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Forget Filthy Fingers, Soon Your Smartphone Can Check Your Pulse Just by Looking at You

Master Blaster
Mar 20, 2013
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Fujitsu Labs recently announced it is finalizing technology which lets you check and monitor your pulse just by pointing a camera at your face. The company claims results can be achieved in as little as five seconds and doesn’t require complicated procedures or extra equipment.

The technology is compatible with ordinary smartphones as well as tablets, laptops, or desktops as long as they’re equipped with a camera.

Japan
(health • pulse • smartphone • technology)

iPhone Underpants Cover Up Your Phone’s Private Parts

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Mar 2, 2013

Someone finally “went there.”

Presenting SmartPants, a pair of underpants that covers up your iPhone’s home button. I guess if your iPhone were to have private parts, they would be located on the home button…

Internet, Japan
(iPhone • SmartPants • smartphone • underpants • weird)

Japan’s “Galapagos Phones” Strive to Survive in a Smart Phone World

Master Blaster
Mar 1, 2013

Remember way back when Japan was the land of mobile milk and honey. Tales of cell phones with built-it TVs and cameras were the envy of the world. Then Apple stepped in and brought the whole thing crashing down.

Now, as I stand on the train surrounded by people poking at little plastic rectangles I conceal my once luxurious Panasonic P706ie in shame.

To support these once mighty phones, an extensive infrastructure was set up across the country. However, this entire network couldn’t be exported easily and was confined to the islands which made them. They were garapagosu-ka (Galapagos-ized).

Japan
(feature phone • Galapagos phone • mobile phone • smartphone)

Tokyo University Students Develop Simple Device to Turn All Your Home Appliances into Smart Appliances

Master Blaster
Feb 9, 2013

The idea of “smart appliances” has been around for a while now, but has yet to really infiltrate the average household. Even having moderately priced smart machines running your home would add up considering you’d have to replace all of your old stuff.

The young developers of “Pluto” offer a simple solution which would allow you to smartify all of your currently existing home electronics for the reasonable price of 12,800yen (US$140).

Japan
(Pluto • remote control • smartphone • technology)

Surf While You Slurp: Anti-Loneliness Ramen Bowl Promises Relief for Singles

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Jan 21, 2013

Salty tears roll down your cheeks as you spend yet another night alone eating instant ramen. You despondently stare at the ripples formed as you continue to sob into your noodles. The broth takes on a miserable taste you are all too familiar with.

Singles rejoice! Your nights of eating alone will be made a little less lonely thanks to this new invention: the anti-loneliness ramen bowl!

Global, USA
(food • ramen • smartphone • strange)

Keep Your Phone’s Earphone Jack Clean with These “Glued to the Toilet” Plugs

Philip Kendall
Jan 8, 2013

We’re sure that there are plenty of people out there who enjoyed just a smidgen too much alcohol or Christmas pudding over holidays and ended up glued to the toilet as a result. Or, if you’re situated in this writer’s native UK, perhaps you’ve recently become acquainted with the chuckle-fest that is Noro virus as it sweeps through the nation like a modern-day diarrhoea and vomit-sponsored Beatlemania.

Well now you can relive that episode of gastric hell on earth with these cute earphone jack stoppers featuring tiny black and white plastic figures clinging to the toilet for dear life while appealing to the gods to “let it stop, oh please let it stop!”

Internet, Japan
(accessory • black and white • cell phone • cute • headphone jack • iPhone • mobile phone • poop • smartphone • toilet • vomit)

Fitness Meets Cute Anime Girls in Exercise App, “Burn your fat with me!!”

Yoshio
Jan 7, 2013

The holidays are over, you’ve gained a few extra pounds, but you’re finding it difficult to start a workout routine after so many peaceful days spent lounging around. What you need is a workout buddy to help you stay motivated. Preferably a cute girl.

For those of you who don’t know any cute girls willing to get sweaty with you, Japanese indie developer Creative Freaks has you covered with Burn your fat with me!!, a fitness app/dating simulation game where players must workout in real life to impress a 2D anime love interest.

Japan
(anime • apps • Burn your fat with me • moe • moevation • smartphone • video games)

Can ‘Make Me Asian’ App Make Japanese People Look Asian Too? We Investigate

Steven
Dec 28, 2012

Recently a lot of Asian Americans are getting their pantsu in a bunch about an Android app called “Make Me Asian” that allows users to slant their eyes, yellow their skin and add other stereotypical Asian features to their photos.

Critics say the app uses dated and racist stereotypes that marginalize and humiliate Asian Americans. There is even an online petition asking Google to remove the app, which has nearly 3,000 signatures as of December 28.

Alright, so the Asian American community is clearly offended, but what do Asian Asians think of this app?

Well, they think it’s pretty fun, actually.

Japan
(2ch • apps • Asians • smartphone)

What a Deal! Get Your Smartphone Apps Installed for You— Just $12 a Pop!

Master Blaster
Nov 16, 2012

A lucky Twitter user came across a pamphlet the other day outlining some great deals on smartphone services. These people will go through the painstaking task of installing your smartphone apps for you at the low low price of 1,000 yen (US$12) an app!

In fact, they offer a wide range of useful services, such as installing Facebook, Twitter, or Skype— also for 1,000 yen each! And I always thought those were apps too. Boy, is my face red. I’m going to leave it to the professionals from now on.

Internet, Japan
(rip-off • shopping • smartphone • technology • twitter)

New Magic Liquid Makes any Pair of Gloves Touchscreen Friendly

Philip Kendall
Nov 10, 2012

As great as touchscreen-operated mobile devices are, they’re a real pain in the neck when it comes to winter and you have to pull off your gloves to operate them.

