Welcome back to JJNN.
This article is from the Japanese version of Slashdot.
When is the last time that you bought a cell phone? The last phone that I bought was an iPhone. I got the iPhone because I wanted a phone that has a lot of extra features that I could modify. Other people buy phones because they can be used to watch TV or they have a cheap calling plan. One other reason a lot of people that work on or in the water buy their phone for is the waterproofing. A phone that is waterproof can still be used after it is dropped in the water so it is a great advantage for those types of people.
Waterproofing is overlooked by a lot of people because they never think their phone will get wet to the point where it will stop working. Today's article is all about a man that is now very glad that he didn't overlook the waterproofing option. On the 18th of June a truck driver was on a ferry crossing from the island to the mainland of Japan. Apparently he got a little seasick so he leaned over the rail to throw up. At the same time the ferry hit a wave and he was tossed overboard. The ferry was about 2km (about 1.2 miles) off the coast at the time the man fell off and the water was extremely cold so there was no way that the man would be able to swim back to the shore.
Luckily, the man's waterproof cell phone was tucked safely away in his pocket. He took it out and called the number for emergencies at sea (in Japan the number is 118). He was actually very lucky that he got a signal that far from the shore, but the call did go though and he was picked up within 40 minutes of falling off the ferry. He had to be treated for hypothermia, but in the end everything worked out for him because of his waterproof cellphone. That is something to think about the next time you buy a cell phone.
It is now time for the word of the day. Today's word is 防水(ぼうすい). It is pronounced bosui and it means waterproof.
Showing posts with label cell phone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cell phone. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
JJNN 7 May 28th, 2008
Welcome again to JJNN for Wednesday May 28th, 2008. Today I will be talking about the time of year that I hate the most and more new cell phone technology.
The first news story is very short and it is given here. This time of year is good in Japan. Sure, in the middle of the day it is starting to get hot, but it is still cool in morning and at night (at least least here in Niigata).
The only problem with this is the fact that summer and the rainy season is coming up. There is no going around it, I hate the rainy season. I don't know if anyone who reads this blog lives in a place with a rainy season, but I got to tell you it sucks. It doesn't rain every day, but it is always so hot and humid, especially before an incoming hurricane.
Any way, to the news story. The meteorological observatory in Takamatsu reported that the rainy season is going to visit Japan a week earlier than normal and a full 16 days earlier than last year. Starting today a low pressure front goes over southern Japan and it looks like it will be cloudy and rainy for a while. This all means that the rainy season is coming early and will probably hang out for a while. Bah!
The next news story is yet another story on new cell phone technology. The original story can be found here. This is not really a news story, but more of an advertisement. But, I will grab out all the interesting tech items I can out of the ad. The cell phone itself is called SH906i and is pictured below.
Well the first thing I love about this phone is the touch panel it has. I know, I know, there are a lot of things out now days with a touch panel, but I can't get past how cool it is to control things just by touch. (well, there will never be anything as cool as pushing a big candy colored red button, but you know what I mean.) But, what is more impressive than the touch panel is the amount functions you can control with it. The list includes the phone's TV, the internet browser, full access to your files, the camera, the manga/book reader and other things.
The function that grabbed my attention more than any other one was a new way to lock the cell phone. This phone has handwriting recognition. That's right. You could write in your password and even though another person knows your password they would not be able to get into your phone. This is a cool thing, but someone with this phone can never really be lazy and tell another person to get his/her phone: "Could you get my phone?" "Yeah, but I can't unlock it to answer the phone." "Doh!"
Almost all phones in Japan use blue tooth. As a side note this means that people can use those annoying earphone/microphone things that I hate so much. I hate to see people walk around talking to no one that I can see. But I digress, there are good things that blue tooth can lead to. In the case of this phone, a blue tooth keyboard can be used to type up email on the phone. I am loving this because I write phone email on my cell phone every day and it takes so much time using the number pad on the phone. I just got a new phone last year so I guess I won't be getting this phone, but a guy can dream, right?
Any way it is now time for the word of the day. Today's word is 手書き認証(てがきにんしょう). It is pronounced tegaki-ninshou and means handwriting recognition. Man I want that phone.
That's it for today. See you next time at JJNN.
The first news story is very short and it is given here. This time of year is good in Japan. Sure, in the middle of the day it is starting to get hot, but it is still cool in morning and at night (at least least here in Niigata).
The only problem with this is the fact that summer and the rainy season is coming up. There is no going around it, I hate the rainy season. I don't know if anyone who reads this blog lives in a place with a rainy season, but I got to tell you it sucks. It doesn't rain every day, but it is always so hot and humid, especially before an incoming hurricane.
Any way, to the news story. The meteorological observatory in Takamatsu reported that the rainy season is going to visit Japan a week earlier than normal and a full 16 days earlier than last year. Starting today a low pressure front goes over southern Japan and it looks like it will be cloudy and rainy for a while. This all means that the rainy season is coming early and will probably hang out for a while. Bah!
