SoraNews24 —Japan News—

A metro operator set up a monitoring device and announcement system to single out individual commuters caught using their smartphones while walking near escalators or passing trains.

Japan
(ads • commercials • public safety • smartphone • smartphone walking • station • trains • video)

“World’s first washable smartphone” goes on sale in Japan accompanied by cheese-tastic ad【Video】

Philip Kendall
Dec 12, 2015

Foolishly allowed a sticky-fingered child to hold your phone? Have a crippling fear of germs and wish you could disinfect everything? Now there’s a smartphone you can wash with soap and water!

Japan
(ad • AU • germs • KDDI • smartphone • soap • tech • video • washable)

Acquittal of attacker who was “stabbed by smartphone rays” draws anger online

Master Blaster
Dec 6, 2015

A 41-year-old man was found not guilty of assault after claiming electromagnetic waves from a smartphone were stabbing his body.

Japan
(crime • mental illness • smartphone • Wakayama)

Protect your phone with new set of miniature Sailor Moon weapons and magical items

Oona McGee
Nov 22, 2015

Now you can protect your smartphone with a new line of gorgeous Sailor Moon earphone jack accessories, featuring miniature magical items and weapons from the anime series.

Japan
(accessories • anime • cute • fashion • manga • Sailor Moon • smartphone)

Evangelion SIM-free smartphones and life-sized figures on sale at 7-Eleven

Oona McGee
Oct 21, 2015

Convenience stores around the world are known for stocking everyday items like toiletries, magazines, snacks and soft drinks.

But in Japan, the konbini is also a place to send and receive deliveries, buy movie and theatre tickets, and pick up a life-sized Eva doll and Evangelion SIM-free smartphone.

Japan
(7-Eleven • anime • EVA • Evangelion • figurines • lifesize figure • Neon Genesis Evangelion • smartphone)

Pico Cassette looks to keep cartridge games alive in a smartphone world

Master Blaster
Sep 16, 2015

Music has all but gone entirely digital. Video rental stores are a critically endangered species. Even video games are steadily moving towards more online distribution. At this rate we’ll soon be welcoming the first generation to think sticking a piece of plastic into a machine for entertainment is as attractive an idea as rubbing two sticks together for fire.

Then again, isn’t there something intrinsic in humans to want to put a cartridge or disc into something for entertainment?

That’s not a rhetorical question. I really have no idea, but the makers of Pico Cassette are hoping so. This device will load video games both new and old into your smartphone by plugging into its headphone jack.

Global, Japan
(Pico Cassette • PlugAir • retro games • smartphone • technology • video games)

Have you ever wondered what kind of smartphone Shaolin monks want?

Preston Phro
Sep 15, 2015

Our rice-resurrecting Japanese writer Meg isn’t just one of our favorite writers, she’s also one of our globe-trotting writers! And while we’re always happy to hear from her, this report she filed from China has a particularly special place in our hearts because it’s from the Shaolin Temple in Hénán Province!

In addition to sightseeing, it seems that Meg also took the opportunity to chat with some of the Shaolin monks. So, what did Meg want to discuss with the ascetics she met? Did she ask them to accept her as a disciple or get them to teach her a special technique to defeat all her enemies? Or maybe asking them to tell her the secret to eternal life? Not quite…

China, Japan
(Apple • iPhone • Meg • Shaolin • smartphone • technology • travel)

Become an official supporter of the Evangelion smartphone, going on sale this year!

Meg Murphy
Jul 23, 2015

Evangelion fans, rejoice! If you were wondering what more you could possibly add to you collection of EVA goods, you won’t have to wait much longer for the next must-have item – the Evangelion smartphone, which is scheduled to go on sale around the end of this year.

As if that weren’t exciting enough, you can also become an official “supporter” which will get you the latest, up-to-date information, plus a special gift.

Japan
(EVA • Neon Genesis Evangelion • smartphone • tech)

Never miss an important call again at the office with our bra lifehack!

Preston Phro
May 25, 2015

For those of us working in high-tech societies, connection and communication can be as valuable as any resource. A single missed call can turn into a missed business chance, so making sure you can be reached no matter how furiously you’re typing is important. But at the office, no one wants to be that jerk that just leaves their ringer on. And it’s pretty easy to miss a call with just vibration mode.

However, the writers for the Japanese-language side of RocketNews24 may have come up with a solution for you. All you need to do is keep your phone in range of view while you’re using the computer. There are, obviously, a number of ways to do this, but our writer P.K. thinks he’s found the best way: With a bra!

Internet, Japan
(funny • Lifehacks • smartphone • technology • weird)

Panasonic develops data communication using an ordinary light and smartphone

Master Blaster
May 18, 2015

There are many ways that data is transferred these days, be it fiber optic cables, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 4G-LTE, and a whole slew of other brand names and acronyms the meanings of which I don’t care to learn.

Now Panasonic has come up with a way to send and receive data that’s easy for everyone to understand: light. Actually it uses light emitting diodes (LED) to be exact, but that’s about as technical as this explanation needs to get, I promise.

Japan
(advertising • data transmission • LED • smartphone • technology)

Apple would rather you not blow up teen couples on your iPhone, asks developer to edit video game

Casey Baseel
Apr 18, 2015

In a lot of ways, digital distribution of video games is a great thing, as it allows developers to easily add new content to a title after its release. It’s a double-edged sword, though, and that same streamlined pathway from programmer to player can also be used to quickly make changes that take things away.

A few weeks ago, we took a look at a smartphone game whose lonely, jaded protagonist and his mystical, jaded companion use their powers to make affectionate couples meet with a host of calamities, including straight blowing them up. Apple, however, is not cool with this sort of vengeful fantasy, and so the iOS version of the game is being toned down and given a new name since the original title, Explode, Real Types! no longer describes the game’s contents.

Japan
(Apple • censorship • funny • smartphone • video games • weird)

“Insta in my Hand” is the latest smartphone trend among high school students in Japan

Krista Rogers
Apr 17, 2015

The latest social media craze to hit Japan is called “Insta in my Hand,” for which net users share photos which look like they’re holding a transparent version of their Instagram or Twitter homepages in the palm of their hands. The boom was apparently imported from South Korea earlier this month, after Key, a member of K-Pop group SHINee, uploaded his own “Insta in my Hand” picture to his Instagram account. Japanese high school students have since tweaked the trend to include “Twitter in my Hand” shots as well.

Now you too can create your own “Insta in my Hand” images with our handy English guide, right after the jump!

Japan
(art • cool • Instagram • smartphone • social media • twitter)

Nurture your inner cat collector with “Neko Atsume” the kitty-catching game for Android and iOS!

Evie Nyan
Apr 15, 2015

You know what everyone in Japan loves these days? Smartphone games. They keep you busy on the daily commute without requiring too much in-depth concentration, and Japanese smartphone game makers are seriously smart – they know how to keep players hooked. By combining the human need for constant “reward” feedback with our penchant for adorable cartoon kitties, they’ve come up with a winner of an app that everyone who likes fun can’t stop playing – Neko Atsume!

Now available for both Android and iOS and with a whole slew of new features, there’s never been a better time to get into this incredibly addictive yet simple cat-collecting time-waster…