MIPS Technologies Unveils Smartphone Featuring MIPS-based processor

MIPS Technologies Inc exhibited the first mobile phones featuring a processor with a MIPS (Microprocessor without Interlocked Pipeline Stages) architecture in a hotel near the venue of the 2011 International CES.

This time, the company showcased two models. One is an Android-based smartphone, and the other is a low-priced mobile phone that is often called "feature phone." The operating system of the latter is eCos, an open-source real-time OS.

The two phones are scheduled to be released in the Chinese market in the near future, but the name of a maker that will sell the phones and the brand name under which they will be sold have not been disclosed yet.

The processor equipped in the smartphone was developed by Ingenic Semiconductor Co Ltd, a China-based chip maker. Its operating frequency is 400M to 600MHz.

Currently, the mobile phone market is practically dominated by ARM architectures. But MIPS Technologies said, "The number of registers in a MIPS architecture is 32, which is more than double that in an ARM architecture. So, MIPS architectures have higher processing efficiencies than ARM architectures."

In a demonstration, the company emphasized that the response speed of the smartphone operated at 400MHz is equivalent to that of a smartphone equipped with an ARM-based processor operated at 1GHz.

On the other hand, the processor of the feature phone was developed by Actions, a China-based firm. Its operating frequency is 300MHz.

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Japanese Maker to Sell USB-powered 15.6-inch LCD Display

Green House Co Ltd announced a 15.6-inch LCD display that has a power consumption as low as 5W and can be powered via a USB 2.0 cable.

The company expects that the display, "GH-USD16K," will be used as a monitor for a desktop PC or a sub-display. It will be released in late January 2011 in Japan. Its price will be ¥17,800 (approx US$215) at the company's online store.

The pixel count and brightness of the GH-USD16K are 1,366 x 768 and 220cd/m², respectively. Its contrast ratio is 400:1. Its view angle is 40° in the vertical direction and 80° in the horizontal direction. The display measures 377.7 x 141.8 x 287.8mm and weighs 1.2kg.

The GH-USD16K supports the "Dual Display Mode," in which two displays can be used as one screen, and the "Clone Mode," in which the same image can be shown on two displays.

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Sony Aims to Be Number-one Maker in US in 2013

Phil Molyneux, president and COO of Sony Electronics Inc, had a press conference for Japanese media Jan 7, 2011. He has been working for Sony for 20 years or more and became the president and COO of Sony Electronics Sept 1, 2010. The followings are the questions and answers raised in the conference.

Q: How about the sales of 3D TVs in the US?

Molyneux: In the year-end sales season, which is from November to December 2010, Sony acquired the largest market share in the 3D TV market. In 2010, 3D TVs became more known by consumers as the number of 3D-compatible broadcasts and movies increased.

The Handycam HDR-TD10 consumer camcorder and the Bloggie simplified camcorder, which we announced at this year's CES, will be important steps for our 3D business because these products will increase the number of contents created by consumers. I believe that 3D will considerably spread in 2011.

What is important for us is that the Handycam HDR-TD10 is the world's first 3D camcorder capable of shooting full HD video and it is made by using self-developed lens, processor, image sensor, LCD panel and so forth.

Q: You have exhibited 3D TVs viewable with the naked eye. Are you planning to commercialize them?

Molyneux: At this point, we have no plan to commercialize them. But, of course, it is possible in the future. We want to focus on products using active-shutter glasses now.

Q: How about the sales of your products compatible with Google TV?

Molyneux: We launched the Sony Internet TV in October 2010, and the sales have been solid. We will continue the development of the Sony Internet TV and expand its product line. Though other companies will follow us, we will differentiate our products with image quality, sound quality and online services like Qriocity.

Q: Are you planning to open an application market for your TVs like the one being offered by Samsung Electronics?

Molyneux: We have already employed the Yahoo! Widget Engine, which was developed by Yahoo! Inc, for our Bravia TVs. It is possible to run applications developed by others on the TVs.

