Tokyo Shift

The future is now in the land of the rising sun

by Rick Martin, Japan

Footage of China's Hu with Toshiba ad is banned

Nov 4, 2009 22:38

Many of you will remember the controversy caused back in October after Chinese Netizens complained that their National Day Parade was tainted by an ad for a Japanese company. Hu Jintao's ceremonial car ride happened to pass in front of a huge Toshiba billboard, which apparently no one had the foresight to cover up.

Well, it seems China is now making every effort to cover up this embarrassment. The latest regulations from the Beijing Ministry of Media and Communications have forbidden televising or publishing this video clip online.
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iTheremin coming soon to the iPhone?

Oct 28, 2009 22:59

Here's a fun video that I stumbled across the other day. It's a short demo video for a not-yet-released iPhone application called iTheremin. Now, for the musically impaired among you who may not know what a theremin is, it's a wacky sort of instrument that is played without any physical contact. Two metal antennae detect your hand's movement, and the sound varies according to its position (see the Beach Boys' Good Vibrations for a classic example of the theremin in action).
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Another Microsoft marketing gem: The Windows 7 Whopper

Oct 23, 2009 17:45

Microsoft is just not that good at marketing. First, there was the Windows 7 Party debacle, which, thankfully, had a silver lining in the form of this parody.�And now, here in Japan to mark the launch of its new OS, Microsoft has released the Windows 7 Whopper at Burger King.

Now, I love Burger King as much as the next guy, but I can't help imagine how one might feel after eating this mammoth seven-layer hamburger.
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Japan's creativity paradox

Oct 20, 2009 23:58

Having lived for a while in China where creating often involves making an alternative spelling for an existing brand, I expected something far different when I came to Japan. Kicking out more awesome gadgets than any other nation, Japan (I thought) surely must have way more innovative, entrepreneurial types.

And while I reckon this is true to an extent, I've come to think of Japan's collective creativity as being somewhat of a paradox. Mind you, I'm still learning about this place, so stick with me for a sec... Read more »

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Pondering the future of e-book readers

Oct 14, 2009 22:23

So I was just over on Japan Probe trying to make sense of whether or not the Amazon Kindle will be "crippled" in Japan. And the more I wondered about it, the more I realized it's a waste of time to even wonder. Because to be honest, when you look at future prospects for e-book readers, the Kindle just doesn't appear very slick at all.

I hate to be the one to bring up the mythical Apple tablet again, but for argument's sake just indulge me for a moment. With iTunes, Apple already has a digital distribution system to rival that of Amazon, and it's inevitable the Cupertino company will move to e-books sooner or later.
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About Rick Martin

After a few years in China studying Mandarin and watching the Chinese Tech scene, Rick Martin has escaped to Japan and is loving every minute of it. When he's not working on his pet projects, 2JPN and DS Ninja, he can usually be found exploring all things tech in the land of the rising sun. Drop him a line on Twitter, Facebook, or contact him via Email.