Global Politics Archives - Page 13 of 13

Analysis, Asia Pacific (APAC), Global Politics, Japan, Opinion

Japanese Research Takes Another Look At Violent Video Games

Does violence in games really have an effect on gamers after all? A recent study at the University of Tokyo reopens this long time issue in video games, albeit with a little twist. If you’re a gamer, don’t worry. This won’t be about reflected behaviors and supposed killer instinct issues, though some of it may sound a little bit familiar. The research’s primary objective is to find out some of the long term neurological effects of violent video games. In order to learn more about this, the researchers sampled a small group of adult men and women, and gave them one popular, mainstream violent and

Asia Pacific (APAC), Gaming, Global Politics, Japan, VR World

Microsoft’s Xbox One launch flops in Japan

[Photo: Famitsu] Microsoft’s (NASDAQ: MSFT) Xbox One console recently launched in Japan on September 4, and so far the all-in-one system has been met with markedly lukewarm reception in the Japanese market. A lowly 23, 562 consoles were sold in the first week of launch availability, Famitsu reports, making it a considerable flop. In comparison, Japan’s Xbox 360 launch saw more than 60,000 units sold back in 2005. What attributed to this lack of sales? As Kotaku reports, a handful of big-name Japanese retailers resembled vacant ghost-towns during the Xbox One’s midnight launch. So far the Xbox One exclusive Titanfall leads Japanese game sales charts for the console with 22,416 copies sold, followed by the

Asia Pacific (APAC), Global Politics, Japan

Smart Chopsticks Check Food Before You Eat

Smart devices are apparently everywhere. In fact, they are now even invading our home food space. Baidu, China’s biggest search engine, had just unveiled what is introduced as a set of “smart” chopsticks, that can help users tell if what they are eating is safe or not. The smart chopsticks set were first unveiled last week during this year’s Baidu World technology conference event. Externally it may look like an ordinary pair of plastic chopsticks, but it is actually infused and buffed with tech inside. To use it, the chopsticks must first connect to a smartphone that uses its special app. As the chopstick touches

Global Politics, US, VR World

Apple Supplier Once Again Accused of Labour Malpractices

Apple (NASDAQ: APPL) is on the verge of releasing a new iPhone, and once again it has been targeted by labour groups over allegations of unsafe labor practices by one of its suppliers. According to a report co-authored by China Labor Watch and Green America, employees at a Suqian, China based factory owned by Catcher Technology, a Taiwan-headquartered company, were forced to work excessive overtime and were working in an environment that had excessive aluminum shavings on its floor, no respirator equipment, and improper ventilation. In addition, the groups say that during their undercover investigations they have discovered that workers have not received any safety training.

Asia Pacific (APAC), Global Politics, Japan, VR World

Pico-Falcon Is The Tiniest RC Helicopter Yet

It’s not a handheld, it’s a fingerheld. Quadcopter drones may be the mainstream toy for most flying RC hobbyists, but for more casual enthusiasts, there are simpler and even cheaper options to enjoy that flying RC experience. No we’re not talking about flying rotors, we’re talking about miniature RC helicopters, and this one really takes the word “miniature” quite literally. The Pico-Falcon is a toy developed by CCP, a Japanese subsidiary company owned by Bandai that specializes in home electronics. As you can see from the feature image above, this coaxial rotor miniature RC helicopter is really tiny, having a mere body size of 4.6

Global Politics, US

‘Faction’ of Anonymous Targets Chinese Firm Alleging Fraud in Report

Anonymous, best known for its social justice hacktivism, appears to have targeted Tianhe (HKG:1619), an $8-billion Chinese chemical company, with a scathing investigative report that calls the recently publicly listed company a “massive fraud.” These allegations were made in a report by Anonymous Analytics, a stock research and analysis group which calls itself a “faction” of the hacktivist collective Anonymous. The report alleges that Tianhe’s real financial situation reported in tax filings in China was vastly different than the one it reported to investors via its Initial Public Offering prospectus. In 2012, the report alleges, Tianhe’s revenue was some 85% less than reported. According to

Asia Pacific (APAC), Global Politics, Japan, VR World

HaptoMirage Creates ‘Tangible’ Holograms

3D holograms may still look a bit too gimmicky, but the technology is getting better and better, as more and more new concepts for glassless 3D imaging are developed. In fact, this one particular breakthrough developed by a media design team at Keio University may be the closest to being a true hologram yet, as it introduces the idea of ‘tangible’ full-3D images. HaptoMirage is a new display system that uses what its developers call as Active-Shuttered Real Image Autostereoscopy (ARIA). It is described as a 3D imaging technique that creates “seamless interactive multi-user mixed reality” with a full 180-degree rotatable image. Basically, it means

Asia Pacific (APAC), Global Politics, Japan, VR World

Oculus Rift Meets Japan: Ideas and Innovations

The Oculus Rift has undeniably spawned so many new ideas and innovations in the way we explore virtual 3D environments. Japan also has its fair share of ideas for this VR headset, and here are a few of the notable ones that might just have the potential to take those current ideas even further. Sidonia Knights Launcher Simulator Coming first on this short list is the realization of the space launch sequence from the Japanese comic series Sidonia Knights (Shidonia no Kishi). The presentation of the concept is part of the Anime Festa event that is currently held in Tokorozawa, Saitama. As for the look and feel

Analysis, Asia Pacific (APAC), Global Politics, Japan, VR World

Japan’s Data Usage Rates Are Very Competitive

A single gigabyte of data may look small, but it is actually the average amount of data consumed by most smartphone users in the United States. This is assuming of course that these users don’t use their phones to download lots of HD media. In Japan, the trend is quite similar. However, this new survey by MMD tells us something a lot more, which looks almost like a fierce competition between average data consumption rates. The survey data shows that at least 18.8% of users within the sample are in the 1GB per month group. This is the highest share in the survey, reflecting the

Asia Pacific (APAC), Global Politics, Japan, VR World

Telephoto Megaphone Snipes Listeners At A Distance

Anyone who is an avid fan of the classic Japanese anime series Doraemon probably still remembers the Telephoto megaphone. Well, a Japanese development team at Fuji Xerox just took it upon themselves to make this gadget a reality, and it’s more than just for looks. The telephoto megaphone (Bouen Megafon, lit. long sight megaphone) made its first appearance in a 1986 comic book issue of Doraemon. The gadget essentially allows the user to speak to a person at a very long distance, just like a megaphone. The catch here is that unlike an ordinary megaphone, only the person you tried to speak to would be

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