Sony introduces new All-In-On Vaio L Desktop in Europe

Here you are another Vaio introduced by Sony Europe, the Vail L. This new All-In-One Desktop comes in its high-end version the VAIO VPCL21S1E/B, with a 24” Full HD Vaio Display Plus multi-touch monitor plus “Edge Access”. This new Vaio L is powered by Intel latest Core i7, the i7-2630QM with 8GB of RAM a 1TB HDD, an Nvidia GeForce GT 540M and a Blu-Ray Drive.
Other features include WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, USB 3.0, an HD Web Camera and a Wireless Keyboard.
Don’t know about you, but it seems that Sony’s new Vaio L design start to get better and better.

Sony Bring new colorful Vaio C Series in North America and Europe

Sony’s new Vaio C Series is the company latest 14” (LED Backlight 1366×768) multipurpose notebook available in five new flashy colors including for example Pink, Orange and Lime Green. The Nigh-end version of this new Vaio C Series, the VAIO VPCCA1S1E, comes with an Intel Core i5-2410M, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB HDD, an AMD Radeon HD 6470M, a DVD Super Multi, USB 3.0, Bluetooth, WiFi and HDMI 1.4a with 3D Support allowing you to play 3D Video and Video Games from your Laptop on your 3D Compatible TV.

Toshiba new dynbook Qosmio D711 now comes with Sandy Bridge CPU, SpursEngine and BDXL Drive

Introduced in October 2010 Toshiba’s dynabook Qosmio D710 has now been announced with an upgraded CPU and BDXL Drive. Now named the dynabook Qosmio D711, this All-In-One desktop comes with a Core i5-2410M, 4GB of RAM, a 1TB HDD two digital TV Tuner, USB 3.0, an SDXC Slot and a Combo SuprsEngine with a BDXL+ Drive.
This new dynabook Qosmio D711, the D711/T9B will be shortly available in Japan at around 200,000 Yen.

Toshiba updates its dynabook R Series with Sandy Bridge, USB 3.0 and claims 18h of battery life

Also introduced in November 2010, Toshiba’s dynabook R710 as been upgraded this morning with Intel latest Core i5 Sandy Bridge CPU. Name the dynabook R731, this new laptop comes with a core i5-2520M, 4GB of RAM with the possibility to boost it up to 8GB, 128GB of SSD and the usual 13.3 LED Backlight monitor with a 1366×768 resolution.
This new dynabook R731 comes with a pair of USB 3.0 port an SDXC slot and is capable to reach up to 18h of battery life once fitted with two batteries (62AA and 92AA).
This new dynabook is expected to reach stores early march at around 170,000 Yen.

Sanwa introduces another KEYDEX iPad and Keybaord Stand with Stereo Speakers

It seems that you rather enjoyed Sanwa’s latest iPad Stand the 400-SP013, so we could not resist sharing with you this new stand, the 400-SP014, a variation of the 400-SP013 that can now also accommodate an apple Bluetooth Keyboard.
Also made by KEYDEX, this new stand is now available on Sanwa’s direct online store and sold at 3,480.
Personally I still think that both stands are hideous but it seems that I may be the only one to think so!

Sony Japan discontinued the NEX-3 in Japan

Without much details of any official statement, all NEX-3 models in Japan including the NEX-3A, NEX-3K and NEX-3D are now no longer available and marked as “Discontinued” on Sony’s official website.
Introduced in June 2010 alongside the NEX-5, the NEX-3 was a very capable 14.2 Mipx APS-C camera.
If you are still interested in this camera, make sure to Visit SonyStyle Japanese Online store to grab one of the few models still available.

SegaToys introduces 3D Spray Art Toy in Japan

Look at that! 3D goes even “retro” thanks to SegaToys by bringing 3 dimensional effects to the good old Spray Art. With a new spray pen, a set of 3D ready stencil and 3D glasses, you will be able to create your own little 3D drawings and messages to send to your friends.

Buffalo Japan announces a new 2TB USB external Drive for HDTVs

Here you are another “Dumb” external 1 or 2TB USB 2.0 HDD that has been design to be plugged elegantly next to your HDTV and let your record your favorite show if of course your TV comes with a USB Recording more.
Finally these drives comes with passive cooling system and will be available in Japan in the middle of March.

Canon introduces four new printers in Japan

Canon has introduces four new printers in Japan with two SOHO oriented ones including the MX833 and MX420, as well as the entry level MP493 and an A3 model the iX6530.
The first two models, the MX833 and MX420 comes with WiFi, Bluetooth fax and scanner with however for the High-end version the MX833 a double side scanner mode and a maximum resolution of 9600×2400 dpi while the MX420 only comes with a maximum resolution of 4800×1200 dpi.
Finally the iX6530 is an A3 printer and scanner with a resolution of 9600×2400 dpi, while the low-end MP493 is a simple A4 printer with a scanner offering a maximum resolution of 4800×1200 dpi.

