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Japan Inc Magazine Presents:<br>
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The Hottest Gadgets and Gizmos from Japan<br>
-----------------------------------------------------------<br>
Issue No. 317 Friday October 10, 2008<br>
Subscribers: 9467<br>
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========================================================</p>
<p>'Media Port UP': the strangest thing Nikon's ever made </p>
<p>Name: Nikon Media Port UP300x<br>
Category: portable AV player<br>
Price: JPY69,800<br>
Release date in Japan: Mid December, 2008</p>
<p>Sorry for the odd article title, but this one's not easy to<br>
describe. Out of nowhere, staid Nikon suddenly announces a<br>
'multimedia playback headset device' dubbed the Media Port UP,<br>
or UP for short. (Pronounce that as individual letters, not as<br>
'up'. As always, there's English-language imagery behind the<br>
name: Nikon offers a half-dozen derivations, including<br>
'universal port', 'ubiquitous player', and 'U (your) pleasure'.)</p>
<p>In Nikon's words, 'This innovative product, which incorporates<br>
display, headphones, mobile A/V player, Wi-Fi capability,<br>
high-capacity memory, and power source in a single compact unit<br>
is the first of its type. The UP allows users to easily enjoy<br>
high-quality images, videos, and music anywhere.'</p>
<p>In short, the UP takes the media player out of your hands and<br>
puts it all on your head. It's a set of full-ear padded<br>
headphones with a tiny arm-mounted video screen that sits in<br>
front of one eye, like something from a sci-fi flick. Nikon says<br>
that despite the tiny 0.44-inch, 640x480-pixel size, the<br>
16-million color backlit LCD display offers the experience of<br>
viewing a 50-inch screen at a 3-meter distance. (Viewed with one<br>
eye only, that is, an experience that sounds decidedly odd.)<br>
Nikon is serious about the hands-free aspect, too: an internal<br>
motion sensor lets you control volume and other features with<br>
head movements alone. </p>
<p>Media is transfered via USB and stored on internal 8GB flash<br>
memory; 802.11b/g WiFi allows downloads of new media, with Nikon<br>
promising a content download service ('UPLINK') and video<br>
sharing site ('UPLAB') in the near future. (There's even a web<br>
browser available in that eyepiece; no word yet on how you'd<br>
actually use it.) Formats handled include WMV9, MPEG-1, and<br>
MPEG-2 movies, and MP3, AAC, and WMA9 audio files. An AV input<br>
jack lets you enjoy media played back from other devices. </p>
<p>It's certainly interesting, but is it useful? The internal<br>
memory holds less than 3 hours of MPEG-2 video, so you could<br>
take along, say, a single 'Lord of the Rings' installment on a<br>
flight - but be prepared to swap AA batteries after only 2<br>
hours. And will you actually enjoy watching video in one-eyed,<br>
military heads-up-display style? </p>
<p>Maybe, if you're a male aged 25-35; that's the target Nikon is<br>
gunning for. To help Nikon reach its sales goal of 3 million<br>
units by 2013, head to <a href="http://www.upstore.jp/" title="http://www.upstore.jp/">http://www.upstore.jp/</a> and get UP. (Japan<br>
only, for now.) If you're short JPY10,000, there's the cheaper<br>
UP300 model: only 4GB memory, no motion sensor controls, and no<br>
AV jack.</p>
<p>More info (English):<br>
<a href="http://www.nikon.com/about/news/2008/1007_up300_01.htm" title="http://www.nikon.com/about/news/2008/1007_up300_01.htm">http://www.nikon.com/about/news/2008/1007_up300_01.htm</a></p>
<p>========================================================</p>
<p>Tiny 'netbooks' taking big share of Japanese notebook market</p>
<p>What's this term 'netbook' that the kids have been throwing<br>
about lately? It's a really small notebook PC -†a sub-notebook,<br>
if you will. But more specifically, netbooks target those users<br>
that just want a machine for core uses - mainly browsing, email,<br>
and word processing - and want the lightest, cheapest notebook<br>
that'll handle those tasks. While there have long been wee<br>
devices in the sub-notebook category (including the palm-sized<br>
Toshiba Libretto in 1996), the Eee from Taiwan-based ASUSTek<br>
Computer jump-started the idea of netbooks as really low-cost<br>
machines when it shipped in 2007 for about US$350. </p>
<p>Low price is driving notebook sales in Japan as well, says<br>
Business Computer News (BCN). At retailers throughout the nation<br>
in September, models costing JPY100,000 and lower (roughly<br>
