japan

So your e-reader has e-ink? How about squid ink?

Leading Japanese publisher Kodansha has a tentacled offering for fans of its many manga comic books: the Interactive Kodansha Archives (iKA) e-book reader.

Billed as the first "living" e-book reader in the world, iKA is a silly April Fools' prank that has a lot to do with puns on "ika" (squid) in Japanese. It's said to have 3.5 "ikabytes" of memory, for instance, that can be used to read titles from Kodansha's back catalog.

Japanese aren't really into April Fools' Day. And with it being cherry blossom season when most are out drinking under the petals, it's a nice surprise to see that some companies have taken the time to honor this foreign custom. … Read more

Tuk-tuks are a common way to get around in many Asian cities, but they contribute to urban pollution and high fuel costs.

Tokyo-based startup Terra Motors wants to put more non-polluting vehicles on the streets with an electric tuk-tuk unveiled this week for the Philippines.

The blue and white "e-tricycle" is powered by a lithium-ion battery and can carry six people including the driver. It's just under 11 feet long and is steered with handlebars.

It can travel some 31 miles per 2-hour charge, according to the firm, which is hoping to become the world's top electric tuk-tuk maker. … Read more

The deep, dark world of Japan's otaku geeks contains fetishes galore. For those who find both figurines and toilets exciting, Santa came very early this year.

Now they can get their hands on these 1:12-scale toilet and urinal model kits that guarantee hours of fun -- and perhaps some social ostracism.

Released earlier this month by hobby goods makers Milestone and Aoshima, the Oretachi no 1/12 Benjo loos are of course obsessively detailed. … Read more

TOKYO--The crowd lining the end of Tokyo Station's platform 22 is four people deep.

They're jostling for position with their cameras -- trainspotters, parents, and children alike -- to get a shot of Japan's latest bullet train: the Series E6 Shinkansen, known as the Super Komachi.

They all bought tickets for the privilege of entering this part of the sprawling terminal that serves 380,000 passengers daily, and operator JR East has to deploy extra security guards to keep them a safe distance from the glistening new locomotive.

With services to northern Japan on the Akita Shinkansen Line, the Super Komachi debuted earlier this month as one of Japan's fastest commercial trains.

It has been traveling at 300 kph (186 mph) and will eventually run at 320 kph (198.8 mph), also the new operational speed of the Series E5 Hayabusa, among the world's fastest along with France's TGV. … Read more

I always applaud innovations in the art of laziness, and the gadget elves at Thanko are masters at it.

Take Gorone de Megane, the latest eyewear to come out of Thanko's Tokyo workshop.

As the name suggests, these "napping glasses" let you read a book, watch TV, or use your smartphone while remaining completely horizontal in bed or on the couch.

Prisms in the specs reflect light into your peepers, leaving you perfectly positioned to nod off into a blissful snooze. … Read more

Want an instant pulse check? Look into the lens.

Fujitsu today announced a technology that can take a person's pulse in real time using the built-in camera on a smartphone, tablet, or PC.

The system reads pulses by measuring variations in the brightness of the face thought to be caused by blood flow. It requires no special hardware and can measure pulse rate in as little as 5 seconds, positioning it as a possible tool for easy self-monitoring, anytime and anywhere, without the need for a special device. It could also be used by security teams to detect people acting suspiciously in public venues such as concerts and airports, Fujitsu says. … Read more

The Japanese are known for their obsession with toilet innovations. They've created a toilet motorcycle, a smartphone-controlled toilet, and toilets that play music. Now the national potty pastime has made it to the world of remote-control toys with an RC toilet on wheels.

While all your buddies are out flying expensive quadrocopters and transforming RC cars into robots, you'll be zipping your little $16 toilet hot-rod all over the house, terrorizing the cats. Who's the cool one now, huh?… Read more

If you're a Japanese math geek with romantic inclinations, March 14 is a big day.

Not only is it Pi Day, the international day to celebrate the mathematical constant, it's also White Day, a sort of second Valentine's Day when men reciprocate gifts received on February 14.

Japanese jewelry retailer Brilliance + is cashing in on this coincidence by mixing a love of math with love itself in its "Propose With Pi" campaign.

The idea is that men can compare their undying, eternal love for their ladies to the never-ending digits of pi -- and, of course, express that love with a 0.314-carat diamond ring. … Read more

Apple this week quietly made behind-the-scenes changes to its mapping service in Japan, fixing a handful of shortcomings.

Chief among them are changes to pronunciation during turn-by-turn navigation, a key feature introduced in Apple's own mapping service in iOS 6. The app now also alerts drivers to toll roads, and has better point-of-interest labels for things like subways, freeways, and hospitals.

Other tweaks include 3D buildings for some Japanese landmarks like Tokyo Station and Tokyo Tower, as well as changing the freeway color to green.

The changes rolled out without an additional software update from Apple. That's because … Read more