electronics

Better than Apple EarPods? Our 100 yen shop earphone showdown finds a true champion

Testing the highest-quality earphones from Daiso and the rest of Japan’s lowest-priced stores.

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How do you beat Bic Camera’s Lucky Box lines, and what’s inside their Sim-Free Phone box?

Our reporter gets the inside scoop!

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We test out Daiso’s “High-Quality Stereo Earphones” and find a pair that actually impressed us

Can 300 yen (US$2.26) headphones actually have enough difference in sound quality to be distinguished?

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Tokyo has a completely unmanned, honor-system electronics and appliance shop【Photos】

Mr. Sato takes a trip to GO12, easily the strangest place in the city to buy a microwave.

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Mr. Sato meets a familiar friend in this electronics lucky bag from Akihabara 【Photos】

It’s not déjà vu, Mr. Sato; it’s just luck.

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Anime-style magic circle cordless charging pad is the coolest way ever to charge a phone【Video】

Japanese company’s gadget for summoning life force for your devices is awesome…but maybe too awesome to be real.

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Akihabara fans shed a tear as iconic sign comes down, changing the cityscape of Electric Town

These photos capture the late-night action that spells the end of an era for Electric Town.

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Poké Ball mobile battery will keep your phone fully charged for all this summer’s Pokémon fun

Pikachu, of course, is also part of the electricity-delivering options.

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Sounds like this electronics shop’s products work a little too well.

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Can you solve the case of the missing bronze statue of Sharp Corporation’s founder?

Is this the Curse of Sharp in the making?

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Sony unveils bizarre new TV remote control with built-in speaker, met with confusion and LOLs

It’s amazing how much technology has become an integral part of our everyday lives. Companies continually strive to outdo one another by bringing us the latest modern conveniences and seeking to create new and unique gizmos that we won’t want to live without. That said, there are times when we seem to rely on technology more than we need to, and when it feels like companies release new devices without much of a goal in mind besides trying to be different..

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A trait of good business leaders is that however high they rise in the company, they never overlook the organization’s frontline operations. It’s important, even for presidents and CEOs, to understand how low-level employees go about their tasks and the manner in which products are purchased and used.

According to accusations from Korean electronics maker Samsung, though, a senior executive from rival LG Electronics got a little too zealous in his point-of-sale activities when he stopped by a retailer and broke one of Samsung’s display models.

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The 20 most wanted Christmas presents in Japan

Amazon Japan decided to hold its own Cyber Monday sale a few weeks after the North American counterpart. Through the campaign and sales data, they have announced the 20 most wanted Christmas presents in Japan. Clinching the top spot was none other than Sony’s PlayStation 4 which while not the dazzling success that it has been outside Japan has seen strong sales numbers since launch.

But what else do the people of Japan really want this Christmas? Check out the rest of the list below!

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Give your ears some cute company with these kitty-shaped earphone clips

For some people, earphones are as much about carving out a little privacy as they are listening to music. Pop in a pair, and only the pushiest of individuals will try to engage you in a conversation, meaning you’re largely left alone in a bubble of just you and your favorite tunes.

But no matter how unappealing you may find the prospect of another human being encroaching on your psychological personal space, we think just about anyone would make an exception and be happy to have these cute little cat-shaped earphone clips in close proximity.

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The Olympics gives the world’s most talented athletes a chance to show their abilities to people all over the globe. It also gives the world’s most wealthy marketers a chance to show their products to that same audience.

Among the Games’ biggest sponsors is Samsung, whose Galaxy Note 3 was granted the title of official phone of the Sochi Olympics in thanks of its manufacturer’s generosity. Some reports are claiming that the Korean electronics maker isn’t showing a respect for healthy competition, though, by asking athletes with iPhones to make sure they cover the Apple logo when on-camera.

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Michael Bay loses it on stage, pretty much ruins Samsung’s CES presentation

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2014 is currently underway over in Las Vegas, giving the industry’s big players a chance to flaunt their wares and drum up publicity for the coming year. With so much shiny new tech on show, it will be difficult to pick an overall winner, but Samsung’s presentation earlier today with special guest world-famous director Michael Bay will no doubt go down as most memorable, though not as the South Korean company might have hoped.

There to discuss Samsung’s gorgeous new 150-inch curved TV set, the Transformers director fluffed his lines and promptly marched off stage, leaving executive vice president Joe Stinziano with little left to do but ask the audience to thank Mr. Bay for coming, prompting one of the most awkward rounds of applause in CES history.

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Curved screens and bendable batteries: Say hello to the gadgets of the not-so-distant future!

No matter how shiny and slim your new smartphone is, no matter how high-definition a display it has, it’s still very much a slab of plastic and metal with a screen sitting in the middle. But what if your phone’s screen could wrap around the sides? Imagine if the edges of your tablet computer could also be used as a touch screen, removing the need for physical buttons entirely. Or how about a wrist watch whose strap could also function as a display?

Imagine no more: Japan’s SEL is already producing that very technology, and it’s positively droolworthy.

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The future of eco-friendly electronics? Samsung introduces new line of origami-inspired printers

Samsung is known the world over for its stylish, high-quality products, but we doubt that anyone could have predicted the latest creation from Korea’s premier electronics maker. Let us introduce you to a brand new range of eco-friendly printers that are all inspired by none other than the art of origami.

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Control Your Computer With a Flick of The Wrist Using “Gesture Glove Mouse”

Thanko, Japan’s self-proclaimed “rare things shop,” is now selling a glove that allows users to control a computer or Android device using hand gestures.

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Doorless Fridge of the Future Looks Good Enough For Doc Brown

Great Scott!  This fridge looks like something straight out of Back to the Future.

“Impress” has turned a few heads thanks to it’s unique honeycomb design and doorless front which makes it more of a refrigeration wall than anything else.  When inserting an item into the fridge, the white hexagonal panels recede into the machine and conform to the shape of the inserted item.  Food and drinks are easily seen as they protrude out of the doorless refrigeration wall and only areas which contain an item are cooled, saving energy.

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