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Cool Tech That's Only Available In Japan?
Ted Cabeen asks: "So a friend of mine is going to Japan soon, and has offered to bring me something back if I want anything. Therefore I ask you, what cool electronics are available in Japan that we can't get in the United States, yet?" Aside from the next Playstation, what other cool technology can you find in Japan that might be usable to a person who can't read kanji?
Yes, it sounds stupid, but just believe it. It's probably because of historical reasons, and it's too late to do anything about it now.
Actually, the fact that the recipient pays for the call is one major reason why the US is lagging after Europe and Japan in wireless technology. People don't like to keep their phones switched on, because they'll have to pay if someone calls. So they keep the phones switched off or simply don't answer calls. There's no chance to build up a mobile communications culture like the ones that are forming in Europe right now.
--Bud
The Toshiba Libretto ff1100V is only available in Japan. Sure, you can get one from an importer like JPD, but they'll slap a 200% markup on for you. I'm trying to get one into the UK at the moment at a sensible price...
"The invisible and the non-existent look very much alike." -- Delos B. McKown
I have also heard stoies about what you can find in Japan- apparently the Japanese manufacturers use their home market as a testing ground for products before they export, down to little things like figuring out which button configuration is best on walkmans by trying out a bunch of otherwise identical models- but the big question is this- I've also heard that the Japanese companies charge much more for their products in their home market. Is this true?
Japan has all the latest MiniDisc recorders/players about 6mo-1year ahead of the US. All the buttons are in English, and instructions are usually in some english with diagrams easy enough to understand. Check out MiniDisco who imports Japan's latest models to the US for an idea of what to get, you'd prolly save by having your friend pick one up while he's there though. That, and schoolgirl uniforms/porn, if you're into that sort of thing.
Shine on, you crazy diamond.
Yes, you *can* get them in the US.
One I know of is the Fujitsu S Series. It does one better than an integrated CD-ROM drive, though. It has a modular bay that can house anything from a DVD-ROM drive to a digital camera! It's pretty impressive.
I'm pretty sure there are other ultralights that have internal cd-roms now, too...
You can get advanced Japanese laptops in the US, though. Check out Dynamism.com, even if only to drool a little.
And, going back to the original topic, a friend of mine has a discman (not sony, though) that she said is one of the low-end models, which was amazingly small (I mean, there's only so small something can get and still hold a CD), had one of those cool remotes on the headphone cord, and even had optical digital-audio output! So if that's low-end in Japan, well...
http://www.megatokyo.com/
--
Peace,
Lord Omlette
ICQ# 77863057
[o]_O
no, really! i have a friend!
the point is, i have a friend who lives in japan, and he comes home about once a year, and you should see the shit that he brings back! he has this cellphone, it's smaller than the motorola startac, does email, and doesn't cost a thing to recieve calls (that's the way they seem to do it over there, only charging for outgoing). kanji usually isn't a problem with electronics, and alot of times, they'll actually use english, as it's alot easier to read on cheap consumer electronic screens. sometimes, alot of times even, if they use katakana, the syllables will sound out english words (so the word "start" would be written "St-ar-tu") and, all of his japanese electronic toys work on american power because the difference doesn't seem to effect them, or they have autoswitching (i'm betting on not too much of a difference) he brought home a japanese drum machine (we both are into doing electronic music) and the whole thing was in english.
"I hope I don't make a mistake and manage to remain a virgin." - Britney Spears
Cybercity Akihabara !
The most useful thing you can find in Japan are ultrathin laptops like those you find here but with internal CD-ROM (why not in USA ??!). I've heard the VAIO notebook with Crusoe is already out, there. Cellphones are ages ahead but they are kind of fragile (cause they aren't made to last) and most of all useless in USA 8)
You can also find lots of weird software: games where you have to seduce chicks, software where you can build your own schoolgirl in 3D, Doraemon figure keyboard cleaner. Also very nice PDAs (if you really need a good Japanese writing recognition) such as Taurus.
Japanese game magazines (such as Famitsu) are also lots of fun.