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Japan Promises an Ultra-High-Tech 2020 Olympics

Posted by samzenpus on from the bring-on-the-robots dept.

jfruh writes "When Japan first hosted the Olympics in 1964, it was a platform for the country to showcase that it was a first-rate technical nation, with brand new bullet trains for visitors and the games broadcast in color via satellite for the first time. Japan's tech industry is already preparing for the 2020 Tokyo Games, with Japanese companies promising ultra-high-def TV, super-fast cell phone networks, and autonomous self-driving cars on the roads."

25 of 106 comments (clear)

  1. What about japanese sex robots by starworks5 · · Score: 2

    I mean we all know that's why they create lifelike looking robots, instead of producing roomba's or drones.

    1. Re:What about japanese sex robots by CanHasDIY · · Score: 4, Funny

      I mean we all know that's why they create lifelike looking robots, instead of producing roomba's or drones.

      From the stories I've heard about what goes on in the Olympic Village, the sex-bots would be superfluous.

      --
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    2. Re:What about japanese sex robots by techno-vampire · · Score: 4, Funny

      They're probably waiting until they get the tentacles working correctly.

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    3. Re:What about japanese sex robots by spire3661 · · Score: 2

      I doubt the last part. The games are about HUMAN athleticism. Giving a robot the torch is off-theme in a big way.

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  2. Get ready... by msauve · · Score: 5, Funny

    All events will involve Wii-motes.

    --
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  3. No lie . . . by PeeAitchPee · · Score: 4, Funny

    . . . last time one of my friends visited Tokyo, he spent two hours (jokingly) asking directions to the Godzilla Victims Memorial. ;-)

  4. Plenty of time by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 5, Funny

    2020, wow! That's only 7 years away, can they get ready that fast?

    Well, I suppose if Chinese gymnasts not yet born can get ready by then, they can, too.

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    1. Re:Plenty of time by Quasimodem · · Score: 2

      2020, wow! That's only 7 years away, can they get ready that fast?

      Don't worry. the Japanese can add a special night shift, working by the glow from the ocean.

  5. And 1 additional thing if it can be fit in. by fredrated · · Score: 2

    Athletes!

  6. All for naught if there are no mechs on the street by logicassasin · · Score: 4, Interesting

    In 2020, I would expect nothing less than armed Mechs patrolling the streets. Not some American OCP ED-209 garbage either, no, only a sleek and shiny Gundam, Veritech, or some other type of mech will do.

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    Fifty watts per channel, baby cakes.
  7. I heard the swimming pools... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    ... will be self-heating and will glow in the dark.

    1. Re:I heard the swimming pools... by Pope · · Score: 2

      ... will be self-heating and will glow in the dark.

      Not if TEPCO employees have anything to do with them...

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      It doesn't mean much now, it's built for the future.
  8. I'd settle for Bug-Free by ackthpt · · Score: 2

    I'd also settle for fewer goofs by judges. Maybe they can come up with robotic judges.

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    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
  9. Re:How much satellite bandwith is there to cover U by gstoddart · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Well, judging by the fact that my cable company routinely scales stuff down to 720p (or worse in some cases) and calls it high-def, I'm sure some marketing idiots will just come up with their own definition for UHD and claim they're delivering it.

    To be honest, I figure 4k and 8k TV is many years away from widespread adoption. My current TV is only about 2 years old, and I have no interest in replacing my stuff because the movie companies think they can get even more money out of me.

    I'd be more interested in higher resolutions for my computer monitor than my TV.

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  10. Re:too bad NBC likely will not have much 4K / 8K by CastrTroy · · Score: 2

    Exactly. These new formats cannot exist without a transmission medium. I mean, they could have direct streaming to computers, but how many people around the world have connections that would be useful with 8K video? Even if your connection was fast enough, you'd blow through your bandwidth cap in no time trying to watch 8K video. 4K TV is already over the top, because the there is no delivery mechanism for getting content to the 4K TV. In 7 years, you'll be lucky if there's ubiquitous 4K TV let alone 8K TV. I'm still using a standard def TV.

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    Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
  11. Re:too bad NBC likely will not have much 4K / 8K by h4rr4r · · Score: 3, Insightful

    None of those.
    Besides watching the pirate version will be far better. The *NBC channels do that dumb docudrama thing when anyone but the USA is competing. No one wants to watch that shit, show more sports.

  12. Role of the modern Olympics by Picass0 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The Olympics have overshadowed the World's Fair as a forum and showcase for technology, art, social events, and efforts by each host country to create a "model society" if but for a brief period. Most host countries pour far more money in than they will recover because of the prestige and the opportunity to push their political ideology on the world's televisions.

    1. Re:Role of the modern Olympics by CastrTroy · · Score: 2

      And the bigger the agenda they are trying to push, and the more they have to hide, the higher their budgets will be. Looking at the budgets of the Olympic games you'll see that Sochi Russia, and Beijing, are many times higher than what other, less oppressive, countries have spent on the games. Athens even spend an inordinate amount of money as well, and seems to be the only venue in recent history to have a big operating loss on the summer games. Somehow their profit was negative 14-15 billion, with a final operating budget of 15 billion. Apparently they took in no money. Smells of corruption to me.

      --

      Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
  13. Vocaloid by green+is+the+enemy · · Score: 2

    I would be happy if they had a Vocaloid perform at the opening ceremony.

  14. Those bullet trains are still in use, too by sandytaru · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I bet if we went back to 1964 and told the folks designing the Shikansen that they'd get double the Olympics out of them, they would dance with glee. I have to say the two hour train ride between Tokyo and Kyoto was clean, comfortable, and kicked the butt of any equivalent plane ride.

    --
    Occasionally living proof of the Ballmer peak.
    1. Re:Those bullet trains are still in use, too by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      I found the lack of groping while boarding disconcerting.

  15. All I want... by rnturn · · Score: 2

    ... is a Bob Costas-free Olympics.

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    1. Re:All I want... by geekoid · · Score: 2

      That's about as likely as a Dick Clark free New Year.
      Every time I see Dick Clark, I start looking around for his phylactery.

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  16. I'm glowing with anticipation! by MarkvW · · Score: 2

    I'm positively radiant about the next Japanese Olympic Games. When news of the details leaks out, everybody is going to just melt down with excitement!

    Thanks IOC!

  17. Re:8k by geekoid · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Japan isn't as technologically forward as people seem to think, especially in business. They still us the fax machine more then email, and good luck finding an ATM you can use if tyou are out of your area.

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