Mobile in Japan

Was pretty interested when I saw this the other day. The Huawei D25HW Pocket WiFi device will be released by E Mobile in Japan on November 18th. Similar to the Novatel MiFi device, the Pocket WiFi is both a cellular modem and portable wireless router. allowing you to set up a wireless hotspot anywhere that E Mobile provides cellular access. The device offers up to 7.2 Mbps downloads and up to 5.8 uploads. The device itself appears to be compatible with both 1.7mghz and and 2.1ghz 3G HSPA networks meaning that we could start seeing it appear in new markets soon. The device appears to be smaller than the MiFi and the total package is much smaller than the CradlePoint PHS300 + USB modem solution that I have been using. Add to that a battery life of up to 4 hours and charging from USB and the device becomes pretty interesting. Also, similar to the GSM version of the MiFi, the D25HW has a memory card slot, adding what I would assume is a microNAS solution. I'm pretty impressed with the...

I am thinking to buy a Bluetooth headset for my iphone. The Apple model is quite pricy. Has anyone tried other brand? I have seen several brands between 2000 and 4000 yens at Akihabara. What should I be aware of when choosing one? Any recommendations?

Just noticed that the Tokyo iPhone game maker Score Studios have a new game out. It looks really fun. It's a sheep herding game. I'm assuming that you tap on the screen to get the sheep to go to their pen. Has anyone tried it? Both of the reviews on the Japan store are in English. Here's the page I found it: http://jeansnow.net/2009... http://score-studios.jp/... http://itunes.apple.com/WebObje...

Guest post contributed buy Top 10 Mobile Phones, a UK mobile phone comparison website The UK and Japan both have huge mobile phone markets which belie the relatively small physical size of both isolated island nations. The UK currently has around 70 million mobile phones in use, which means that there are more than enough for each and every member of the 61 million citizens. Japan has closer to 110 million mobiles in their market, but with a population of nearly 130 million the UK has it beat in terms of market saturation. Japan`s Key Companies and Money Matters Japan`s telecommunications industry is worth over £1.5 billion every year and mobile phones makes up a large chunk of that. Japan is also home to some of the most innovative mobile phones and the latest mobile phone networking technology. They were the first country to give consumers access to the internet on their mobiles a decade ago and they continue to innovate on the technology side of things. A majority of mobile phones...

Wolfram Alpha, the computational knowledge engine, released its own iPhone app. The thing is the cost is $49.99, and I am wondering if it is really worth the price. Well, you know, Wolfram Alpha itself is free, and you can access from Safari. ITMedia says that "it features better user interface, and a keyboard to type numbers in a original keypad". Well, there's always Google, but I guess some people want something that talks back to them in a real way...

Has anybody used MyWi tether 3.1 with Softbank in Japan? do we get slapped with additional charges?

Sorry if there is already a thread on this, I couldn't find anything. My @i.softbank.jp email always loads so slow on my iphone, sometimes it takes 2 or 3 minutes to load! Is there a trick to making it load faster? Thanks

Hello, I have trouble installing 2 modems in my house. I am using NTT flex connection. I need to install the wireless connection modem I bought with my Iphone 3 weeks ago to get a wifi connection to that phone. I have been trying to do it, with no success. I don’t want to spend hours on the phone with some technician to try to solve the problem. Any idea how I could get a technician to come to my home (10m from Akihabara station) to solve that problem. Thanx for any hints. Haha.

Rumors: seems that new EasyTrails GPS 2.0, a nice GPS tracker for your iPhone, will soon be available in other mobile phones too, Android, Blackberry and maybe Nokia-N... EasyTrails GPS 2.0 is the perfect application for outdoor athletes and everybody willing to track their activities. Whenever you are trekking, running, skiing, sailing, traveling or just wandering around, EasyTrails GPS will help you making it a unique and easier experience. Went out for a run? Well, EasyTrails GPS 2.0 can tell you how far, how fast and how long you ran... and much more! It also displays the elevation profile and your track on the map in a street/satellite/hybrid fashion. The results can be stored, so it is very easy to retrieve them at any time to verify your progress. Also, tracks can be exported to a computer to be used with GPS software or shared with others. The app exports your tracks in standard formats (GPX, KML/KMZ and CSV) and can be used with a variety of GPS software including Google...

Rumors: seems that new EasyTrails GPS 2.0, a nice GPS tracker for your iPhone, will soon be available in other mobile phones too, Android, Blackberry and maybe Nokia-N... EasyTrails GPS 2.0 is the perfect application for outdoor athletes and everybody willing to track their activities. Whenever you are trekking, running, skiing, sailing, traveling or just wandering around, EasyTrails... more...

Hello Everyone, We launched our first iPhone app few months back which was followed by a Japanese version but we do not see many users in Japan using it. We have free and paid versions, I would appreciate if someone can review and give us feedback both good or bad keeping Japan in mind. Only difference between paid and free versions is that a paid user can catch 'shug' anywhere in the world whereas a free user can only catch 'shugs' around them. I am willing to give promotion codes to 7 people who give us their feedback. http://awshugs.techjini.com/ App Introduction ================ - View the comic we created to introduce the app at http://awshugs.techjini.com - There is also a video on the same page showing the basic features in action - Screenshots of the app are also available on the same page App Summary =========== - Shugs are little creatures that carry your messages. - You write a message, choose a shug to carry it, name the shug and throw it anywhere in the world. - You can...

