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High tech gadgets: what's new in Japan
The nation that gave birth to the Walkman and Pac-Man never ceases to astound and inspire the world. Are you keeping up-to-date on the newest products from Japan's R&D labs? Let JMI give you a glimpse of the newest offerings that may (or may not) be coming to your town in the near future...
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There is more and more wireless Internet access from mobile phones and PDAs these days; next thing we will need is to print on the fly!
Major office equipment and sewing machine manufacturer, Brother Industries Ltd., has in its hands what is boasted as the world's thinnest printer. It's a scant 17.5mm in thickness, with dimensions measuring 160-by-100mm, and weighs only 300 grams - allowing jacket-pocket portability.
The only drawback to its diminutive size is that its printing capabilities are limited to A7-size paper. It can, though, print reduced copies of A4 as a compromise.
Even without A4 printing capabilities, one can imagine the huge
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variety of small documents that this 49,800-yen printer can print, such as receipts and notes.
While PDAs have helped us eliminate fat address books and pages and pages of notes, the day when we truly have a paperless society is still beyond sight.
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In order to bridge the gap, a Tokyo electronics manufacturer is marketing an extraordinary device that transforms hand-written drawings and characters into digital signals that can be transferred into a personal computer.
The system is used with plain A4-sized paper, and what you write transfers instantly into, say, your email application with the stroke of a ballpoint pen-shaped input interface.
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| At 18,000 yen (150 USD) a unit, it is quite a bargain - and maybe a nightmare for Microsoft's notebook PC. |
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After a hard day's work, one needs to have some rest and relaxation. But forget your comfy sofa, and feast your eyes on what furniture manufacturer, Family Co., has to offer.
Rolled out fresh off the production line last month is this hyper-easy chair, the likes of which can only be seen in the land where 'iyashi' (relaxation/soothing) is the new flavor of the month.
This recliner massages the entire body from head to toe - literally. Even the hands and soles of feet have not been overlooked.
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| The most distinguished feature of 'Medical Chair D.1' is that it can locate pressure points of the body with sensors that measure the body's dimensions. |
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With merely a push of a button, users can have custom-designed massage programs almost on par with professional masseurs and shiatsu specialists. And to make the experience all the more real, it emits voice instructions and warnings - just in case it hits the wrong nerve.
For those who are concerned that such a chair would induce an endless slumber, there is a company in Tokyo that is offering an alarm clock that would most surely wake the dead.
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Whether by accident or design, the imposing metallic looks of this clock are definitely appropriate, as it packs a helluvah punch - 90 decibels worth. In case this doesn't stir the imagination much, think of the volume as 4 times that of a standard clock, or a police siren.
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For most of us, though, we may be more game for an alarm clock of the silent variety.
Lofty Co. has a bedside lamp that also stimulates brain waves to the point of waking up. At a preset time, the lamp switches on and bathes the sleeper in a beam of light whose intensity of 2,500 - 3,000 lux, the company claims, will gently awaken you within 10 minutes.
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And if you are still having troubles waking despite the advent of such effective devices, you will just have to make that call of desperation to your colleague to punch in your time card in your absence.
But why make a phone call like everyone else, when Sanyo has launched a cordless telephone handset that conveys sound, not through sound waves, but through vibrations - vibrations through the skull, no less.
The TEL-SKU2 transforms the voice from the receiver into minute vibrations that reach the inner ear via the skull. With no special requirements for installation, it can be used at home or in the office just like a regular phone.
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What's more is that it can even slow down speech, has 8 levels of volume, and 3 levels of pitch to play with. Without a doubt, a turnkey solution for the hearing impaired of all types.
Japan is a treasure-trove of ingenious and creative products that rarely get noticed on the international scene. JMI profiles an innovative new product every month at http://www.jmintelligence.co.jp/new_product.html. Check in from time to time to see what surprises Japan has to offer.
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