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<p>The Hottest Gadgets and Gizmos from Japan<br>
----------------------------------------------------------------<br>
Issue No. 289 Friday Febuary 22, 2008<br>
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<p>****OUT NOW: J@PAN INC MAGAZINE'S****<br>
MEDICAL SPECIAL (JAN/FEB 2008)<br>
Healthcare Services Directory, disasterous risk to Japan -<br>
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RECRUITMENT SPECIAL (MARCH/APRIL 2008)</p>
<p>========================================================<br>
Name: Toshiba gigabeat T802<br>
Category: Portable audio/video<br>
Price: Open Price; 29,800 yen direct order<br>
Release date in Japan: Already available</p>
<p>The Gist: Toshiba has introduced a number of new portable audio/<br>
video players in their gigabeat line, but we felt the "T802"<br>
most deserved attention of the bunch. This new model offers<br>
several improvements versus its predecessor, the gigabeat T401.<br>
The hardware improvement is found in the capacity, as this new<br>
model offers 8GB of internal storage instead of 4GB.</p>
<p>On the software side we now find support for public LAN<br>
services, namely those like SoftBank's "BB Mobile Point,"<br>
NTT Communications' "HotSpot," and NTT DoCoMo's "Mzone" and<br>
"mopera U." A free 3-month trial of the BB Mobile Point<br>
services is also currently being offered if you sign up before<br>
May 7th. The other large improvement on the software side is<br>
embedded support for USEN's video distribution service, GyaO.<br>
If you've ever used YouTube on an iPhone or iPod Touch, you<br>
already know what this is all about. Users are able to search,<br>
view, and otherwise enjoy streaming video content without having<br>
to pick up a different device. But apparently not all GyaO<br>
content is created equal: the gigabeat can only access videos<br>
that are especially prepared for the device on the "GyaO for<br>
gigabeat" service. Toshiba/USEN plan to launch the service with<br>
90 different content types, including some familiar names like<br>
National Geographic documentaries and Gatchaman. All for free,<br>
too. Supposedly by mid-June of this year there will be around<br>
600 titles available, but Toshiba did mention that the release<br>
schedule hasn't been finalized just yet. </p>
<p>Because the above updates involve only firmware changes,<br>
existing gigabeat T401 owners will be offered the option to<br>
upgrade their player's firmware free of charge. Unfortunately<br>
this update cannot be performed by the user; he/she must send<br>
the player to Toshiba. Nice of them to offer it for free, but a<br>
step short of true convenience. </p>
<p>Like the previous model, the T802 includes support for WMV<br>
podcasts, WMV video files, as well as WMA, MP3, and WAV audio<br>
files. WMA 9 Lossless is also supported. On the hardware front,<br>
the 2.4-inch, 320x240 dot TFT color LCD remains, as does the 16<br>
hour playback life for audio files and 5 hour life for video<br>
files. Microsoft's "Windows Mobile software for Portable Media<br>
Center" is the device's operating system. </p>
<p>As a side note, several sources have indicated that Toshiba will<br>
be pulling the plug on the HD DVD format within the next few<br>
days. However, no official announcement has been made by<br>
Toshiba; they maintain that they will be watching market trends<br>
and have not made any final decisions. We think it would be<br>
beneficial for consumers and Toshiba ? to go ahead and let HD<br>
DVD go ahead and die right here. There's no telling how much of<br>
Toshiba's original investment in the format has been repaid, but<br>
given the way things have panned out, the company will likely be<br>
making some hard decisions in the near future. </p>
<p>More info:<br>
<a href="http://www.toshiba.co.jp/about/press/2008_02/pr_j0701.htm" title="http://www.toshiba.co.jp/about/press/2008_02/pr_j0701.htm">http://www.toshiba.co.jp/about/press/2008_02/pr_j0701.htm</a><br>
