Remote controller for PC operation and Chinese character input

Typing in Japanese can be a real pain. Whereas using the Roman alphabet to type on a keyboard is a relatively direct and easy issue, typing in Japanese usually involves a lot of converting (i.e. from the Japanese alphabet Hiragana to the Chinese characters called Kanji). Also, there sometimes are multiple Kanji to choose from which is nothing but an additional hassle.

So anything which makes it easier to enter Japanese characters on a PC should be highly welcomed. That is why I decided to blog about a device a friend of mine pointed me to.

New type of remote controller for PCs
The パソコンのリモコン (pasokon no rimokon/PC remote controller) is offered by a company called Tokyo Ergo Corp. and was already introduced at the CEATEC exhibition last year in Chiba. Although I was there, I didn't see the product.

Picture: PC remote controller


Tokyo Ergo says the device makes it possible to use a PC with one hand and claims it can fully substitute both a keyboard and a mouse (I haven't tried it yet)! The remote controller is connected to a PC with a 2 meter cable (USB) and weighs 70 grams.

While mouse movements can be mimicked by just moving the button located on the top of the device, input of Japanese characters is a little trickier. To convert words written in the Roman alphabet or Hiragana to Kanji, it is necessary to observe the screen where a special control switch is displayed. The character which is to be typed in can then be chosen from by moving the button on the screen's control panel (which is possible in 6 different directions).

While this sounds very cumbersome, Tokyo Ergo claims 1.5 Japanese characters can be written per second this way, given the user practiced a bit with the system!

I am not sure if the world needs this piece of hardware but it might be a cool gimmick for some hardcore geeks. The company says its product can be used on a private basis (i.e. for operating a PC while lying down), by handicapped/injurered persons, during business presentations or by sales clerks who don't have to sit down to operate a PC for demonstrating products to customers.

The device is steeply priced at 13,650 Yen (128 USD/85 Euro) and is available through the company's online shop.

Paralyzed people can now control avatars by their minds

Scientists at the Biomedical Engineering Faculty (web site is Japanese only) of Tokyo's Keio University (which happens to be my university) have developed a method which enables disabled people to control avatars on the Internet with their minds!

The project team is lead by Keio University associate professor Junichi Ushiba (web site is partly Japanese).

Electrodes attached to a person's head and connected to a computer turn thoughts into actual movement by avatars. The project focused on Second Life (a short take on Second Life is here).

The experiment turned out to be a success (OK, otherwise they wouldn't have shown it to the world). Probands can walk, shop and set up businesses in Second Life! No keyboard or mouse is needed.

I have seen machines in the USA which enable paralyzed people to type emails by using their brains but nothing like this new concept. I am not a biomedical engineer but I think the Japanese method is much more sophisticated.

More information and a movie can be found here. The project team's site is Japanese only but the movie is interesting to watch even if you can't understand the language.

Review: Japan's Youtube killer Nico Nico Douga

Update:
Learn here how to register for Nico Nico Douga and how to get around here.

It's insane. It's very successful. It's very Japanese. It's a cooler video sharing site than Youtube. It's Nico Nico Douga (web site is Japanese only).

In my guest article for German blog zweinull.cc I briefly described the site in Deutsch (I am a German).

In this post, I will extensively review Nico Nico. Click here for my explanation of how to register for Non-Japanese speakers (this post is long enough).



I will review Nico Nico in the following order:

I) General Info
II) Starting Page
III) Functions and Features
IV) Business Modell
V) Opinion

I) General Info
Nico Nico Douga (ニコニコ動画) roughly means Smiling Videos. The site launched in January this year and since then turned into nothing but a huge success story. And no one knows about it outside Japan but that is what this blog is about, right?

Basically the site works like Youtube. People can upload, view, share and comment on videos of any kind. Basic membership is free.

The user base stands at approximately 3 million (data for October 2007, according to Niwango which is the company behind the site). There are almost 600,000 videos uploaded.

