<div>This week's Gadget Watch previews a new digital SLR feature from</div><div>SONY, talks to DOCOMO's newest mobile phone for travelers, and</div><div>surveys prospects for the iPhone 3G to make SoftBank's</div>
<div>competitors very unhappy.</div><div><br></div><div>--------------------------------------------------------</div><div>Japan Inc Magazine Presents:</div><div>G A D G E T W A T C H</div><div><br></div><div>READ GADGETWATCH ONLINE AT:</div>
<div><a href="http://www.japaninc.com" target="_blank">www.japaninc.com</a></div><div>The Hottest Gadgets and Gizmos from Japan</div><div>-----------------------------------------------------------</div><div>Issue No. 305 Friday July 11, 2008</div>
<div>Subscribers: 9467</div><div>SUBSCRIBE AND UNSUBSCRIBE TO GADGET WATCH:</div><div><a href="http://www.japaninc.com/newsletters/free_sign_up" target="_blank">http://www.japaninc.com/newsletters/free_sign_up</a></div><div>
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<div><br></div><div>-----------------------------------------------------------</div><div>========================================================</div><div><br></div><div>SONY alpha DSLR-A300 camera tackles live preview problems</div>
<div><br></div><div>Name: SONY alpha DSLR-A300 </div><div>Category: digital SLR </div><div>Price: Open price (about JPY70,000 for body, 80,000 for</div><div>DSLR-A300K with DT-18-70mm lens) </div><div>Release date in Japan: July 17, 2008</div>
<div><br></div><div>Carrying on from its predecessors the A100 and A200, the new</div><div>SONY DSLR-A300 employs a new trick called 'Quick AF Live</div><div>Preview'. In the company's own words: 'In Live Preview mode, the</div>
<div>camera bypasses the optical pentaprism mirror to create a live</div><div>'eye-to-eye' view of loved ones, children, pets and</div><div>fast-changing scenes.' </div><div><br></div><div>To expand on that a bit: Typically, a SLR camera bounces the</div>
<div>subject image off a mirror hiding the main image sensor, and up</div><div>on into the viewfinder so you can frame the shot. When you snap</div><div>the photo, the mirror lifts up to instead let the image strike</div>
<div>the film or main image sensor. (In that instant, you no longer</div><div>see anything through the viewfinder.) </div><div><br></div><div>Recently, some DSLR (digital SLR) cameras have added a 'live</div><div>preview' mode. Choose that option, and instead of reflecting the</div>
<div>incoming scene to the viewfinder, the camera holds the mirror</div><div>lifted to expose the main image sensor, which then relays the</div><div>image to the camera's back-panel monitor so you can compose the</div>
<div>shot there. In short, it lets you use the SLR camera like a</div><div>little point-and-shoot digital camera.</div><div><br></div><div>But so far, live preview has had its drawbacks in DSLRs. Some</div><div>models require that the reflecting mirror be down for autofocus</div>
<div>to work, meaning live preview and autofocus interfere with each</div><div>other. The switch from live preview to actual shooting can</div><div>involve a delay just long enough to annoy professional SLR</div><div>photogs. Continuous use can also cause the main image sensor to</div>
<div>heat up.</div><div><br></div><div>SONY's Quick AF Live Preview mode doesn't send the image to the</div><div>main image sensor for previews; rather, it keeps the mirror in</div><div>place and lets the image head for the viewfinder housing as</div>
<div>usual. But from there, it subtly tilts a mirror in the</div><div>viewfinder housing to send the image to a small second sensor</div><div>sitting above the eyepiece. That sensor then generates the live</div><div>preview, which, SONY says, shows a real-time image without the</div>
<div>above drawbacks. The result: a DSLR that allows easy live</div><div>previews like a point-and-shoot, but maintains the speed and</div><div>responsiveness of a true SLR. (Another pro touch: choosing Live</div><div>Preview mode completely closes the optical viewfinder,</div>
<div>preventing stray light from entering it and affecting either the</div><div>preview or the actual shooting.) </div><div><br></div><div>So, that's the headline technology in this camera. It also</div><div>sports a 2.7' LCD monitor that tilts forward or back and even</div>
<div>folds out like a camping table; with that and Quick AF Live</div><div>Preview, you can compose shots with the camera held at just</div><div>about any height or angle. Other features of note include</div><div>10.2-megapixel CCD sensor with Bionz image processor, ISO up to</div>
