japan

The key railway artery in Japan, the Shinkansen or "bullet train" line between Tokyo and Osaka, will introduce Wi-Fi by March 2009, Japan Railways announced.

These trains are already incredibly comfortable, primarily because they are clean and quiet, and they usually deliver you to a key central location in each city. Another perk is the on-platform food vendors who sell totally passable box lunches, sometimes including sushi, without much of a mark-up.

The main drawback to these trains is they're not cheap. And while the JR announcement (in Japanese) doesn't mention whether there will be a … Read more

Japan Trust Technology, a Japanese electronics company, has just released a driving wheel for Wii racing games. Unlike other Wii driving accessories in the market, the JTT Wii Wheel has a suction cup that allows it to attach to any flat surfaces such as the table or floor.

This way, the wheel will stay in one place while you frantically maneuver through the racing course. You can also adjust the wheel to whichever angle (up to 120 degrees) you're comfortable with. All you need to do is clip the Wii remote onto the center of the wheel and you … Read more

Corrected July 9 at 6 p.m. PDT: This blog initially stated that CIS reached an efficiency of 20 percent. The studies showing that efficiency used a higher light concentration than the studies of CIGS efficiency. When comparing the two, CIS has a lower efficiency of around 15 percent.

Royal Dutch Shell subsidiary Showa Shell Sekiyu, Japan's fifth-largest oil refiner, plans to invest 100 billion yen, or about $938 million, in a solar-panel megaplant, according to AFP.

The planned factory will produce panels with the cumulative annual capacity to produce 1 gigawatt of power, equivalent to that of a … Read more

According to a recent survey, the Japanese hate the BlackBerry and love the iPhone. This Nikkei Business Publications chart reveals one possible reason: smartphones aren't generally used for business there.

iShare, which conducted the survey, also asked respondents if they "feel that the number of people carrying two mobile terminals will increase as a result of the expansion of the smartphone market."

Roughly 30 percent of all respondents said "Yes," while more than 10 percent said, "No, it will decrease" as consumers look to use one device for all of their mobile-computing needs. … Read more

Those who are familiar with Japan's Strapya will undoubtedly remember any number of its bizarre products, which usually come in the form of some misguided cell phone accessory. But there's actually a more serious side to the company, believe it or not, one that involves environmentally friendly products.

Earlier this year, for instance, Strapya came out with a solar charger small enough to fit on a keychain. And now it has released the "Zero," a mobile phone case made from recycled tires.

Inventor Spot speculates that these cases may reflect a new green awareness among younger … Read more

Kohjinsha made a name for itself by offering one of the most affordable convertible tablet PCs in the market. Its most recent lines, the SC and SX series, now come equipped with the latest Atom processors.

The SC range is an upgrade from the older SH series, choosing portability over an integrated optical drive. The 7-inch screen has a 1,024 x 600 resolution, with the main changes being its 1.33GHz Atom chip and the addition of an ExpressCard/34 slot. The Japanese model comes with an integrated 1Seg TV tuner, which will likely be removed when it hits … Read more

Love dogs. Love the Japanese even more for their highly bizarre gizmos. No other country has consistently amused and amazed the world with its weird and wacked-out inventions. Try topping this latest idea: Ringtones audible only to dogs, from Tokyo-based interactive content provider Dwango (PDF in Japanese).

Lest you think it's an error in translation, Dwango describes the download service very clearly as Inu ni shika kikoenai chakushinon--which translates to "Ringtones only dogs can hear," according to CrunchGear. But since this is available specifically for DoCoMo's i-mode phones, only Japanese dogs need apply.

(Source: Crave Asia) … Read more

After announcing Japan's iPhone 3G in one of the shortest press releases ever, Softbank is following up with a little more information in the way of pricing.

According to a Reuters report, the 8GB iPhone 3G will cost 23,040 yen ($213), while the higher-capacity 16GB model will retail for 34,560 yen ($319). Subscribers will need to sign a two-year contract when the handset, distributed exclusively by Softbank, launches in Japan on July 11. They can also opt for a plan that will allow them to talk for free among Softbank subscribers for most of the day with … Read more

A man arrested in connection with a rampage Sunday that killed seven people in Japan's popular Akihabara electronics district allegedly posted messages on the Internet warning of such events, according to news reports.

Tomohiro Kato, 25, was arrested on suspicion of driving a two-ton, rented truck into the crowded Akihabara district, then jumping out and stabbing 17 bystanders, according to the Associated Press.

In the hours prior to the rampage, Kato allegedly posted dozens of warnings on the Internet. A Reuters report that cited Japanese newspapers included these alleged messages from Kato:

"I will kill people in Akihabara.&… Read more