Other companies emphasize that a large number of applications can be run on their TVs. But merely increasing the number of applications will not help users. What are users demanding? We would like to pursue what really benefits users.

Q: Currently, Sony is offering several online services. What are you planning to do with them?

Molyneux: In the long and medium terms, they will be integrated into PlayStation Network (PSN) and Qriocity. The contents delivery service that we are now providing for electronic book readers will also be integrated into Qriocity in the future.

Before taking the position of Sony Electronics president, I was supervising Sony's business in 21 countries in the Middle East and Europe. After coming to the US, I spent six weeks to visit dealers across the country and felt that the values of Sony's products were not correctly communicated.

In other words, I believe that Sony has a large growth potential. My goal is to make Sony the No 1 maker in the US in 2013.

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Panasonic Exhibits Gesture-input Remote for TVs

Panasonic Corp prototyped a gesture-input remote for TVs and demonstrated it at the 2011 International CES.

A TV can be controlled by holding the remote by hand and moving it. The company also developed a graphical user interface (GUI) for the remote, and the GUI can be three-dimensionally operated on a 3D TV.

In addition to gesture input, a TV can be controlled by using a touch sensor attached to the tip of the remote. A thumb is placed on the touch sensor, and a pointer on the screen, etc can be controlled by moving the thumb. Because the remote can also detect pressure, it is possible to push the remote by the thumb to control a TV.

The remote seems to be equipped with motion sensors such as acceleration sensor and gyro sensor, but Panasonic declined to comment on the details of the remote.

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NEC Avio Launches Small Non-contact Skin Temperature Measurement Device

NEC Avio Infrared Technologies Co Ltd released a non-contact skin temperature measurement device integrated with a desktop mirror.

The device, "Thermo Mirror SX-01," was developed to find people who have a fever due to, for example, flu virus at the reception areas of companies and other organizations. NEC Avio had a press conference to explain about the product Jan 11, 2011, in Tokyo.

NEC Avio is a major infrared thermography manufacturer. When SARS emerged in 2003 and when a new type of flu appeared in 2009, 100 or more machines developed by the company were installed at airports and seaports to find infected people.

The company received requests from many people who actually saw or experienced the machine. They wanted to install such a machine at their companies so that visitors to the companies can be checked at reception areas in the aim of preventing flu patients, etc from entering their offices.

Thur far, it has been difficult for such companies to introduce infrared thermography devices because of their high prices. For example, the price of NEC Avio's infrared thermography devices ranges from ¥500,000 (approx US$6,029) to several million yens.

This time, NEC Avio developed a product priced at less than ¥100,000 (the low-priced model of the Thermo Mirror (SX-01A)) by reducing the number of functions. For example, infrared thermography devices can display the temperature distribution of a certain area, but the new product measures temperature at one point (such as the center of forehead).

Though the Thermo Mirror has fewer functions than infrared thermography devices, NEC Avio made design improvements. While infrared thermography devices look like industrial equipment, the new product is integrated with a desktop mirror.

When a subject looks into the mirror, it automatically starts measurement. If the measured temperature is at or lower than a threshold temperature, it is displayed in green. And if the temperature is higher than the threshold, it is displayed in red and an alarm sounds.

The high-end model of the Thermo Mirror (SX-01B) can output signals to an external device when the measured temperature exceeds a threshold temperature. Also, it is possible to input measurement triggers from external devices.

Though other companies might be able to develop a device that automatically measures the temperature of forehead, the Thermo Mirror can automatically set a threshold temperature.

"Skin surface temperature changes depending on surrounding environment," NEC Avio said. "So, it is necessary to set a threshold temperature in consideration of environment. We used know-how that has been accumulated for many years by developing infrared thermography devices."

