into the game and enjoy the testing sequence, it's at least a chance to get a taste of what the game will be like when (and if) it comes to our shores. [Update: Thanks to Venova for the original tip as well as the news that there's an unofficial English patch for this benchmark toy!]
Cute mini-robots compete for championship title, gladiator freedom (video)
If you thought a robot fighting championship just sounds like the plot for a Hugh Jackman vehicle, you'd be partly right. We'll tell you who does have the real steel though, the plucky fellas you see above. They're competing for this year's ROBO-ONE championship, an annual competition where humanoid robots slug it out to the death (or power failure at least) held this weekend in Kawasaki, Japan. This is no toy fair either, with contestants bagging a $12,000 pot if their android-avatar wins the crown. This year, that title goes to GAROO, winning for the second time in a row by defeating Gargoyle Mini for the spoils. Rumors of LED gouging were unfounded, as you'll see in the video after the round... we mean break.
Japanese robot pet powered by iPhone
Robotic pets are kind of kid stuff here in the US, but they're a big deal over in Japan, and here's one that takes advantage of the iPhone's popularity. The Smartpet is a robotic dog that "borrows" the iPhone as head unit. The body is mechanical, of course, but the head uses the iPhone's touchscreen (and even the camera) to control the dog's movement. Not only does the touchscreen show over 100 different facial animations for the virtual pet, but apparently the included app will also learn to recognize your face and voice, and will recognize gesture movements through the iPhone's camera. There's no word on availability for North America yet, and this one may not make it over here at all. It will be available on April 24 in Japan, for around $80.
Yamaha's singing keyboard makes X Factor even more redundant (video)
Tired of singers over pro-ho-ho-ho-nouncing every vowel? Perhaps the solution is to just remove their ilk from the equation altogether. That's the idea behind Yamaha's new Vocaloid Keyboard, which transforms the Vocaloid software into a ready-to-play device. 16 keys represent consonants, vowels and the types of voicing marks used in Japanese, while at the same time selecting a tone on the keyboard. An LED display prints out each letter as its plays, ensuring that you aren't making any playing errors (or should that be "typing errors?"). Experienced musicians who have used the device found that they were able to produce nursery rhymes after three hours of practice, but sadly the company isn't planning to press it into production. Instead, as the chip inside is "removable," it might contemplate licensing it to another interested party, Simon Cowell, perhaps.
Asura's Wrath reaction no surprise to Matsuyama, dot Hack for NA needs more fan support
CyberConnect2's president Hiroshi Matsuyama was signing autographs at Wondercon in Anaheim, CA this past weekend, and he kindly took a break from showing off his latest game – Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations – to chat with us about how his other games are doing. And by "other games" we of course mean the one with the god destroyer: Asura's Wrath. Despite both critical acclaim and a strong sales start, Matsuyama is still cautious about the new IP. "It's only been a month since it's been out," Matsuyama told Joystiq through a translator. He said that he expected both positive and negative reactions, and that's what he got. "Obviously, it was a challenge to create something new. And when you try to do that, obviously the people that get it will enjoy it. But for people where the game doesn't fit their expectations, they're not going to jump up as much." We also checked in on both the dot Hack title in progress as well as a possible sequel to Solatorobo, but for both of those, Matsuyama says he needs more support from North American publishers. For dot Hack specifically, "as long as we can get more requests from the fans, there's a possibility." But he there are other factors in play as well. "It's not that people don't know about it," he said. "But I think it's more than Namco Bandai Games America is not interested in the typical JRPGs and that's why they're not looking to pick it up." Matsuyama said he's not trying to make directly Japanese or Western games, however. "It's most important to be able to see the whole world. Back in the day, a lot of developers and publishers were focused on Japanese games and sent them out to North America. Obviously that's not going to be accepted as much. From our standpoint, we're really looking to create a game that's fun for everybody in the world." That said, we kindly asked Matsuyama to show us what might be the next evolution of the Asura pose, given that we've seen it twice already so far. But because Matsuyama happened to be in the Namco booth and not the Capcom booth (not to mention that he was dressed up as Naruto anyway), we got the very serene pose above. In other words, the Asura Pose has evolved yet again.
Here's the Japanese Pokemon Black/White Version 2 box art
Pokemon Black/White Version 2 are slated to hit Japanese DSes this June, with a North American release later this fall. If previous titles are any indication, this Japanese box art should be roughly analogous to what we'll get in our stores, as hungry Pokemaniacs ravage the land of its resources.
Siri's Japanese performance not as good as DoCoMo's voice assistant
Apple added support for Japanese in iOS 5.1, but the roll out isn't going as smoothly as expected. According to a Kotaku report, Apple's voice assistant can apparently only handle simple and universal Japanese phrases. When it comes to complex phrases, Siri stumbles while its competitor Shabette Concier performs flawlessly. Shabette, a recently-launched voice service from wireless carrier NTT DoCoMo, is targeted specifically for Japanese customers and supports maps and local content. It is supposedly faster and less rigid than Siri. You can check out the Japanese video below and head to Kotaku for a phrase-by-phrase analysis of Siri's performance against Shabette.
Naoki Maru's Real King Kizer gets closer to Real Steel with motion sensing (video)
Naoki Maru's Real King Kizer, the boxing robot to end all boxing robots, has been around for a hot minute, but the latest upgrade is bound to make even Wolverine Hugh Jackman take notice. The Real Steel-like setup was created when an Xtion Pro Live sensor (hint: it's like Kinect) was thrown into the equation. The 3-foot, 2-inch boxer was then allowed to reproduce the motions of Maru's kid, and unlike prior iterations, this one doesn't require a physical harness to transmit commands. Enough talk -- head on past the break to see the thing in action (but don't expect any commercialization details).
Apple reportedly readying iTunes Match for Japan
Japanese Mac site Macotakara notes that the Japanese version of iTunes has been updated with a "Purchased" tab via iTunes in the Cloud, which also suggests that Apple is about to launch an official version of iTunes Match in Japan. iCloud has been up and running in Japan for some time, but only for sharing books and information across apps. iTunes in the Cloud will allow Apple's Japanese users to access purchased songs from the iTunes Store on any of their devices, and iTunes Match will allow users to "match" their music to iTunes Store for additional functionality. iTunes in the Cloud has reportedly already gone live in Japan, and it seems like Apple is on the brink of releasing iTunes Match in Japan. That could possibly mean that other new international markets aren't far behind.