II) Starting Page
Please click at the JPEG below for an English description of the key elements of the starting page.


The whole site may look wild and crazy to Western eyes but lots of Japanese people (and me) love the design. Not long ago, Nico Nico even won the prestigious Good Design award (Japanese only).

In contrast to Youtube, you cannot even view videos without an account. That means you have to register to go further than the starting page.

III) Functions and Features
The biggest difference between Youtube and Nico Nico is the way users can communicate with each other. Youtube users usually write private messages to each other or share their opinions via the comment function just below the videos.

With Nico Nico however, people can actually communicate WITHIN the videos themselves! Users can write comments about a particular part of a video. The comments then "float" across the screen from right to left (easier for Japanese people to read) at a time users are free to choose. Now it happens that some videos feature hundreds of comments from hundreds of users overlaying the picture. Please see the video below for an example.


It may sound stupid but Nico Nico users particularly love this feature. It is the point of the service actually. As of November 22nd, almost 600 million comments were made (!).


Now, please click at the JPEG below for an English description of the overview page you see after logging in.

The main categories of videos can be found in two rows (the grey buttons). Categories marked with an "*" are explained separately.

1st row (left to right):
ALL MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT ANIME GAMES SURVEYS* RADIO* SPORTS POLITICS CHAT* SCIENCE HISTORY COOKING NATURE

In the "surveys" category, users can start video surveys. For example, users can ask the Nico Nico community which star they prefer in a 1on1 "duel". See the screen shot below for an example.


In the "radio" section, one can listen to and comment on radio programs recorded and shared by Nico Nico users! It sounds weird to have a function like that on a video site but people seem to like it.

Videos uploaded in the "chat" section give users the opportunity to communicate more easily. The videos here usually just serve as a background.

2nd row (left to right):
VLOG ME DANCING* ME SINGING* ME PLAYING AN INSTRUMENT* NICO NICO TIPS* PREMIUM USER AREA TAIWAN* MISCELLANEOUS TEST VIDEOS RESTRICTED-18* COMPANY VIDEOS*


In the "Me dancing/singing/playing an instrument" sections Nico Nico users can show how they can do just that. There is a lot of fun stuff to be found here.

In the "Nico Nico tips" section users can provide other users with hints on using the service.

For some strange reason Nico Nico is popular in Taiwan. This is the reason for setting up this special category.

The "Restricted 18" section is particularly interesting. Things get steamier here but there is no really "hard" stuff if you know what I mean.

The "company videos" category features commercial material. At the moment, especially music companies use Nico Nico to present the latest mucic clips from their artists.

IV) Business Modell
There are various ways Nico Nico makes money.

Firstly, there are advertisements on the site.

Secondly, Nico Nico aggressively promotes its premium accounts. The upgrade costs 525 Yen (4,85 USD/3,26 Euro) a month. Premium members get more bandwith, access to Nico Nico on their mobile phones, 2 GB more storage (4 GB total), additional comment colors etc. In October 2007, there were 86,000 premium account holders.

Thirdly, there is the Nico Nico market. Users can choose products from Amazon related to a certain video and put the corresponding links below it. Nico Nico gets the commission.

There are no advertisements embedded in the videos.

V) Opinion
Pros:
1)
Cool design (mangaesque characters, crazy appearance, I love that)

2)
Very good usability (good interface, clear selection of categories, simple navigation etc.)

3)
Videos load really fast

4)
No time restriction on the videos

5)
Very good selection of high quality, crazy and "exclusive" videos

6)
New and fresh concept (comments streaming over the screen leading to a new and direct way of communication between users)

Cons:
1)
Limitation of access at certain times for Non-premium members

2)
I want an English version really fast ;)

3)
Amount of videos still limited compared to Youtube

If Youtube is the king of quantity then (at least for me!) Nico Nico is king of quality and fun. Actually, one can't compare the sites. I wouldn't necessarily put family videos on Nico Nico. That's what Youtube is there for. Nico Nico is meant to be crazy and entertaining (for the most part). And I think they really achieve that goal.