<div>3200, Super SteadyShot image stabilization, pop-up flash, and</div><div>continuous shooting speeds of 3 frames per second (2 using Live</div><div>View). </div><div><br></div><div>More info: </div><div><a href="http://www.sony.jp/products/Consumer/dslr/products/body/DSLR-" target="_blank">http://www.sony.jp/products/Consumer/dslr/products/body/DSLR-</a></div>
<div>A300/index.html (Japanese)</div><div><a href="http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/" target="_blank">http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/</a></div><div>ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId</div>
<div>=8198552921665345641 (English)</div><div><br></div><div>========================================================</div><div>-------------------- ICA Event - July 16 -----------------</div><div><br></div><div>Speaker: Charles Nikiel</div>
<div>Vice President of Marketing, Salesforce.com</div><div><br></div><div>Topic: Innovation not Infrastructure:</div><div>A New Model for Business Success</div><div><br></div><div>Details: Complete event details at <a href="http://www.icajapan.jp/" target="_blank">http://www.icajapan.jp/</a></div>
<div>(RSVP Required)</div><div>Date: Wednesday, July 16, 2008</div><div>Time: 6:30 Doors open includes open bar and light buffet</div><div>Cost: 4,000 yen (members), 6,000 yen (non-members)</div><div><br></div><div>Open to all-venue is The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan</div>
<div><a href="http://www.fccj.or.jp/aboutus/map" target="_blank">http://www.fccj.or.jp/aboutus/map</a></div><div><br></div><div>-----------------------------------------------------------</div><div><br></div><div>DOCOMO SO706i aids English, Chinese conversation</div>
<div><br></div><div>Name: NTT DOCOMO FOMA SO706i </div><div>Category: mobile phone </div><div>Price: Open price (about JPY40,000)</div><div>Release date in Japan: July 4, 2008</div><div><br></div><div>Just in time for the coming Beijing Olympics, NTT DOCOMO's new</div>
<div>FOMA SO706i is all about features and applications for the world</div><div>traveler. The SONY-Ericsson-made unit works with DOCOMO's 'WORLD</div><div>WING (3G+GSM)' service, offering voice and email connectivity in</div>
<div>159 countries and regions. To help out owners in face-to-face</div><div>communication overseas there's 'TalkMan Flash', a Flash-based</div><div>version of the PlayStation Portable conversation program. Learn</div>
<div>classic phrases like 'I'd like a wake-up call' in English and</div><div>Chinese, or play the phrases out loud to your listener. </div><div><br></div><div>When the travels are done, the SO706i would like to help you</div>
<div>stay in touch with your new international friends, via mail</div><div>templates (such as birthday greetings) in eight languages. </div><div><br></div><div>Beyond that, 'travel' features venture into the</div>
<div>less-than-useful. 'Style Up Panels' to pretty-up the phone are</div><div>available in a new 'Panel Travel' series, with names like</div><div>'Beijing Bloom' and 'Tokyo Rail', but that's just decoration.</div>
<div>More interestingly, as its standby screen, the phone will</div><div>display informative info pages taken from TBS's 'World Heritage'</div><div>program and the beloved 'Sekai no Arukikata' travel guidebook</div>
<div>series - but as random pages, not as searchable e-books. Expect</div><div>to be served an overview of the Belgian Cat Parade while you</div><div>explore Beijing's Forbidden City. </div><div><br></div><div>Finally, note that this phone is for travelers who know where</div>
<div>they're going: in a surprising omission, there's no GPS. </div><div><br></div><div>Other specs: One-seg TV tuner, 2.8-inch display, 2-megapixel</div><div>camera, DCMX e-wallet, PDF/document viewer, 98g. Pink Gold,</div>
<div>Platinum White, or Onyx Black. </div><div><br></div><div>More info:</div><div><a href="http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/product/foma/706i/so706i/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/product/foma/706i/so706i/index.html</a></div>
<div>(Japanese)</div><div><br></div><div>========================================================</div><div>---------- Metropolis and eigoTown.com Party --------------</div><div><br></div><div>July 26, 2008 - Hundreds of party people out for a good time</div>
<div>@ Alife, Nishi-Azabu. Alcohol, food and music!</div><div><br></div><div>What you get:</div><div>All-you-can drink</div><div>Live Shows</div><div>Prizes: **Trip for two to Macau courtesy of Viva Macau**</div><div>DJs</div>
<div>+ Single people</div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.metropolis.co.jp/iparty/" target="_blank">http://www.metropolis.co.jp/iparty/</a></div><div><br></div><div>Nearest stn: Roppongi. <a href="http://www.metropolis.co.jp/party" target="_blank">www.metropolis.co.jp/party</a></div>