The dimensions of the Thermo Mirror are 125 (W) x 200 (H) x 66mm (D) excluding its stand. Its weight is about 1.2kg. The prices of the SX-01A and SX-01B are ¥98,000 and 120,000 (excluding taxes), respectively. NEC Avio aims to sell 5,000 units in the first year and 10,000 units in the second year.

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Funai to Debut Android-based Universal Remote in March

Funai Electric Co Ltd exhibited a multi-touch TV remote based on Android 2.2 at a private booth in a hotel near the venue of the 2011 International CES.

The remote is equipped with a 7-inch display. Funai will start shipping it in March 2011 in the global market. The price is expected to be ¥30,000 (approx US$362) or less, the company said.

Funai developed the remote by making improvements to a remote that it demonstrated at CES in 2010. It not only functions as a universal remote but can be connected to the Internet, play video and music and display photos. It stands as a digital photo frame. The company installed a self-developed UI in the remote to run 16 applications on a screen.

Also, as a DLNA (digital living network alliance) client, it can, for example, play contents stored in a PC on a TV via a home network. Furthermore, it has a button dedicated to the Skype, making it easy to use video mail.

The processor used in the remote is Samsung Electronics Co Ltd's "V210," which is almost the same as the processor of Samsung's "Galaxy S" smartphone.

Funai is planning to promote its Internet-connected home electronics including the new remote under the brand of "alimo."

This time, in addition to the remote, the company showed two Android-based tablet PCs of the alimo brand. One is a 7-inch model for use in a bathroom, and the other is a 10-inch model for use in a kitchen. Both of them are waterproof.

"The bathroom model has a DLNA function and can play contents stored at home, and the kitchen model comes with a tuner and can receive TV broadcasts," Funai said.

The company plans to start shipping the two tablet PCs in November 2011.

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Casio Develops World's 1st BLE-compatible Watch

Casio Computer Co Ltd showed a watch compatible with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), a low-power consumption version of the Bluetooth wireless technology, at the 2011 International CES.

The watch, which is powered by the CR2032 button battery, operates for at least two years without replacing the battery while using near field communication, Casio said. It is the world's first watch compatible with BLE and will be commercialized within 2011, the company said. Casio had a demonstration of using the watch to communicate with a smartphone compatible with BLE.

BLE is part of the specifications defined in the latest (4.0) version of Bluetooth. There are a high-speed version and a low-power consumption version for Bluetooth 4.0, and BLE is the latter.

BLE mainly uses intermittent communication, and its power consumption is low when not in communication. The specifications are scheduled to be completed within 2010.

This time, Casio, which has been engaged in the development of the profile of BLE, made it into practical use for the first time.

For the demonstration, Casio equipped the watch with a chip supporting BLE communication and the smartphone with a chip compatible with BLE and Bluetooth 2.1 and transferred data between them. For example, when the smartphone received a call, the watch was notified of the reception and a message was shown on the LCD monitor of the watch.

The watch is embedded with an acceleration sensor, and an incoming call to the smartphone can be rejected by tapping the watch.

"The number of functions that can be realized by the user interface of a watch is limited," Casio said. "So, we let the smartphone take the main role and used the watch almost only for notifying the user of information."

The watch and the smartphone communicate with each other for about 10ms every 1.5 seconds. Several tens of bytes of data is transmitted each time.

The smartphone was prototyped by NEC Casio Mobile Communications Ltd. Its operating system is Android 2.2.

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Toshiba to Launch Its Google TV in FY 2011

Toshiba Corp commented on the developmental status of its "Google TV," which has already been reported by some media, at a press conference that took place prior to the 2011 International CES.

Toshiba admitted that it is now considering developing a product based on Google TV, a software platform that was jointly developed by Google Inc, Sony Corp and Intel Corp for TVs.

"Toshiba is not a company that will release such a product ahead of other companies," Shoji Murasawa of Toshiba Visual Products Company of Toshiba said. "So, we would like to take time to discuss how to realize a Google TV by using our strengths. That's why we will not exhibit it at this year's CES."