Nico Nico is not worse or better than Youtube but -as I said above- certainly cooler.

Here is my explanation in English of how to register.

PS
There is a Taiwanese version of Nico Nico available already. Maybe there will be an English Nico Nico soon?

Japan airs world's first show recorded in Second Life

It is 1.30 AM in Japan now and I stayed awake to witness the world's first TV show recorded in Second Life. Second Life is available in Japanese since summer and since that time registration from users from over here increased significantly.

I personally don't like the idea of being represented by ugly avatars and living in virtual worlds (including clubbing/dancing - now that's particularly stupid in my opinion).

Anyway, the show is not officially from Linden Lab and titled デジタルの根性 (Dejitaru no Konjou: Digital Spirit). It is made by Nihon TV (web site is Japanese only). Nihon TV is a major network based here in Tokyo.

The show runs 30 minutes and for a person who is as indifferent as me, it is of no value, really. This is the show's official home page (Japanese only).

Three Japanese celebrities are the hosts for the show - represented by avatars of course. They are talking about future events taking place in Second Life and promoting some movies the TV station produced. Some trash-talking and comedy is also thrown in.

Check out the screenshots taken below (I apologize for the size and poor quality):

Quote: Beware of the dark side of Japan's Mobile Internet World

"Being able to get on the Net via a cell phone encourages delinquency and deviation. Even when children don't have wayward intentions, they are easily lured to harmful sites through devious methods."

This advice was given by a professor in the Graduate School of Social and Information Studies at Gunma University in an article for Shukan Bunshun (a weekly Japanese magazine, web site in Japanese only).

The professor is very skeptical if Japanese parents are able to "control" their kids' surfing behavior on the mobile Internet.

Review: Japanese Fashion Social Network "Stylewalker"

As in many countries around the world, a lot of girls in this country are obsessed with shopping and particularly brand shopping ( I hope I am not being too sexist here). People in Japan especially love Italian and French brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Dolce and Gabbana and so forth.

In March this year, Square Enix (a large videogame company known for the hit RPG series "Final Fantasy) and Xavel Media Group partnered to form "Stylewalker Inc." (Japanese only). All companies are located in Tokyo and try to benefit from that Japanese "brand craziness".

Stylewalker is also the name of the joint venture's main product which is essentially a mashup of a social network, fashion portal and social commerce site.

The main target of Stylewalker are Japanese girls in their Twenties. Registration to the site is free. The company makes money in various ways I explain below.

The main site looks like this (for a larger view, please click):


The header is almost self-explanatory. It is as fixed as the left column (the links in that column lead to pages explaining the site).

Let me explain the links on the header from left to right:
I) Shopping
II) Doll Store
III) Style
IV) Group
V) Blog

I)
After clicking "Shopping" you get to the online shop segment of the site which looks like this:

The column on the right features different categories like Outerware (625 items), One-pieces (1135 items) and so forth.

Actually the items are sold directly on Stylewalker. That means they do not use any affiliate links. There is a shopping cart and a check out. This is one way they generate revenue.

II)
The "Doll Store" is quite a unique feature. On Stylewalker, users are able to create avatars which are called dolls. This sounds cuter and more appealing to Japanese women. Anyway, Square Enix programmed the avatar engine which must have been a piece of cake for them.

The dolls can be dressed in various ways and shown to other Stylewalker members for discussion. For dressing the avatars, members can use actual fashion items sold on the store so it becomes easier for them to decide what fits or not.

That is not free however.

Check the screenshot below:


On the right column, you can again choose items from various categories (just as in the Shopping section explained above). However, these are only virtual. The black dress on the left for example costs 320 stm. "stm" is the site's virtual currency. 10 stm cost 100 Yen (87 US cent) - you get 1000 stm free for registering. So here is the second way Stylewalker makes money.

