Tokyo Shift

The future is now in the land of the rising sun

QR codes in the wild in Japan

Nov 17, 2009 16:09

I've been fascinated by QR codes in Japan even before I came here. For anyone wondering what this technology is about, here's a great explanation by Mobile Ojisan from a few years back:

QR (Quick Rresponse) Code is a matrix two-dimensional printable code, originally developed by an automobile component manufacturer, Denso of Tokyo. Whereas classic barcode can carry only numerals, QR Code stores any character, alphanumeric or even Kanji... [Typing a] URL could pose a big problem. You need to hit, on average, 2.5 key strokes for a single ASCII character with your left/right thumb. No K-tai user wants to type a long and tedious URL this way... A K-tai user simply "clicks" this QR Code with his K-tai camera. The decoding software kicks in and delivers the decoded URL to K-tai browser. It jumps to the Web site directly.

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How Nintendo can fend off Apple's gaming challenge

Nov 13, 2009 00:53

Way back in March, I wrote a post on here entitled On a collision course: iPhone vs Nintendo DSi. Since then a lot has happened. Most notably, back in September we saw Phil Schiller suddenly lauding the touch and the iPhone as gaming platforms. He claimed that they not only rivaled the DS and PSP, but, according to him and his fancy bar graphs, surpassed them.

As much as I love Apple, I think that claim is pretty questionable. The innovative titles that are still coming out on the DS are tough to beat (I've been playing Scribblenauts, and it's wicked!). Nintendo is going to have to move to a fully digital distribution model though, because these little plastic cards are becoming pass� real quick. This is where Apple has the Japanese company thoroughly beat.
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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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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.