People visiting Barcelona this month for the Mobile World Congress 2015 will be greeted by Huawei’s (SHE: 002502) new smart watch, which introduces a mix of old and new in a very good way.

The new wearable was simply introduced as the “Huawei Watch”. The basic overall design of the watch exude a classic look and finish, something that we are accustomed to with old-century type watches. The screens are even glazed in sapphire crystal, as well as being encased in stainless steel, which clearly introduces it as more than just another wearable. What’s obviously different though is that this is a smart watch, and has all the nifty perks modern wearables have today. It has a 1.2 Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, 512MB of RAM, and 4GB of internal storage. The screen itself shows off its bright and crisp 1.4-inch 400×400 AMOLED display.

Like with many other wearables, it will feature various kinds of sensors and monitors, including a barometer, a heart rate monitor, and a standard accelerometer/gyroscope. It will also use the Android Wear OS.

As the advertisement states “classic design and impeccable craftsmanship” meshed with “state-of-the-art wearable technology”. So far, at least according to the demo announcement, the “Huawei Watch” does not disappoint. The old, stylistic look certainly warrants it the premium treatment, as quaint as it may seem to be. Performance-wise, it should be able to handle the Android Wear OS, though we may have to see the actual commercial version to firmly assess this.

Ad placements at the Barcelona Airport have been welcoming arriving guests with a discreet announcement for its “Huawei Watch”, even since before Huawei’s official announcement of the new product a few days ago. The billboards, which has the slogan “Timeless design. Smart within.” written on it, are basically teasers that introduced one of its three possible color versions: silver, gold, and black.

No prices announced yet, but Huawei announced that it will be available very soon.

The post Huawei Teases New Yet To Be Released Wearable appeared first on VR World.

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) opened a press conference Tuesday at the Mobile World Congress with the announcement of its new Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL smartphones. These two new phones are targeted towards a bigger tech market with its lowered price point, making it available to more consumers.

The Lumia 640 and the Lumia 640 XL are both technically the successor to the Lumia 630 and Lumia 1320 respectively. Featuring the Clear Black Display, the Lumia 640 sports a 5-inch, 1280×720 screen, while the Lumia 640 XL ups the size a bit to 5.7-inch. Spec-wise both are almost the same, 1.2 Ghz quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of internal storage. The Lumia 640 gets an 8-megapixel front camera while the Lumia 640 XL gets its 13-megapixel Carl Zeiss optics camera.

The Lumia 640

Lumia 640 XL

Perhaps the most notable feature of both phones is its one-year free subscription to Office 365 Personal, which saves its users at least $70 worth for the new units. Coupled with its relatively low-cost, Microsoft aims to widen the base for Windows Phone users, which would in turn help the development of more apps for its mobile OS.

Information for the announcement of the two new Windows Phone models was actually already leaked at least a day prior to the press conference at the Mobile World Congress. The leak was through an empty link header, which clearly detailed the announcement in the title.

Both the Lumia 640 and the Lumia 640 XL will be installed with Windows Phone 8.1. However, the two phones are also designed to be upgradeable to Windows 10 later on after it becomes officially released. It will be commercially available sometime around this month, at an equivalent price of about $156 (3G) and $178 (LTE) for the Lumia 640, and about $212 (3G) and $245 (LTE) for the Lumia 640 XL. It will also be available in matte and glossy versions, as well as in cyan, orange and black colors.

The post Microsoft Reveals the Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL at MWC 2015 appeared first on VR World.

Word has finally gone out. Last month, Vaio had finally opened its sweeping update announcement about its new upcoming line of products as an independent brand. Spearheading the company’s promotional campaign is the reestablishment of its Vaio Z line of high-end top performance notebook PCs. The company introduced two new models, the new Vaio Z laptop, and more interestingly, the Vaio Z Canvas, which obviously will be our topic of discussion for this article.

But, what’s in it for us with the upcoming Vaio Z Canvas? Would it be different from, let’s say, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10? How does it differ from another hybrid 2-in-1 PC? And ultimately, would you want one? Probably, and here are some of the reasons why.

It’s at the right time and the right place

We all know that the concept of high-end, productivity-focused tablets is hardly a new one. Take the Asus (TPE: 2357) EEE Slate EP121 for instance. It’s a top spec tablet with superb overall performance, built for PC-level productivity in the fresh tablet year of 2011. But despite all of its perks, it never caught on, or at least it never went popular so as to firmly establish tablets as hardcore productivity devices.

Fast forward to 2015, a time where tablets are now significantly better and owning one is considered as normal. In a market where hybrid 2-in-1’s are already prevalent, the Vaio Z Canvas may finally find its spot as a high-end productivity tablet. No more clunky Windows 7 touch interfaces, and say hello to better hardware optimization. If you think the Vaio Tap 11 was already amazing, then Vaio’s promotion of the Vaio Z Canvas is probably more than eager to prove you wrong.

A portable office in its own right (or so they said)

The Vaio Z Canvas is advertised as one of Vaio’s two new “monster PCs”. It was purposely built and promoted as a product that would be desirable for businessmen, artists, and casual users alike. It showcases its “Z Engine”, which is an undisclosed combination of a Core i7 Haswell processor and an Iris Pro Graphics card. Coupled with a few other hardware tweaks such as screen parallax reduction, its use is supposed to help the user feel closer to writing on paper than on a hard graphics tablet.Normally, the tablet option for 2-in-1 PCs is designed for casual, on-hand use. The company however strongly promotes its tablet mode productivity, and are even adamant to prove its worth as an item of creativity. Drawing? Check. Composition? Check. Animation? Check. General media editing? Check. How it actually performs is of course another matter in itself, as this assessment is solely based on how it’s introduced until now.