sub-$1000) made up 52% of notebook computer sales by number of<br>
units. Notebooks costing JPY60,000 or less - generally machines<br>
described as netbooks - alone accounted for 20% of notebook<br>
units sold. </p>
<p>Japan Acer, the local branch of Taiwan's Acer Computer, took the<br>
lion's share (54%) of that sub-JPY60,000 market, on the strength<br>
of the Aspire One model introduced just a month earlier in<br>
August. ASUSTek came in second, with 37% of unit sales in the<br>
category (down from 53% in August). Together, the two models<br>
have scooped up over 90% of the fast-growing category, leaving<br>
Japanese makers like Toshiba scrambling to catch up. </p>
<p>Revisiting the data to look at size instead of price, BCN<br>
reports that notebooks with screens 10 inches or smaller<br>
accounted for 24% of notebook unit sales, up from 20% in August.<br>
Acer and ASUS again have most of the sales, with Hewlett Packard<br>
Japan, Kohjinsha, and MSI fighting for the scraps. </p>
<p>Changing topics, what OS are Japan's buyers getting with their<br>
notebooks? The winners are Windows Vista with 72%, Windows XP<br>
with 26% (up from 22% in August) and Mac OS X at 2.4%. On the<br>
desktop side, those numbers are Vista 86%, XP 4%, and OS X 9%.<br>
Or across both categories: Vista 75%, XP 21%, OS X 4%. </p>
<p>Some good economic news: Japan's retail PC unit sales (desktop<br>
and notebook) in September were up 23% over the year previous;<br>
August sales were up 28% year-on-year. Industry watchers see<br>
this as a sign of strength in the PC market, aided by many new<br>
product intros this summer and the strength of that netbook<br>
market. </p>
<p>As a final note, BCN adds that Mac sales had been showing<br>
double-digit year-on-year monthly growth for 13 months straight,<br>
including a huge 37% leap in August. But sales were up only 0.1%<br>
year-on-year in September, possibly due to rumors over upcoming<br>
new products. (In all cases, though, take BCN's Mac data with<br>
salt; its numbers comes from POS data at 25 retail chains in<br>
Japan, a list which doesn't include the Apple Store.) </p>
<p>More info (Japanese):<br>
<a href="http://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/2008/1006/netbook.htm" title="http://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/2008/1006/netbook.htm">http://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/2008/1006/netbook.htm</a></p>
<p>========================================================</p>
<p>Third-generation Nintendo DSi adds cameras, memory card slot</p>
<p>Name: Nintendo DSi<br>
Category: portable game console<br>
Price: JPY18,900<br>
Release date in Japan: November 1, 2008</p>
<p>The Nintendo DS, the clamshell game machine with two 3-inch<br>
screens, has sold over 80 million units worldwide, making it an<br>
unqualified hit for Japan's premier game company. Following the<br>
first DS in 2004 and the redesigned DS Lite in 2006, the third<br>
generation of the gadget, dubbed the DSi, hits Japan in<br>
November. The DSi builds two cameras into the DS Lite and adds a<br>
slot for SD memory cards, while improving the speakers and<br>
growing the screens' size to 3.25 inches. Yet it manages to<br>
shave a few grams off of its body, and loses a few millimeters<br>
of bulk in one dimension (while adding a few in the other two).</p>
<p>The DSi places a 3-megapixel camera on the exterior, and a<br>
0.3-megapixel one on the inside of the hinge, facing the user.<br>
As with previous models, only the bottom screen is a touch<br>
screen. Pick 'DSi Camera' from the menu, and start snapping away<br>
with either cam. From there, play with software to add goofy<br>
effects, twist and combine faces, and even let the DSi assign a<br>
rating to how similar two side-by-side faces are. You can save<br>
images to an SD card or wirelessly exchange them with other DSi<br>
users.</p>
<p>'DSi Sound' is another menu item, letting you play music (AAC<br>
format only) from the SD card, add effects, remove vocals,<br>
sample sounds, and so on. Then there's 'DSi Shop', which looks<br>
to be a take on the iPhone's App Store. Download browsers,<br>
games, and more; some are free, some will cost Nintendo Points. </p>
<p>The device will take older Nintendo DS software as well as<br>
DSi-only software. One feature goes missing, though: the DSi<br>
removes the slot for Game Boy Advance cartridges. And in another<br>
demerit that you won't see Nintendo playing up, battery life<br>
appears to drop significantly: up to 14 hours at lowest screen<br>
brightness and 4 hours at highest, compared with 19 hours and 8<br>