Quick Hands-on: Sharp Lynx SH-03C, the first 3D Phone

Unlike what LG wants to believe, the first real 3D phone does not come from Korea, but from Japan and is made by Sharp. Available since a few months now, we had the chance to play a little with one of them — the Docomo SH-03C.

Specs

Size: 123 x 62 x 13.4 mm
Weight: 140 grams
Continuous Stand-by Time: 410 hours (3G)
Continuous Talk Time: 270 minutes (3G)
Main Display: 3.8” (480 x 800) NEW MOBILE ASV LCD 65,536 colors
Camera: Recorded resolution: 9.5 megapixels with AF
OS: Android 2.1, upgradeable to 2.2
Connectivity: WiFi & Bluetooth

Samsung introduces five new Lenses for its NX DLSR

Samsung announced this morning five new NX lenses all featuring the company i-Funtion system allowing users to adjust the camera settings directly from the lens.

The new lenses includes a stabilized 18-200mm with Samsung VCM Technology or Voice Coil Motor offering silent AF designed to offer “Noiseless” videos.

A 16mm F2.4 Ultra Wide pancake lens, a 60mm Macro lens with SSA or Super Sonic Actuator delivering fast and quiet AF, a 85mm F1.4 CSC lens designed to for professional photographers and a 16-80mm also featuring Samsung VCM Technology.

Official Press Release :


Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today announced five innovative new lenses for its NX camera system. The new lenses bring more premium innovation to the range, featuring class-leading technology such as a premium portrait lens and lenses for movie capturing, opening new creative avenues for NX users to explore.

All of the lenses are compatible with Samsung’s unique i-Function system, which helps users create powerful effects easily through quick and convenient controls. The new launches, along with the five lenses released in 2010, mean that there are now 10 high-performance lenses available for the NX system, making this one of the most comprehensive ranges available in the Compact System Camera (CSC) market. Samsung’s new lenses have been created to allow users to maximize the potential of their NX system cameras, achieve professional-looking results and enjoy taking photos whatever their level of photography experience.

The new lens range includes Samsung’s 18-200mm multi-purpose Long Zoom Lens. This model features modes which are optimized for creating high-quality movie content with a single lens. The new long zoom lens also has a fast, silent Auto-Focus due to Samsung’s use of Voice Coil Motor (VCM) technology, so users can capture important events without recording the sound of the camera’s AF. The lens also features Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) to cancel out any hand movement and deliver crisp, clear images, even when a subject is far away.

Samsung has also launched a light, compact 16mm F2.4 Ultra Wide Pancake Lens. The bright aperture of this lens helps to capture wider images even in low light, and deliver a shallow depth of field. The new lens’ compact size and sleek design make it the perfect companion to the stylish NX camera range, and its ultra wide angle is ideal for taking landscape shots and deep perspective pictures.

For the ultimate in super fast and silent Auto Focus, Samsung’s new 60mm Macro Lens features a Super Sonic Actuator (SSA) to deliver a fast, quiet Auto-Focus and also has an Optical Image Stabilization so users never have to miss the timing of that perfect close up shot. For more advanced photographers, the lens offers the ability to manually fine-tune focusing using the Full-Time Manual Focus.

The Premium Portrait Lens also launched today is the ultra bright 85mm F1.4 CSC lens, designed for professional photographers. This lens also includes the SSA to provide a fast and silent Auto-Focus. Like Samsung’s 60mm Macro Lens, the 85mm Premium Portrait Lens also includes the Full Time Manual Focus, giving advanced photographer’s greater control over their preferred settings. The bright F1.4 lens offers the ideal solution for capturing perfect and professional looking portrait pictures of friends or loved ones.

Samsung’s 16-80mm Advanced Standard Zoom Lens is optimized for taking great movies and still shots. Like the 18-200mm long zoom lens, it has a fast, silent Auto-Focus and Optical Image Stabilization. To make capturing great footage easy in any situation, the lens includes VCM modes ranging from landscape to portrait.

“At Samsung we are committed to ensuring that we remain at the cutting edge of imaging technology, and these five new lenses are testament to that ambition and the growing strength of compact system camera photography,” said Mr. Hyunho Chung, executive vice president and head of the Digital Imaging Business, Samsung Electronics. “These are products that a professional photographer would be proud to use, but we make them so easy to use that a novice could get amazing results every time, and that is a credit to our strong R&D team. We are continuing to innovate in this exciting market and we have more significant developments planned for the future, which will add to our growing strength in the compact system camera market.” 