Designed to give, not take

We’ve mentioned that the main selling point of the Vaio Z Canvas is productivity and creativity. What better way to promote this than to sell this high-end unit as a canvas? As stated in its latest presentation, “tablets provide something“, whether it’s information, data or multimedia. But “an empty, open canvas creates“. It is the user himself or herself that provides the information, data or multimedia.So, not only does it function both as a laptop (for typing work) and tablet (for data management), but according to the company it can also be used in various graphics related professional work. Much so, that they put hard emphasis on the kind of pro-level functionality that is also being promoted by companies like Samsung and Asus in their 2-in-1 hybrids and high-end tablets. The product hinges on the concept of a transformable and portable digital sketchboard, showcasing to its users an experience that is supposedly not very different from an actual digital art office.

Its Z carries its $

Let’s face it. Even during the height of the Vaio brand under Sony (TYO: 6758), its Z series always ended short on one critical factor: its innards and price do not add up. Potential consumers are usually hard pressed to justify its premium price, and those that do own one never usually purchased it with economy or optimization in mind.

The Vaio Z Canvas is introduced at a hefty price of 200,000 yen in Japan, an equivalent of about $1,670. Great features, but with the same gaping disparity in specs and price. How is it different then? The Vaio Z Canvas is a notable exception because this time, the company clearly wants it to be presented as an investment, rather than a general, all-purpose high-end gadget. It introduces itself as a work machine, and claims to offset its premium price with its productivity features. Again, its actual performance is still yet to be tested, but it’s quite nice to see the potential.

It’s NOT made by Sony

Okay, that one was pretty sarcastic, but logically, this statement is true. In fact, this may be the most important reason why anyone would have a change of heart for the brand at all. True, Sony may not be that notorious when it comes to PR announcements and marketing, but many people will agree that Vaio’s demise in Sony was partly due to the company’s poor introduction of the brand.Poor, in the sense that it still maintained its glorified laptop status in the face of dwindling sales. In light of this realization, Vaio has pledged a slightly different approach. Sure, the price tag will probably remain the same, but the company is now attempting to market its products to where it is needed, or at least that’s how it looks. The name says it all: Vaio Z Canvas. Need its artistic essence be explained further?

Of course, there are still a few unmentioned potential dealbreakers for the Vaio Z Canvas. Most notably its accessories, as the brand’s previous owner had the notorious reputation of developing proprietary accessories to its products. There’s also the issue of whether the Vaio Z Canvas would be officially available outside Japan. However, there’s at least a few more months to wait, so interested consumers still have plenty of time for updates and new tidbits about the product.

The post 5 Reasons Why You MIght Want a Vaio Z Canvas appeared first on VR World.

Playstation Vita sales have been steadily growing further ever since its release. On the other hand the Xbox One, even after the hype that preceded it, finds great difficulty in even catching up with its predecessor.

Wait, what?

Okay, that may have been an overstatement. But in Japan the numbers just cannot deny the truth. Even the PS Vita, which is supposed to be this generation’s flop console (along with the Wii U), still did significantly better in Japan during its release than the Xbox One. On its first week in Japan it sold over 321,000 units, as opposed to the abysmal 23,562 units sold by the Xbox One at the time of its release last year. In fact, the Xbox 360 did even better during its first Japanese release at more than 60,000 units sold.

So far, there have already been established opinions as to why the supposed best selling console in the world today is having trouble penetrating the Japanese gaming market. But the opposing parallels that the Xbox One have in Japan to the situation of the PS Vita in the west is all too blatant to ignore. In fact, the answer to its predicament is perhaps within the very gap of this particular locus.

The ‘niche’ niche market

With the exception of indie developed games (more on that later) and a few recent mainstream titles such as Minecraft, the western game library for the PS Vita has remained significantly scant. Not a word heard in months, and more or less still the exact same titles off every game store shelf. In Japan however, game releases for the Vita are very plentiful. True, one might argue that a considerable number of these titles are JRPGs, but there are also several other genres built for the country’s niche market. All of these games considerably drive PS Vita sales, maintaining adequate interest for the console even without the presence of big AAA titles in Japan.

Let’s take one step back to the previous generation. Though the Xbox 360 shared the same lukewarm welcome as the Xbox One, sales have somewhat gained stability through time, with the release of Xbox 360 exclusive titles that are catered exactly to Japan’s niche market. One of the most well known examples is Bandai Namco’s Tales of Vesperia. Released roughly three years after the Xbox 360 arrived in Japan, this JRPG gave not only a reason for Tales series enthusiasts to embrace the console, but it also made the Japanese realize its value, something that was also achieved by other well known titles such as Lost Odyssey and Infinite Undiscovery. The numbers are of course still not comparable to other consoles, but it at least gave the Xbox 360 a considerable presence in the country.

For the PS Vita, holding onto the home Japanese market sort of became its specialty, and diving into its niche market is something that the Xbox One could once again do. It would probably have helped if there were at least a few major release niche titles when it was launched last year (though Strider Hiryuu could have perhaps fit this role). But as of now, we’ve only got its most recent (and only) niche release in the form of Chaos;Child, with very few other niche titles trickling its way in the next months to come (sounds familiar?). Sure, AAA titles would still drive Xbox One sales in Japan significantly (as well as western imports of course), but if Microsoft wants better sales stability, developer support for niche games would have to be more robust, a lot more robust.

The great Eastern indies

Another notable driving force for PS Vita sales in Japan is its indie developer support, which is, believe it or not, actually what makes it an attractive console option for some gamers (given its relatively powerful hardware specs). In fact, some say that the PS Vita would ultimately continue to thrive in the international gaming market this way. Sony even touts the console nowadays as a portable indie game machine. All of these seemingly tell us that given enough support, the game library for the PS Vita would just keep growing, pushing it more and more into the gaming market.