The company is planning to release its Google TV within fiscal 2011.

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Sony: Its E-book Business Different From Apple's

"We are aiming to acquire a share of 40% in the global electronic book market in fiscal 2012," said Sony Corp, which has been leading the US electronic book (e-book) market with Amazon.com Inc.

We interviewed Fujio Noguchi, who supervises Sony's e-book business as deputy president, Digital Reading Business Division, Sony Electronics Inc, about the company's perspective on and strategies for the e-book market. (Interviewer: Yasushi Uchida & Takuya Otani, Nikkei Electronics)

Q: The e-book market is booming now.

Noguchi: As a market, I think it is still at an early stage. For Japan, off course, it is a promising market. And, in the US, which is taking a lead, the size of the e-book reader market is about several million units per year. It is relatively small, considering that the size of the portable music player market is 40 to 50 million units per year in the US.

However, from now, the e-book market will expand much faster than the online music/video delivery market did in the past. We have already gone through the digitization of music and video. We all understand that books will be digitized in the same way.

Q: In fact, various companies are entering the e-book market.

Noguchi: The number of newcomers surprised me. But how many of them are well known? Some of them have already exited the market. It is not that all the companies can survive. Only those who have a comprehensive strength including e-book readers and contents, the reliability of services and the ability to send messages to users will survive.

Q: As for e-book readers, it is becoming important to differentiate their operabilities and UIs (user interfaces) rather than the specifications of hardware.

Noguchi: For the Reader Daily Edition, we came up with various ideas to improve its UI. For example, when a link to a Website is clicked, it is highlighted. Actually, I asked designers to include this function.

(In the case of e-paper), the screen refresh speed is slow, and it is difficult to know if a link was clicked or not. Some users may click the link again. That's why I thought it is necessary to notify the user that the link was clicked. It is important for UIs to tell users, "I heard what you said."

Q: Apple Inc, which has a reputation for its UIs, entered the e-book market with the iPad.

Noguchi: The iPad is not a product developed only for e-books. What they are practically saying is that various applications are available to the iPad and e-book is just one of them. It is different from what we aim for.

The name of our e-book reader is "Reader," meaning that it is used exclusively for reading. It is not a multi-media player.

The Reader Daily Edition is our first e-book reader that is capable of 3G communication, and we employed the wonderful business model established by Amazon.com. In other words, users do not have to pay a monthly communication fee.

On the other hand, the users of the iPad have to pay a monthly fee for 3G communication. In that respect, I don't think the business model of the iPad is innovative.

Q: Although it is dedicated for reading, users may require color display as contents diversify.

Noguchi: As for color display, its employment depends on the developmental status of color e-paper. I think recently developed color e-paper devices are suited for displaying movies. But I believe that color e-paper should be employed for e-book readers with a focus on displaying texts. So, we are sending such requests to e-paper device makers.

We consider that e-paper's capability of displaying colors is similar to that of ink-jet printers. Ink-jet printers, in their early days, used to soften paper being printed and could not print colors with satisfactory qualities. However, recent ink-jet printers can print out even gravure pictures with high qualities.

In the case of e-paper, too, it is difficult to display high-quality colors at first. But, as the market expands, its technologies will evolve.

Q: What do you think about Sony's reentry into the Japanese e-book market? ^{Note 1)}

Note 1) Sony launched an e-book reader and an online e-book store for it in Japan Dec 10, 2010.

Noguchi: Currently, we are operating our e-book business in eight countries including the US ^{Note 2)}. And we will start the business in other countries after they pass certain standards concerning the quality and quantity of contents. Reentry into the Japanese market depends on whether Japan will pass those standards.

Note 2) Currently, Sony is operating its e-book business in 14 countries including the US and Japan (14th country).

Books are culture. They are more so than music or movies. They are read from right and left. Characters are printed horizontally and vertically. There are many manners of reading books. So, it is important to create products and services in consideration of the culture of each region.