Elecom new 5Mpix USB Web Camera will bring Full HD Vision conference to both PC and MAC

Elecom has introduced a new 5Mpix CMOS Web Camera in the Japan the UCAM-DLW500TABK. Announced at 12,600 Yen, this new camera offers 1080p video and corresponds to the UVC Standard or USB Video Class making it “driver-Free” and can be plug-in in pretty much all-recent OS. The UCAM-DLW500TABK also comes with an Auto Focus and integrated Mic.

LG finally ship its Xnote P420 and P210 in Korea

Introduced earlier this year at CES, LG’s new slim Notebooks P420 and P210 has finally been put on sale in Korea this morning.
The P420 will come with the company new slim Bezel offering a 14” screen size where you could normally only fit a 13” screen. The P210 comes with an LED LCD Backlight, a 2.6GHZ Core i5-2540M, 6GB of RAM, 640GB of HDD and an NVidia GeForce GT520M with 1Gb of VRAM.
The P210 is 11.6 inches wide, 20.9 mm thick, and weighs 1.3 kg, with up to 4 GB of memory and an Intel Core i3 or i5 ULV processor.

MF-ASU3 Series, Elecom new USB 3.0 Thumbdrive

Elecom announced today in Japan a new USB 3.0 Flash Drive the MF-ASU3Series . Available in 8, 16 and 32GB, this new USB 3.0 memory stick comes with the usual PASS (Password Authentication Security System) and 256bit AES encryption. With just 113g and a size of 69.5x21x10mm the MF-ASU3 Series is schedule to be available in Japan by the end of next month (End of March).

Lenovo to launch its AMD Fusion All-In-One Desktop C205 Next month in Japan

I have been waiting for this little Desktop to come in Japan since it was first introduced at CES this year, and “Voila” Lenovo made it official by announcing the C205 Japanese launch around the middle of March.
Powered by AMD latest APU the AMD E-350 (1.6GHz) the C205 will be introduced in Japan at around 50,000 Yen and available in black or white. The C205 will come in Japan with 2GB of RAM a 320GB HDD, 5 USB 2.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet, WiFi BGN, a 3Mpix Web Camera and a 18.5” screen with a 1366×768 Resolution.
Always been intrigued by AMD new Fusion technology and I am really looking forward to get this little baby in hands to see how powerful this new AMD Fusion is. And what about you? Interested in AMD new Fusion APU?

Lenovo introduces new ThinkPad T, L and W laptops in North America

ThinkPad fans rejoice, here you are Lenovo’s new T, L and W all featuring Intel’s new Core CPUs, NVIDIA Optimus or ATI Discrete cards!

ThinkPad T Series.

The T Series comes in three different flavors with two 14” models the T420s and T420 as well as a 15.6” one the T520. These models are available in Core i5 and i7, as well as NVIDIA Optimus graphics (GeForce 4200M). These models comes with improved booting time and Lenovo claims for example that its T420s is capable to boot 30% faster than the previous model while the T420 will offer you up to 30h of battery life with its nine cell extended battery.

ThinkPad L Series

The L Series is comes with a 14” L420 and a 15.6” L520, here as well these notebooks comes available with Intel latest i5 or i7 CPU, but features this time an ATI Radeon HD 565 Discrete card and optional 80GB mSATA SSD.

ThinkPad W520 Series

The W520 is like all previous models available with Intel latest i5 or i7 CPU including Intel’s Quad Core i7 one, as well as sporting an NVIDIA Quadro 100M or 2000M Video cards. The 15.6” notebook comes with USB 3.0 and optional 160GB SSD.

MASTERPIECE i1520PA3 Mouse Computer New Core i7-990X with NVIDIA GeForce GTX580 in SLI

Mouse Computer has introduced yesterday a new gaming orienting desktop, the MASTERPIECE i1520PA3.
Powered by an Intel Core i7-990X CPU the MASTERPIECE i1520PA3 is sold with 24GB of RAM, a 160GB Intel X25-M SSD as well as an additional 2TB HDD.
The MASTERPIECE i1520PA3 also comes with two GeForce GTX580 in SLI and a Blu-Ray drive.
The MASTERPIECE i1520PA3 will be available in Japan within this week at around 439,950 Yen.