The Xbox One might be able to take a similar approach for the Japanese market. There is of course the question of how Microsoft would get the needed support, and if it should be prioritized over importing western games. However, should the Xbox One be capable of planting the seeds for a Japanese indie market, then it could spur more interest to the console, making it more than just a “power machine”, or a “home console number two”. Better yet, the Xbox One can also support indie games developed specifically for the country’s niche market. The move might only work to maintain sales rates, but it could at least keep the Xbox One from being kicked out of the other gaming consoles’ home playing field.

Finally, there’s the general overwhelming support for portable gaming machines in Japan. This yet again makes the PS Vita a bit more popular in the country than it is internationally. Of course however, discussing it is out of the question for the Xbox One. Still, it is notable to point out because this might also be one of the indirect causes of its poor sales. This might already be out of Microsoft’s hands however, as this deals with more of Japan’s cultural and social differences.

The Vita playbook

In a land where gaming and technology grew in a manner of its own, it’s just but natural for us to expect some critical differences in how consoles are perceived and accepted. Maybe the PS Vita is really doomed to fail in the west from the beginning, and maybe the Xbox One just isn’t for Japanese gamers. But looking at how each other thrived (and failed) in their own playing fields allows us to see their relative similarities. Who knows? These ideas might just give us the insight to see a second chance in both consoles, in a way that would embrace the best of what each could possibly offer.

The post Xbox One Flops in Japan, But the PS Vita Can Save It appeared first on VR World.

For many the history of computers is a string of western events and discoveries, all attached to a single line that led to the development of modern PCs. But even as the IBM 5150 (NYSE: IBM) was being developed in the United States, Japan was already making history with its own personal computers and the PC-98 is perhaps the most important of them all.

A rising sun

The PC-98 started as project PCX-04, NEC’s (TYO: 6701)  first venture into the 16-bit computing era. The series’ first model, the PC-9801, was released in 1982. It came equipped 5Mhz processor running on Intel’s then new 8086 (NASDAQ: INTC) architecture. Much like the first IBM 5150 PC built during the same time period, it allowed easier use with its superior hardware specs, and consequently, improved graphical user interfaces as operating systems were maturing to the point of just beginning to offer robust GUIs.  As one may remember, the concept of the GUI is perhaps the most important breakthrough in computers, and this goes the same for Japanese computers for that era.

But more than just specs and usability, the PC-98 introduced several other specific breakthroughs, the most notable of which is the inclusion of a dedicated VRAM designed for fast Japanese text display. Though the Kanji letter database had the inconvenience of being in a separate, external ROM, the faster output processing power gave users the capacity to squeeze more time in using the unit, thus improving productivity. In addition, the hardware architecture was still largely based on NEC’s previous PC-8000/8800 series, which meant that businesses already familiar with its use could simply switch to the newer PC-98 models and enjoy its upgraded features. It vastly outclassed all of the other Japanese PCs that preceded it, and effectively rendered them obsolete business-wise.

The internal invasion

From a purely business standpoint, it is easy to point out that the best selling feature of the PC-98 was its enhanced number crunching and word processing capabilities. However, this was actually short lived, as other companies like Fujitsu (TYO: 6702) and Sharp (TYO:6753) eventually developed PCs that had better hardware specs. Its popularity was maintained largely by the increased number of software programs developed for the system.

This was especially the case with the release of the first games on the PC-98. Games developed for the system in time gained massive popularity (with Touhou Project as its most successful example). This then gave software companies the privilege to easily port well-known arcade games into the system, thus further increasing its demand. The significantly larger user base both from business and casual users then made software programs in general easier to distribute. The continued rotation of this positive cycle, along with the massive failure of NEC’s PC-88VA in 1987, finally established the PC-98 as one of the biggest selling PC model series of all time in Japanese computer history.

Towards modernity

The ubiquity of the PC-98 series in Japan stemmed from some of the fundamental aspects that we can commonly see in popular consumer tech today. First, it had hardware compatibility. The PC-98 was designed to be similar to its predecessors, and was built with more or less the same components that were used on IBMs PC/AT systems. Second, it featured a universal software program that makes it an attractive option for many users. It was the first system to use a dedicated VRAM for Japanese text input, and one of those that first adopted the DOS/V operating system. Lastly, it had software universality. Despite its rather steep price, the number of released software for the PC-98 is what kept its dominance in the market (sounds familiar?), staving off its competitors for at least one more decade before its decline by the end of the 20th century.

But the most important innovation that the PC-98 introduced that shaped Japan’s PC industry today was its popularization of the concept of a “hobby PC”. While the PC-8000/8800 series already introduced the concept of Japanese hobby PCs, it was the PC-98 series that finally fulfilled this idea. Long before today’s all-in-one PC systems and custom PC rigs, it demonstrated how PCs can be game software engines, showcasing faster gameplay and better graphics. It even introduced a few game genres (e.g. bishoujo games, bullet hell shooters, etc.) that are still quite popular in Japan’s PC software market today.

The PC-98 series went on to adapt further to the growing PC market in the 1990’s. By 1993, newer models had already switched to Windows 3.1, and by 1997, NEC finally introduced the Windows 95-powered PC-9821 series. However during last years of the decade, it suffered heavily from the distribution of cheaper PC models using the same DOS/V engine that it uses to display Japanese text. The era of the PC-98 finally ended in the year 2000, after NEC released the PC-9821 Ra43.

