Discussion topics

Walmart Rakuten e-book partnership

By Betty on Marzo 26 2018

Walmart is taking aim at Amazon's Kindle business and diving into the business of selling e-readers, e-books, and audiobooks through a partnership with Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten.

As part of the deal, Walmart will start selling Aura-branded e-readers made by Kobo, a division of Rakuten, in stores and online at Walmart.com. Kobo is one of Amazon Kindle's biggest competitors. 

ChameleonMask: AR tech

By Betty on Marzo 22 2018

At the MIT Technology Review’s EmTech conference held in Singapore this [year], Japanese researcher Jun Rekimoto presented a form of tech called ChameleonMask which he dubbed a “Human Uber” that “shows a remote user’s face on the other user’s face.”

How it essentially works is: ChameleonMask uses a real human as a surrogate for another remote user. The surrogate user wears a display as a mask which shows a remote user’s live face and transmits the user’s voice.

The remote user sends the surrogate user directions on how to act, too.

Virtual reality holidays

By Di on Marzo 15 2018
Topical

Fasten your seatbelts for a flight departing to Paris—and never leave the ground.

That’s exactly what 12 passengers did at First Airlines in central Tokyo this week, where they relaxed in first and business-class seats and were served four-course dinners, before immersing themselves in 360-degree virtual reality (VR) tours of the City of Light’s sights.

Japan accepted 20 refugees in 2017

By Di on Marzo 12 2018

The number of asylum seekers to Japan grew 80 percent to a record 19,628 in 2017--but only 20 were accepted.

Immigration is a controversial subject in Japan, even as the population ages and its workforce shrinks. The government in mid-January 2018 limited the right to work only to those Japan regards as bona fide refugees. As a result, the average daily number of applicants for asylum fell by 50 percent in January as compared to December 2017.

Animal police in the Netherlands

By Di on Marzo 8 2018
Evergreen

Hours before a rare snowstorm hit the Hague in the Netherlands last month, Sergeant Erik Smit got a call from dispatch: A Jack Russell was locked out on a third-story balcony.

Neighbors heard it barking and knew that the owner, who had left for work at 7:30 A.M., would not be back until the end of the day, when the terrace would be covered by several inches of snow.

Sergeant Smit of the national police force rang a few doorbells and yelled some questions to residents, but no one could help. He then radioed for a 22-ton fire truck with a crane and platform.

Video games in the 2024 Olympics?

By Tanner on Marzo 5 2018

The closing ceremonies of the 2016 Olympics saw Tokyo teasing the 2020 Games with a video featuring Pac-Man and Mario. The 2024 Games in Paris, however, might take things a step further.

Tony Estanguet, co-president of the Paris Olympic committee, says he plans to hold talks with eSports officials and the International Olympic Committee about adding competitive video games to the Games.

Cleaning is good for you

By Di on Febbraio 28 2018

Mental health counselors often recommend that clients clean their home environments every day. Dirt and squalor can be symptoms of unhappiness or illness.

But cleanliness is not only about mental health. It is the most basic practice that all forms of Japanese Buddhism have in common. In Japanese Buddhism, it is said that what you must do in the pursuit of your spirituality is clean, clean, clean. This is because the practice of cleaning is powerful.

A classical commute

By Di on Febbraio 23 2018

Tokyo's subway system has begun experimenting with playing classical background music on its trains to provide a more comfortable travel experience.

Tokyo Metro Company began the trial on January 29, 2018, in selected trains between Naka-meguro and Kita-senju stations on the Hibiya Line. Music pieces such as Debussy's ‘Clair de Lune’ and Chopin's nocturnes are being heard between 10 AM and around 2 PM. The volume is set lower than train announcements.

Taobao to hire senior citizens

By Betty on Febbraio 16 2018

Taobao, China's biggest online retailer, is hiring two people who must be aged 60 years or older to assess new products aimed at middle-aged and senior consumers.

Applicants are expected to have a harmonious relationship with their children, be an influencer in society such as in square dance groups, enjoy reading about psychology and sociology, and have at least one year of online shopping experience.

Possible wage hikes in Japan

By Betty on Febbraio 13 2018

Japan’s job market is the tightest it’s been in more than 40 years, giving leverage to labor unions pressing for bigger pay hikes at annual wage negotiations and raising prospects for higher consumer spending and inflation.

The jobs-to-applicants ratio rose to 1.59 in December from 1.56, the highest since January 1974, labor ministry data showed. That means there were nearly 1.6 jobs for every applicant.

Norway proposes electric aircraft

By Rob on Febbraio 6 2018

All of Norway’s short-haul airliners should be entirely electric by 2040, the country’s airport operator said on Wednesday, cementing the Nordic nation’s role as a pioneer in the field of electric transport.

“We think that all flights lasting up to 1.5 hours can be flown by aircraft that are entirely electric,” chief executive Dag Falk-Petersen said, noting that would cover all domestic flights and those to neighbouring Scandinavian capitals.

Honda to make cars with Alibaba

By Betty on Gennaio 25 2018

Honda Motor Co. said Tuesday it will develop “connected cars” jointly with Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. to offer online services to drivers.

Together with the Chinese e-commerce giant, Japan’s third-largest automaker by volume will aim to launch online payments for fuel, parking and other services in China through the jointly developed vehicles.

Global automakers are focusing on connected cars with internet access to provide drivers with online payments, shared traffic information and other advanced services.

Using blockchain to track tuna

By Jeremy S on Gennaio 23 2018

​It seems like everyone is getting into blockchain these days. After all, companies claim to like "transparency", "security", and anything to do with the roller coaster ride that is Bitcoin. But consider this: Tuna.

There are now several blockchain-based projects that aim to stop illegal tuna fishing. The idea is that blockchain-verification would assure consumers and others that the fish were ethically sourced. Or maybe it's just PR, who knows.

Humour: Two bestsellers' excerpts

By Jeremy S on Gennaio 23 2018

 Some of my favourite authors are comedic writers. Here is a quote from Bill Bryson's  A Short History of Nearly Everything where he describes the method in which a chemist tested if a substance can catch fire.

“In France, a chemist named Pilatre de Rozier tested the flammability of hydrogen by gulping a mouthful and blowing across an open flame, proving at once that hydrogen is indeed explosively combustible and that eyebrows are not necessarily a permanent feature of one’s face.”

Japan's banks are downsizing

By Betty on Gennaio 22 2018

Japan’s biggest banks are racing to adapt to changing business conditions amid the shrinking population and spread of online banking.

Many have laid out plans to downsize their workforce and massive network of branches while investing in “fintech”—technological innovation in the financial sector—to streamline their operations and make banking more convenient for their customers.

Mitsubishi UFJ plans to trim 6,000 jobs from the unit’s domestic workforce of 40,000 by the end of fiscal year 2023.