Mouse Computer introduced yet another Core i7-990X working station in Japan with the MDV-AGG9240X2

Here you are another Core i7-990X from Mouse computer, the MDV-AGG9240X2. This new working station is designed as a multipurpose desktop and comes with 12GB of RAM, 2TB of HDD, a DVD Super Multi-Drive, and a GeForce GTX580 with 1.5GB of VRAM. The MDV-AGG9240X2 is now available in Japan at around 229,950 Yen.

Sharp Develops Intelligent Power Conditioner That Enables Electric Vehicle Batteries to Be Used as Storage Batteries for Home Power

Sharp has developed the Intelligent Power Conditioner that enables batteries in electric vehicles to be used as storage batteries for the home.
With electric vehicles (EVs) expected to see widespread use in the coming years, this technology can make use of EV traction batteries as part of a residential power storage system. In proof-of-concept trials, Sharp succeeded in using a battery pack in a commercially available EV to supply 8 kW of power, which is enough to power electrical appliances in an average household. In addition, the charge controller in the Intelligent Power Conditioner was able to deliver 4 kWh of energy to recharge the electric vehicle battery pack in approximately 30 minutes.

Sony Europe introduced redesigned Vaio S

Sony’s Vaio S is by far the most beloved notebook from the company and Today, Sony Europe has introduced a completely redesigned Vaio S with sharper and more elegant lines.
Intorduced as VAIO VPCSB1A9E/B in Europe this new Vaio S comes with an Intel Core i7-2620M, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of SSD, an 13.3” Vaio Display plus monitor with a 1366×768 resolution, an AMD Radeon HD 6630M + Intel HD Graphics, Blu-Ray, WIFi, 3G, Bluetooth and even USB 3.0!

Offical Press Release :


The slim, light VAIO S Series features a stylish new ‘full flat’ design that’s crafted in magnesium with a wide aluminium palmrest for strength, lightness, usability and looks. There’s also a cleverly concealed hinge mechanism that doesn’t distract your view of what’s on screen. Overall thickness shrinks to less than 24mm, while weight is a travel-friendly 1.75kg (approx.)

VAIO S Series introduces a smart new battery concept that lets you keep working day and night without a pause. The internal lithium polymer battery provides power for up to 7 hours on-the-go computing (in Stamina mode). It’s partnered by a second thin, flat optional lithium polymer extended battery that can be charged separately from the PC and added without removing the internal battery. The second battery attaches without having to switch off the PC, boosting stamina to up to 14 hours if you’re far from mains power.

Dynamic Hybrid Graphic System switches seamlessly between the integrated GPU and high-performance AMD Radeon™ HD 6000 Series card (with either 512MB or 1GB VRAM), according to the task at hand. Whether you’re watching processor-intensive HD videos or just simple note-taking, you’ll always enjoy the optimum balance between performance and battery stamina.

The 13.3” (33.7cm) VAIO Display Plus brings all your documents to life with excellent brightness, colour contrast, clarity and detail. The LCD’s advanced low-reflection coating allows easy viewing in any lighting conditions, offering the optimum balance of suppressing reflections while maintaining clear images. With a resolution of 1366×768, the real wide aspect ratio display is perfectly proportioned for browsing dual web pages side by side.

The backlit isolation keyboard allows comfortable typing by day or night. There’s also an ambient light sensor that automatically dims brightness of the high-quality VAIO Display to conserve power when the lights are low.

VAIO S Series is designed with day-to-day productivity firmly in mind. Fast Boot gets you up and running with 50% quicker than conventional notebook when loading of Genuine Windows® 7. It’s a valuable time-saver if you’re on a deadline or rushing for the airport. There’s also a conveniently-placed WEB button that powers up your PC for Internet access in seconds. It’s ideal for checking any last-minute e-mails while sitting in a cafe or departure lounge.

Available on selected models, embedded VAIO “everywair” 3G WWAN lets you connect on the move via your mobile broadband operator at up to 7.2Mbps.

New VAIO S Series is available in a choice of black, white and silver finishes. There’s an additional choice of exclusive pink and blue colour options available online from Sony.

Co-ordinated accessories include the BPSC24 external battery that’s supplied with its own charging adapter. There’s also a new flat-design port replicator that docks with VAIO S, allowing you to work while the attached BPSC24 battery charges.

The new VAIO S Series slim, ultra-mobile notebook PCs are available from March/ April 2011 depending on country.

ML Style ML-80 FUSION, a new AMD Fusion Barebone from Korea

VIAKO, a Korean company has introduced today its first AMD Fusion powered Barebone the ML Style ML-80 FUSION. While there isn’t much information about this ML Style ML-80 FUSION, we learned however that this ML-80 Fusion comes with a Mini-ITX board, an AMD E-350 APU, SATA III, WiFi, USB 3.0 and HDMI 1.4a.
Finally, VIAKO announced that its new ML Style ML-80 FUSION will be available in Korea within this week but did not comment on this new AMD Fusion powered Barebone price.

