GW-126

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J@pan Inc Magazine Presents:
G A D G E T W A T C H
The Hottest Gadgets and Gizmos from Japan
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Issue No. 126

Thursday, December 11, 2003
(Long URLs may break across two lines, so copy to your browser.)

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Located in the trendy area of Shibuya, right in the middle of TOKYO
And pay 50% of the regular price!!

This limited offer is only available on Japan.com
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
========================= READY FOR 2004? ============================
At J@pan Inc, we bring you far more than just THIS newsletter.

CHECK OUT:
>> Award-winning journalists each month in our flagship print
publication: J@pan Inc magazine
>> Daily updates on our comprehensive, Japan-specific News, Business,
Entertainment, Travel and Culture Web Portal: http://www.Japan.com
>> Up-to-the-minute announcements, analyses and market insights --
plus prodigious article archives! -- on our massive user-friendly
homepage: http://www.JapanInc.com
>> 6 ADDITIONAL newsletters, with the very latest on Business,
Wireless Entertainment, Currencies and Markets, Politics -- and next
week's Hottest Gadgets.

WE ARE ready for 2004. Are you?

* Custom-made packages available for mid-sized businesses. HURRY and
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For more information, please call Fabien Brogard Cipriani
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TEL: 03-3499-2175 ext. 1709
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Name: Nikon COOLPIX3700
Category: Digital camera
Price: Open (but approx. 40,000 yen)
Release date in Japan: December 20, 2003

The Gist: Announcing what the company calls a "stylish and compact"
digital camera. Funny that, but then I suppose it's unlikely they'd
describe a new product as "rubbish looking and about the same size as
a dock-side warehouse." Nikon presents us with the Coolpix 3700 and,
in doing so, manages to SHOUT its name by using ALL CAPITAL LETTERS
just for the heck of it. Saving images down to SD memory card, the
3700's lovely minimalist, silver metal casing puts me in mind of
Canon's gorgeous IXY range of cameras, which is a very good start
indeed. Specs-wise, it has a 3-million-plus-pixel CCD (3.2 million, if
you must know), a three-times optical zoom lens with 35mm equivalency
of 35-105mm and will even do very decent 640x480 moving images at 30
frames per second, handily saving them as Quicktime movies. There's a
1.5-inch color TFT monitor, optical viewfinder and a rechargeable
battery good for at least 200 snaps before needing a recharge. And if
the pictures of the thing are at all accurate, the Coolpix 3700 is
very smart, speaking 10 languages, including Swedish and Korean.
Amazing what 40,000 yen will get you.

More info: http://www.nikon.co.jp/main/jpn/whatsnew/2003/e3700_03.htm

============================ IT PROGRAM ==============================
Temple University Japan presents "The Temple IT Program".
Certification in two key IT areas: Computer Programming and Software
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More info: http://www.tuj.ac.jp/itp/newsad.html
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Name: Dell 2200MP
Category: AV
Price: 118,000 yen
Release date in Japan: December 4, 2003

The Gist: The 2200MP is a 16:9 DLP projector from, of all people, Dell
-- and it's very cheap! Incorporating an 800x600-dot DMD (Dumb Moniker
Department・ot really: Digital Micromirror Device) panel, the 2200MP
knocks out a contrast ratio of 1,700:1, brightness of 1,200 ANSI
lumens and has a 200W lamp and a 1.2-times manual zoom lens. Um, I
think I've missed something. Sorry, but what's the use of a 1.2x zoom?
I mean; "here's the image at 1x normal size and, er, here's the image
at just a tiny bit bigger than normal size." Weird. Anyway, sporting
DLP circuitry, the Dell projector has inputs for S-Video, Composite,
PC in and out and USB, looks the part in its silver livery and is good
for business or home-theater use. And it won't bring your ceiling
crashing down, at only 2.14kg -- all for the earth-shattering price of
118,000 yen.

More info:
http://jpstore.dell.com/store/newstore/dhs/snp/proddetails_overview.as
p?pid=10907

**********************************************************************
Incubator space available
(Just 60,000 yen per month)

LINC Media, a company with a successful track record of incubating and
helping startups get into business, has desks and cubicles available
for long and short-term rent at its office in Minami-Aoyama. A
spacious cubicle and desk, and Internet connection are available for
just 60,000 yen per month, with discounts offered for three or more
people. Copier, fax, shredder, phone and laser printer also available
at a small additional charge. All enquiries in either English or
Japanese to erika.kobayashi@biosjp.com.
**********************************************************************

Name: Iyama ProLite L403W
Category: AV
Price: Open (but L403W, approx. 800,000 yen; L323W,
approx. 400,000 yen)
Release date in Japan: December 5, 2003

The Gist: Iyama's new babies are big-screen, progressive-scan LCD
displays with built-in TV tuners and D4 connections that will make the
TV you have right now in your living room look really, really ugly.
Hang your head in shame. The WXGA (1,280x768-dot) L403W model is the
40-inch display, and the L323W is the 32-incher. Both display over 16
million colors, have D4 component, composite, S-Video and DVI-I
inputs, sport integral stereo speakers putting 7W into two channels
(located on either side of the screen) and look absolutely fantastic.
Especially the all-black version of the L403W. The L403W model also
has a response time of 22ms, brightness of 500 candles and a contrast
ratio of 600:1. The viewing angle in both planes is 170 degrees, and
it weighs a hefty 38kg. The L323W has the same brightness but loses
out a little on response time and contrast ratio. But it's way cheaper
and 10kg lighter. Take your pick.

More info: http://www.iiyama-sales.com/products/monitor/big_tft.htm

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with the Small School Philosophy(ISS)

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programs and well-planned lessons that enable teachers to interact
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offers ESL intensive and ESL academic programs for speakers of
languages other than English.

http://www.isstokyo.com
http://homepage.mac.com/intsecschool/
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Name: Rio Nitrus
Category: Portable audio
Price: 26,800 yen
Release date in Japan: On sale now

The Gist: Just a quick note -- because it's been out for a while both
in the US and here -- to say that Rio is selling the Rio Nitrus and
Eigen 1.5GB portable HDD audio players (it's a new category, archive
fans!) for just 26,800 yen via it's online store, probably to make
them a more attractive alternative to Creative and Apple's efforts and
shift a bunch of them before Christmas. The special price campaign
only runs from December 10 to the end of January. Oh, and Rio's also
releasing the 20-gig, Ethernet-compatible Rio Karma for 43,800 yen on
December 10.

More info: http://www.rioaudio.jp/
and http://www.rioaudio.jp/products/rioKARMA.html

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Subscribers: 4,757 as of December 11, 2003

STAFF
Written by: Max Everingham (max@everingham.net)
Edited by: J@pan Inc editors (editors@japaninc.com)

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