Posted by 010081
Tech
Friday, March 19th, 2010
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Mosquitos are one of the major ways that malaria is spread, causing an estimated two million deaths per year. Wouldn’t it be cool if those mosquitos could be genetically modified to spread a malaria vaccination instead of the disease itself? Scientists have theorized about just such a solution for years, but recent work from Jichi Medical University in Japan proves that it’s actually possible , not just theoretically possible. Associate Professor Shigeto Yoshida and his research team “successfully generated a transgenic mosquito expressing the Leishmania vaccine within its saliva. Bites from the insect succeeded in raising antibodies, indicating successful immunization with the Leishmania vaccine through blood feeding.” Of course, this vaccination idea isn’t perfect, since you’ll still have one or more mosquito bites to scratch at, but at least you won’t have malaria. Maybe I’m alarmist, but I can’t help but think that this kind of approach throws the natural order of things seriously out of whack. As I read the story, I kept hearing Jeff Goldblum from Jurassic Park in my mind, saying “life, uh … finds a way.”
Posted by Kevin Huffman
Tech
Friday, March 19th, 2010
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Baseball robots are nothing new (there’s even a dedicated Wikipedia article on them), but that didn’t stop Japan’s Meiji University and Yokohama-based metal recycling company MRC [JP] to come up with the so-called Jet Hitter [JP]. This new model is a batting tee robot that makes it possible for a player to practice hitting baseballs by himself. And the makers say it’s the first of its kind. The way Jet Hitter works is that users need to step on a button at the base of the robot, prompting a baseball to pop up and stay suspended 10-20cm above a nozzle on a jet of air. Users can then practice hitting up to 70 balls one after another (that’s how many balls the robot can hold). Jet Hitter can be filled with both soft and hard balls. Meiji and MRC say Jet Hitter is already being used by several Japanese pro baseball teams. But the robot can actually be bought by anyone ready to spend $7,700 for it.
Posted by Kevin Huffman
Tech
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010
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The electric car continues to be a hot topic in Japan . A slew of influential Japanese companies like Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi (whose i miev is pictured above), or Tokyo Electric Power have now started an initiative aimed at creating a global standard, dubbed CHAdeMO, for high-speed battery chargers for electric cars. The consortium will consist of a total of 158 different companies and organizations. The goal is to turn a charging system developed by Tokyo Electric Power into a global standard for electric cars. That system lets the charger determine what kind of batteries are installed and how much charge they require, basically a charging protocol. The technology is already being put to practical use by Mitsubishi and Subaru, with Nissan likely to follow. Most electric cars still can’t travel more than 200km on a single charge, which makes the availability of brand-agnostic charging stations a critical factor for their future success. Apart from Japanese firms (Honda, Mazda or Toshiba will also take part), the consortium also has European engineering group ABB, PSA from France (Peugeot, Citroën), German auto equipment giant Robert Bosch and a few other foreign companies among its members. The Japanese government is supporting the joint venture with $13.7 million.
Posted by Kevin Huffman
Tech
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010
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First a Casio Exilim , now an ultra-mobile PC (or UMPC, as the Japanese say): Cult teddy bear Rilakkuma is on his way to dethrone Hello Kitty as the character of choice for Japanese electronics companies when it comes to giving gadgets that extra-cute touch. The bear is now to be seen on a special version of a Kohjinsha tablet PC [JP, PDF] that’s part of the company’s XS series. The Rilakkuma device features a 8.9-inch touchscreen with 1,280
Posted by Kevin Huffman
Tech
Monday, March 15th, 2010
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Augmented Reality is a pretty hot topic currently, but it seems to me that the Japanese in particular have really embraced the concept of mixing the real world with computer-generated imagery and data. One case in point is the Crimsonfox project [JP], an “Alternative Reality” scavenger hunt game event that took place over the weekend in Tokyo, Japan. The main idea here was to use a tailor-made augmented reality app on the iPhone (which is only available in the Japanese App Store) in a mass-player game in the real world, namely the central district of Shibuya . And over 200 players showed up in flesh and blood on the day of the event, all equipped with iPhones. Using said app, GPS and the built-in compass of the 3GS, players ran around in the city looking for hidden (physical) hints to find the real-world hideout of a “secret society called Moonlights”. On the screenshot below, you can see those hints in red and an interim goal in blue. Players were able to “scan” hints they found with their iPhones, for example a graphic printed on a piece of paper somewhere. The app would then verify the hint by superimposing an emblem (see below) over the image on the iPhone camera, give away points for finding the right hint and then lead players to the next part of the game. Very cool concept, so it wasn’t too surprising that the Crimsonfox project was watched by a total of 7,000 people live online. Tokyo-based Ubiquitous Entertainment , the main organizer of the event, was even able to win the support of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry . While this is probably possible in Japan only, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this kind of event copied for marketing or other purposes outside this country in the future (hit this link for more information on the game in English). Here’s the official Crimsonfox promo trailer:
Posted by Kevin Huffman
Tech
Thursday, March 11th, 2010
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Fuel cells are on their way into the mainstream, even though the commercially available models are still pretty pricey . But there are companies like Kyoto-based Aquafairy [JP], for example, preparing affordable fuel cells, too. Their four new fuel cells are intended to make gadget fans in particular happy: the micro FC Stick (0.8W), the FC-Stick (2W), the FC-Cube (3W) and the FC-Cube Dual (6W). The graphic above shows just a selection of gadgets that can be powered by these hydrogen/oxygen-based fuel cells (the video embedded below, for example, shows a robot that runs on two FC-Sticks). An FC-Stick can supply enough energy to charge a cell phone, while the FC-Cube is able to power a Nintendo DS. An FC-Cube Dual, connected to a lithium-ion battery, can power a standard notebook for about 3 hours. Aquafairy is planning to sell their fuel cells, which consist of a power unit and a hydrogen cartridge, within this year (in Japan, at least). An FC-Stick, for example, will cost $22, with one cartridge setting buyers back $1.10 (the carts can be replaced). Watch this video for more info (courtesy of DigInfoNews , Tokyo):
Posted by 010081
Tech
Thursday, March 11th, 2010
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Man alive, Twitter is blowing up right now at the expense of Real Madrid. That has nothing to do with the following story, but it had to be mentioned. The real story is: an electric motorbike ! Is that any more exciting than Real Madrid being the laughingstock of Europe? I’d say no, but maybe six of you have any idea what I’m talking about. Back to the bike, then. It’s created by Japan’s Iwatani Corp., and it’s powered by a lithium-ion battery+polymer electrolyte fuel cell combination. Hydrogen is stored in small cartridges, and if conditions are absolutely perfect, it can go about 45 km per charge. It’s not really a proof of concept, per se, but the company doesn’t have any plans to commercialize the bike. Again, for the zillionth time, I don’t know a damn thing about cars, so anytime I write about them or whatever, feel free to invest your time elsewhere, like Chatroulette or something. via TreeHugger
Posted by Kevin Huffman
Tech
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
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The Humping USB Dogs became so popular 2 or 3 years ago that the maker, Japan-based Cube , not only started selling the silly things internationally but also added a plethora of other animals to the line-up. And now, the same company has another USB-powered gadget ready, the so-called Dodobongo USB dog. The Dodobongo isn’t quite as silly as its humping counterpart, as it actually starts barking and blushing once it detects a person approaching you PC. Just like the other Cube gadgets, it doesn’t offer any kind of memory. And it works with Windows PCs only. If you’re interested but live outside Japan (Cube currently offers the Dodobongo in this country only), head over to Geek Stuff 4 U. The Tokyo-based import/export specialists list the gadget for $73.90 . Via Akihabara News
Posted by Kevin Huffman
Tech
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
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IBM’s Open Collaborative Research is working on ways to get mobile Internet to the aged and illiterate all over the world. The initial research is happening in Japan and India and will be used to plan future endeavors including open source platforms for information sharing. Japan was chosen because of its high number of older folks and India chosen because, despite recent impressive advances, many citizens are still illiterate. The research will include creating new user interfaces that use images rather than text. “This collaborative research programme will result in critical insights to the accessibility requirements of the elderly people with little or no education in developing nations,” IBM Research Director (India) and Chief Technologist (IBM India/South Asia) Manish Gupta said. Generally I’m down on electronic solutions to problems of education. However, by giving some of the most important educators on the planet – grandparents and parents – more and better tools via PCWorld
Posted by Kevin Huffman
Tech
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
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Granted, the seven new LCD (non-3D) TVs Sony announced [JP] in Japan today are not as sexy as their 3D counterparts , but they are worth mentioning, too. The new BRAVIAs break down into three series, the NX800, the HX700 and the HDD-equipped BX-30H. In contrast to the 3D TVs presented today, Sony didn’t go into details regarding international sales plans for their 2D models. NX800 The NX800 series consists of a 40- and a 46-inch model, the KDL-46NX800 (pictured above). Both are full HD and come with LED backlight, four HDMI ports, a USB port, wireless LAN, and the so-called On/Off Conscious function, which makes sure the TVs get turned off automatically when they detect no people in the vicinity. Prices: $2,200 for the small model, $2,900 for the 46-incher (release date for both: April 30). HX700 The HX700 series consists of two models with the same sizes as the NX800 TVs. The 46-inch model, the KDL-46HX700, is pictured above. Spec-wise, these two displays lack the wireless LAN function and the LED backlight (they have CCFL backlights instead). Prices: $2,100 for the 40-incher, and $2,800 for the 46-inch model (release date: April 30). BX-30H The main selling point of the BX-30H series is the 500GB HDD the 22-, 26- and 32-inch models come with (the 32-incher, the KDL-32BX-30H is pictured above). All three models have CCFL backlights, feature just 1,366×768 resolution, don’t have a USB port and only three HDMI interfaces. Prices: $900 for the smallest version, $1,050 for the 26-inch model and $1,120 for the 32-incher. All BX-30H TVs will hit Japanese stores on June 10.