<div><br></div><div>CORPORATE SPONSORS WELCOME</div><div><br></div><div>-----------------------------------------------------------</div><div><br></div><div>Kakaku.com survey reveals huge potential for iPhone 3G?</div><div>
<br></div><div>Sure, the iPhone 3G is getting all the attention and the</div><div>slobbering raves from gadget hounds (and regular people) around</div><div>the world. But just what are the chances that this blend of</div>
<div>Apple gadget and SoftBank Mobile service will displace many of</div><div>the feature-packed, slick mobile phones offered by Japan's other</div><div>carriers, especially the entrenched DOCOMO? </div><div><br></div>
<div>Pretty good, maybe. </div><div><br></div><div>Japanese gadget price-tracking site Kakaku.com surveyed nearly</div><div>8000 of its online members on their inclination to just talk</div><div>about the iPhone versus actually buy one. The results may point</div>
<div>to an unpleasant surprise for DOCOMO, au, and WILLCOM. </div><div><br></div><div>Jumping right to the big findings: Among all respondents, 18%</div><div>say they've ordered or plan to buy an iPhone. Another 33% are</div>
<div>'considering' purchase. That's over 50% of all respondents</div><div>claiming to be confirmed or potential buyers! </div><div><br></div><div>Looking at only the non-SoftBank carriers, 46% of respondents</div>
<div>plan to buy or are considering an iPhone. Of these, 36% have it</div><div>in mind as a second phone; 64% are mulling it as their one and</div><div>only. What that means for DOCOMO, au and WILLCOM: to the extent</div>
<div>that survey results are meaningful, nearly 30% of their existing</div><div>customers are at least considering wholesale defection to</div><div>SoftBank, all for this one device. That's got to be a hot topic</div>
<div>for hastily-called meetings in the carriers' citadels. </div><div><br></div><div>Those potential buyers do have their concerns, of course.</div><div>Pricing was the biggest, though that doesn't tell us much;</div>
<div>SoftBank announced its pricing details just as the survey was</div><div>almost finished. More relevantly, the iPhone's lack of Felica</div><div>e-wallet, swappable battery, and One-seg TV hit a sore spot with</div>
<div>some, while others are nervous about contracting with relative</div><div>newcomer SoftBank Mobile. Even though the mobile number</div><div>portability system will let switchers carry their old phone</div><div>number over to the iPhone, contract cancellation charges and</div>
<div>other switching fees are also a concern. </div><div><br></div><div>Still, Kakaku.com's survey found many Japanese appreciate the</div><div>iPhone's features, design, and interface, and are eager to put</div>
<div>the gadget to work playing media and browsing web sites.</div><div>(Interest was lower in its more mundane role as a phone; many</div><div>excited purchasers are no doubt reading 'iPhone' as 'iPod +</div>
<div>Internet'.) In the end, Kakaku.com sees the makings of bombshell</div><div>falling on the Japanese mobile scene. </div><div><br></div><div>So, are the survey's predictions of an iPhone frenzy believable?</div>
<div>One never knows; with an online poll of this nature, people with</div><div>an existing interest in the survey topic no doubt respond</div><div>disproportionately, skewing the results. So take it all with</div><div>some salt. </div>
<div><br></div><div>In any case, the device hits streets around the world on July</div><div>11, most likely the day you read this. So from today just keep</div><div>an eye on the daily news, your local SoftBank Mobile shop, and</div>
<div>the phone-clutching crowds on Japan's streets to get the real</div><div>story. </div><div><br></div><div>(You won't get a hands-on report from me, though, at least not</div><div>for a while. My local SoftBank Mobile shop is pre-sold out, and</div>
<div>tells me to get in line and wait with the rest of the crowds.) </div><div><br></div><div>Lots more detail from the Kakaku.com survey:</div><div><a href="http://www.tekronomicon.com/iphone_survey_1" target="_blank">http://www.tekronomicon.com/iphone_survey_1</a></div>
<div><a href="http://www.tekronomicon.com/iphone_survey_2" target="_blank">http://www.tekronomicon.com/iphone_survey_2</a> (English)</div><div><br></div><div>========================================================</div>
<div>---------- International Business Awards Japan ------------</div>
<div><br></div><div>**J@pan Inc is pleased to announce the opening of nominations</div><div>for the International Business Awards Japan 2008**</div><div><br></div><div>Is your CEO or company worthy of recognition? The J@pan Inc</div>