The PC-98 may be just part of history now, but its legacy goes on. As part of Japan’s technology culture, it essentially introduced the current development model for Japanese PCs today. We can even say that at least part of it still lives on to every PC in Japan.

The post How the PC-98 Shaped Japan’s PC Industry appeared first on VR World.

Japan loves robots. Well, sort of. At the very least, it’s a lot easier to stereotypically associate robots with Japan than any other country in the world. The idea is due to a number of different factors, most of which are attributed to the country’s religion and culture. Nowadays however, it’s more than just karakuri dolls and Tetsuwan Atomu, because robots may soon be Japan’s future elderly care workers.

Japan is the country with the highest number of elderly citizens. According to reports published a few years ago, it is estimated that at least more than 20% of the population in Japan comprise of elderly people aged 65 and above. Thus, there is more focus on elderly care in Japan than any other country. In fact so much, that the country is in constant need for caregivers and nurses who would look after their dankai no sedai (Japanese baby boomer) population.

You can probably guess now where this leads. One solution that has been constantly proposed is the development of a new generation of robots made to assist the elderly. The concept of assistant robots wasn’t fully explored before due to obvious technological limitations in the late 20th century. But today, the idea is now seriously being considered. Some research institutions are even predicting the eventuality of robots that can completely replace a human caregiver in the future.

For once, using a robot instead of a human caregiver can provide a number of different benefits, which primarily includes on the spot assistance, 24-hour monitoring and additional staffing. The third benefit is usually perceived as the most important, as many artificial caregivers are designed provide general physical assistance and not just elderly care. In addition, assistant robots can be generally convenient to use, and can provide additional comfort in the form of basic interaction.

So far, Japan has been doing pretty well in developing assistant robots. The variety and types of assistant robots have significantly increased during the past decade, from carrying robots, position assist robots, to more sophisticated ones such as monitoring and exoskeletal robots. There are also ongoing large scale initiatives in the country for the development of healthcare robots in general, such as the Robotic Devices for Nursing Care Project. In fact, the Japanese government has even openly expressed its plans last year to invest in the country’s robotics market, which is a daunting challenge to meet the nation’s ever growing elderly healthcare needs.

But most notably, more than just assistance, there is now a significant interest in the development of assistant robots that can interact deeply with its users. Palro, which was first introduced last 2010, was developed by Fujisoft to literally talk with its users, and was previously deployed in nursing homes as a preventive care unit. More recently, Softbank’s Pepper robot was designed to not only chat, but also to alter its reactions and speech by sensing and ‘feeling’ the emotion of its users.

It is interesting to note that most elderly care assistant robots are developed for only a number of specific functions. It makes perfect sense economically, if we consider the amount funds needed to research and develop a fully functional enterprise-level healthcare robot from scratch. But even with the high initial development cost, an advanced artificial caregiver would always be faster to deploy, easier to maintain and less expensive to ‘hire’ in the long run. This is especially true when we add into the equation Japan’s current population crisis, plus the looming manpower shortage in its local healthcare industry by 2025.

Ironically however, despite heavy investment in research and development of assistant robots in Japan, opinions about them within the elderly community are largely divided. Japan’s elderly population aren’t always particularly positive about the idea of being assisted or cared for by a non-human nurse. Though social interactivity (with the caregivers) seems to be the underlying problem, the main hurdle actually stems from deployment issues. Some argue that robots just aren’t advanced enough to completely replace a human caregiver. Others point out that they could be “off-putting” when placed on certain areas in medical establishments.

Regardless, the potential gains that assistant robots can offer to Japan’s ever growing elderly population, and vice versa, is already undeniable. Competition may spark development, but necessity can spur advancement as well. Japan’s elderly healthcare industry can be considered as a very important testbed that would help develop better robots in the future.

The post Robots: Japan’s Future Elderly Care Workers appeared first on VR World.

In this current era of smartphones, tablets, and wearable tech, it’s easy to forget a time when PDA’s and other similar pocket devices were still a thing. However in Japan, electronic dictionaries have not only withstood time, but this iconic gadget has even evolved to a point that they are now generally considered as mini-notebook PC’s.

But why? How in the world does this otherwise antiquated gadget still manage to retain a considerable level of popularity in the country? Even netbooks met its rather early demise due to the prevalence of tablets in the years following the release of the first iPad. So really, what’s the reason? Well, let’s first see why it became so popular in Japan in the first place.

An essential aide

Electronic dictionaries have been around since the late 1970’s, at a time when the historical Apple-1 was just around a few years old. Sharp (TYO: 6753) was the very first company that developed and released the electronic dictionary in the form that we know today. The company’s first model, the IQ-3000, featured definitions and search options for at least 5,000 Japanese words and about 2,800 foreign words. While its specifications are relatively miniscule compared to electronic dictionaries today, its release was phenomenal, and it became immensely popular for students taking entrance exams and Japanese travelers overseas.

Over time, electronic dictionaries evolved to have more and more options suited for its very wide student user base. Sanyo (TYO: 8011) introduced digital Kanji letters with its cheaper 1987 model Denjirin, while Sony’s (TYO: 6758) 1990 model DD-1 was designed to be compatible with the time period’s external media. By the time the third generation models came out during the last years of the 20th century, the electronic dictionary already gained the status of a pocket computer. It became a common investment for students, who needed something that can function as a computer but at a significantly lowered cost, and with the convenience of portability. In essence, it became the netbook of Japan’s consumer electronics market.

In general electronic dictionaries have three basic advantages, which are: Easy and fast word searching, specific keyword searching, data storage equivalent to a large number of books.

Does any of these functions sound familiar? It should be, because the same functions can be found in most mobile devices today. But the funny thing is you’d still see electronic dictionaries being sold in Japan, even having their own section in certain local tech shops. Does this mean electronic dictionaries are still massively popular in Japan today?

