GW-132

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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. 132

Thursday, February 19, 2004
(Long URLs may break across two lines, so copy to your browser.)

============================= EVENT ==================================
ICA Feb 19 Event

PRESENTER: Chiharu Nakabayashi, General Manager, Cisco-Linksys K.K.
TOPIC: Wireless Home Networking - The Next Generation of Consumer
Electronics Products

RSVP required, complete event details at http://www.icajapan.jp/
Date: Wednesday, Feb 19
Time: 6:30 Doors open, sit down dinner included
Cost: 3,000 yen (members), 5,500 yen (non-members)
Foreign Correspondents' Club
http://www.fccj.or.jp/static/aboutus/map.php
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Name: Matsushita DMW-WT1
Category: Digital cameras
Price: Open (but approx. 20,000 yen)
Release date in Japan: March 12, 2004

The Gist: There's a lot of reporting on the PMA (Photo Marketing
Association) annual show this week, so I won't go banging on about all
the cool new digital camera announcements (like the Olympus C-8080
8-MILLION-pixel baby -- woo-hoo! Sorry, but that is very, very cool).

However, I haven't seen this mentioned in the show reports yet, so
I'll get in quick! The DMW-WT1 is a wireless transmission adapter for
the Lumix FX5 and FX1 line of digital still cameras. Sit the camera on
top of the adapter, fiddle with a few screws and hey, presto! Allied
with an SD-slot mobile phone, such as the PHS AH-S101S from DDI
Pocket, your smart new camera and adapter combo can then transmit (up
to 4-megapixel) photos taken on the camera over the ether to your
mates in less than a minute.

Quite why this "solution" would appeal to your average technophile
mobile punter, however, is another matter entirely. Wouldn't they just
go out and buy one of the new megapixel-camera-toting mobile phones in
the first place? Ah well.

More info: http://panasonic.jp

============================= EVENT ==================================
G-MAC's
"5th Annual Japan's Int'l Banking & Securities System Forum 2004"
Date: March 18 - 19
Location: Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE)

This two day forum provides a better understanding of front, middle
and back office systems with its concentrated agenda. Invited guest
speakers will give their domestic & global outlook on STP/ Banking
& securities initiatives.

Also, leading solution providers will be presenting free Workshop
sessions presenting products & services in designing and implementing
a front/middle/back office strategy.
Tel 81-3-5805-6070, email: info@gmacjapan.com, www.gmacjapan.com
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Name: Aiwa HP-SN51
Category: AV accessories
Price: 2,800 yen
Release date in Japan: Feb. 20, 2004

The Gist: Aiwa has just announced a bunch of chic new headphones (four
different types, actually), but the funkiest of them has to be the one
that is designed, according to the company (Sony), to look like a
"virtual neckband." What's wrong with looking like a real neckband?
What, in fact, is the difference? Anyhow, the HP-SN51 has sound output
of 105dB/mW, a frequency response range of 10Hz to 25kHz and impedance
of 16 ohms. The headphones come in silver or black, weigh 12g, and
also include a gold-plated stereo mini-jack input. Only thing is,
looking at the pictures of them, I have absolutely no idea how they
fit. Maybe this is just me, but they look as though they fit in your
ears and then hang down your back. I mean, what's the point of that?
Is it cool? Can some young people write in and tell me -- but if
you're on of those young people who thinks wearing a tea cosy
(http://www.irelandshoppe.com/tea.jpg) on your head is cool,
especially if you call it a beanie, please do not write in. Instead,
seek medical help immediately. Then go out and buy these headphones.

More info: http://www.jp.aiwa.com/products/accessories/hp/HP-SN51.html

=====================INFORMATION SESSION==============================
Temple University Japan will hold an information session for its
top-ranked Executive MBA program at its Minami-Azabu campus on
February 28 at 11 a.m. This will be the final information session for
classes beginning in May 2004.
Applications are due April 1. The Financial Times ranks Temple as one
of the top EMBA programs in the world.

For more information, please call: 0120-86-1026, or e-mail:
business@tuj.ac.jp
Web: http://www.tuj.ac.jp/emba
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Name: NEC HT1100
Category: AV
Price: Open (but approx. 450,000 yen)
Release date in Japan: Feb. 20, 2004

The Gist: This new model from NEC is a rather dowdy, functional-
looking projector that, nevertheless, secrets away an extremely
impressive contrast ratio of 3,500:1 (it replaces the HT1000 -- which
was clearly crap, but NEC is only now admitting it -- with a mere
3,000:1 ratio).

Also, despite its unspectacular looks, the HT1100 is a fully
functional home theater DLP projector. The 1,024x768-dot DMD chip
works up an image from 30 inches to a massive 200 inches onscreen.
That's bigger than most people's entire apartment. You could sit
outside with it, stick up a sign saying "Drive In" and charge people
to watch your rubbish old movies.

The lens has a 1.2 optical zoom (yes, thanks, I now understand how
marvelously useful they can be) with manual focus. The lamp kicks out
1100 ANSI lumens, and it's quiet, at 29-32dB in operation. If you live
in the US and want one, let me know!

More info: http://www.nevt.co.jp/

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Stay Competitive - Relocate

How does a company cut costs without slashing its workforce? If it
operates in Tokyo -- the world's MOST expensive city -- relocating
part of its operation can save money fast.

Wakayama offers software development divisions, cheaper offices, lower
personnel costs, and subsidies and support from the prefectural
government. To find out more, visit

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Entrepreneur Association of Tokyo - March Seminar

Ms. Ruriko Nomura is the President of Hopes Inc., a frontier company
aiming to establish an educational consulting field. Her presentation
is entitled, "Starting a Business Without Capital." Come out and learn
about the opportunities in the Japanese business world that she
discovered.

Date: Tuesday, March 2nd Language: English
http://www.ea-tokyo.com Email: info@ea-tokyo.com
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Name: NHJ v@mp VP-408
Category: Portable audio
Price: Open (but approx. 29,800 yen)
Release date in Japan: mid-February 2004

The Gist: Abbreviation lovers rejoice! For NHJ has released another of
its lovely "v@mp" portable audio players and, to fully grasp the
beauty of the new machine, you need a degree in Abbreviology! The
VP-408 is blue, and it has more memory than the last player NHJ
knocked out. But that's where the simple English ends! The v@mp is a
512MB "USB Memory Type" WMA/MP3 player, with an SN ratio of 85dB, FM
tuner and voice recording functionality built in, bit rates of eight
to 320kbps for MP3 and 48 to 192kbps for WMA, works with any flavor of
Windows (98 SE, Me, 2000 or XP) or Mac OS (9.2 to X) and has a
four-line, backlit LCD display. One battery will power the VP-408 for
up to 15 hours, and it only weighs 30g. As a treat for the militarily
inclined Gadget Watch reader, it also looks quite a lot like an
anti-submarine torpedo.

More info: http://www.nhjapan.com/

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Subscribers: 5,148 as of February 19, 2004

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

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