Samsung Develops Mobile DRAM with Wide I/O Interface

Samsung announced today the development of 1 gigabit mobile DRAM with a wide I/O interface, using 50-nanometer class process technology. The new wide I/O mobile DRAM it will be used in mobile applications, such as smartphones and tablet PCs.
The new 1Gb wide I/O mobile DRAM can transmit data at 12.8 gigabyte per second, which increases the bandwidth of mobile DDR DRAM (1.6GB/s) eightfold, while reducing power consumptions by approximately 87 percent. The bandwidth is also four times that of LPDDR2 DRAM (which is approximately about 3.2GB/s).
To boost data transmission, Samsung’s wide I/O DRAM uses 512 pins for data input and output compared to the previous generation of mobile DRAMs, which used a maximum of 32 pins. If you include the other pins that are involved in sending commands and regulating power supply, a single Samsung wide I/O DRAM is designed to accommodate approximately about 1,200 pins.

DyDo to release Kamen Rider Soda in Japan

To celebrate Kamen Rider’s 40th anniversary, DyDo will propose from February 28th a new Kamen Rider Soda (lemonade) named Kamen Cider in Japan and served in a limited number of Kamen Rider cans. Available in different Kamen Rider like design, this new Soda will be sold all over Japan at around 100yen through the company Vending Machines.

DMP-B200, Panasonic new portable Blu-Ray Player

Here you are Panasonic’s newest 8.9” portable Blu-Ray Player the DMP-B200. Set to be available in Japan in middle of March, the DMP-B200 comes with an 8.9” α-Si TFT panel with a 1024×600 resolution, HDMI out, a pair of 500mW speakers and will offer, depending of your usage between 3h30 to 4h of battery life.
The DMP-B200 support BD-R and BD-RE drive (single or dual layer) as well as video (MPEG-2, AVCHD, ISDB-T Mobile Video and H.264 Mobile Video) Stored on an SDXC Cards.

Panasonic introduces three new portable TV including a Blu-Ray model and Panasonic’s first hand gesture controlled UI model

Panasonic has introduced this morning in Japan three new protectable TV with the Blu-Ray and Digital TV combo the DMP-BV300, the DMP-HV200 featuring the company’s first Hand Gesture model controlled UI and with the DMP-HV150 a simple yet elegant portable Digital TV.
All models comes with a 10.1” α-Si TFT panel with a 1024 x 600 resolution, support of MPEG-2, AVCHD, ISDB-T Mobile Video and H.264 Mobile Video stored on SD/SDHC or SDXC Cards or an SDXC Cards as well as featuring a Splashsproof body (IPX3) and Panasonic Online Viera Hub giving access many on demand services like TV programs information, News, Weather, YouTube Videos and even Panasonic’s Cooking service.
Like the DMP-B200, the DMP-BV300 is compatible with BD-R and BD-RE drive (single or dual layer) discs but also supports JPEG or MP3 Files stored on a SD card or on an USB Thumbdrive.
The DMP-HV200 in the other hands does not comes with a DVD or Blu-Ray player but features a unique hand gesture UI that allow anyone to control the portable TV basic functions (Volume and Channels) without touching either the TV itself or the TV remote.

TBL-01UBK, Sanwa Japan new multipurpose Wacom like tablet

Sanwa Japan has introduced a new cheap multipurpose Wacom Like tablet in Japan the TBL-01UBK. Compatible with Windows 7 and featuring many shortcuts made for Redmond’s OS, the TBL-01UBK comes also with both Microsoft Office (Starting from Office 2007) and Windows Journal support.
Featuring 1024 different type of brushes, the TBL-01UBK can also be used with most of Adobe creation tools as well as an additional mouse.
The TBL-01UBK is already available in Japan and sold at around 7,300 Yen

NEC to Release MEDIAS N-04C in Japan a new 7.7mm 4” Android Smartphone

This Week DoCoMo will release its new Phone and Smartphone collection in Japan and it seems that some Japanese people working either closed to NEC or DoCoMo could not resist to share in advance what this event will have to offer!

Found on an Ameba Blog “Draft Life With Blog” here you are the first shots of NEC’s new MEDIAS N-04C press material. This new N-04C will come with a 4” Display, a 7.7mm body; one of the slimmest Android phones yet, will come with a 1Seg TV Tuner, Felica NFC service and Android 2.2. So see you in two days at DoCoMo Press event to get live photos and video of this new little Android phone!