Stranger in a smartphone land

One thing that needs to be clarified first is that electronic dictionaries are technically outdated, and it is indeed generally going out of vogue with some due to the ubiquity of smartphones and tablets.

However, even as we end the first month of 2015 some of the better known electronic dictionary developers in Japan today, such as Seiko Instruments, are still planning to launch newer line ups which further gives evidence that the electronic dictionary still has a following.

So, what makes the Japanese electronic dictionary market so resilient? Largely the industry has a captive market in students. This means that electronic dictionaries serve the most important straightforward need of providing education, much like a standard issue textbook. Remember: the electronic dictionary evolved with Japan’s education system, which technically means it is completely optimized to be used efficiently in study, as opposed to tablets which can more or less do just a mix of different things without specialization.

Also, as mentioned earlier, electronic dictionaries serve the important role of a communication tool. This is especially true for overseas Japanese businessmen as early as during the IQ-3000 era, which coincided with the peak of the ‘Japanese miracle’ as the rising sun of Japan’s big corporations expanded abroad to the United States. Call it, perhaps, an old habit.

There is also the issue of accuracy. Electronic dictionaries already have its dictionary software and lexical database built in, which is backed up and confirmed by approved academic institutions. Some Japanese believe that using a tablet might not be as effective or as efficient as using an electronic dictionary for the same purpose, especially considering that it is more than just a look-up-and-see device. Oh, and we also haven’t mentioned the simple fact that electronic dictionaries are a number of times cheaper than tablets (of the same size and specs of course).

In fact, ask around a few ex-pats in Japan about the electronic dictionary, and they would pretty much tell the same story of convenience that Japanese students would probably tell you. What’s more is that electronic dictionaries today have even evolved to provide the same functions as netbooks a few years back, with some models even using the Android OS, and providing capacitive touch input.

In a few more years, we might finally see the electronic dictionary hit the first wave of its obsolescence. However, as of this moment, the electronic dictionary is still the iconic pocket education device for students in Japan, more than tablets, and probably a bit more than smartphones. It has basically transcended its normal status as a mobile device, evolving into cultural tech icon. One might even say that the electronic dictionary is a symbol of the country’s ever busy society.

The post Japan’s Magnificent Electronic Dictionary appeared first on VR World.

Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Science and Technology (AIST) has just revealed through its latest research its discovery of the potentials of Bismuth Ferrite (BiFeO₃) in magnetic data storage technology, offering several critical advancements such as lowered energy consumption and data capacity that goes beyond limitations predicted by Moore’s Law.

The culminating research, which was made in cooperation with Fukuoka University, Sophia University, and Aoyama Gakuin University, shows further the promising capabilities of Bismuth Ferrite (also known as BFO) as a consumer tech-standard multiferroic material. Specifically, the study points out the multi-directional polarization properties of single-crystal bismuth ferrite, a property that is critically important in the field of data storage.

Bismuth ferrite has been known to magnetically order iron ions within itself in a spiral fashion. When the researchers attempted to change the direction of the ions, the particles produced vertical polarization. Using this observation, the researchers found out that this now 3-way magnetic structure can be rotated by 120 degrees at each point using an external magnetic source. Each of the states provided at each turn can then be designated as raw data, much as how transistors are able to store 1 and 0 values in a binary chain. What is even more notable is that even if the additional magnetic field is removed, the particles retain the same state, allowing for the possible development of a new non-volatile magnetic storage device using this basic concept.

Bismuth ferrite has been previously studied extensively by researchers around the world in many different forms. Its ability to exhibit retention of its polarization properties at room temperature opens its potential regular use in many different computer-based applications. Moreover its inherent state changing structure makes it relatively easier to develop, manufacture, and eventually maintain than current nanometer scale transistors.

The next challenge in the research is to use an electric field to achieve the same state changing effect. This way, it can be easily integrated into our current electronics systems, and may be introduced as a new material for future hard disk drives.

The post AIST’s Research Unveils New Data Storage Material appeared first on VR World.

Fujitsu Labs has announced its development of a ring-type wearable device that is designed to provide visual interface input to eyewear type wearable devices.

The concept of using head mounted displays, or at the very least eyewear tech for work related activity has been already discussed and proposed as early as when the devices are still being demonstrated a few years back. However, even though these devices remove the need to use a tablet or another handheld device for data access, the method for manipulating the data visually on these devices are currently limited. Even if there have been a handful of other smart rings that can provide convenient input, the function is usually just in the form of pre-set gestures.

Fujitsu Labs, aiming to solve this inherent problem, developed a new smart ring that can be used to make the user’s fingers ‘interact’ with the wearable device screen. This allows the user to view the information displayed on the device and write data as if it was actually in front of them.

Packed with an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and magnetic sensors, the wearable tracks the user’s hand and finger movements. It then follows a trail, which is promptly analyzed and interpreted as manual input for an eyewear device’s screen. The intuitive controls make the device easy to use, as it does not require special training. It can be especially useful in workplaces where calculations, inventory/item organization and manual number crunching are frequently required.

Additionally, when inputting letters and characters (currently in Japanese), Fujitsu Labs has also developed its own correction algorithm for the device. This would allow the device to properly display inputted letters without the need to worry about visual spacing, a previously common problem with apps having similar functions in tablets and smartphones.

The ring-type wearable device will have NFC tagging functionality, as well as Bluetooth LE (Low Energy) connectivity. Fujitsu Labs plans to test the device early this year, following its eventual implementation later during the same year.

The post Fujitsu Labs Develops ‘Writing’ Smart Ring Wearable appeared first on VR World.

