<p>---------------------------------------------------------------<br>
Japan Inc Magazine Presents:<br>
G A D G E T W A T C H</p>
<p>READ GADGETWATCH ONLINE AT:<br>
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The Hottest Gadgets and Gizmos from Japan<br>
-----------------------------------------------------------<br>
Issue No. 303 Monday June 30, 2008<br>
Subscribers: 9467<br>
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<p>-----------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>Panasonic HDC-SD100, HDC-HS100: world's first 3MOS camcorders</p>
<p>Name: Panasonic HDC-SD100, HDC-HS100<br>
Category: digital video camera<br>
Price: JPY130,000 (HDC-SD100), JPY150,000 (HDC-HS100)<br>
Release date in Japan: July 12, 2008</p>
<p>What's 3MOS? It's a Matsushita technology that uses three CMOS<br>
sensors to capture twice the light of the equivalent single<br>
sensor. Add to that a Leica Dicomar lens, 'New HD Crystal<br>
Engine' processing (with next-generation Uniphier LSI) that<br>
doubles dynamic range over the earlier HDC-SD9 camcorder, 'Next<br>
Generation Optical Image Stabilization' that actually moves the<br>
lens to compensate for hand shake, and 'Digital Cinema Color'<br>
color correction, and the reward for you is better image quality<br>
than ever, says Matsushita. Even in twilight or birthday-candle<br>
situations, as low as two lux of light - twice the sensitivity<br>
of the HDC-SD9 with its triple CCD sensors, and reportedly the<br>
highest sensitivity you'll find in any HD camcorder.</p>
<p>The HDC-SD100 is the junior model, recording only to SD/SDHC<br>
cards (up to 2GB for SD, 32GB for SDHC). The HDC-HS100 has the<br>
same memory card recording capability plus a 60GB hard drive.<br>
Both models are full Hi-Def (1920x1080), recording in AVCHD<br>
format. Using the best recording mode (HA), expect 4 hours of<br>
video on a 32GB card, almost 8 hours on the 60GB hard disk.</p>
<p>Other specs: 12x optical zoom, face detection (up to 15 faces),<br>
VIERA HFTV connectivity, included 8GB SDHC card. Weight with<br>
battery is a mere 382g for the SD100, 482g for the HS100. </p>
<p>More info: <a href="http://panasonic.jp/dvc/sd100/" title="http://panasonic.jp/dvc/sd100/">http://panasonic.jp/dvc/sd100/</a> (Japanese)</p>
<p>========================================================</p>
<p>Takara Tomy Hi-kara: world's smallest portable karaoke machine</p>
<p>Name: Takara Tomy Hi-kara<br>
Category: karaoke machine<br>
Price: JPY10,500<br>
Release date in Japan: October 18, 2008</p>
<p>Shown at Tokyo Toy Show 2008 and coming to you this fall: a<br>
palm-sized, 7cm-square cube with 2.4-inch video screen to serve<br>
up your favorite karaoke hits. The Hi-kara is the world's<br>
smallest karaoke machine, croons manufacturer Takara Tomy,<br>
letting you 'create your own 'personal karaoke box' space, on<br>
the go, any time'. (Even in the kitchen or on your veranda, the<br>
press release suggests.)</p>
<p>You can attach a headset and engage in 'hitokara' - 'hitori<br>
(lone) karaoke', a word that Takara Tomy says describes the<br>
'social phenomenon' of people wanting to sing on their own for<br>
fun or practice. If you're more of a people person, use two<br>
headsets to let a friend join in. If you want to sing to a<br>
group, though, you'll have to connect the Hi-kara to external<br>
speakers. Whatever the setup, you're not just singing into the<br>
air over piped-in music; the headset microphone adds your voice<br>
to the mix, in true karaoke fashion. And yes, you can control<br>
key, tempo, and echo. </p>
<p>Takara Tomy doesn't want just a single 10,000-yen note from each<br>
customer, though; it plans to have the Hi-kara to earn its keep<br>
by selling songs. Tunes for the machine are contained on<br>
cartridges. To make your own playlist, you buy a blank cartridge<br>
for JPY2100 (10 songs) or JPY3675 (20 songs), and then download<br>
your selections from an online libary of 3500 tunes. The<br>
downloads are free, but they can't be removed from the<br>
cartridge; once it's full, it's full. (Be wary of selections<br>
that'll embarrass you a month later.) Alternately, buy a<br>
preloaded cartridge for JPY2100 (number of songs not specified;<br>
presumably 10). </p>
<p>Who's the market? Anyone who wants to sing, sing, sing, of<br>
course, but also parents: Takara Tomy suggests the product is<br>
perfect for parents who are worried by the kids going alone to<br>
'karaoke box' centers, with their small, private rooms and ready<br>
access to alcohol. (Hijinks have been known to occur therein.)</p>
<p>The Hi-kara comes on the heels of Takara Tomy's successful<br>
'e-kara' personal karaoke machine, which has sold nearly 3.5<br>
million units since 2000. The company expects to sell 500,000<br>
Hi-karas in the first year. Will customers bite at the unit's<br>
price and the added cost of songs? Will karaoke-loving techies<br>
immediately apply themselves to hacking the music format and<br>
swapping tunes for free? Find out from late October. </p>
<p>Weight 150g. Available in pink or white. Expect to warble for<br>
over 4 hours on 4 AA batteries. </p>
<p>More info:<br>
<a href="http://www.takaratomy.co.jp/company/release/press/pdf/p080616" title="http://www.takaratomy.co.jp/company/release/press/pdf/p080616">http://www.takaratomy.co.jp/company/release/press/pdf/p080616</a>.<br>