<div>International Business Awards 2008 gives you the opportunity</div><div>to nominate business people and corporations you feel deserve</div><div>to win an award</div><div><br></div><div>HAVE YOUR SAY, GO TO <a href="http://www.japaninc.com/" target="_blank">http://www.japaninc.com/</a></div>
<div><br></div><div>CORPORATE SPONSORS WELCOME</div><div>-----------------------------------------------------------</div><div><br></div><div>Short items</div><div><br></div><div>Spotted elsewhere in the news:</div><div>
<br>
</div><div>1) SoftBank Mobile announced that it's shutting down its 2G</div><div>mobile services, which have been in operation since April 1994,</div><div>on March 31, 2010. The company will focus all resources on its</div>
<div>3G services that began in December, 2002. Existing 2G users will</div><div>receive notices on what they need to do to upgrade.</div><div><a href="http://www.softbankmobile.co.jp/ja/news/press/2008/20080703_01/" target="_blank">http://www.softbankmobile.co.jp/ja/news/press/2008/20080703_01/</a></div>
<div>index.html (Japanese)</div><div><br></div><div>2) Gifu-based Plus Gain Inc. has released the VOLX Palette U-MP3</div><div>Player 2GB, a USB thumb drive-style audio player (MP3 and WMA)</div><div>weighing a scant 7 grams - half the weight of an iPod shuffle</div>
<div>and a lot cheaper to boot, claims the company. 'iTunes not</div><div>required!' is another sales boast (if one that perhaps</div><div>misunderstands a strength of the competition). Choose from</div><div>black, white, blue, pink, or the interestingly-named 'apple</div>
<div>green'. Includes strap and earphones. JPY2980. </div><div><a href="http://store.shopping.yahoo.co.jp/plus-d/vx-u-mp3-2.html" target="_blank">http://store.shopping.yahoo.co.jp/plus-d/vx-u-mp3-2.html</a></div><div>
<br></div><div>3) Introducing the HELLO KITTY Digital Broadcast Hi-Vision LCD</div>
<div>TV, also known as the TL19TX1 over at Uniden. ('HELLO TL19TX1!'</div><div>Naw, that's not working.) It's a 19-inch (1440x810) all-digital</div><div>(no analog receiver) TV with HDMI interface, Electronic Program</div>
<div>Guide, lots of image/sound-enhancing technologies with fancy</div><div>names, and Kitty silhouettes gracing the front grille. In</div><div>black/red or (of course) white/pink. Yours for JPY69,800 (and</div><div>stop pretending you don't want it).</div>
<div><a href="http://www.uniden-direct.jp/product/lcd_kitty.html" target="_blank">http://www.uniden-direct.jp/product/lcd_kitty.html</a></div><div><br></div><div>-----------------------------------------------------------</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>J@pan Inc - Managing Editor/Entrepreneur</div><div><br></div><div>J@pan Inc magazine, the publication for foreign entrepreneurs</div><div>and businesspeople in Japan is seeking a Managing Editor with</div><div>strong entrepreneurial instincts. Not your run-of-the-mill</div>
<div>editing position, we require someone with strong editorial and</div><div>management experience to both manage an editorial and production</div><div>team to turn out Japan's largest English-language business</div>
<div>monthly. The successful candidate would also be expected to</div><div>shape the magazine to become a proactive player in the foreign</div><div>business community. Think content involving the world's largest</div>
<div>companies and business development involving some of Japan's</div><div>most enterprising businesses -- an unlikely combination but an</div><div>exciting opportunity to make your mark in Japan.</div><div><br></div>
<div>Remuneration will be industry competitive and prospects</div><div>excellent.</div><div><br></div><div>To apply, please send your resume, covering letter and</div><div>any relevant clippings to: <a href="mailto:terrie@japaninc.com" target="_blank">terrie@japaninc.com</a></div>
<div><br></div><div>-----------------------------------------------------------</div><div><br></div><div>----------------------------------------------------------------</div><div>STAFF</div><div>Written by: Timm Tuttle</div>
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<div>--------NEW GADGET BLOG: TEKRONOMICON.COM------------------</div><div><br></div><div>In collaboration with Gadget Watch, Gadget blog Tekronomicon</div><div>offers a detailed look at select gadgets - shiny and strange,</div>
<div>from gizmo ground zero in Tokyo.</div><div>See the gadgets introduced in Gadget Watch,</div><div>with photos and more at: <a href="http://www.tekronomicon.com" target="_blank">www.tekronomicon.com</a></div><div><br>
</div><div>-----------------------------------------------------------</div>
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