IP phones, especially PC-to-phone kind, have become the staple of your Mobile Ojisan these days. The popular Skype, its lookalike Gizmo, Yahoo! Messengers, Bill Gates Messengers, Lycos Phone... there is a plethora of them lurking around. All of them have PC-to-phone scheme with some extra cost.

In the mad land of Japan where a quasi-monopoly dominates and dictates the international phone traffic, these IP phones are the only economic ally for poor Mobile Ojisan. Their phone gateways are usually in the US or Europe where the overseas calls are charged somewhat more rationally.

Only problem of these PC-based IP phones is that, as you are painfully aware, your computer has to be running all the time. This would be no problem where electricity bill is within human size. But again in mad land of Japan, I can't honestly say: "Oh, no problem!"
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Remember Cyberdyne Systems Corporation? Back in 1984, this unknown company reverse-engineered a press-crushed robot from its future generation, built the T800 series of nasty hardware, and shipped it as a California Governor.

The distributor of this Terminator governor, MGM, made a small mistake, though. Because Cyberdyne did not exist physically in this world, MGM lawyers forgot to register it. No copyright has been established for this innovative corporation!

Eventually, this prestigious name was eagerly picked up in distant Japan. Cyberdyne Inc. of Tsukuba-city is a robotics venture headed by an egghead from nearby Tsukuba research academic complex.

Cyberdyne HAL exoskeleton. If you have a gait impediment, HAL will be a great gospel.

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Robot freaks in Japan are very fortunate these days because they can find quite a few robot kits, bipedal walking ones mostly, readily in Akihabara speciality shops. They don't need to design a complicated limb mechanism from scratch anymore. Simply buy a skeleton kit, and concentrate in writing movement software. Things are getting easier if you are not striving to be leading-edge.

RB2000, fully assembled. Battery (NiMH) included.

One of the newest and most affordable kits comes from Japan Remote Control Co. of Higashi Osaka, a remote control specialist, and Vstone Co., a robotics venture. Its joint product, the RB2000 robot kit, carries a very reasonable price of 79,800 yen (US$678), and will come to your neighborhood robot shop around November/December.
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How much good dough are you ready to burn for your PC keyboard?

Most computer geeks are pretty stingy. They refuse to spit out more than the miserable amount their grandmas had spent to buy a washboard 50 years ago. So when you hear some people are eagerly paying more than US$5,000 to buy a keyboard, you will shake your head and murmur: "Oh my, this world's gone mad"! I perfectly agree. Japan is a mad, mad country.

Close-up of HHKB Professional HP Japan The most outrageous and crazy keyboard in human history.

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These days, Japanese K-tai terminals have grown exactly like a Swiss Army Knife. Both are bulging with hundreds of useful, useless and ridiculous features. Presently, the only stunt a 3G K-tai can't perform well is slicing Prosciutto di Parma for your sandwich, while its Swiss brethren are extremely good at it. It's not because Japanese K-tai are clumsy, but its manufacturers do not want their proud products totally banned on the flight. Ah well, this is a tough time. Crazy American airports ban absolutely everything shiny and glittery.

Already having heavily overloaded with two digital cameras (high-res main and mid-res sub), Osaifu K-tai (mobile wallet), One Seg (digital terrestrial TV for mobile), MP3 player and a full browser, Japanese K-tais will have to accept another obligatory function by April next year. Sure, a GPS unit. So far, this bulky gear has been an optional feature only.




Archetypical school pack for Japanese kids impregnated with a GPS K-tai.
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