In Japan, we have to do the business by paying attention to its own book culture. We have to consider how to learn from the global trends in e-books, how to apply them to the Japanese culture and how to pass down the book culture to our posterity.

We are now at an extremely important phase. And it is very important to do e-book business by keeping it in mind.

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Softbank to Release 'E-money Sticker' for iPhone

Softbank BB Corp will release the "E-money Sticker for iPhone," which can be attached to the iPhone 4 and enables to use it for payment in or after mid-February 2011.

As for the format of contactless IC card, the sticker supports Sony Corp's FeliCa. The shape of the sticker fits the back of the iPhone 4.

Softbank BB will release three types of the sticker. They support Aeon Co Ltd's "Waon," bitWallet Inc's "Edy" and Seven Card Service Co Ltd's "nanaco" e-money services, respectively (each sticker can be used for only one service). It is not possible to add e-money to the user's account by using an application software on the iPhone.

The price of the sticker is ¥2,980 (approx US$36.3). It will be sold at some of the Softbank's directly-managed stores and online store.

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Energy firms eye building 100 hydrogen stations by 2015 for fuel-cell cars

Gas suppliers and oil companies say they will seek to build some 100 hydrogen supply stations at four major city areas to prepare for the launch of mass-produced hydrogen-powered fuel-cell vehicles in 2015.

The four areas in which hydrogen fueling stations will be set up center on Tokyo, Aichi, Osaka and Fukuoka.

A total of 10 energy companies made the announcement in a recent statement jointly issued by Toyota Motor Corp., Nissan Motor Co. and Honda Motor Co., signaling their coordinated efforts to expand next-generation environmentally friendly vehicles in Japan.

"Automakers and hydrogen fuel suppliers will work together to expand the introduction of fuel-cell vehicles and develop the hydrogen supply network throughout Japan," the statement said, while also calling on the government to support their efforts.

Fuel-cell cars run on electricity generated by the chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, and developing the necessary infrastructure is essential to ensure the vehicles are widely used.

But infrastructure costs are high, with about ¥600 million required to build a single hydrogen fueling station, according to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

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Osaka Station to be rebuilt into 'eco-station' that uses recycled rainwater, solar panels

As part of large-scale remodeling work on JR Osaka Station scheduled for completion in April, JR West is giving the station a green makeover, making it into an "eco-station" that will use rain runoff and solar panels.

Rainwater from the new 180- by 100-meter dome-like roof, as well as wastewater from restaurants and other facilities that will be in the 31-story "North Gate Building" under construction on the north side of the station will be collected and filtered in a water tank capable of holding about 10,000 metric tons. The filtered water will cover around 90 percent of the toilet water used in the station and North Gate Building.

The recycled water will also be used in a rooftop garden on top of the 14th floor, where fruit and vegetables will be grown. JR West intends to lend out parts of the garden for use by citizens, and restaurants in the station building will use a portion of the vegetables and fruits harvested in the garden.

Solar panels will be installed over about 800 square meters of the station platform roof and will produce 90,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, which is planned to be used in the station for facilities like escalators.

A small wind-power installation is also planned for the rooftop garden, which will help advertise the environmental-friendliness of the station.

Also moving to introduce environmental technologies at one of its stations is Hankyu Railway, which announced in March 2010 on the opening of Settsu-shi Station in Settsu, Osaka Prefecture, that it would aim to make the station carbon neutral through the use of solar panels and other strategies.

Meanwhile, the fact that JR West is giving a green makeover to a station as major as Osaka suggests that the movement to make stations more environmentally-friendly is picking up steam.

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Tokyo Tech to develop 'green' supercomputer

Tokyo Institute of Technology plans a five-year project beginning next fiscal year to develop a supercomputer with a cooling system that uses snow, ice and underground water in cold weather regions.

If successful, a supercomputer with a superior energy-saving system will be created.