It’s fine if you stop in a cafe or restaurant where you can slip your gloves off and type a quick message or check an email, but when an unexpected phonecall comes in and you’re left swiping at the unlock screen like a cat pawing at the TV during a nature show, you soon grow to hate using a smartphone in winter.

Gloves with special metal fibres in the tips have been on the market for a couple of years now, but they’re not always of the greatest quality. And even if you do find a decent pair, what if you already have a pair of gloves that you’re attached to and would rather use instead?

Japanese company Onsight might just have the perfect solution…

Japan
(clothes • fashion • gedget • invention • smartphone • winter)

12-Year-Old Japanese Smartphone Developer Wins Award for Debut App, “Math RPG”

Steven
Oct 17, 2012

As smartphone usage continues to grow in Japan, more Japanese developers are tinkering with the devices to make apps of their own. And since developer tools and information are made available for free online, just about anyone can break into app development so long as they have an idea and the willingness to learn.

In fact, making a smartphone app is so easy, even a grade-schooler could do it— just look at 12-year-old Gaiya Ohara, Japan’s youngest smartphone developer and sole creator of the award-winning iOS app, Math RPG.

Japan
(app • smartphone • technology)

Office Meeting Room Desk that Charges Mobile Devices Developed

Master Blaster
Oct 2, 2012

With all the constant updates to smartphones and other portable devices, you would think it would be easy to maintain decent battery power by now. But no matter how smart Siri seems to get, most people still have to charge her up on a daily basis.

Some companies have decided to tackle this problem by making charging more accessible, which is where the desk above comes in: this unassuming piece of office furniture also has a built in wireless battery charger.

Japan
(charger • desk • laptop • smartphone • wireless)

【TGS 2012】 WeMade Entertainment Impressions: Farmville-Meets-Final Fantasy App “Hero Square,” Mobile MMO “Arc Sphere” and Social Game Clones for All!

Steven
Sep 22, 2012

Social and mobile games are enjoying a strong presence at this year’s Tokyo Game Show, with social game giants GREE and gloops occupying some of the largest exhibit spaces in the venue.

But it’s not just Japanese companies throwing their weight around on the mobile floorspace: Korean online game developer WeMade Entertainment, known in Asia for their popular MMO series The Legend of Mir, is showing six new Japanese-language titles for iOS and Android devices to build anticipation for their full-scale entrance into the Japanese mobile game market later this year.

Bored of the repetitive tap-based social card games, I decided to spend some time with WeMade to see if the Korean developer was bringing anything new to the table.

Japan, Korea
(Android • Arc Sphere • Hero Square • iPhone • smartphone • tablet • Tokyo Game Show • video games • WeMade)

Annoyed by Buzzing Mosquitoes? A Smartphone App May Be the Answer to Your Problem

Kay
Aug 16, 2012

We’ve introduced some unique smartphone apps in one of our previous posts, but here’s one more unique app that’s caught our attention and may even be useful, if you believe what the developers say. If you’ve ever been annoyed by mosquitoes in the outdoors, and I believe most of us have at one time or another, then the Mosquito Buster app may be the solution to your pest problem. Yes, those small, buzzing blood-suckers can really be a pain, can’t they? But can a smartphone app really help you avoid mosquitoes? Well, the people at TABROID, a Japanese site that focuses on Android-related news and information, have apparently tested the app out in the field to see if it actually works. Read More

Japan
(apps • insects • Mosquito Buster • smartphone • technology)

Japanese Criminal Arrested After Visiting Police on the Advice of His Victim

Master Blaster
Aug 8, 2012

A 19 year-old male university student was arrested on suspicion of violating the Minor Offenses Act for attempting to video tape inside another female university student’s room.

The shocking part was how he came to be arrested. Before starting the story, I would like to emphasize that this criminal was enrolled in an institution of higher learning, which should imply a certain level of intelligence.

Japan
(crime • peeping • smartphone • stupid)

Finally Put an End to Mobile Phones Slipping Out Of Your Shirt Pocket with K-Pocke

Master Blaster
Jun 18, 2012

I can’t recall how many times mobile phones and mp3 players have slipped out of the front pocket of my shirt. Always ending with that cringe inducing thud as my precious device hits the cold hard ground. There was even one incident involving a turtle pond and now-gone iPod Classic that I can’t bear to go into.

If someone was videotaping all these moments in my life it would have made an excellent opening to a commercial for K-Pocke (pronounced like pokemon), a pocket designed so that nothing slips out.

Japan
(fashion • K-Pocke • pocket • shopping • smartphone • technology)

Mindreading App (Shut Up and Take More Of My Free Will Away)?

Danielnishina
Jun 15, 2012

At first glance, this tech news report seems to be telling us of an intriguing augmented reality app that’s scary good. When you point your camera at an object, it can automatically read your mind about what you’ll want to do next on the internet with respect to that object, like get a coupon for it or research about it on Wikipedia. Which would bring to mind various questions, such as, is it like auto-fill/auto-complete, remembering what you or others have done before, taken a few steps further? Is it selectively taking you to a website that’s ultimately aiming to get your money? Is it inviting you to give up your free will and just be satisfied with the website it saw fit to jump you to? How does it know what you want to do? Read More

Internet, Japan
(app • business • fujitsu • qr code • science • smartphone • technology • television)

Newly Developed Memory Could Make Your Smartphone Battery Last 10 Times Longer

Master Blaster
Jun 13, 2012

Good news for users of smartphones and other portable devices constantly frustrated by batteries that don’t seem to last the day. A new type of energy saving memory has been successfully developed that can extend your battery life from 5 to 10 times.

Korea
(battery • memory • smartphone • technology)

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

Master Blaster
Jun 9, 2012

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.