japan

Sony has discontinued the PlayStation 2 in Japan, says a report, nearly 13 years after the device's introduction.

Famitsu broke the news that Sony halted Japanese production of PlayStation 2 hardware in its home country, but the blog also noted that the company plans to continue developing and selling games for the video game console. We've reached out to Sony Computer Entertainment America for more information about future PS2 plans in the U.S. -- check back later for a response. … Read more

Japan already has the market cornered on fancy toilets, but there's always room for more potty innovations. A new line of toilets from Lixil will soon turn smartphones into commode controllers.

The Satis toilets are set for release in early 2013. Through the magic of Bluetooth and an accompanying Android app, users will have minute control over these high-tech privies.

The app can trigger a lifting of the toilet seat or a flush if you've forgotten (or don't want to touch the flusher). According to the promo video, it looks like the app can also control an extending bidet feature that looks absolutely frightening. … Read more

This is probably one of the most bizarre projects we've seen on Kickstarter: a wearable tail called "Tailly" that wags according to the wearer's emotions.

The tail, which hangs on a belt with sensors on the inside, reacts to the wearer's heart rate, wagging furiously when users are excited and swinging slowly when they calm down. We're picturing it for cosplay and costume parties, or maybe as a children's toy.

According to the Tailly Kickstarter site, one "could even wear Tailly on a date and express your true feelings through the wagging tail. Even better, your partner could also wear one... to add a level of subconscious communication between the two of you." Hey, we're not judging here. … Read more

You know the holidays are getting close when Steve Jobs action figures start to appear.

We've seen a few toy tributes to Jobs from Chinese companies. There was a kerfuffle in January of this year when Hong Kong toymaker In Icons bowed to pressure from Jobs' family and Apple and withdrew a 12-inch doll from the market.

That hasn't stopped a Japanese startup from trying to cash in on Jobs' popularity. Tokyo-based Legend Toys is releasing its own strikingly detailed 12-inch figure of Jobs. It was sculpted by Takao Kato, whose work includes 1:16 scale and 1:4 scale figures for the otaku market. … Read more

Is a robot with muscles and bones any more freaky than one with servomotors?

Researchers at the University of Tokyo have been building a humanoid robot called Kenshiro that moves around with muscles that work with small pulleys.

Initially developed as a scrawny kid-bot in 2001, Kenshiro has been packing on muscle mass. With a total of 70 degrees of freedom, or axes of motion, it now has 160 muscles, with 22 in its neck, 12 in its shoulders, 76 in its abdomen, and 50 in its legs.

But it's still designed to mimic the body of a 12-year-old Japanese male, standing 5 feet and 2 inches and weighing 110 pounds. It also has a human-like ribcage, pelvis, and spine made of aluminum. … Read more

It wasn't that long ago that Sony was the gold standard in consumer electronics. Now, it's scrambling with subpar products, a tarnished brand, and has been scrambling to find a sense of direction. Its downturn underscores the broader troubles that the Japanese electronic giants all face, companies that include Panasonic and Sharp. Sadly, Sony may be the best positioned among them to mount a comeback.

The fall of these companies provides a warning to others that attempt to do too much, spreading themselves too thin and missing out on crucial trends, like the rise of the global smartphone … Read more

Call it too little, too late.

Mitsubishi is the latest Japanese conglomerate to show off a new robot to work at the devastated Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, following Toshiba's flubbed demo of a quadruped walker.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), Japan's largest defense contractor, yesterday unveiled the Maintenance Equipment Integrated System of Telecontrol Robot (Meister), a two-armed unit that rolls around on four tracks.

The remote-controlled bot can wield a variety of tools such as cutters and drills, clear obstacles, and pierce through concrete to check radiation levels, according to MHI.

Just like human arms, its robotic appendages can move along seven axes. Check it out cutting a pipe in the video below. … Read more

Today, I am just speaking to the ladies.

But the men can listen in.

Ladies, you know that feeling when you've dumped someone and you feel a little guilty? You know that you felt strong when you dumped him, but now you wish you hadn't.

But you don't have the courage to contact him, so you just wish that there was someone nice to share your bed and bring a little warmth to your miserable nights.

Perhaps, though, you've been dumped. The empty-bed feeling's the same.

There's no one there. And who wants to … Read more

We've seen transforming robots before, and I'm not talking about anything related to Hasbro.

Researchers from MIT are among many engineers and tinkerers trying to design robots that perform different functions by changing their shape or appearance.

Japan-based Brave Robotics has designed a 1/12-scale RC car that can transform into a humanoid robot. It can shuffle around, grab footage with its Wi-Fi camera, and even fire little missiles from its arms. … Read more