========================================================<br>
Name: Sony Bravia 1-Seg<br>
Category: Portable audio/video<br>
Price: Open Price; estimated around 38,000 yen<br>
Release date in Japan: April 10, 2008</p>
<p>The Gist: As though there weren't enough ways to tap into 1-Seg<br>
programming already, Sony is introducing a portable 1-Seg TV in<br>
April of this year. Cashing in on the company's success with the<br>
Bravia line of plasma/LCD TVs, this new device includes a "Mobile<br>
BRAVIA Engine" that supposedly helps with contrast, outlines, and<br>
color saturation. We've already seen Bravia, Cybershot, and<br>
Walkman branded mobile phones from Sony Ericsson, so there's<br>
evidently been quite an upturn in internal communication at<br>
Sony. It's probably safe to say that this won't be the last time<br>
we see such a cross-branded device either. </p>
<p>1-Seg, for those that have missed it, is the first "segment" of<br>
terrestrial digital broadcasts in Japan. Basically, broadcasters<br>
and regulators decided to devote a specific portion of the<br>
broadcast frequencies specifically to mobile devices like mobile<br>
phones, laptops, and portable audio/video players. The result is<br>
1-Seg, where the resolution is limited to 320x240 and the<br>
framerate to 15fps.</p>
<p>So you shouldn't really expect a theater-quality experience out<br>
of this device. However, with its 3-inch, 432x240 dot, 500:1<br>
contrast ratio, 160-degree viewing angle TFT LCD, you can be<br>
assured that you're getting one of the finest 1-Seg experiences<br>
available. Sony has taken extra steps to make sure the screen is<br>
viewable both indoors and outdoors too.</p>
<p>The Bravia 1-Seg offers the capability to record 1-Seg<br>
programming as well. Using the integrated Electronic Programming<br>
Guide (EPG) feature, you'll even be able to see what's on when<br>
and schedule recording as far as a month in advance. The<br>
internal 2GB of memory will allow for about 10 hours of shows.<br>
Sony did not include a Memory Stick Duo slot on the device, nor<br>
is there a way to connect it to a PC or TV, so unfortunately<br>
deleting old shows is the only way to free up space. But there<br>
are some decent recording features such as "Sports Overtime<br>
Support," where recording times can be automatically adjusted<br>
because the Marines and Hanshin go into extra innings.</p>
<p>The included recharging cradle can also be connected to an<br>
external antenna, bringing enhanced stability to the device's<br>
reception. This should make recording shows much more enjoyable,<br>
as personal experience dictates 1-Seg isn't exactly reliable in,<br>
oh, 70% of Tokyo. While the device does also feature an<br>
integrated FM/AM radio tuner, it includes no recording feature<br>
for the radio. The internal battery should last for about 8<br>
hours of 1-Seg viewing or 34 hours of AM radio listening. </p>
<p>More info: <a href="http://winki.co.uk/%7E0XZJ" title="http://winki.co.uk/~0XZJ">http://winki.co.uk/~0XZJ</a></p>
<p>========================================================<br>
Name: Olympus CAMEDIA SP-570UZ<br>
Category: Digital still camera<br>
Price: Open Price; estimated around 60,000 yen<br>
Release date in Japan: March 6, 2008</p>
<p>The Gist: For all of the improvements digital cameras have<br>
undergone in the past few years, it seems optical zoom<br>
capabilities are often an afterthought. Maybe it's because<br>
"prosumers" are expected to be using digital SLR setups, or<br>
because image sensors have become so detailed that optical<br>
zooming isn't deemed as horribly necessary anymore. Whatever<br>
the reason, the new SP-570UZ from Olympus is the world's first<br>
compact digital camera to feature a 20x optical zoom lens.</p>
<p>The last model, the SP-560UZ, featured a lens with a focal<br>
length between 27 and 486mm and an 18x optical zoom. Two more<br>
"x" and a wider focal length ? 26 to 520mm ? gets you to the<br>