JVC introduces a new 3D Video projector in Japan with the DLA-F110

Not sure who will be ready to spend up to 900,000 Yen (Around $11,000 USD or 8000€), but if you have that kind of money check JVC’s latest 3D D-ILA Projector the DLA-F110. This new models comes with the same chassis and specification as the previous ones the DLA-X7 or DLA-X3 but with contrast ratio of only 30,000:1 and but overall brighter than previous models with 1700 Lumens.

Unlike the DLA-X7 and DLA-X3, the DLA-F110 is designed to be primarily use in museums and or planetariums.

Dospara introduces a new Sandy Bridge Notebook In Japan, the Prime Note Chronos GT-F3

Dospara as introduced today the Prime Note Chronos GT-F3, a new 15.6” Sandy Bridge Notebook in Japan. Available with a Core i5-2520M (79,980 Yen) ore a Core i3-2310M (58,980 Yen), this new notebook comes with an Nvidia GeForce GT540M (Nvidia Optimus), a 15.6” LED Backlight screen with a 1366×768 resolution, 8 or 4GB of RAM, 500HB of HDD, a DVD Super Multi and both Bluetooth and WiFi bgn.

Mouse Computer introduces a pair of new Sandy Bridge Notebook In Japan

Siblings of Dospara new Sandy Bridge notebook the the Prime Note Chronos GT-F3 (they comes with the same casing design), Mouse Computer’s latest LuvBook T Series comes with Intel’s latest Sandy Bridge CPUs and NVIDIA Optimus technology.
The First model, the LB-T500B, comes with an Intel Core i3-2310M CPU, 2GB of RAM, 250GB of HDD, a Geforce GT540M with Optimus, a DVD Super Multi, Bluetooth, Wifi and a 15.6” LED Backlight screen with a 1366×768 Resolution and Windows Home Premium 64Bit.
The Second model, the LB-T500S, comes with an Intel Core i5-2410M CPU, 4GB of RAM, 320GB of HDD, a Geforce GT540M with Optimus, a DVD Super Multi, Bluetooth, Wifi and a 15.6” LED Backlight screen with a 1366×768 Resolution and Windows Home Premium 64Bit.
These new LuvBook T Series will be available in Japan within a few days at respectively around 59,850 and 69,930 Yen.

Touch! Double Sport, Bandai Namco new 3DS game with dual gesture

Bandai Namco has announced a new Game for the 3DS, Touch! Double Sport.
Similar to Wii Sport, this new Touch! Double Sport features many mini-games like soccer, baseball, boxing, archery… Nothing special so far, until you discover that it will require to be played with a pair of sticks or your finger (left and right) and comes with a new innovative UI to let you control and finely tune each of your movements.
Scheduled for June 2011, this new Touch! Double Sport will be sold in Japan at around 4800 Yen.

Sega Toys unveils “Wappy Dog” your NDS new best friend

Behold Sega i-Dog younger brother Wappy Dog! Introduced in the US during the last Toy Fair 2011, Wappy Dog is born from the collaboration between Activision and Sega Toy in order to bring a little Robotic Toy capable to interact with a proprietary NDS Game.
Schedule to be released later this year Wappy Dog can interacts with both the video game and alone.
Alone you will be able to pet or talk to your little new friend and Wappy Dog will respond to each gestures by making noise or even glowing different colored lights on its cheeks or eyes.
Once your NDS turned on and playing Wappy Dog’s dedicated game each little sound emitted during your playtime will be understood by Wappy and will trigger an action. If you cannot take along Wappy with you it will be possible to “Transfer” Wappy to your NDS and continue to play with him at several “mini” games where Wappy will help you to solve.

The Japanese Arcade Game Show is still kicking hard!

Year-by-Year the AOU or All Nippon Amusement Machine Operator’s Union Show taking place far, far away from Tokyo at Makuhari Messe, tends to shrink little by little. Yes, like almost everywhere around the world, arcade games do not attract as many as people as they used to, but small does not necessarily mean boring and actually this year, AOU was quite interesting.

BANDAI NAMCO

I believe that Tekken does not need any introduction and today Bandai Namco introduced their latest iteration of Tekken with Tekken TAG 2 Tournament. If I am no longer a fan of this kind of games, I have to admit that Tekken and its gameplay do not get old! With gorgeous graphics and impressive arcade cabinet, this new Tekken TAG2 will give hours of fun to the fans of the series and will definitively warm-up the atmosphere during friendly matches.
Bandai Namco also introduced a new “racing” game similar to Konami’s 3D Road Fighters, call here Maximum Heat 3D. With a very basic Gameplay,you are racing against other virtual or non-virtual player and have the choice between a 2D mode and a 3D Mode with 3D Glasses.
The last game that we enjoyed a lot at AOU was Dragon Ball Zenaki Battle Royal. Sure I may not be really objective on this one since I am one of Dragon Ball biggest fans EVER! But really this game is just gorgeous, graphics are amazing, the gameplay really interesting with enough tactics to make it more than just a fighting game and top of all you can now fight against Virtual or non-Virtual adversaries!

