technology (Page 44)

Smartphone Vs Wine Bottle: Can this New “Shockproof Film” Save the Mobile Device?

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While attending Wireless Japan 2012 this year, we were able to see some offerings by the best companies of the mobile industry.  But many times, it’s the small to mid-sized businesses that really aim to make a name for themselves.

Enter Sun Crest Ltd., who shocked many with their line of shockproof screen film protectors.  Although it’s not officially released, we got ahold of a sample and put it to the test with some whacks from a wine bottle.

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Worried about power shortage? Now you can carry around your own portable solar power source!

Conservation and efficient use of energy is a huge issue these days, particularly in Japan where the nuclear power plants have been shut down and people are seriously concerned about whether we will have enough electric power in the coming summer months when electricity use will be at the highest. Well, if you’re worried about running out of electric power, here’s the perfect gadget for you – your very own portable solar panel kit! Read More

Capture Highway Wackiness, Prove Your Driving Skills with this Rearview Mirror with Camera and LED Display

Now you can capture random moments of craziness or novelty happening while you’re driving with this new in-car camera / rearview mirror from Hamwha. It looks more or less like a normal rearview mirror but has an internal camera pointing forward to record what’s happening in front of your vehicle. Read More

These cute little gadgets will keep you cool in the summer – so what are they?

Can you guess what these gadgets are? It’s hard to tell from their appearance, isn’t it? Well, they’re portable devices that are designed to keep you cool in warm weather, so they’re not just cute and smart looking, they’re actually quite functional. So what exactly are they and how are they used? Read More

Use Your Sushi … On Your Smartphone

So you want to keep your smartphone on your desktop, but you don’t want to lay it flat to get inadvertently smothered by paperwork or worry about some careless mungo putting their coffee mug on it. Or you want to watch some videos on it so you prop it up against your coffee mug but the phone slides down and you actually want to drink your coffee at some point. Read More

Create Your Own Amazing Computer Animation Simply By Playing With Dolls, I Mean Action Figures



There has been a lot of talk about Qumarion especially since preorders have been announced to start on 21 June at 15:00.  This device, often referred to as a mannequin or action figure (but never the D-word dreaded by boys everywhere), can conceivably allow anyone with basic motor skills to create computer animation on par with the pros.

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Softbank Releases World’s First Radiation-Detecting Phone

This week, Softbank Mobile presented the newest iteration of its popular Pantone phones, and these are some pretty smart smartphones. So smart, in fact, that they can double as a Geiger counter. Read More

Honda Unveils Uni-Cub: Segway For La Derriere (Unoriginal Title, but Oh So Accurate and Concise)

At a Tokyo press event, Honda showed off its single-rider, hands-free personal mobility device, the Uni-cub. The Uni-Cub can move in every direction  just by shifting your weight, including rotating in place, and is about the height of a chair, so you can put your feet on the ground at any time. One of the biggest advantages is that your hands are free, so you can hold a sign that says, “I believe I’m more awesome than you”. Read More

Well, the combination of the first two was working out well, apparently. (For those of you who don’t know, there are many regional dialects / accents in Japan. The most easily found is likely the Kansai dialect, due to the huge number of comedians and entertainers you can see on TV.) In any case, following the logic of [cute girls] + [dialects] = [cute], they created a late-night TV program featuring these girls doing various  things in their respective dialects (PG-rated, presumably). Due to the skyrocketing popularity of the TV show, the next natural step was to … promote men’s electric shavers. Read More

Denta-Pride’s Electronic Tooth Brushing Coach uses Bluetooth to Make Teeth White, But May Go On A Power Trip

We probably all feel comfortable with the way we brush our teeth; after meals just like we were always told.  But how long do you brush for?  Do you brush with the right amount of pressure?  Are you sure you’re giving each part of your mouth its fair share of brushing time?

A recent development in electric toothbrushes the Oral B Denta-Pride 5000 allows us to answer these impossible questions, but then hits us with another puzzle – why 5000?

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Demand for “Mini-Dam” Rain Barrels Triples in Year-Plus Since 3/11, Municipal Subsidies Available

A movement toward storing rainwater for emergency use seems to be afoot throughout Japan. Sanei Build System has reported threefold demand for its user-friendly “Mini-Dam” rain barrels in the wake of the March 11 disasters. 