current model. A new ring on the lens itself also acts as a<br>
manual focus ring, giving users a slightly more hands-on<br>
approach to focusing than do other consumer-level cameras.</p>
<p>The image sensor is one of 10 effective megapixels, yielding<br>
a maximum image resolution of 3648x2736 dots. The maximum<br>
sensitivity is ISO1600, but when dropping down to 5MP, ISO3200<br>
and ISO6400 can also be selected. Other recording options<br>
include RAW, 640x480 video at 30fps in Motion JPEG, and<br>
high-speed shooting as many as 13.5 frames per second at 3MP.<br>
Japan was overwhelmed last year with "face detection" technology<br>
in digital cameras, so this model has several modes that perform<br>
the same function.</p>
<p>It records to xD Picture Cards or an internal 45MB of memory.<br>
It runs off four AA batteries, and will last for about 390<br>
images under the CIPA standards. </p>
<p>More info: <a href="http://olympus-imaging.jp/product/compact/sp570uz/" title="http://olympus-imaging.jp/product/compact/sp570uz/">http://olympus-imaging.jp/product/compact/sp570uz/</a><br>
========================================================<br>
================================================================<br>
STAFF<br>
Written by: Liam McNulty<br>
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<p>-----------------------------------------------------------<br>
PBXL CASE STUDY: DEDICATED DEPLOYMENT</p>
<p>This consulting firm has nine sites in all the major<br>
cities of Japan.<br>
How does PBXL help this client?</p>
<p>UNIQUE CUSTOMER NEEDS:<br>
*Outsourced management and upgrades of their phone system<br>
*Day-to-day self-management, outsourcing of more complex issues<br>
*Cost-effective scalability for high projected growth</p>
<p>HOW PBXL ADDRESSES THOSE NEEDS:<br>
*Enterprise-wide installation incorporating multiple sites<br>
*Hosted in secure data center with failover and BCP options<br>
*Outsourcing and/or self-management options available<br>
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*Includes hardware warranty and replacements</p>
<p>For more details / contact us:<br>
<a href="http://www.pbxl.jp/" title="www.pbxl.jp">www.pbxl.jp</a><br>
03-4550-2557<br>
<a href="mailto:info@pbxl.jp">info@pbxl.jp</a><br>
-----------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>[FT]</p>
<p>-----------------------------------------------------------<br>
Start a Company in Japan</p>
<p>Entrepreneur's Handbook Seminar 1st of March, 2008</p>
<p>If you have been considering setting up your own company,<br>
find out what it takes to make it successful.<br>
Terrie Lloyd, founder of over 13 start-up companies in Japan,<br>
will be giving an English-language seminar and Q and A on<br>
starting up a company in Japan.<br>
This is an ideal opportunity to find out what is involved,<br>
and to ask specific questions that are not normally answered<br>
in business books.<br>
All materials are in English and are Japan-focused.</p>
<p>For more details: <a href="http://japaninc.com/terrie_lloyd/" title="http://japaninc.com/terrie_lloyd/">http://japaninc.com/terrie_lloyd/</a><br>
-----------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>--------------- ICA Event - Feb 21 -----------------------</p>
<p>Event: Round Table Discussion - Successful Growth<br>
through Planned Execution</p>
<p>Speakers: D. Forncrook, J. Glasser and J. Gabriella</p>
<p>Details: Complete event details at <a href="http://www.icajapan.jp/" title="http://www.icajapan.jp/">http://www.icajapan.jp/</a><br>
(RSVP Required)<br>
Date: Thursday, Feb 21, 2008<br>
Time: 6:30 Doors open includes open bar (sponsored by Skillhouse)<br>
and light buffet<br>
Cost: 3,500 yen (members), 5,500 yen (non-members)<br>
Open to all - venue is The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan</p>
<p><a href="http://www.fccj.or.jp/aboutus/map" title="http://www.fccj.or.jp/aboutus/map">http://www.fccj.or.jp/aboutus/map</a></p>
<p>-----------------------------------------------------------</p>