Dell 2407WFP - delayed again · 2006-04-26 14:30 by Damian, 1 comment(s)
A little more than a month ago Dell’s new 24 inch widescreen monitor went up for sale on Dell’s Japanese website. Since I’ve been waiting for a HDCP-capable monitor to be fully compatible with Vista once it is released, I placed an order as soon as I could. The listed delivery time was two weeks, but those two weeks came and went, but no monitor. Lastest information says delivery by mid-May. I guess we’ll see about that.
Format war? I don't think so... · 2006-04-24 18:03 by Damian
Yesterday I wandered through the aisles of the local Eden store (a big chain that sells anything that runs on electricity), and in the midst of the flatscreen heaven that is the TV department, I noticed a demo station for Toshiba’s new HD-DVD player. A demo reel of Biohazard was running, and it actually didn’t look very impressive. Also, people didn’t really seem to notice it all that much. I played around with it a little, and sure enough – it felt pretty much like a standard DVD player. However, walking away from the display I realized one thing: [...]
Map software for PSP released in Japan · 2006-04-23 00:24 by Damian, 1 comment(s)
Update: Added information about the downloadable add-ons.
Today’s date has been mentioned around the web as the day when GPS-related firmware and other stuff would be released. Most of that probably originated by someone spotting ads about today’s software release: Minna no chizu (Everyone’s map). That software is indeed available from today, but there is no new firmware, and no mention of any GPS support yet. With that cleared out, let’s see what we’ve got. [...]
iTunes songs are cheapest in Canada! · 2006-04-22 01:16 by Damian
Not too long ago, a good indicator of how expensive it was to live in a certain country would be to compare the price of a Big Mac menu. While that is still a valid comparison, I got a different idea after yesterday’s story about Japanese iTunes. Why not compare the prices on iTunes, since the store is now available in 21 countries [...]
How to buy from the Japanese iTunes store · 2006-04-20 22:34 by Damian
More and more people are realizing how convenient it is to buy music from iTunes. And perhaps you’ve even noticed that there is a Japanese iTunes store too, full of interesting things you’ve never seen or heard. However, the joy of that discovery is quickly spoiled when you realize that there is no way for you to actually buy anything from the store unless you have a credit card with a Japanese billing address. Here you are [...]
A look at Sony's Portable TV service for PSP · 2006-04-18 16:10 by Damian, 4 comment(s)
Chances are that you first heard rumors about Sony’s Portable TV service (P-TV) for the Playstation Portable when the 2.0 firmware was first released. With H.264 support came news of a new service starting in Japan where PSP owners would be able to download content directly to their Memory Sticks. By now the service has been up and running for several months, albeit with a slightly flawed business model. Read on to find out why and see examples of how it works. [...]
The DS Lite feels old · 2006-04-16 00:19 by Damian
Clarification, I certainly don’t mean old as in boring or outdated, rather old as in a nice acquaintance from long ago. The other day I decided to go grab a DS Lite even though I already have a standard DS. I was mainly doing it for the better displays that everybody keeps raving about. I agree, the displays are a big step forward, just as expected. However, what really surprised me was [...]
Nintendo DS, kanji dictionary · 2006-04-14 19:47 by Damian, 2 comment(s)
Time for some Nintendo goodness,so today I went to pick up the new dictionary software for Nintendo DS, Kanji Sono Mama Rakubiki Jiten (漢字そのまま楽引辞典） to see if it is at all useful. And I have to say I’m impressed! This $35 cartridge lets me do stuff that my $300 dedicated Wordtank V80 can’t pull off. There are a few catches, but it’s still very useful. Read on to find out more. [...]
Japan and asbestos · 2006-04-12 19:07 by Damian
If you’re like me, you consider asbestos a thing of the past, since in most countries its use was banned 20-30 years ago. Or perhaps you’re thinking of the ridiculous amount of asbestos-related lawsuits going on in the the US at the moment. It seems everyone with even the faintest chance of exposure are calling their lawyer. Don’t get me started on that… Anyway, what does this have to do with Japan?
Well, believe it or not, [...]
Dubbed movies should be banned! · 2006-04-10 21:27 by Damian
Quick check: did the last movie you saw have the dialog in its original language? Or was it…careful, here comes the D-word…DUBBED?
No offense you all of you out there, but Japan sucks at this! France, Germany, Italy and scores of other countries also [...]