apple japan

Apple pulls controversial Chinese game from App Store

Apple has removed a video game from its App Store over its controversial theme, according to a report.

Dubbed Defend the Diaoyu Islands, the game allowed players to defend the islands against soldiers carrying Japanese flags and dressed as ninjas and sumo wrestlers. The game, which was developed by China-based Shenzhen ZQGame Network Co., highlights the real-world political upheaval that's occurring in Asia over the Diaoyu Islands, according to China Daily, which was first to report on the news.

The 87-mile stretch of islands situated between Taiwan and Okinawa are claimed by both the Japanese and Chinese governments. The … Read more

Apple's Siri is Apple's buttocks in Japan

When I first heard that Apple had delivered a new, intelligent, and very personal assistant to everyone who buys an iPhone 4S, one question gripped me: Why had the company named her after Tom Cruise's daughter? Was this a neat Hollywood homage?

Then I paid attention a little more and realized she was not called Suri, but Siri.

I am told, though, that most of Japan also paid attention and realized she was not called Suri, but Buttocks.

So many people have sent me the cheeky information that when you say "Siri" in Japanese it means "… Read more

YouTube's spin on 'American Idol'

Links from Thursday's episode of Loaded:

Motorola will sell the Wi-Fi-only Xoom for $599.

YouTube announces YouTube Next Up, its spin on "American Idol" for the Web.

The European Union is going to revamp its 16-year-old online privacy laws.

Apple changes in-app purchase protocol so that any additional purchases require a password.

Samsung releases a new line of laptops for students and office workers.

Google updates collaboration messaging within Google Docs.

Mozilla announces that Firefox 4 will be available for download next week on March 22.

Apple to delay iPad 2 sales in Japan

Apple will postpone the start of iPad 2 sales in Japan owing to the earthquake and the human tragedy that has followed in its wake.

"We are delaying the launch of the iPad 2 in Japan while the country and our teams focus on recovering from the recent disaster," Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris said in an e-mail. "Our hearts go out to the people of Japan, including our employees and their families, who have been impacted by this terrible tragedy."

Sales of the iPad 2 were slated to begin there on March 25, along with 25 … Read more

Japan quake may hit flash memory chip supply

The supply of flash memory chips, a principal component in hot-selling tablets and smartphones, will likely be affected by the earthquake in Japan, according to a report. But the factories that manufacture flash are well to the south of the quake's epicenter, possibly mitigating the impact.

An 8.9-magnitude earthquake and series of major tsunamis struck Japan on Friday, causing massive damage. The quake struck Friday at 2:46 p.m. local time about 230 miles northeast of Tokyo. Aftershocks registered 7.1, 6.2, and 5.9, according to the U.S. Geological Survey's report. At least … Read more

Apple: Steve Jobs is no ninja star smuggler

Perhaps there are many of you who keep ninja throwing stars beneath your pillows in order to be prepared for unexpected intruders.

I won't ask where or when you obtained them, but I will tell you that a strange, already refuted allegation has emerged from Japan that Apple CEO Steve Jobs attempted to bring some of these stars back with him after a recent trip to that lovely country.

Among other related news accounts, Bloomberg cites a report from the Japanese tabloid SPA, saying Jobs was detained while attempting to board his private plane. An official reportedly discovered these … Read more

Droid 2 on deck

Links from Wednesday's episode of Loaded:

Verizon and Motorola announce the pre-sale of the Droid 2, which will run Android 2.2 (Froyo) and Flash 10.1 and comes with a pull-out keyboard.

Netflix sign a deal with Paramount Pictures, Lions Gate and MGM to stream their films 3 months after they air on paid television and rentals.

BlockBuster adds game rentals to its service, which brings it into direct competition with GameFly.

Hong Kong jumps into the 3D world with pornography.

Apple in Japan will replace 1st generation iPod nanos that overheat.

Apple Japan to replace iPod Nano batteries

Apple's Japan unit is offering to replace the batteries of first-generation models of the iPod Nano, a device that has seen its share of complaints about overheating that triggered fires and burns for some customers.

A notice buried deep within the Web site for Apple Japan links to an Apple support page that advises customers concerned about their first-gen iPod Nanos overheating to contact AppleCare for a new battery. Any customer who has actually experiencing an overheating incident can contact AppleCare to receive an entirely new iPod Nano unit, Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr told CNET.

The overheating battery, which Apple says occurs in very rare cases, is symptomatic of iPod Nanos sold between September 2005 and December 2006, and could prevent the unit from working or deform its casing. Apple Japan says that the issue was traced to a single battery supplier and that it's received no reports of similar problems with other iPod Nano models.… Read more

iPad lands big in Japan, other foreign markets

The appeal of the Apple iPad is being tested overseas as it launches in nine countries Friday. Japan is one market where it is expected to have a special allure.

Two months after the start of U.S sales, Apple kicked off iPad sales in Japan, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Canada early Friday morning.

And in Japan, the world's second largest economy, it was launched with the kind of fanfare typically reserved for a new game machine from Nintendo.

Friday morning at an Apple store in Tokyo's Ginza district a line formed … Read more