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Global (Page 48)

One in twenty Japanese people sunbathe nude – how does your country compare?

Cara Clegg
Jun 30, 2013
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Ever sunbathed topless? How about totally nude? Expedia conducted an opinion poll across 21 countries to gather information on people’s holiday habits, and managed to slip in some cheeky questions on how much clothing people were willing to do without at the beach.

Global, Japan
(beach • holidays • nude • sunbathing • topless)

Trial begins between Australia and Japan over whaling

Master Blaster
Jun 28, 2013

On 26 June at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Australia made its first arguments against Japan’s scientific whaling program which they assert is a cover for commercial whaling in violation of international treaties. Ever the political hot potato, the move is sure to ruffle some feathers both at home and abroad.

Australia, Global, Japan
(environment • Inetnational Court of Justice • trial • whales • whaling)

Sony announces mammoth 6.5-inch smart phone: the Xperia Z Ultra

Philip Kendall
Jun 26, 2013

They may be a little cumbersome compared to the average mobile, but ultra-large smart phones — or ‘phablets’ as many are calling them — are most definitely on the rise in Asia, whether trendsetter Apple is on board or not. Samsung’s stylus-toting Galaxy Note II has already become a firm favourite with those who require a device offering greater ease of use than a regular smart phone but with more portability than a tablet, and competitors from Huawei and Asus aren’t far behind. And now it looks like Sony is set to come out all guns blazing with its giant Xperia Z Ultra, the latest in the Japanese electronics giant’s line of mobile devices and its first foray into the phablet scene. Oh and did we mention that it’s completely waterproof?

Global
(big • phablet • phones • Sony • tech • Xperia)

Sony to upgrade smart watch line, make everything even more connected

Cara Clegg
Jun 26, 2013

A few days ago, tech news site CNET got hold of some new info about Sony’s next-generation smart watches. The expected upgrades to the nifty gadget include a bigger display, and added compatibility so that it’s easier for your watch to talk to your phone. Read on for more details!

Global, Japan
(Android • Smartwatch • Sony)

An Asian woman’s reaction to Asian women’s relationship advice

Rachel Tackett
Jun 25, 2013

Just over a month ago, the official site for one sensational English tabloid released an article titled Asian Women Reveal Secrets to Keeping a Man Happy. In no time at all, the page racked up 3,900 Facebook likes and more than 600 comments for its glorified insights.

When a reporter from our Japanese sister site Pouch, Yamakawa Hotaru, caught wind of the article and gave it a read, she expected to find words that she could relate to, being an Asian woman herself. However, even she was put in her place by the rules described. Before exploring to her full reaction, let’s take a look at what the original article had to say about building satisfying relationships.

Global
(Asian • relationships • women)

Boom! Head shot! Goalie takes bullet to the head, keeps playing

Preston Phro
Jun 23, 2013

In the world of sports, it’s not unusual to hear of players working through physical and mental maladies for the sake of the games they love. In fact, some might say that these kinds of amazing stories are a large part of what keeps fans interested.

But we’re not sure how many players can claim they’ve played a soccer game with a bullet in their brain pan!

Global
(amazing • bullet • soccer)

Microsoft does complete U-turn on Xbox One used game restrictions, approach to net access

Philip Kendall
Jun 20, 2013

In a move that has at once shocked and thrilled gamers across the globe, Microsoft announced earlier today that it is to scrap controversial plans to inhibit the trading and sharing of games for its upcoming home system, Xbox One. The company also assures consumers that they will no longer be required to connect their console to the internet every 24 hours to validate their software.

Global
(cool • news • video games • Xbox One)

Japan second worst in G8 for employee satisfaction

Cara Clegg
Jun 19, 2013

A recent survey of working conditions in the world’s largest economies reveals some interesting insights, as well as some that might not be so shocking to anyone who’s worked in said country. Read on for the full ranking.

Read More

Global, Japan
(employee satisfaction • G8 • work)

PlayStation 4 release date revealed?

Cara Clegg
Jun 16, 2013

This week at E3, Sony unveiled the design and retail price of the new PlayStation 4, but is still keeping us in the dark over expected release dates. However, an industry insider claims to have the lowdown on when we can expect the highly anticipated console to hit the shelves.

Global
(E3 • gaming • playstation • Sony)

Fireworks filmed from above by flying camera

Cara Clegg
Jun 16, 2013

Most people only ever see fireworks from the ground, staring up and watching them explode into the night sky. But what would they look like if you saw them from above? Now there’s a video on YouTube that lets you find out!

Global
(fireworks • YouTube)

Nintendo’s two new Smash Bros games have one of the coolest trailers ever

Philip Kendall
Jun 14, 2013

For many fitness enthusiasts, exercising in front of a TV while perched a Nintendo Wii balance board might seem like a bit of a joke, and we’re sure that yoga is the last thing on many gamers’ minds when they power up their machine. So when we first caught sight of the following video from Nintendo we weren’t quite sure what to make of it. As it turns out, though, as well as introducing not one but two new Super Smash Bros games for Wii U and 3DS, with new characters to boot, the video itself is actually quite awesome.

