Bake your pizza on your stove

Here’s another product from the school of Japanese “can do” ingenuity.

The Japanese has developed an ongoing love affair with pizza. Many people love the traditional Italian variants but then there are also some who have an affinity for a more decidedly more Japanese tasting ingredient combinations (like squid!). This Pizzeria now allows you to actually make whatever kind of pizza you want from the comfort of your own home. The product is actually a ceramic oven that you can put on your stove burner. No more need for an actual oven and the stone slab to make the crust crispy. This thing does it all and it is quite convenient to use. The small size is also perfect for the cramped Japanese kitchen.

The Pizzeria is being sold by Hakuho-web.com.

You no longer need a huge oven to make pizzas at home. With Pizzeria, a new ceramic oven, you can make hand-made pizza on the stove burner. It is very easy to use. Just put the pizza crust and toppings inside the Pizzeria, set for 300 degrees C and let it do the rest.

Swarovski decorated Mickey Mouse digital player

A few years ago, Swarovski crystals were considered too cool for school. Everyone wanted one and it was tacked on to anything and everything you could think of. With Swarovski’s well past the saturation level and currently experiencing a “been there, done that” reputation, it was a natural move for it to pair with another brand that has acquired the same feel — Disney characters. The 1GB Swarovski encrusted Mickey Mouse inspired MP3 player comes from the creative minds of iRiver Japan and is a part of a five-design collection.

The player will come in either blue, pink, black, white and silver and can even be worn like a pendant. There’s no denying though that anyone who gets this should also have “cheesy” tattooed on their forehead.

Samsung releases dedicated VoIP displays

VoIP has really taken the world by storm, so much so that different devices that take advantage of the technology is being developed at a steady pace.

Take for example this new device from Samsung that is really an ingenious way of taking advantage of VoIP. The new device joins together an internet VoIP phone and a regular computer monitor as a means of saving up space and yet maximizing VoIP’s potential.

The SyncMaster 220TN and the 225UW are both 22 inch displays that can run a version of Windows XP without any CPU. Each display has a500mhz CPU attached to it. It also has a 2 megapixel webcam, a microphone, speakers, and the necessary software needed in order to chat online through a plugged in network cable. The main difference between the two models is that the 22TN is operated through a proprietary VoIP software while the 225UW can use Skype and other VoIP applications.

PSP to be offered in Red

The new slim PSP could be one of the hottest gifts this coming Christmas. The new svelte look for the Sony PSP really suits it well and makes it a sleeker looking gadget. The new colors (blue, silver and pink aside from black and white) are also making it a more visually desirable product.

But now you can also add red to the color offerings for the PSP. The new color — officially called Deep Red — will become available this December 13. With new peripherals and uses being given to the PSP (cameras, GPS, TV tuners) the PSP may just have a few more years added to its lifespan.

Panasonic releases first Viera-branded phone

When Sony-Ericsson released its first mobile phone which carried the Cybershot and Walkman brands, I knew that intra-company cross branding will become more and more prevalent.

Panasonic has now taken a page from Sony’s marketing book by launching mobile phone that features technology that the company uses for its TV screens that result in high quality video displays. The P905i will be Panasonic’s first mobile phone that will also carry the Viera brand. The handset will be able to receive an exclusive digital TV broadcasting system that is widely available in some of the major cities in Japan. The system is called one-seg broadcasting. The phone can also be operated in both W-CDMA and GSM mobile networks and will also possess bluetooth and GPS features.

The Panasonic P905i will be distributed by leading Japanese mobile provider NTT DoCoMo.

Mobile phone firms now involved in child safety

Mobile phone penetration in Japan is one of highest in the world. Because of the very high tech phones that they have, the Japanese have unique problems related to the technology. For example, one of the major concerns of parents is the ability of children to access objectionable websites through their mobile phones.

Mobile phone companies are now trying to help parents with this problem by instituting new policies that give parents more involvement in getting mobile phones. For example, NTT DoCoMo does not allow minors to buy phones for the first time if they do not bring their parents or guardians and check a box in the form that would allow the company to install an internet filtering service to the line.

The National Police Agency reported that crimes emanating from internet dating sites is increasing and that children are very vulnerable to this because of their curiosity.

This is the right move for mobile companies. Their conscious efforts to actually help parents in monitoring their children is a step in the right direction. Hopefully, this becomes a widespread practice in all manner of technologies that affect children.