Japan’s “Pimp Pusher”

The Japanese aesthetic is wonderfully quirky and one of the most unique point of views in the world. Just take for example this really funky watch. The Pimp Pusher watch from Tokyo Flash is a wonderful fashion accessory that is not only useful it’s also a great conversation piece. The watch has 72 surface mounted LEDS. These LEDs tell time by lighting up one light for the hour, which is located in the left column. It then also turns on one light for every minute that passes. So for, example, it 3:15, 18 LEDs will be turned on on the watch face.

But where does the “Pimp” come in with this Pimp Pusher watch. Well, between 6 PM and 1 Am, which is considered Pimp Time (go figure), rows of the LED will light up at random in order to catch the attention of people around you. Maybe the light display is a technological equivalent of showing your mating feathers or howling like a banshee like howler monkey in heat.

Be warned though, the watch may look very cool, but telling time will require constantly exercising your math skills. All for the name of fashion, eh?

What’s New with Japan Technology?

The main source of most electronics and technological gadgets today are surely to be easily traced from Japan. Having this distinction for quite some time now, many people are tracing via the Internet the leaks on new releases of modern technology. This of course was made possible through the proper optimization practices such by affordable search engine optimization to local sites as offered by teams like the Los Angeles SEO. There is surely a large market out there looking for first hand news on the latest trends and tricks today.

Moreover, Japan will always be synonymous with electronics. All it needs is to feed the latest gigs and deals and people will surely be raving and making their reviews. Add to this, release dates will be monitored since people always want to be the first to try them out, not matter what the cost may be!

That is simply how people are today, always after distinction.

Eye-controlled Computers

Leave it to the Japanese to come up with this idea! Professor Arai Kohei of Saga University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering has come up with a computer system which makes use of the user’s eyes to input information to control it. Called the Mitsumeru Dake, or Just Look in English, this system makes use of a miniature camera to measure the line of sight of the user. All he has to do is look at a character on the screen for one second and it will be considered an input.

This computer system is seen to be very useful for people with disabilities. As we may be very well aware of, there are countless people who are unable to use computers due to one disability or another. That is, unless they have access to expensive equipment. With Mitsumeru Dake, this situation can be resolved.

This development is indeed very much welcomed by the rest of the world. It is a prime example of how men of science can put their knowledge to practical use to improve people’s lives.

[tags]Japan, Japanese scientists, inventions, computer systems, disability[/tags]

Fighting Global Warming

The Japanese have always been leaders in technology. This time, they are applying their knowledge and skill to combating global warming. In their efforts to reduce global warming, Japanese scientists are trying out a new method of sequestration. They have been testing the burying of CO2 under the seabed in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

According to Murai Shigeo, leader of the RITE carbon dioxide sequestration group, they “have been able to show that carbon dioxide injection in Japan’s particular geological conditions is possible, and computer simulations based on our monitoring activity give a good idea of how the gas will behave over the next thousand years.” The implications of this study are short of amazing.

If found successful, a country would be able to get rid of about 10,000 tons of carbon dioxide in this manner. With the rest of the world becoming more aware of the need to actively fight global warming, this Japanese innovation is indeed very much welcome.
[tags]Japan, science and technology, environment, innovations, carbon dioxide, global warming, sequestration[/tags]

Robot: Tea, Anyone?

Japan is undeniably a leader when it comes to innovations in the electronics industry. They have long been trying to come up with various applications for robotics. Who does not know about Asimo, Honda Motors’ child-sized robot? This time, however, a new robot is in the works – with a twist. This new robot is Japanese to the core.

One of the most distinct things about the Japanese is that they consume large amounts of tea. This robot “knows” this fact and is programmed to serve tea to its owners. At present, the researchers at the University of Tokyo are still in the early stages of testing. Their prototype robot can pour tea from a bottle into a cup and deliver this cup – but only in a special room with embedded sensors on the floor and ceiling. A big plus for this robot is that it is also programmed to do the dishes!
[tags]Japan, culture, innovation, electronics, robotics, robots, Asimo, tea[/tags]

The Jinsei Ginko

Combining the value of saving up and having fun, Japanese toy company Tomy Co., has come up with a revolutionary piggy bank called the Jinsei Ginko. The idea behind this piggy bank is to of course save up money and have fun while doing it. The saving money part is easy to understand – put in money and you have it saved for a rainy day. Yet what about the fun part?

Typically Japanese, electronics have a large role. In the front panel of the white cube-shaped bank, there is a black and white LCD panel. The owner of the bank can input his target amount and date at the beginning. There is a character displayed who initially lives in a tiny room with 3 tatami mats. Depending on the amount of money in the bank and the rate at which the money increases, the character moves on in life. He even finds a job and marries! However, if you take money out of the bank before the target date, he will be relegated to his original situation in life. Fun, isn’t it?
[tags]Japan, technology, piggy bank, innovation, gadget, Jinsei Ginko[/tags]

Robot Toys For The Grownups

Is there a little boy in the world who isn’t fascinated by robots? Probably not, but
with Japan’s declining population, where the people are getting older, Japanese toymakers are faced with a future where the demand for toys could be in fatal decline simply because of the lack of children.

So, companies like Tomy, one of Japan’s leading toymakers have stepped up their production on toys which not only will appeal to the under 12’s, but to grown-ups as well. Or the Otaku at least, you know, the nerds.

For instance, Tomy’s new robot, the i-SOBOT was developed with these very young men in mind, rather than the 7-year-old dressed in Miki House.

Small enough to fit in a lunchbox, the 165-mm (6.5 inch) tall robot weighs in just 350 grams (12.3 ounce) and is, according to Tomy, the world’s smallest two-legged walking robot. With a price tag of around $260, its not surprising that an ordinary parent won’t bite (making the Otaku more likely consumers), unless you’re the Beckhams, that is.

Also to be unveiled in 2007 is a modernized version of the rather bulky “Omnibot” robots from the 80’s, now considered vintage bots. The spruced up models now also dance, play musical instruments (percussion), work-out and stand up on its own should Rover knock him down.

[tags]Japanese toys,Tomy, robots, otaku[/tags]

The Japan Prize

The Japan Prize is Japan’s equivalent to the Nobel Prize, and in the field of science at least is considered by many to be second only to the esteemed Nobel. First given in 1995, it is Japan’s way to award and honour “significant and revolutionary achievements of originality” in science and technology “for the peace and prosperity of mankind.”

The prestigious award is given by the Science and Technology Foundation of Japan, for original and outstanding achievements in the advancement of science and technology, which are of benefit to peace for all mankind. Prize laureates win a cash prize of 50 million yen
(about $470,000.), as well as a certificate and medal of distinction.

Like the Nobel, there is no distinction made to laureates in concern to race, profession, or gender, except that they must be living. Also, a single person or a small group is eligable for the prize. Unlike the Nobel, who award a wider range of topics, from peace to literature, the Japan Prize is just awarded for achievements in Science and Technology (of benefit to peace).

Each January, the laureates are announced and the ceremony takes place during “Japan Prize Week”. The week highlights a number of activities centering on the theme, with academic lectures and so forth. The presentation ceremony itself is presided over by the Emperor and Empress of Japan, the Prime Minister and attended by eminent figures from around the world.
　

[tags]Japan Prize, awards, science and technology[/tags]