Global
(cool • nintendo • Smash Bros • video • video games • yoga)

Capcom joins Microsoft to release a zombie plague on E3

Rachel Tackett
Jun 13, 2013

As I’m sure the vast majority of our gamer crowd is aware, it’s almost time to wrap up this year’s annual industry-oriented trade fair, E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo). RocketNews24 has already covered the big announcements for Sony and Microsoft’s upcoming consoles, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, but it’s time now to take a trip through the exhibition booths, where game producers showcase their upcoming titles. Most provide game demos and release brand new trailers to introduce curious attendees to the game’s plot and basic game play. Capcom, however, took a different approach for their booth promoting the all new Dead Rising 3. It’s different in that the booth could barely be approached at all!

Warning: this article contains graphic images that some may find disturbing.

Global
(Capcom • Dead Rising • E3 • games • Xbox One • zombies)

RocketNews24 at E3: So much merch!

Cara Clegg
Jun 13, 2013

Ever the video game fans and hungry for news of upcoming titles and hardware, we sent our reporter extraordinaire Kuzo over to L.A. to check out the games event of the year. It wasn’t long, though, before he became distracted by the swathes of official swag on sale.

Thankfully, before he found himself completely over encumbered Kuzo was able to get a few snaps from the trade show floor. Check this little lot out!

Global, USA
(E3 • video games)

Want that new Mac Pro now? Amazon Japan currently offering the next best thing!

John Stuart Translations
Jun 13, 2013

Calling all MacHeads! Can’t wait to get your hands on that ever-so-sexy Mac Pro introduced at the WWDC a few days ago? Not to worry, Amazon Japan has you covered, almost. Check out the New TUBELOR (black) from ideaco which can be yours for a mere 3,465 yen (about US$36). Though it doesn’t come with dual GPUs, PCI Express-based flash storage or high-performance Thunderbolt 2, with a little work on your part, this piece of just-as-sexy office hardware could have your co-workers drooling with envy, and, bump you to the top of your office’s cool colleague rankings.

Global, Japan
(Apple • cool • ideaco • Mac Pro • technology • WWDC)

Sony promises no restrictions on used games for PlayStation 4 – releases cheeky video to rub it in

Philip Kendall
Jun 11, 2013

Jack Tretton, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America, thrilled gamers today when he declared that the company will not impose any restrictions whatsoever on used games. Suffice it to say, the crowd at E3 went wild.

Seconds after the announcement had been made, a video appeared on Sony’s YouTube channel that simultaneously shows how easy it is to trade games with friends while poking fun at competitor Microsoft. Check it out after the break.

Global
(E3 • Sony • tech • video • video games)

Final PlayStation 4 design revealed! Priced at $399! 【Update: Photo gallery】

Philip Kendall
Jun 11, 2013

It’s the moment millions of fans have been waiting for ever since Sony first announced that its new console would be in our hands by the end of 2013: the PlayStation 4 has finally been revealed for the world to see!

And it looks…

Global
(E3 • Playstation 4 • Sony • video games)

NicoNico Livestreaming E3 in English! 【PSA】

Cara Clegg
Jun 11, 2013

Japan’s answer to YouTube, NicoNico Video, will be showing live coverage of the Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) in both Japanese and English!

Global, Internet, Japan
(E3 • Nico Nico Douga • Playstation 4 • video games • Xbox One)

Coffee makes you sleepy! Nutritionist explains the surprising truth about caffeine

Rachel Tackett
Jun 11, 2013

What do you do when it’s late into the evening the day before a big project is due? If you’re a good little worker, you rest easy because everything is already taken care of, but for those of us who have perfected the art of procrastination, it’s time to pull an all-nighter. And what is your beverage of choice when you want to stay awake? For a lot of people, the answer is a strong cup of coffee.

However, what many view as a miracle mug of liquid energy can actually have the opposite effect! In Natsuko Kasai’s book Sweet things are Bad for the Brain, the certified nutritionist and meal counselor explains how drinking coffee has an unexpected side-effect that can wear you out more than wake you up.

Global
(Caffeine • coffee • food • sleep)

Dragon Quest slime hourglass makes interminable wait for cup noodles a little cuter

Mike
Jun 10, 2013

Square-Enix is offering this adorable, limited edition slime hourglass for Dragon Quest series fans with the munchies. The company says the hourglass is timed at about three minutes, which is around the same amount of time it takes to perfectly cook a cup of instant ramen noodles.

Global, Internet, Japan
(cute • entertainment • video games)

Gamarjobat: The funniest mimes to trot the globe

Preston Phro
Jun 8, 2013

Humor, generally, is very subjective. Even when everyone’s speaking the same language, local cultural differences can have a massive impact on how jokes are received. Attempting to bridge these divides can be both difficult and frustrating. Not to mention dangerous if you happen to offend the wrong crowd.

All of which makes it even more impressive when someone does manage to leap over the gap with aplomb.