pdf (Japanese, PDF)</p>
<p>========================================================<br>
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<p>-----------------------------------------------------------<br>
DVR-SP: high-tech video spying, low-tech note-taking</p>
<p>Name: Hanwha Japan DVR-SP camcorder<br>
Category: digital video camera<br>
Price: JPY17800<br>
Release date in Japan: June 23, 2008 (new black model)</p>
<p>This gadget's been out there for a couple of months already, but<br>
since the maker went through the trouble of telling the press<br>
about a new color variation, I'll take that as a chance to check<br>
things out.</p>
<p>Tokyo-based Hanwha Japan's earlier mini DVR-SP camcorder, the<br>
size of a cheap lighter, apparently wasn't sneaky enough for<br>
would-be spies, even when barely peeking over the top of a<br>
pocket. So the company has dipped deeper into the espionage bag<br>
of tricks with a camcorder that looks like a pen, the DVR-BP.<br>
(Wait, it actually is a functional pen, too. Sly!)</p>
<p>The 15cm-long 30g cam, part of Hanwha's 'Digital Cowboy' gadget<br>
line, incorporates a hard-to-spot 1mm pinhole camera lens and<br>
microphone, recording onto 2GB of flash memory. Casually press<br>
the top of the 'pen' to begin recording. (Try whistling to look<br>
more innocent.) Video is 352x288 (4x the DVR-SP's resolution) in<br>
H.263 format at 15 fps - decent enough for posting on YouTube.<br>
Expect two hours' operation on a charge; download video and<br>
recharge the battery via USB (which is the slower 1.1, not 2.0).</p>
<p>The product web site suggests the cam/pen as an 'information<br>
gathering tool' for businesspersons and bloggers. One suspects<br>
there will be buyers with more prurient uses in mind, and I<br>
don't mean relaying state secrets to their KGB masters. If<br>
nothing else, take this gadget listing as a warning to be wary<br>
of chunky silver or black pens poised suspiciously upright in<br>
your vicinity. </p>
<p>More info:<br>
<a href="http://www.digitalcowboy.jp/products/dvr-bp/index.html" title="http://www.digitalcowboy.jp/products/dvr-bp/index.html">http://www.digitalcowboy.jp/products/dvr-bp/index.html</a><br>
(Japanese)</p>
<p>========================================================</p>
<p>Short items</p>
<p>Spotted elsewhere in the news:</p>
<p>1) Attention, bloggers! Get off the sofa... and on the floor,<br>
with Thanko's new 'Super Gorone (Snoozing) Cushion'. Lie<br>
face-down with the Cushion below you, and its support will leave<br>
your arms free for comfortable laptop computing or reading.<br>
JPY7980.<br>
<a href="http://thanko.jp/goronecushion/" title="http://thanko.jp/goronecushion/">http://thanko.jp/goronecushion/</a></p>
<p>2) These days, DVD players are cheaper than some of the new<br>
Hollywood DVD releases. Case in point: the GREEN HOUSE<br>
GH-DV100S, on sale around now, has all the basic features - the<br>
usual DVD and CD formats, remote control, composite and S-video<br>
connectors, and even coaxial digital audio connector - for a<br>
mere JPY3980. (Don't look at me, though, if the unit barely<br>
makes it to the one-year warranty mark.)<br>
<a href="http://www.green-house.co.jp/products/av/dvd/gh_dv100s/" title="http://www.green-house.co.jp/products/av/dvd/gh_dv100s/">http://www.green-house.co.jp/products/av/dvd/gh_dv100s/</a></p>
<p>3) Also from GREEN HOUSE: 'cute and wild' GH-ERC-PIG earphones<br>
for JPY1280. One earbud is shaped like the front end of a pig;<br>
the other earbud, the back end of a pig. The visual effect is<br>
that a very long little pig going through your head. All righty.<br>
Pink, black, or white.<br>
<a href="http://www.green-house.co.jp/products/av/earphone/erc_pig/index" title="http://www.green-house.co.jp/products/av/earphone/erc_pig/index">http://www.green-house.co.jp/products/av/earphone/erc_pig/index</a>.<br>
html</p>
<p>4) I'll admit, I laughed at the idea of 'digital photo frames'<br>
when they appeared on the market. But industry watchers are<br>
calling the category a hit: sales in Japan are nearly 5 times<br>
what they were a mere half a year ago, especially booming from<br>
March. A Bic Camera staffer told Business Computer News:<br>
'Digital cameras sell well before events (school entrance,<br>
graduations, etc.); digital photo frames sell well afterward.'<br>
Another factor is Sony's entrance from May, bringing a household<br>
name to the sector. Stop by any big electronics shop to find a<br>
wide selection of frames from a growing number of manufacturers.</p>
<p><a href="http://bcnranking.jp/news/0806/080625_11071.html" title="http://bcnranking.jp/news/0806/080625_11071.html">http://bcnranking.jp/news/0806/080625_11071.html</a><br>
----------------------------------------------------------------<br>
STAFF<br>
Written by: Timm Tuttle<br>
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--------NEW GADGET BLOG: TEKRONOMICON.COM------------------</p>
<p>In collaboration with Gadget Watch, Gadget blog Tekronomicon<br>
offers a detailed look at select gadgets - shiny and strange,<br>
from gizmo ground zero in Tokyo.<br>
See the gadgets introduced in Gadget Watch,<br>
with photos and more at: <a href="http://www.tekronomicon.com/" title="www.tekronomicon.com">www.tekronomicon.com</a></p>
<p>-----------------------------------------------------------</p>