The next news story is yet another story on new cell phone technology. The original story can be found here. This is not really a news story, but more of an advertisement. But, I will grab out all the interesting tech items I can out of the ad. The cell phone itself is called SH906i and is pictured below.
Well the first thing I love about this phone is the touch panel it has. I know, I know, there are a lot of things out now days with a touch panel, but I can't get past how cool it is to control things just by touch. (well, there will never be anything as cool as pushing a big candy colored red button, but you know what I mean.) But, what is more impressive than the touch panel is the amount functions you can control with it. The list includes the phone's TV, the internet browser, full access to your files, the camera, the manga/book reader and other things.
The function that grabbed my attention more than any other one was a new way to lock the cell phone. This phone has handwriting recognition. That's right. You could write in your password and even though another person knows your password they would not be able to get into your phone. This is a cool thing, but someone with this phone can never really be lazy and tell another person to get his/her phone: "Could you get my phone?" "Yeah, but I can't unlock it to answer the phone." "Doh!"
Almost all phones in Japan use blue tooth. As a side note this means that people can use those annoying earphone/microphone things that I hate so much. I hate to see people walk around talking to no one that I can see. But I digress, there are good things that blue tooth can lead to. In the case of this phone, a blue tooth keyboard can be used to type up email on the phone. I am loving this because I write phone email on my cell phone every day and it takes so much time using the number pad on the phone. I just got a new phone last year so I guess I won't be getting this phone, but a guy can dream, right?
Any way it is now time for the word of the day. Today's word is 手書き認証(てがきにんしょう). It is pronounced tegaki-ninshou and means handwriting recognition. Man I want that phone.
That's it for today. See you next time at JJNN.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
JJNN 1 May 22nd, 2008
Hi everyone and welcome to my new blog.
My goals for this blog will be sharing interesting news stories from Japan as seen (and translated) through my own unique perspective. I will tend to look at technology and science news because that is what I know about (well...more science than technology really.)
Also, thanks to a wonderful podcast I have been listening to lately, (http://www.theskepticsguide.org) I will sometimes take a look into pseudoscience science with a skeptical eye.
Any way, that introduction is long enough so it is time today's first and only news story.
http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/docs/20080522/docomo.htm
This story is about cell phones in Japan. I don't know if there is a version of Moore's Law that works for cell phones in Japan, but the rate at which cell phone companies in Japan come up with new things like this makes me think that there must be.
The gist of the article is that starting on June 6th users of NTT Docomo cellphones (the FOMA 902i/703i series of phones) will be able to reach into their home XP or Vista computers and grab audio, video, text and other types of files for viewing on their cell phone. I guess if I could do that I would be as happy as that yellow girl. (see below)
They are planning on upping the anty in the later part of the year by also letting people access the files that might be on their HD/DVD recorder. The screen may be small but nothing beats watching a few episodes of the Simpsons dubbed over in Japanese on the train ride home from work.
Now, from what I can tell there are disadvantages as well. For one it is 525 yen a month and a special program has to be installed onto your computer. The fact that non-windows users can't use the program might be problem for some. Also, I wonder if people would have to pay for packets while using this to watch movies and videos from one's home computer. If that is true, this is going to be truely expensive indeed.
Any way, let me know what you think. Leave comments to help me figure out what direction I should go with this blog. I am thinking of doing something like science or fiction for Japanese science articals if I ever get free time. I hope you enjoy this and see you next time at JJNN.
My goals for this blog will be sharing interesting news stories from Japan as seen (and translated) through my own unique perspective. I will tend to look at technology and science news because that is what I know about (well...more science than technology really.)
Also, thanks to a wonderful podcast I have been listening to lately, (http://www.theskepticsguide.org) I will sometimes take a look into pseudoscience science with a skeptical eye.
Any way, that introduction is long enough so it is time today's first and only news story.
http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/docs/20080522/docomo.htm
This story is about cell phones in Japan. I don't know if there is a version of Moore's Law that works for cell phones in Japan, but the rate at which cell phone companies in Japan come up with new things like this makes me think that there must be.
The gist of the article is that starting on June 6th users of NTT Docomo cellphones (the FOMA 902i/703i series of phones) will be able to reach into their home XP or Vista computers and grab audio, video, text and other types of files for viewing on their cell phone. I guess if I could do that I would be as happy as that yellow girl. (see below)
They are planning on upping the anty in the later part of the year by also letting people access the files that might be on their HD/DVD recorder. The screen may be small but nothing beats watching a few episodes of the Simpsons dubbed over in Japanese on the train ride home from work.
Now, from what I can tell there are disadvantages as well. For one it is 525 yen a month and a special program has to be installed onto your computer. The fact that non-windows users can't use the program might be problem for some. Also, I wonder if people would have to pay for packets while using this to watch movies and videos from one's home computer. If that is true, this is going to be truely expensive indeed.
Any way, let me know what you think. Leave comments to help me figure out what direction I should go with this blog. I am thinking of doing something like science or fiction for Japanese science articals if I ever get free time. I hope you enjoy this and see you next time at JJNN.
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