Going beyond electronics is a concept that has been well discussed and researched for quite a number of years. The most popular ideas included photonics, and quite recently, spintronics. The field of spintronics in particular, is of special interest in today’s consumer tech, and a new Japanese research may just make the concept even closer to reality.

Researchers at Touhoku University Institute for Materials Research and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) have recently confirmed that surface plasmon resonance can be an important tool in generating spin currents. Surface plasmon resonance, in simple terms, is the reactive vibration of electrons at a point on a surface (which is usually a metal) hit by an incident light. It is a phenomenon that is well used in biosensors and lab-on-a-chip systems, due to the distinct, measurable, and predictable wavelengths the vibrations produce.

In their latest published research paper named “Generation of spin currents by surface plasmon resonance“, the researchers have observed that by directing light onto a magnetic material that contains a special metal particle, a spin current can be produced, and thus controlled. The manipulation and generation of spin currents is the fundamental principle of spintronics, where a spin moment of a single electron particle can be used to store data or transfer energy, in a manner that is similar to quantum computers.

As of this moment, the common methods used to control spin currents are via heat, sound waves, and magnetic fields, with magnetic fields as the current best candidate in the eventual commercialization of the technology. With the introduction of a new element that can control spin currents, the research sees the development of newer, more advanced energy transfer and conversion technologies, which could optimize spintronics technology on an even larger scale.

For instance, a surface plasmon resonance-based spintronics system can be integrated on solar energy systems, where panels could be designed to not only convert energy via sunlight, but also generate energy using the spin currents driven by the same sunlight. Another possible use of the concept is the development of a grid-free integrated energy system that involves the use of a number of different spin current generating principles.

In fact, the research even predicts the development in the near future of a new branch of study involving surface plasmon resonance-based commercial spintronics systems, just as how electronics eventually made its way from lab research to commercialization during the early 20th century.

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Japanese consumer tech market analysis and research firm BCN Inc. has finally opened this year’s BCN Awards 2015, with Sony (TYO: 6758) claiming most of prize for many of its consumer tech product categories.

The BCN Awards in general select the best tech companies from at least 118 tech categories, which are divided between 85 hardware and 33 software categories. Each of the 58 tech companies regularly included in the event are selected based from numbers obtained from sales data within various commercial outlets such as concept stores and online tech shops. The awards for this year in particular, have just included 4K TVs as a new consumer tech category.

As for the winners, Sony takes the most number of categories within the non-PC hardware division, dominating the number of sales last year for at least one or more product types within each of the sub-categories.  These categories include 4K TVs, digital cameras, portable media players, IC recorders, home theater systems, and blu-ray players. Some other notable companies in this division include Panasonic (TYO: 6752), winning the artificial lighting and blu-ray recorder categories, Sharp (TYO:6753), dominating Japan’s LED TV market, and Casio, which is perhaps the only active competitive player within the electronic dictionary category.

For the PC hardware division, NEC (TYO:6701) takes the spotlight as the only winner for the desktop and notebook PC category. Apple Japan beats all other competitors in the tablet and smartphone category, followed closely by Elecom, which is the current leader in mobile device-related accessories and support devices. Other noteworthy winners in this division include Western Digital Japan (HDD), Samsung Japan (SSD), and Sandisk (memory devices).

Within the software division, Microsoft Japan trumps all other companies in the operating system, programming software, and combined software categories. The security software award went to Trend Micro Japan, and the internet software award went to Just Systems. Most notably, the PC game software award went to Square Enix.

The entire list of winners for each and every category can be found at BCN’s official BCN Awards 2015 page.

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Showa Denko Packaging Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of major Japanese chemical engineering firm Showa Denko, has unveiled its development of a new type of laminated thin film battery. The new battery features an even thinner form factor, making it a few times more convenient than conventional film-type Li-ion batteries.

Typical laminated thin film Li-ion batteries usually require a tab lead directly attached to the electrode whenever it is connected to a circuit. The new film Li-ion battery Showa Denko developed does not require a tab lead, and can be used externally, due to the inherent conductive properties of the laminated layer. This means that the protective covering of the film battery itself can be directly connected to any load, negating the need to design the battery using several conductive layers. This would then enable it to be used in its plain, thin film form, without any cladding or covering.

The prototype film battery the company designed is about 100 micrometers thick, or about 50% thinner than conventional thin film Li-ion batteries. As such, it can be easily slipped into any mobile device or handheld gadget that would benefit from a thinner battery form factor. In addition, with its considerable flexibility, it can be shaped and bent into various forms, further enhancing its usability. Even better, due to its simple design, it is adequately radiation proof and completely waterproof.

While the development of better and thinner film type batteries can be directly related to the development of even thinner mobile devices, there are also other considerable applications where it can be used as efficiently. One concept proposed for Showa Denko’s thin film batteries is to use them as a component in e-papers. This would allow the paper to have additional functions that may require more power, such as embedding videos and audio clips.

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Panasonic (TYO: 6752) announced that it will be forming a partnership deal with Wyoming-based cloud-based platform and architecture service firm DIVA Networks Inc. The collaboration project will be part of the company’s plan to improve networking and communication capabilities of its next line of digital cameras.

Panasonic has already developed a prototype model for the upcoming project last year, the DMC-CM1, which featured integrated LTE networking functions on a standard digital camera. The partnership between the two companies will expand this basic concept further. The project will include a number of target milestones and objectives, with the ultimate goal of successfully developing new digital cameras that can properly utilize today’s ultra high speed global networking systems.

