GW-168

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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. 168
Monday November 8, 2004
(Long URLs may break across two lines, so copy to your browser.)

=============== Party with Chin Music Press ======================
Chin Music Press invites you to "Voices from the Void," a party to
celebrate the release of our first book. Join us for live readings
from Kuhaku & Other Accounts from Japan, a steaming nabe of stories
and art on being "found in translation" in the real Japan.

Party: Nov. 11, Pink Cow in Shibuya, 7-11pm (No cover charge!)
http://www.thepinkcow.com/
Read about Kuhaku here: http://www.chinmusicpress.com/
Check it out on Amazon.com: http://tech-geeks.org/tiny.php?url=1364

============================ CHIBA TODAY==================================
--Subscribe to Japan's New Biotech Newsletter--

If you're involved in biotechnology or genome research, Chiba Prefecture
wants your business. It is aggressively building its resume as Japan's
leader in these 21st century industries. Japan is the world's 2nd
largest biotech/genome market. Our newsletter will bring you information
from Chiba Prefecture, as well as the Japan market at large. Sign up
for our newsletter here: http://www.businesssupport-chiba.jp/eng/newsletter/

======================== Pygmalion by G.B. Shaw ==========================

The International Theatre Company London's 20th performance in Japan
featuresa classic comedy about the transformation of a flower girl into a
society lady. This original version of My Fair Lady promises an evening of
great entertainment. Public performances in Kyoto, Nov 9 and Tokyo, Nov. 17
and Nov. 18. Please see http://www.stageplay.jp for details on the venues.
The production is supported by the British Council and sponsored by Ashley
Associates (http://www.ashleyassociates.co.jp).
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Name: Disney Flash Memory
Category: USB flash memory
Price: 4,000 yen for 128MB; 5,000 yen for 256MB
Release date in Japan: Late November 2004

The Gist: This week Buffalo introduced a new line of USB keychain memory
devices dubbed the "Disney Flash Memory" line, as if there weren't enough
of these sorts of devices already. The saving grace of the new memory lies
in its appeal -- by giving them pastel color schemes, a rounded-out shape,
and attaching Disney character trinkets, Buffalo is appealing to young and
female users. While I imagine there are many women out there who do not
like pastel colors, rounded shapes, or Disney, I have to admit that
Buffalo's new line is far cuter than any other USB memory lineup I've seen.
Buyers can choose from Mickey, Winnie the Pooh, Tinker Bell, and Marie
(of "The Aristocats" fame) themed designs.

Also included with each is an illustrated 30cm-extension cable, meaning
you won't have to bend down to your computer to insert your USB memory
keychain. Doing so, after all, could be considered "unladylike." At 4,000
yen or 5,000 yen for a 128MB or 256MB model respectively, the frugal
consumer would realize there's a 100% difference in capacity for a 25%
difference in price.

More info: http://buffalo.melcoinc.co.jp/products/new/2004/056_1.html
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Name: TeraStation (HD-H1.0TGL/R5)
Category: Network Attached Storage
Price: 111,615 yen
Release date in Japan: Mid-December 2004

The Gist: It's ironic that what is the polar opposite of what we just reported
on comes from the same company. In addition to announcing Disney USB memory
products, Buffalo also announced the entirely masculine "TeraStation
(HD-H1.0TGL/R5)" Network Attached Storage (NAS) device this past week. What
makes the TeraStation masculine? Simple: 1TB of storage. Crossing the magic
line between "GB" and "TB" for 111,615 yen (about $1,057 USD), this new
TeraStation is an entirely viable option for consumers willing to spend a bit
to have a massive amount of storage.

But the four 250GB, 7400rpm hard drives inside of the TeraStation certainly
won't be sitting idle -- Buffalo has added plenty of features to make a 1TB
investment worthwhile for just about anyone. It features four modes of
operation: (1) recognize as four different 250GB hard drives, (2) recognize
as a single 1TB hard drive, (3) recognize as two different 500GB hard drives
to use RAID1 for mirroring, and (4) recognize as a single 750GB hard drive
to use striping with parity (RAID5). Got all that? Well, that's all right if
you didn't; just plug the TeraStation into your network via Gigabit Ethernet
or PC/Mac via USB 2.0 and you should be good to go.

As an added bonus, Buffalo even plans to add Media Server support to the
TeraStation, meaning it can serve up files to your Buffalo LinkStation media
player. Just running some quick numbers here, 1TB of MP3 audio (at 192kbps)
would last you about 12,427 hours, or 517 days. I'm saving money already.

More info: http://buffalo.melcoinc.co.jp/products/new/2004/058_1.html
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Name: SystemTalks MOVIE VISION AV USB2-MVA20H
Category: Portable media player/recorder
Price: 49,800 yen
Release date in Japan: Already Available

The Gist: While it's certainly not the first time we've seen a portable media
player with 20GB hard drive or a portable media recorder able to encode
MPEG-4 movies, I believe this is the first time we've seen a device having
both properties. Not only can the MOVIE VISION AV playback DivX and other
MPEG-4 video files, it can also record videos directly to the internal hard
drive using MPEG-4 encoding. On the 2.5" LCD, you can also view JPEG files.
Furthermore, last week I mentioned how the iPod Photo was unable to extract
photos directly from a digital camera -- but the MOVIE VISION AV can do just
that. Another handy feature of the player is its video output; rather than
viewing movies on its small screen, you can instead view them on your
(most likely) larger television.

More info: http://system-talks.co.jp/product/vision/usb2-mva20h/usb2mva20h_nr.htm

===============" B U R E A U " Serviced Apartments in Tokyo===============
BUREAU monthly apartment complex offers an attractive exterior
design and stylish interior furnishings. A concierge is available
on weekdays to assist guests and weekly cleaning service keeps
apartments fresh and new. A perfect alternative to hotel living,
BUREAU is the choice for demanding executives on short to extended
stay in Tokyo.
http://www.bureau.co.jp/en/

================== Saving Your Business Money =========================
How can you cut business costs in Japan? Try relocating your operations
to a local region. Many companies, both Japanese and foreign, are moving
their facilities outside of Tokyo to places where rents, salaries and
basic business costs are cheaper. But it can be difficult deciding where
to go. We will provide you with the latest information on relocating
anywhere in Japan, including the different incentives and financial breaks
foreign firms are eligible to receive.
Please visit:
http://relocation.biosjp.com
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Subscribers: 6,605 as of November 8, 2004

STAFF
Written by: Liam McNulty
Edited by: Burritt Sabin (editors2@japaninc.com)

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