KONAMI

Konami did not have much to introduce this year that we didn’t already know, sure they announced some interesting upgrades to their music game series including Jubeat as well as their Guitar Game, but the most interesting section on Konami’s stand was Love Plus Arcade. Love Plus, for those who where hiding under a stone for the last couple of years, is a “Girl Friend” simulator, and here you can play with your favorite character or virtual GF at many different games such as choose the best outfits for her, card games and so on. Once again, this kind of game is not really my cup of tea but you have to admit that the character design is just fantastic and that Konami put a lot of attention on this game and this at so many levels that it would be a shame to just ignore Love Plus Arcade entirely.

SEGA

SEGA had with BANDAI NAMCO the biggest stand this year at AOU and among many very interesting games including CHOAS Code (Fighting), Project Diva Arcade and 3D (Music Game), Virtual Fighter 5 Final Showdown (Fighting), Boarder Break V2.0 (Mecha) and Let’s Go Island 3D (3D Shoot), SEGA introduced two major tactic/manager games with STAR BOAT where you will have to build your team of speed boat racer and fight against other teams,and using the same concept but on a different sport, Horse Race 3, here you will have to select the best horse and jokey and win races in different locations.
Once again these sort of Tactic games are really not my kind of thing, but Sega has built-up an incredible set-up for both games giving each player the sensation to really manage a team of professional sport players and face the difficult challenge to manage each aspect of the game during an entire season.

TAITO

The last but not the least, TAITO did not have a huge stand this year but has several nice little games upgraded of already available games like Haunted Museum II and Music GunGun 2 (Shoot).
But the most interesting one was by far their new “Sonic Blast Hereos” a “punching game” with five different stages where you will have to “punch” your way through to get to the final stage and save the earth from a meteor shower!

GOODIES

There are no AOU without goodies and you will find in the gallery below some of the best Goodies that can be only found in Japanese UFO Cather games!
Anyway do not forget to watch our 10-minutes video (above) and the gallery below with over 90 High-res pictures of the event!

Cowon released its new V5S PMP in Korea

Cowon released this morning in Korea its latest PMP the V5S. Being an upgrade of this actual V5, the V5S is also able to play full HD video on its 4.8” (800×480) screen without prior conversion, but now comes with a fully featured set of Dictionaries in both English, Korean and Chinese as well as several e-Books made to help Korean students to improve their knowledge.

Sanwa introduces hideous iPad Stand with Stereo Speaker

Made and designed by the Taiwanese company KEYDEX, this hideous aluminum stand with 2×1.5W Speaker is now available in Japan thanks to, or because of Sanwa.
Named 400-SP013 in Japan this new dock is made for people who do not have taste and/or people who may have too much money around .

NEC introduces its first Android Netbook, the LifeTouch Note

This morning NEC has introduced in Japan a new Netbook, the LifeTouch Note. unlike any other conventional Netbooks, the LifeTouch Note comes with Android 2.2 and runs on NVIDIA’s Tegra 250 Mobile Processor (Tegra 2).
The LifeTouch Note is available in three different flavors with a WiFi, 3G and 8Gb of internal memory version as well a a WiFi only version and finally a WiFi only model that only comes with 4Gb of memory.
All models comes with a 7″ LED backlight resistive touchscreen with a 800×480 resolution, GPS, accelerometer, an SD and SDHC card slot and a 2Mpix camera.
NEC also confirmed that its LifeTouch Note is compatible with the Android market and is confident that this new LifeBook Note will give the overall “Notebook” thingy a second chance in Japan.
NEC also worked on a better SNS/Mail/Text + Photo integration where you can from one click add pictures to any SNS services Mail or Text in just a few seconds. NEC demonstrate today how easy it was for them to write a text, import a photo into the text and send it to Mixi, a Japanese SNS service, in just a few click.
Finally the LifeTouch Note comes with a weight similar to the iPad of 699g for it’s WiFi only version and should give you enough juice for nine hours of fun. As the price of this new LifeTouch Note is concerned you should expect something ranging from 40,000 Yen for the 4GB and WiFi model, 45,000 Yen for the 8GB WiFi one and 45,000 Yen for the 8GB 3G+WiFi version.
One a personal note and despite the very interesting form-factor and gorgeous keyboard I wished that this new LifeBook Touch would have come with a capacitive screen and a more elegant body. Sure the LifeTouch Note is fast and responsive as well as looking pretty nice once its lid closed but the overall plastic used on this LifeTouch Note looks way too cheap for me.