The company’s first step towards its business strategy calls for the initial development of new cloud photo services that would optimize the camera’s networking functions. This will inevitably include marketing and promotion, which will help introduce the new services to the cameras’ user base. DIVA Networks will be responsible for developing the cloud-based system for these services, as well as a proper access interface to provide a seamless, convenient medium to easily edit, store, and share snapped photos.

Eventually, the strategy will move further to develop new products that would then optimize the system already established by the new photo services. Just as how social networking services are easily accessible to mobile devices today, the new digital cameras and related hardware will be designed for easy integration to the web, to meet the current huge demand for multimedia sharing.

Panasonic had already invested an undisclosed amount of capital for the joint project. Though the announcement included the development of new products, there are still no specifics as to when these products are to be released. Information regarding the new services is to be announced later as well.

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Major Japanese comic book publisher Kodansha has just announced that it will be digitizing all of its monthly comic publications and magazines. This is in accordance to the company’s plan and policy to further modernize its business, and to cater to Japan’s ever growing number of mobile device users.

The first magazines that are slated for a shared digital release along with its printed editions are Young Magazine (starting January 5), Monthly Shounen Magazine (starting January 6), and Weekly Shounen Magazine (starting January 7). Kodansha also plans to release digital backnumber issues of previous magazine publications of the same titles in the near future, allowing those who missed purchasing the issue to obtain it again via digital means. The company has already opened a special website for the new digital service, and has uploaded several magazine issues to be downloaded by interested individuals for free.

The Japanese comic book industry has been one of the most influential mediums of the country’s modern pop literature. Manga, as it is called, is popularly known to be often released in black and white rather than in colored pages. Kodansha in particular has been publishing issues with young teens as the audience, providing various genres that typically delve into the realm of action and fantasy. Moreover, most of its comic book magazines have been known to release internationally popular titles such as the recently concluded Naruto and the still ongoing One Piece.

The digital versions of the company’s monthly comic publications will be available locally in the country through Amazon Japan, Rakuten Books, eBook Japan, Yahoo Japan’s Bookstore, BookLive and Line Manga. In the near future, the company also plans to further digitize more of its published books and magazines, with some of the titles already slated for an early digital release, which includes Magazine Special, Dessert, Kiss, Nemesis, and others.

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Toshiba (TYO: 6502) has announced the launch its newest IC, which is designed to be capable of efficiently charging mobile devices wirelessly. The new wireless power receiver controller offers vast improvements in charging capacity, allowing for newer wireless charging systems to charge smartphones, tablets and other similar mobile devices at a rate that is comparable to wired charging.

The TC7765WBG wireless power receiver controller IC is claimed to be capable of effectively charging devices quickly, or at least as fast as traditional wired charging. It demonstrates its 12-watt power transfer capability, a requirement for efficient tablet device charging, as well as its Qi low-power specification version 1.1 compatibility. The new chip is expected to enable fast wireless charging for new upcoming tablets, smartphones and even for newer wearable devices.

According to Toshiba, the new IC was built with its “mixed-signal process using a high-performance MOSFET design that maximizes power efficiency and thermal performance”. With its size specifications at 2.4mm x 3.67mm x 0.5mm, it has the same general design as the previous TC7763WBG 5W wireless power receiver controller. Using the same form factor, the new IC not only vastly improved its overall efficiency, but also made it backwards compatible with other lower-power receiver ICs.

In addition, the Qi specifications of the chip allow it to prevent metal objects within the path of the wirelessly charged device to heat up. This could significantly mitigate concerns about certain accidents that may be inherently caused by wireless charging systems.

The market for mobile devices is expected to grow even more exponentially as more and more people use tablets, smartphones, and wearable technologies. Toshiba predicts that this continued growth would drive the market for batteries and chargers, which in turn would increase the demand for wireless power technologies. This would then open new opportunities for the company to develop more wireless charging solutions, and to further extend its already established business base within the same market.

The TC7765WBG IC will be demonstrated sometime during the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Samples are to be available at the end of the month, and mass production is scheduled to begin sometime during mid-2015.

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IDC Japan’s latest market analysis has just revealed that Japan’s estimated compound annual growth rate for its security business sector from 2015 to 2018 will be at around 4.0%, at an equivalent value of about $2.5 billion. This is primarily based from an earlier report last 2014 that revealed an average annual growth rate within the same business sector of 4.7%, or about $2.1 billion.

Following the general growth of cloud-based businesses and enterprises during the past few years in Japan, demand for security services, such as access administration, endpoint protection, and general network security have also increased. During the last year, the combined annual growth rate of business related to these services was 4.1%, or equivalent to about $1.8 billion. The growth rate is expected to go even further with the introduction of more security services aimed at the mobile device market, which IDC Japan expects to contribute to the previously mentioned 4.0% growth rate throughout the years 2015 to 2018.

In addition, the analysis also included the steadily growing security market for SaaS (Software as a Service) businesses within the country. Its security market is expected to have an estimated compound annual growth rate of 11.6%, or equivalent to about $154 million. This also based from a comparison made from 2013 and 2014’s growth rates, which were $89 million and $100 million respectively.

On the other side of Japan’s security market, demand for intrusion prevention/detection and unified threat management systems, as well as related security hardware for other access and authorization systems, have also increased in the past two years. IDC Japan reports its growth rate at 7.5% ($367 million) from 2013 to 2014. As more security issues in Japan are focused towards unauthorized access and data theft, it is expected that the growth of these sectors would also directly affect other major digital security markets within the country, at least during the time period estimated by the market analysis.

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Japan’s own list of crazy inventions may not seem too much in terms of numbers, but it sure is something in terms of overall wackiness. This contraption in particular isn’t exactly what we could consider as the weirdest, but it can be good example of what you need to expect.