Amid the intensifying global competition over supercomputers, one significant technological hurdle is that the larger a super-computer, the more electricity it consumes.

Currently, supercomputer cooling systems consume about 30 percent to 50 percent of the electricity necessary to power the devices.

The institute aims to reduce power consumption by 40 percent in a new supercomputer with the natural cooling materials.

When using such natural cooling resources, ensuring a stable environment is the most important factor.

In the project, a container with a small computer inside will be placed on the campus of Hokkaido University.

The computer will be cooled with low-temperature air, which is 7 C lower on average than in Tokyo, as well as underground water, snow and ice, to test whether the computer will operate in a stable manner.

The institute also will conduct an experiment to remotely control the computer using an ultra-high speed telecommunications link operated by the National Institute of Informatics, which connects state-run universities and research institutes nationwide.

In the experiment, Tokyo Institute of Technology will transmit huge volumes of data and connect different circuits.

In fiscal 2011, 75 million yen has been budgeted for the project. If successful, the institute will consider placing a larger computer at Hokkaido University.

Internationally, IBM's research lab in Zurich has built a supercomputer system utilizing water-cooling, which reduced electricity consumption by about 40 percent.

In the United States, the National Center for Atmospheric Research is scheduled to introduce a supercomputer with a low-temperature air-cooling system next year.

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Tomatoes contain nutrient which prevents vascular diseases

They are the most widely produced fruit in the world and now scientists in Japan have discovered that tomatoes contain a nutrient which could tackle the onset of vascular diseases. The research, published in the journalMolecular Nutrition & Food Research, reveals that an extracted compound, 9-oxo-octadecadienoic, has anti-dyslipidemic affects.

The team led by Dr Teruo Kawada, from Kyoto University and supported by the Research and Development Program for New Bio-industry Initiatives, Japan, focused their research on extracts which tackle dyslipidemia, a condition which is caused by an abnormal amount oflipids, such as cholesterol or fat, in the blood stream.

“Dyslipidemia itself usually causes no symptoms,” said Kawada, “however; it can lead to symptomatic vascular diseases, such as arteriosclerosis and cirrhosis. In order to prevent these diseases it is important to prevent an increased build up of lipids.”

Tomatoes are already known to contain many compounds beneficial to health. In this study the team analyzed 9-oxo-octadecadienoic acid, to test its potential anti-dyslipidemia properties.

The compound was found to enhance fatty acid oxidation and contributed to the regulation of hepatic lipid metabolism. These findings suggest that 9-oxo-octadecadienoic acid has anti- dyslipidemia affects and can therefore help prevent vascular diseases.

“Finding a compound which helps the prevention of obesity-related chronic diseases in foodstuffs is a great advantage to tackling these diseases”, concluded Kawada. “It means that the tomato allows people to easily manage the onset of dyslipidemia through their daily diet.”

This study is published in the Molecular Nutrition & Food Research.

Full citation: Kim. YI, Hirai. S, Takahashi. H, Goto. T, Ohyane. C, Tsuge. T, Konishi. C, Fujii. T, Inai. S, Iijima. Y, Aoki. K, Shibata. D, Takahashi. N, Kawada. T, “9-oxo-10(E), 12(E)-octadecadienoic acid derived from tomato is a potent PPARa agonist to decrease triglyceride accumulation in mouse primary hepatocytes”, Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, Wiley-Blackwell, DOI 10.1002/mnfr.201000264

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Stem cells could restore lost breasts

A research institute to be established in spring will attempt to regenerate the breast tissue of mastectomy patients from their own stem cells, sources said.

Kyushu University and Osaka University will join hands with other national universities and medical institutions to establish the institute to help breast cancer patients, with clinical tests scheduled to begin by March next year.

The institute hopes to devise a treatment that will gain government approval and be covered by health insurance, according to the sources.