LG Optimus 3D the world Second 3D Phone Hands-On

Introduced at CES, LG’s Optimus Black crossed oceans and mountains to visit Barcelona today! There is nothing new about the Optimus Black and its amazing 4” WVGA NOVA display and WiFi direct, but we finally had some quality time with it and could enjoy its sleek (9mm) thin and well built body (No crappy plastic here sir!). Like every other Optimus showed at MWC, the Optimus Black is fast and responsive. Now among the 3D, the Black and the 2X, offering the same impressive performances, I am not sure which one to take!

LG Optimus Pad, the First 3D Tablet that requires 3D Glasses?

Sure we may be a little rude here with LG’s latest Optimus Pad, but to tell the truth and despite its dual Cameras on the back and its capacity to record videos and shoot photos in 3D, the Optimus Pad does not comes with a Glasses-Free 3D Screen and it will require you to get a pair of 3D glasses to enjoy 3D content on the go. This said like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (Soon on this later) the LG Optimus Pad comes with full approval of Google and features the company’s logo on the back.
Known as G-Slate in the US, the Google Optimus Pad comes with Android 3.0, a Tegra 2 CPU (Dual Core) and a stunning 8.9” WXGA screen… Like most Tegra 2 devices these days, the Optimus Pad is capable to record Full HD Video and even support HDMI output.
Finally the good news is that LG is planning to propose its LG Optimus Pad in Europe within March!

Samsung Galaxy S 2 Hands-On

Sleek, thin and light this is what the Galaxy S 2 is all about! Coming with a stunning 4.27” WVGA Super AMOLED Plus screen that is both bright and vividly colourful. Running Android 2.3 and a 1GHz Dual Core CPU, the Galaxy S 2 is just impressively fast and makes using Sasmung’s TouchWiz 4.0 UI a bliss. The Galaxy S 2 also comes with a 8Mpix Camera that will be able to shoot 1080p video for you, and even if we could not check the result of our test, what we have seen on the screen was very promising.
So now here we have a fantastic phone made by another Korean manufacturer, if things go on like this, it will soon be almost impossible to choose between them all!

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 Hands-On

Behold the all mighty Galaxy Tab 2 from Samsung, the one that we were all waiting for! The first Galaxy Tab was a nice little device but needed some polish to make it overpass Apple’s iPad, and to be honest I hope this Apple second generation iPad will be a killer, since the Galaxy Tab 2 is really here to kick some Apple’s ass!
Sure the Galaxy Tab 2 is impressive with its gorgeous 10.1 1280×800 screen but it is also pretty huge compared to the actual Galaxy Pad. We are sure that many will complain about this size increase but many will appreciate this change making the Galaxy Pad 2 now a “big” as an iPad.
Unlike the first Galaxy Tab, this new model comes with Google’s Logo and Runs on Honeycomb android 3.0. The difference is quite important since here Samsung did not add any graphical improvement or its usual TouchWiz interface, nope the Galaxy Tab 2 is pure Google wonder without anything to spoil the fun and to slow down performances.
Regarding performances the Galaxy Tab 2 comes with a Dual Core Tegra 2 CPU that delivers enough power to run everything smoothly and even let you capture Full HD Video on the go via the Tablet’s 8Mpix rear camera.
Snappier than the Galaxy Tab first generation, the Galaxy Tab 2 is a real beauty and finally offers Samsung something to compete against Apple. Personally and even if I have already invested a lot in many iPad apps and Games, I would not mind ditching my iPad for this new Galaxy Tab 2.

Humanoid Robot learns to Clean a Whiteboard, what’s next? World Domination?

Sure this little Fujitsu Robot (HOAP-2) may not look as exciting as the terminator but it too can be very useful! A team of researchers from Italy and Japan, lead by Dr. Petar Kormushev, has taught a Japanese humanoid robot how to clean a whiteboard. The approach that the team developed is called “upper-body kinesthetic teaching”, and can be applied to a wide variety of vertical surface related tasks, such as window cleaning, wall painting, wallpaper fitting, drawing on a wall, etc. And, the advantage of having a full-body humanoid robot means that it can do much more than, say, a Roomba vacuum-cleaning robot.

The research was conducted as a part of Italian-Japanese collaboration between the Italian Institute of Technology and Tokyo City University and will be presented at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) in May 2011 in Shanghai, China.