Tofu Linear Accelerator kind of sounds badass, rings a very distinct tune, and does exactly as it’s described; a machine that is built with the sole purpose of launching that soft, mushy tofu you always see at the vegetables section of your local supermarket. By combining very high air pressure and some leftover expired tofu, it creates a formidable weapon that can cause sticky messes everywhere.

Of course, it’s not so lethal that it could harm a person anyway, but you get the idea. At the very least, it’s powerful enough to punch holes through cardboards, destroy soda cans, and even create a chaotic mess when hitting raw eggs. As for taking out targets with it, well, that would depend on what the user would mean by “taking out”. Because as mentioned earlier, you’re just more likely to make an even bigger sticky mess with it even as it reaches speeds that would have been lethal if it were a more solid object.

So, why was it built anyway? Is it a science project? A proof of concept device for another idea perhaps? We’re not sure, and their eureka moment for building such device may remain a complete mystery to us. All we know is that you literally can’t just mess with it without leaving puddles of white chaos.

The instructions and schematics for the Tofu Linear Accelerator were introduced in the video, so if you’re interested and up for the challenge, you could probably try your hand in creating your own version. Just a friendly reminder though, use expired tofu, or you might incur the wrath of the tofu gods with it.

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A small survey conducted on a certain tech news discussion group in Japan shows that a considerable fraction of user groups within the country may not be too inclined to use their tablets, opting instead to use smartphones for their day to day mobile device needs.

With a limited sample survey of 269 people, the survey team asked the group as to whether they use their tablets more than once during a single week. The combined answers revealed that at least 30.9% of the tech savvy user group do not actually use their tablets as often as they are perceived to be. The survey further narrowed the data down by pinpointing the biggest causing factor, which was their regular use of smartphones.

When asked why they do not use their tablets often, the general consensus is that smartphones already fulfill their mobile device needs. Common responses include “smartphones are handier”, “my smartphone is enough”, and “everything’s on my smartphone already”.

The results were not only reflected within the smartphone user group, but were also shown in the tablet user group as well. Some of the common reasons stated for using their tablets more than once a week often included activities which can already be done efficiently on a smartphone, such as checking email or observing weather forecasts.

Large smartphones and small tablets can usually blur the line between these two mobile devices. The convenience of having an adequately portable form factor and a sufficiently large screen can be a more attractive option, not to mention the relative cost efficiency or purchasing such a device. In Japan, this can perhaps be more evident, with the existence of other types of mobile devices that serve as a middle platform between the two.

Although the survey pointed out that smartphones can perhaps replace tablets in certain functions, the results still obviously showed that there are definitely more users who maintain using their tablets as often as needed. One interesting reason cited for this is that these tablet users are also often feature phone owners, a fact that was already pointed out in a previous survey by another group.

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VAIO, in cooperation with mobile virtual network operator firm Japan Communications (TYO: 9424), had just confirmed its plans to release its own smartphone model. The upcoming model is slated for an early New Year launch this January 2015, and it will be introduced as a mid-range model within Japan’s local smartphone market.

The spun off company had already previously announced a few months ago its plans to release a high-end hybrid tablet/notebook model, with the intent of releasing it as a productivity unit. The decision to release its own smartphone model this time is yet again part of VAIO’s original plan to extend the brand beyond notebooks. The company’s expansion to the mobile device realm is expected to further re-establish its business model to cater to a wider consumer base, as well as promoting the brand as a separate competitive business entity.

No announcements yet about specifications, availability and price. However, as mentioned earlier, the company did announce that it will be a mid-level model, aimed at striking a wedge between some of the major players of the Japanese smartphone market. General costs are also estimated to be set between major telecom operators and current competitors within the low-cost market. In addition, the smartphones are to be optimized for design, keeping the original concept of the VAIO brand.

Earlier January 2014, before VAIO became a separate company, there have been speculations as to whether Sony (TYO: 6758) had any plans to release a Windows Phone smartphone. Despite the circulation of rumors across the web, there are still no confirmed reports of this for the moment. On the flip side though, while Sony’s Xperia line of smartphone models are obviously in no way related to VAIO’s upcoming smartphone, there is a considerable possibility that it will be Windows Phone-based, at least based on how the brand is currently marketed today.

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Eyewear tech may be convenient and look snazzy, but we can’t help but feel like these wearables aren’t supposed to make you it look natural on those who are wearing them. There are of course exceptions, but the limitations of using a specific eyewear for these devices don’t really make it more appealing to those who already wear one.

Thankfully, Sony (TYO: 6758) has a new concept that might just solve this very fundamental problem. The company had recently unveiled the Single-Lens Display Module concept, which is basically a device that can be attached or equipped to any existing eyewear, effectively turning it into eyewear tech. The technology introduced by the concept is quite similar to what other wearables have today, and functionally it even bears a slight resemblance to Sony’s previously developed EyeGlass wearable concept. However, the critical difference is that it uses an OLED microdisplay to project an image onto any glass, instead of displaying it to an already fixed eyewear build.

As for its specs, there are no technical announcements just yet, but Sony claims that its 0.23-inch OLED screen can produce an image with a resolution of about 640×400 pixels. From the way Sony introduces it, the device may function more of a digital augmentation device for providing environmental information. It can, for example, provide standard wearable tech functions like visual health tracking, or provide analysis of your surroundings when doing certain activities. The central control board shown in the sample images will have its processor, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth receivers, as well is its sensor hub.

Of course, as it is still a concept, additional features, technical specifications, as well as its final design may still be in the works. However with Sony officially announcing its demonstration at the upcoming CES 2015, we might not have to wait long to see what it really does, and how it would differentiate itself from all other wearable tech that already preceded it.

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