Not sure if I’m overly struck with this whole Augmented Reality thing yet (for those that don’t know, you point a web camera at a pre-determined shape – usually something simple like a square or a letter, then visit a website and something appears animated on the shape – ok, that’s a very simplistic explanation but you maybe get the idea).

Maybe I’m getting old, but it seems like a lot of effort – Mendokusai as we say in Japan. But it’s early days so who knows 5 years time it might be just like Star Trek or Minority Report or something.
I usually love new gadgets and stuff – would love an Ipad, even the Kindle is wantable. (I think I just made up a word).

Anyway, found this today on YouTube and was fairly impressed – although you do have to spend most of your life with a square tattooed on your arm, explaining to people what it is, etc,etc.

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Post tags: Augmented Reality, Gadgets

Sony Walkman NW-S738F

Things move fast in Japan, I got Aki a Sony Walkman for her birthday in November, and went to buy the same one for myself, but it’s been discontinued already and a new version bought out. (A lighter version no less).

The design is v. cool as is the sound and ease of use. However, what I find weird, especially for an MP3 player, is, it doesn’t play MP3s! At least I can’t get it too.

The Japanese software won’t install on my English language pc so I tried to use Windows Media Manager to upload files. Everything was fine, found the device, uploaded to the walkman, and then…walkman doesn’t recognize them. Tried loads of different methods, seems the only way to get it to work is to use the Japanese SonicStage software. (The earlier, English version won’t even recognise the device!). Doh!

(And they’ve stopped making english versions it seems) Doh! Doh!

Bit annoying really as one of the reasons I didn’t buy an ipod is because i didn’t want to be tied to their format and itunes. Now it seems I have the same problem but with Sony. Why can’t they be like Creative Zen and just play mp3s???

Anyway, despite this, it’s very cool and it plays videos and everything. Well not everything as I just mentioned…doh! Put it does have a nice picture of me and the mrs in Bali wedding attire. Which is nice.

>> Addendum:
The English version of Media Manager does recognize the device but will only allow me to add photos, videos and podcasts (currently downloading Ricky Gervais’). So that’s nice too. Wonder why it won’t let you add music though?

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Post tags: Gadgets, Sony

I was teaching a lesson the other day to a low level student, about buying things in shops – the main language being “I’ll take this please”, “How would you like to pay?”, “Cash”, “Credit card”.

So to start the lesson I gave an example of what I’d bought that day (some coffee from Lawson – convenience store) and I’d paid by cash, then I asked her what she’d bought today. Admittedly she was a Junior High School student so not likely to be using credit card, but we had some problems with the answer. So

I explained again what “Cash” was, and still she seemed to be having difficult with the answer to “How did you pay?“…eventually she rummaged around in her handbag and took out her phone. “This“.

You can buy stuff in Japan with your mobile.
Nice.

I had to change the lesson a bit after that.

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Post tags: Gadgets, Keitai, Mobile Phones

Sometimes Japan is very cheap! Just bought an Epson printer, and it`s a scanner, photocopier, photo printer, normal printer and will even scan in slides and negatives (although you have to take it apart a bit and attach some new parts), oh and it also prints onto dvds and cds.

Thanks to the wonder of Yodobashi Camera (big electronics department store, think Dixons but on 8 floors and with stuff worth buying), and their points card system and their sales, we got it for under ￥20,000 which works out at about £100! Bargain.

Now I have to keep stopping myself from printing photos left right and centre!
Had a search on the net for this model in England to do a price comparison, and it`s not available yet.

Also, speaking of Japan being cheap, was talking to one of the staff at Nova the other day about Manga (as I`m reading “Death Note” at the moment – very slowly, as I have to keep looking up kanji every 10 seconds!) – Death Note has just been made into a film here, starring the lead boy from Battle Royale, keep an eye out for it, it looks good from what I`ve seen – anyway, where was I, talking about Manga to the girl from Nova…and she said she`s gonna go to the internet/manga cafe to read it as Manga is expensive in Japan! That one was ￥400, about £2! The same book, albeit translated probably by Tokyopop, would be about ￥1600 in England, £6-8!

It seems paper is very expensive in England, something I was unaware of until recently.
Even buying English books here (with there prices on the back in pounds, usually £6.99) is cheaper, I can get them for about £5.

Funny old world.

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Post tags: Battle Royale, Death Note, Gadgets, manga, Tokyopop, Yodobashi Camera