hours for the DS Lite. </p>
<p>The DSi will reach gamers in Japan on November 1, but won't<br>
cross to foreign shores until some time in 2009. (Nintendo of<br>
America reports that DS Lite sales are still strong in the US,<br>
and will remain the branch's focus for a while longer.) Body<br>
color choices are white and black.</p>
<p>More info (Japanese):<br>
<a href="http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/" title="http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/">http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/</a></p>
<p>========================================================</p>
<p>Trouble Watch</p>
<p>Product recalls and other goofs:</p>
<p>Who: ASUSTeK Computer<br>
What: ASUS EeeBox B202 PC<br>
Why: Ships infected with Windows virus<br>
What to do: Call 0800-123-2787 in Japan for replacement. Do not<br>
use USB memory or other writable media (virus can be copied)<br>
More info (Japanese):<br>
<a href="http://eeepc.asus.com/jp/index.htm" title="http://eeepc.asus.com/jp/index.htm">http://eeepc.asus.com/jp/index.htm</a></p>
<p>========================================================</p>
<p>Short items</p>
<p>Spotted elsewhere in the news:</p>
<p>1) NTT Docomo will bring the BlackBerry Bold to Japan some time<br>
during the first quarter of 2009. The highest-end model from<br>
Canada's Research In Motion (RIM), the Bold boasts full browsing<br>
ability, audio and video playback, along with the line's<br>
well-known tiny physical keyboard. In Japan, the device will use<br>
Docomo's 3.6Mbps 'FOMA High Speed' HSDPA service, in addition to<br>
its 80.11a/b/g WiFi and GPS connectivity. Service pricing plans<br>
remain undecided. Like the BlackBerry 8707h before it, Docomo<br>
plans to make the model available to individual buyers as well<br>
as enterprises. Specifically, Docomo aims for 70% enterprise<br>
buyers and 30% individual with the Bold, the company's president<br>
told press. (More fun to come in 2009: Docomo also expects to<br>
launch 10 handsets running Google's new Android OS.)<br>
Press release (Japanese):<br>
<a href="http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/info/news_release/page/080929_00.html" title="http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/info/news_release/page/080929_00.html">http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/info/news_release/page/080929_00.html</a><br>
BlackBerry Bold (English):<br>
<a href="http://www.blackberry.com/blackberrybold/" title="http://www.blackberry.com/blackberrybold/">http://www.blackberry.com/blackberrybold/</a></p>
<p>2) As we turn toward rechargeable batteries to power more and<br>
more of our gadgets, including electric vehicles, our first<br>
question is always 'How much use will I get from a charge?' But<br>
manufacturers wrestle with additional parameters, including time<br>
required to recharge, number of charge cycles before the battery<br>
wears out, and safety of the battery. Toshiba is showing off a<br>
prototype Super Charge Ion Battery (SCiB) that excels in those<br>
areas. Its SCiB, as demonstrated at CEATEC 2008 in a Dynabook<br>
laptop, recharges to 90% of capacity in only 10 minutes, can<br>
take over 5000 recharge cycles (compared to about 500 for<br>
lithium-ion), and unlike lithium-ion batteries doesn't risk<br>
explosion if crushed. No news yet on Toshiba's big market plans,<br>
but SCiBs have already found a place in industrial uses, and<br>
should appear in various makers' electric bicycles from next<br>
year.<br>
More info (English): <a href="http://tiny.cc/nxj0z" title="http://tiny.cc/nxj0z">http://tiny.cc/nxj0z</a><br>
========================================================<br>
STAFF<br>
Written by: Timm Tuttle<br>
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<p>--------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><br>
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<p>-----------------------------------------------------------<br>
------------------- ICA Event - Oct 16 --------------------</p>
<p>Topic: The Expanding Virtualization Market<br>
and How Virtualization Can Enhance the Enterprise</p>
<p>Presenter: Jon Robertson, Senior Director of Sales at VMware KK</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)</p>
<p>Date: Thursday, Oct 16, 2008<br>
Time: 6:30 Doors open, sit down dinner included<br>
Cost: 3,000 yen (members), 5,500 yen (non-members)<br>
Open to all-venue is The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan<br>
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<p>-----------------------------------------------------------</p></div>