Hasta La Gadget!

A report from the Japanese publication Nikkei is claiming that Apple will be extending its digital bookstore into Japan this month. The report claims that the Apple iBookstore could be rolled out in Japan as early as January 2013. The report also indicates that Apple has signed up with a number of big Japanese publishers.

The Japanese publishers tipped to be involved with Japanese digital bookstore for Apple include Kadokawa, Kodansha, Shogakukan, and others. The book publishers that Apple has signed up for service are tipped to have 80,000 titles lined up. Apple already has a sizable lead in the tablet market in Japan reportedly holding 60% of the market with the iPad.

Combining its digital bookstore with tens of thousands of titles and market-leading position for its tablet, and dedicated digital readers from other manufacturers in Japan are going to have a rough 2013. Apple is also expected to boost the growth of the Japanese digital book market, which is now reportedly worth ¥70 billion.

The digital book market in Japan is expected to grow to ¥200 billion in the next couple of years. Apple will be the latecomer to the Japanese digital book market with Kobo, Google, and Amazon already established in Japan. However, the massive popularity the iPad is expected to give Apple a significant advantage.

[via The-digital-reader]

iBookstore to launch in Japan as early as January is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Toyota has new cars rolling off the assembly line in Japan this week, launching both the 2013 Crown Royal and Crown Athlete. Judging from the press shots we see below, the new cars in the Crown series look pretty sleek. Toyota even made a point of drawing our attention to the grills of the cars in its announcement, which it says were “based on the shape of a crown.”

As sleek as they look, they demand a pretty hefty price if you want to take one home with you. Toyota didn’t get too terribly specific, but it did say that prices for cars in the Crown series range from $41,362 for the Royal on up to $63,626 for the Athlete G. That can’t exactly be considered pocket change, so those who want one are going to spend a significant amount of cash.

Of course, if you’re living in the US, you’re out of luck anyway. Despite the fact that the Royal and Athlete mark the 14th generation of the Crown series, the line isn’t offered by Toyota in the US. We suppose this is one of those instance where you’ll have to admire from afar, sadly.

In any case, rear-wheel drive cars in the 2013 Crown series come with the option of a hybrid setup that features a 2.5 liter inline four-cylinder engine. For those who aren’t interested in hybrid technology, Toyota also offers the Crown with a 2.5 or 3.5 V6 engine. Check out our story timeline below for more on Toyota!

Toyota launches 2013 Crown series in Japan is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Sony’s PlayStation 3 has been on the market so long you’d think that production of the relatively ancient PS2 stopped some time ago. Well, that wasn’t true, but according to the Japanese PlayStation website, the PS2 has now officially been discontinued in the region. Japanese site Famitsu adds that shipments of the console have ended, so once the remaining stock has been depleted in Japan, there’ll be no replenishment. It’s a sad thought, but let’s remember the good times — the PS2’s various iterations have been entertaining gamers for 12 years, and with over 150 million units purchased worldwide it’s become the best selling console in history. We’re not sure if the PS2 is still shipping to other regions, but its retirement in Japan is probably the beginning of the end globally, so we’d recommend you pick one up now if you intend to explore that extensive back catalogue one day. The PS2 era may be drawing to a close, but its legacy will live on and it can now rub controllers with the other greats in console heaven — we still miss you, Dreamcast.

Filed under: Gaming, Sony

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Via: The Verge

Source: Sony PlayStation (Japanese), Famitsu (Japanese)

Hoping for some after-the-fact focusing in your next smartphone camera? Well, you’ll have to wait around a year, but Toshiba‘s planning exactly that with a new module that houses an array of 500,000 tiny lenses. Within a 1cm-thick unit, these lenses are layered in front of the camera sensor, which can capture slightly different images from each lens arrangement. Those picture can then be combined in a “complete” picture using Toshiba’s own software. Apparently, the camera will also be able to measure the distance between objects in the shot — similar to how 3D images are captured — with the user then able to shift focus between close and distant detail, or even create images that are in-focus throughout. Toshiba says the module will also be able to capture video with a similar degree of focus management — something that Lytro hasn’t got around to just yet. The sensor is still a work in progress, but the manufacturer plans to commercialize the module before the end of 2013. Toshiba is looking to ally itself with multiple smartphone (and tablet) makers — and here’s hoping that it finds its way into a device outside of Japan.

[Thanks Franck]

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

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Source: Asahi Shinbun (Japanese), (English)

Earlier this month, a supposed Panasonic P02-E smartphone popped up on an NTT DoCoMo Japanese server log, but such scant evidence required more than a few grains of salt to swallow it. Now, the ever-reliable FCC has revealed the device to be an actual thing, and putting the two sources together would make it a 5-inch, 1,920 x 1080, Android 4.1.2 smartphone with a quad-core, 1.5GHz APQ8064 Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU, along with LTE and NFC capability. Don’t get too excited if those specs float your boat, however — judging by the retractable TV antenna, NTT DoCoMo origins and general Panasonic elusiveness in the west, it looks to be aimed squarely at the Japanese market only.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

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Via: Phone Arena

Source: FCC