Posts Tagged ‘Japanese’
Happy New Year, Japan: Kamikaze Plane Cards From 1937 [Airplane]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News, Technology on December 31st, 2009
Japan is just a few hours away from celebrating New Year, the biggest date in the calendar. These New Year cards from 1937 mark the first ever Japanese flight to Europe, which took over 51 hours in the Kamikaze plane.
Back in 1937, the Mitsubishi Ki-15 plane flew from Tokyo to London in 51-hours, 17 minutes and 23 seconds (sure puts the 12-hour flight we endure these days into perspective), with the flight sponsored by the Asahi Shimbun newspaper to celebrate the UK’s King George VI’s coronation. The Kamikaze was piloted by Masaaki Iinuma, who died a few years later in the Pacific war, and sadly the Kamikaze didn’t fare much better either. It was placed in a memorial center a few years after the inaugural flight, but the building, along with the plane, was destroyed in WWII.
These New Year’s greeting cards are a beautiful reminder of the journey undertaken 72 years ago. Happy New Year, Japanese readers! [Museum of Fine Arts, Boston via Pink Tentacle]
Transparent Goldfish Developed By Japanese To Reduce Unnecessary Dissections [Science]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News, Technology on December 29th, 2009
From the same land that transparent frogs were created in, comes the see-through goldfish. Japanese scientists hope that due to the organs and heart being visible, it'll eliminate the need to dissect them in schools and laboratories.
To be honest, I don't seem to recall slicing and dicing goldfish in biology class—but then, I was probably hiding in sickbay claiming vegetarianism. Perhaps goldfish dissections are more common in Japanese schools than anywhere else?
Anyway, the goldfish skin and scales lack pigment, which means all organs—including the heart and brain—are visible. Wonder when the same scientists will create transparent humans? [Scienceray]
Augmented Reality Used By Red Cross To Target Japanese Nerdlingers [Augmented Reality]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News, Technology on December 21st, 2009
Man alive, even Japan's Red Cross Society is technologically-savvy. Commuters rushing through Akihabara station recently were treated to an augmented reality campaign urging them to donate blood. Anime girls in short skirts = instant win for the blood bank.
NEC TVs were set up in the Tokyo station and as someone walked past, their image was captured on the screen and superimposed with a blue wig or even a nurse's dress if they were lucky. What the hell blue hair has to do with donating blood is beyond me, but it's an innovative way to turn heads. Perhaps they should trial it in the Western world, where we're not already desensitized to the image of scantily-clad cartoon characters. [CrunchGear]
Nintendo trademarks ‘Zii’ over in Japan, Creative is like ‘zaywha?’
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News, Technology on December 15th, 2009
Update: We've done a bit more digging, and it looks as if this here filing may simply be a renewal of a 2006 trademark request. Moreover, we've found Nintendo trademarks in Japan for Cii, Bii, Oii and Yii, so it seems the company may just be on some sort of rampage in order to cover its tracks in one form or another.
Nintendo trademarks 'Zii' over in Japan, Creative is like 'zaywha?' originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 08:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Siliconera | Email this | Comments Bandai’s Mugen Tokoroten Repeats Niche Pleasure of Squeezing Sea Algae [Bandai]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on December 2nd, 2009
Popping bubblewrap, or opening beer cans just not your obsessive compulsive cup of tea? Here's another toy for Bandai's Mugen range: the Mugen Tokoroten, which simulates squeezing a sea algae snack. 630 Yen for our Japanese brethren. [CNET Asia]
The Japanese Love Chocolate So Much They Made a Chocolate Phone [Chocolate]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on November 30th, 2009
This Japan-nly NTT Docomo Melty Chocolate phone is ridiculous. It's a working phone—it has 8-megapixel camera, digital TV tuner, Bluetooth and such—but the menus are designed to look like chocolate, and the outside looks like chocolate.
Only 13,000 units will be made, which is a good sign that even the Japanese know this thing is too crazy to be put into full production. [Akihabara News]
Nissan’s Scratch Shield paint coming to cellphones, invisibleSHIELD feels threatened
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on November 28th, 2009
Nissan's Scratch Shield paint coming to cellphones, invisibleSHIELD feels threatened originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Nov 2009 03:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |Autoblog | Email this | Comments Hallods F43 MP4 player packs a 4.3-inch 720p screen, outed in Japan
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on November 15th, 2009
[Via i4u]
Filed under: Handhelds, Portable Video
Hallods F43 MP4 player packs a 4.3-inch 720p screen, outed in Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsFuji Heavy Industries outs friendless, autonomous farming robot
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on October 29th, 2009
Fuji Heavy Industries in Japan has announced what it's calling 'the first' autonomous farming robot. This bot, which is about six and a half feet long and runs on gas, sends and receives laser signals to orient itself by way of reflective plates placed every 30 feet, using them to judge distances. This bad boy can grow fruits and veggies all by its lonesome, and can even operate in a greenhouse. The farming robot -- which is expected early next year -- will run about $100,000, but we'd suggest you buy two so he can have a buddy.Filed under: Robots
Fuji Heavy Industries outs friendless, autonomous farming robot originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsICANN set to allow non-Latin characters in domain names, half the world rejoices
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on October 29th, 2009
[Via Switched]
Filed under: Internet
ICANN set to allow non-Latin characters in domain names, half the world rejoices originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 06:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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