III)
In the "Style" section pictured below), users can present their avatars. Again, the column on the right changes. Here, dolls are categorized into various styles like feminine (826 dolls), natural (1,112 dolls) and so forth.



If you click on an avatar, you can rate or comment on it in the next screen pictured below.


IV)
The "Group" section pictured below features various, well, groups in which users can discuss topics like manga, fashion (of course) etc. There is even a group for "Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie" (only 1 member is registered here though!).



V)
Blogging is huge in Japan. All kinds of people blog on all kinds of machines about all kinds of topics. Around the clock. Seriously, it is that big. So no wonder, there is a separate blog section on Stylewalker (see the pic below).


On the right column, you can see that diaries (3,481 postings) are most popular, followed by fashion.

A typical Stylewalker blog looks like this:



Opinion
All in all, I think the site is quite OK but nothing sensational. Design is too bland while usability is acceptable. To my knowledge, there is no site like this in the US or Europe. Especially the "doll idea" is unique for a site targeting grown ups. That feature reminds me of Mattel's enormously popular Barbie web site.

At least, we can see a sensible business model here. Stylewalker can make money with its shop and selling of virtual items. Moreover, it makes sense for fashion companies to advertise on this site as it easy for them to pinpoint their target group.

And companies do advertise their brands, products, events etc. (as you can see on the right column on the starting page). So here we have the third way the site can generate revenue. Here is the list of brands featured on Stylewalker. The site only features products from these companies!

Also, Xavel is running the hugely popular fashion portals Girlswalker and Fashionwalker amongst others (both sites are Japanese only). It is not hard to predict they will attract at least a portion of Stylewalker users to those sites and vice versa.

Business-wise Stylewalker is developed well but as indicated above, it might not be flashy enough to attract Japanese girls. Will dressing up avatars really help them evaluating if a certain piece of clothing fits them? Why not go directly to a shop (OK, not everyone lives in Tokyo)?

Success so far is so-so. Square Enix and Xavel announced they expect 50,000 users to register by the end of this year. There are no official numbers but judging from the current activity on the site this might be hard to achieve.

New device to limit web access for Japanese children

Japanese toy and entertainment giant Bandai released a new product past Friday.

With this gadget -which is basically just a special kind of USB stick- parents can make sure their kids do not surf "dangerous" web sites anymore. The stick is 9 centimeters long and is called "Pasokon Kids Key" (Pasokon is the Japanese abbrevation of the term "Personal Computer"). It costs 3,480 Yen (30 USD).

Pictures of the device can be found here (descriptions in Japanese only). Its design features Disney characters like Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh. Disney is very popular in Japan, too.

After inserting the key, the PC will change into a "kids mode". Children then can access the Internet only through a specially designed portal. Actually the whole OS is simplified, i.e. less and bigger buttons are displayed.

The so-called "i-Filter" makes sure kids only access sites viewed suitable for them. It is free for use for the first 90 days after which a small monthly fee is charged.

Japanese online friends charged with murder

It is truly a bizarre and terrible incident about which the Japanese media reported at length this weekend.

According to police, three men (between 32 and 40 years old) killed a 31-year-old woman in Nagoya on August 24th. They are accused of kidnapping the woman and robbing her of about 60,000 Yen (520 USD). The victim was killed later in a parking lot.

Believe it or not, the police says all three people are members of a mobile Internet "crime community" and did not know each other before! The men met online to find partners to commit a crime to get money. Luckily they were caught and indicted this Friday.

There is certainly a dark side to the Japanese Internet world. The country has a long history of Internet related suicides. Total strangers become acquainted online and then meet in the real world to commit suicide together.

Cybercrime is a big issue in this otherwise very safe country. In the past, the Japanese police has been heavily criticized in the public for being too slow in responding to Internet-related crime.