Currently, the most common methods of breast reconstruction are silicon injections and fat implants. However, silicon injections pose a risk of infection, and fat implants are only a short-term solution as the implanted fat is gradually absorbed by the body.

In addition, neither of these treatments are covered by health insurance.

Under the envisaged stem-cell treatment, 200 to 400 milliliters of fat will be removed from a patient's abdomen. From the fat, researchers will extract cell groups containing a large number of stem cells and culture them.

The patient receives a course of 30 to 40 subcutaneous injections in the breast area, each containing two to three cubic centimeters of cell groups. If the cell groups settle successfully, the breast will be restored, according to researchers involved.

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Japan creates 1st artificial rare metal

In a world first, Japanese researchers have produced a new alloy similar to the rare metal palladium, a breakthrough that could help alleviate the nation's dependence on other countries for this resource.

The alloy was produced with nanotechnology and has properties similar to those of palladium, a rare metal located between rhodium and silver on the periodic table of the elements.

Led by Prof. Hiroshi Kitagawa of Kyoto University, the research team also produced alternatives to other kinds of rare metals.

Rhodium and silver molecules usually do not mingle, and remain separated like oil and water even after melting at high temperatures. To mix the elements, Kitagawa focused on a technique that produces ultramicroscopic metal particles.

His team created a solution containing equal quantities of rhodium and silver, turned the solution into a mist and mixed it little by little with heated alcohol to produce particles of the new alloy. Each particle is 10 nanometers in diameter and atoms of the two metals are equally mixed.

The new alloy has the same properties as palladium, which is used as a catalyzer to cleanse exhaust gas and absorbs large quantities of hydrogen, the researchers said.

Rhodium, palladium and silver have 45, 46 and 47 electrons, respectively, numbers that determine their chemical characterizations.

"The orbits of the electrons in the rhodium and silver atoms probably got jumbled up and formed the same orbits as those of palladium," Kitagawa said.

The new alloy will be difficult to produce commercially, but Kitagawa intends to use the production method to develop other alloys for use as alternative rare metals.

Kitagawa has begun joint research with automakers and other companies, but said he could not disclose any information because of patents and other reasons.

Rare metals exist only in small quantities and are economically difficult to mine or extract. Because adding just a small quantity of rare metals can change or improve the properties of other materials, rare metals are called the "vitamins" of industry.

For example, palladium is essential for making electronic parts, and lithium is used to produce batteries

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Panasonic tablet has TV-based services

Panasonic Corp. on Wednesday said it will globally release a multifunction tablet device in the second half of the year that allows e-book, video-streaming and other services to be used with its Viera Internet-capable televisions. Shiro Kitajima, president of Panasonic Consumer Electronics Co., the company's major U.S. arm, made the announcement at a Las Vegas hotel ahead of the four-day Consumer Electronics Show starting Thursday.

The touch-screen tablet, which operates on Google Inc.'s Android system, allows a range of TV programs, movies and other video to be downloaded from the Viera Connect online video-on-demand service Panasonic plans to launch this spring, the company said. Other services will include online video games, e-commerce and social networking.

The tablet has a liquid crystal display and will be available in three sizes ranging from 4 to 10 inches. Users will also be able to use the device as a "visual remote control" to change channels and manipulate other functions on Viera TVs.

Meanwhile, Sharp Corp. said in a separate event timed with the electronics show that it will release a 70-inch LCD television in the U.S. market in May.

Sharp also plans to release its Galapagos multifunction tablet device for U.S. consumers later this year, company officials said.

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Sony aims by 2012 to take second-largest slice of tablet market, behind iPad

Sony Corp. is aiming high with its tablet computer under development, eyeing the second-largest share of the global market after Apple Inc.'s iPad by 2012, a company executive said Thursday.

