Check the train schedule while you eat sushi...in Japan

E-readers are all the rage (this week at least), so it should come as no surprise that another e-reader story is appearing on Crave.

Tech-On reports that Fujitsu is currently conducting a test of the Kindle-like Flepia mobile information terminal in Tokyo at the Termina Kinshicho Fujiya Restaurant.

The test is being conducted as a joint venture between SoftBank Telecom and Mainichi Newspapers.

I get the feeling that in the U.S. they'd have to chain these to the wall.

(Credit: Tech-On)

Customers of the restaurant will be able to use the Flepia's (maybe Flepia is the plural?) to browse newspapers and advertisements wirelessly sent to the terminals.

Accoring to Tech-ON, the companies will verify whether the electronic paper module can be accepted as a terminal for reading newspapers, train schedules and weather reports, and whether the service can promote sales and boost customer satisfaction.

This system uses the "BB Mobile Point" wireless LAN service to deliver the content and to regularly update the content being displayed on the Flepia.

The Flepia uses electricity only when the displayed information is switched. As they don't need to be charged during business hours, there is no need to provide electricity to the table. LCD panel-based terminals, which have been used on tables (in japan), require an electrical supply at the table.

Hopefully someone had the foresight to serve the menu through the service as well. That seems like a given to me, but what do I know about quirky Japanese gizmos?

[yanchineseguy]

I guess this will eventually replace those newspapers displayed in kiosks.

[socrateos]

> maybe FLEPia is the plural?

Japanese language does not have plural form of nouns.
So it must be a singular.