The manufacturer has suggested retail prices of 50,000 yen for the 200-liter model and 120,000 yen for the 1,000-liter model, but it adds that certain municipalities will subsidize as much as half the retail price. Read More

New iPhone App Lets Users Throw Darts at Expensive, High-Tech Equipment

Want to let off some steam by throwing dangerous sporting equipment at expensive entertainment devices? Want to indulge your destructive, decadent side while testing your fine motor skills and depth perception? “Play Darts!” is the perfect iPhone app for you.

Play Darts! (“Daatsu Ni Shiyagare!”) is a new kind of game application that links iPhones to Smart TVs or computers. The user “throws” a dart shown on his iPhone to a target displayed on a distant Smart TV or PC by moving the iPhone through the air the same way he would throw an actual dart. The game is available for free on iTunes for users with iOS 4.3 or newer.

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A gadget that turns your iPhone into a martial arts weapon? Well, not quite, but you’ll be able to swing your phone around like a nunchaku!

Have you ever had the urge to flip and swing around your iPhone and make it look cool like you’re a martial arts expert using a nunchaku? Well, this little gadget called the “iPhone Trick Cover” let’s you do just that, and judging from the manufacturer’s demonstration video, it looks like it may be a lot of fun! Read More

Afraid You’d Look Ridiculous Singing Around Other People?  Here, Put This Big Plastic Cup Over Your Mouth

Everyone likes to sing, at least a little bit.  What most of us don’t realize though is that about 0.01% of the population can actually do it well.  The rest of us end up bugging the hell out of anyone within earshot.

So for all the neighbors and roommates of people who live life like a cast member of Glee we present Noiseless KaraOK!

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New Canine Cloud-Based Health and Activity Monitoring System Refuses to Let Your Sleeping Dog Lie

Have you ever seen an overweight dog?  Many of us probably aren’t sure as, unlike with people, we don’t quite know what the ideal dog should look like.  It’s especially difficult to see if our furrier pals are packing on some extra pounds, and with diabetes in dogs on the rise it’s becoming more important to.

It’s not hard to see why, however, as city dogs don’t have nearly enough space to run and play like their country cousins do.  The urbanized lifestyle that has led to millions of overweight people is also plumping pooches worldwide.  Luckily the modern life that is causing the problem is also offering a useful solution thanks to Fujitsu Ltd.

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All the Joy and Splendor of Finding a Cockroach in Your Home Can Now Be Felt Anytime with Roachbot

You know that warm feeling you get when you spot a cockroach in the corner of your kitchen.   How about when you pick up the garbage only to find one of those magical little critters scurry away in that adorable way they do?

The problem is that these precious moments are rare and even more fleeting as roaches quickly run into some crack in the wall.  Although you may feel comforted knowing that there are thousands more living inside that wall, it still doesn’t match the pure elation of meeting one of these black bundles of joy face to face.

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From trash to usable work of art – used wine bottles transformed into beautiful glassware!

Okay, we have good news for wine lovers who feel guilty about creating lots of trash by opening all of those wine bottles. See the picture above? Yes, you guessed it – used wine bottles are now being made into beautiful glassware! Isn’t this a great, eco-friendly way to recycle wine bottles? I, for one, definitely wouldn’t mind having such nice looking plates at home. Read More

‘Call of Duty’ Secret Bargain. “Long Live the Emperor! Banzai!”

‘Call of Duty’ is a popular video game series, with new releases selling out, even in Japan. But did you know there’s a ‘Call of Duty’ that they won’t ever sell a localized Japanese version of, despite high acclaim everywhere else? We’re talking about ‘Call of Duty: World at War’. Read More

The Ultimate Camping Chair Capable of Holding Over 700 Times Its Own Weight

As the warm weather has finally started to kick in, most of us are looking to get reacquainted with the great outdoors.  But for many camping is a new experience and getting the right equipment can make or break their overall enjoyment.  Sure you can buy a bulky trailer full of equipment but who want to use the time, money, and muscle power for all that.

Camping equipment brand Doppelganger Outdoor has released a series of lightweight chairs and tables ideally portable and durable for outdoor use.  The pièce de résistance of this collection is the Ultra Light Micro Chair, more affectionately known as C1-54.

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Talk on the Phone but Still Feeling Lonely? Check Out These Vibrating Snuggle Dolls

Remember the boyfriend arm pillow? And the lap pillow in the shape of a woman’s lower body? (Or perhaps you actually have them?) Read More

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