"Although it's certain that the iPad is the king, the point is who will take second spot?" Kunimasa Suzuki, a Sony executive, told reporters at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Sony has been working on the specifications of its tablet, including options such as adopting Google Inc.'s Android operating system and enabling the device to link with smart phones. A release date for the tablet has yet to be set. Suzuki said it is easier to have smart phones serve as a basis for its planned tablet.

"We need to have an integrated product strategy with Sony Ericsson," he said, referring to the group's mobile phone maker, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB.

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Brain changes explain why teens have no fear

THE brain undergoes changes in adolescence that suppress fearful experiences learned in childhood, said a study released on Monday that could explain why teenagers act so brashly at times.

Scientists studied the fear responses of mice for clues about how adolescents would react to situations that resembled prior experiences that involved pairing of electric shocks and tonal noises.

When they compared how adolescent mice showed a freeze reaction, compared to younger and older mice, they found that the teenagers did not freeze at the same rate, and that they were suppressing their reactions to contextual fear.

An examination of the brain activity in the adolescent mice showed that the two areas of the brain associated with processing experiences of fear - the basal amygdala and the hippocampus - were exhibiting lower levels of activity.

It wasn't that the teen mice failed to learn to be afraid, it was just that their brains weren't sending the same signals as the brains of baby or adult mice did.

While it might be exasperating for parents, the lack of fear response could prove useful because it comes at a time when adolescents are exploring and testing the bounds of their independence, which they could not do if they were paralysed by fear.

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Japan's NTT Docomo, Dai Nippon launch e-book service

JAPANESE telecommunications giant NTT Docomo and publisher Dai Nippon Printing (DNP) on Tuesday announced a joint e-book service to take advantage of a wave of launches of tablet computers and e-readers. The new venture, 2Dfacto, will on Wednesday open a Japanese online bookstore with an initial 20,000 titles, including books and manga comics, for users of smartphones and e-book readers marketed by NTT Docomo, the companies said.
The venture is set to expand to 100,000 titles over the next few months, including new books, magazines, newspapers and e-books embedded with music and video content, the companies said.

2Dfacto is in talks with 'bk1", DNP's online retailer of printed books, and its physical bookstore chains Maruzen, Junkudo and Bunkyodo, to join forces and form a service selling digital and paper publications, they said.

'The result would be a truly digital/physical hybrid network comprising an online store for e-books, an online store for printed books and physical stores for printed books,' the companies said in a statement.

Under the plan, the network's website would offer recommendations based on previous purchases from all three types of bookstores, network-wide loyalty points and an e-bookshelf to view network-wide purchases. --

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'real green teabag' by hyung gyun jung + il seop so + han bi jung + jae young heo - iida awards 2010

'real green teabag' by hyung gyun jung, il seop so, han bi jung and jae young heo

'real green teabag' by hyung gyun jung, il seop so, han bi jung and jae young heo is one of the shortlisted entries
from more than 4000 participants in the 'iida awards 2010' competition, organized by designboom in collaboration
with incheon metropolitan city.

when green tea is brewed improperly, it releases a chemical that diffuses the positive effects of drinking it.
the design of the teabag aims to be an intuitive and natural indicator of how to correctly make a cup of tea. 

designers' own words:
'green tea's main incredient is catechins. it is safe and stable when in between 60 to 70 degrees celsius.
however, if it is heated to a higher temperature and brewed longer, another substance called tannin is released.
tannin is easily combined with catechins as well as other essential substances in our body such as calcium and iron.
as a result, tannin prevents our body from absorbing those substances. therefore, the temperature should be checked
properly to truly appreciate the taste of green tea. the best way to drink green tea is when the tea bag is removed after
letting it steep for 2 minutes at a temperature of 80 to 90 degrees celsius. 'real green teabag' is made from natural
green tea leaves so that it can decompose easily. the wrapping does not consist of more than one part so that it can be
opened as if it is a folded green tea leaf. in other words, no trees need to be cut down in order to make clean white
wrapping paper. the product appeals to our emotions by using leftover green tea leaves after brewing tea.'

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