I have some codes for a free download of my iPhone app that I'd like to give away. The app is called Tokyo Art, and it's great for finding art shows, galleries, exhibitions and museums in Tokyo. It uses the Tokyo Art Beat (http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/) API, so the information is always up to date. They generally have around 500 ongoing shows, many of them are free. You can use my app to find galleries by category, area, and with the GPS to find event near your location. You can use it in English or Japanese (the interface and information are both bilingual). If you've never used promo codes, they give you one free download of an app. The only caveat is that you need to have a US account to redeem them. I've set one up myself fairly easily, using the "No Credit Card" option. Just leave a message below and I'll choose 5 people (or more if there's enough interest) at random on Friday. That should get you set up to use it on the weekend! Here's the app page: http://nevan.net/tokyoart/ And...

I have an iPhone 3G and am sick of it dying every now n then. This has started since the update to OS3.1. Sometimes, it just gets super hot and dies due to battery outage. most of teh times though its just a software freeze. click the home key, no response. the only wayout is to press power key + home key for 10 secs. that reboots it. Anybody with the same probs ? shud i contact apple and/or softbank abt this ?

Has anyone heard and/or tried the Aisance Iphone strap? http://www.aisance.jp/English... I haven't seen it anywhere for sale... but it looks like a japanese company.

My Softbank Iphone 3G doesn't have the option to "Set Automatically" under Settings -> General -> Data & Time. However, my AT&T Iphone 3G has this option, which seems to be working even while here in Japan and roaming (i.e. the time and date are synced automatically). Is everyone else here with Iphones from Softbank also not seeing the "Set Automatically" option? Is this not supported by Softbank? Thanks.

Sekai Camera by Tonchidot looks like a very interesting application for "air tagging" the environment. According to their web site, it's suppose to be at the AppStore now but I can't find it. Anybody else looked into this thing? Below are some links for more information: www.techcrunch50.com/2008/presenter.php?presenter=71 www.sekaicamera.com

Has anyone experienced that tethering on their iPhone (3G/ & 3Gs/ 3.0) no longer works? After upgrading to Snow Leopard, a friend's emobile, modem no longer worked with no clear resolution path available he was relying on tethering the iPhone (3Gs) for mobile access. Then for some reason, last week, tethering stopped working. We tested using my phone (3G), which also worked previously, but couldn't get network. Laptop and iPhone were properly paired but we couldn't get a network connection in either case. Any similar experiences with tethering not working? Also can't figure out what Softbank would be keying on to disable only tethering. Data is data, right?

I just happened to notice on the Softbank site that the "iPhone for everybody" campaign has been extended from the end of September 2009, until January 31, 2010. Good news for those of us that are still on the fence... (Still waiting for an announcement from docomo.) Anybody out there with something more than unsubstantiated rumours?

I just happened to notice on the Softbank site that the "iPhone for everybody" campaign has been extended from the end of September 2009, until January 31, 2010. Good news for those of us that are still on the fence... (Still waiting for an announcement from docomo.) Anybody out there with something more than unsubstantiated rumours?

My small mobile search engine, the Mohawk Search, is now in beta, with thousands of mobile related sites. I will be updating the search engine database regularly, and will be making adjustments. Any comment will be appreciated. http://stingraze.mods.jp/search...

My small mobile search engine, the Mohawk Search, is now in beta, with thousands of mobile related sites. I will be updating the search engine database regularly, and will be making adjustments. Any comment will be appreciated. http://stingraze.mods.jp/search...

Here are the comments until now that I mistakenly started on my blog page. I still can't get the movie into my iPhone eventhough it's in my iTunes and tried both auto sync all movies and manually sync and check the movie in question - actually a DVD set from BBC "Playing Shakespeare. Not sure if it's relevant but the DVD will NOT play on my Japanese DVD player. Trying to do so leads to a display of "format error". Could Amazon have sent me the wrong format for Japan. The DVD WILL play in my MacBook Pro Comment by jark on September 13, 2009 at 1:15pm Delete CommentHandbrake of course. The best free OS X media conversion tool around. Comment by Tsubasa Kato on September 13, 2009 at 1:44pm Delete Comment Yes. I recommend Handbrake. It's really great. Comment by Stupod 1 day ago Delete Comment I too recommend Handbrake, unless it's non-DVD video, then I recommend VisualHub. Comment by Lawrence (Laz) Brezer 14 hours ago Delete Comment thanx to all for the handbreak rec. I copied it as an...

Japanese mobile players unite to drive global expansion by Anita Davis Original URL: http://www.media.asia/Newsart... TOKYO – Japanese technology firms NEC, Casio Computer and Hitachi will merge their mobile handset manufacturing businesses by April of next year, becoming the second-largest cell phone production company in the country after Sharp. IT company NEC is set to be the dominant partner of the merged venture, called NEC Casio Mobile Communications, with a 66 per cent stake. NEC is expected to steer the venture's products aggressively into global markets, such as China and the US, according to reports. According to Kei Shimada, the founder and CEO of Japanese mobile research, consulting and development firm Infinita Inc., the merger has taken place in an effort to reinvigorate Japan's struggling mobile handset market, which has faced setbacks as foreign handset models become increasingly popular and the...

Japanese mobile players unite to drive global expansion by Anita Davis Original URL: http://www.media.asia/Newsart... TOKYO – Japanese technology firms NEC, Casio Computer and Hitachi will merge their mobile handset manufacturing businesses by April of next year, becoming the second-largest cell phone production... more...

A shrinking local market is forcing manufacturers to look towards consumers in Europe and the US for new sales Written by Michael Fitzpatrick for Times Online Original URL: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol... For years, it almost didn’t matter in Japan that when the rest of the world thought of the mobile phone, it thought of Apple or Samsung, the iPhone or the BlackBerry. Domestic sales of mobile phones were so strong that the country’s mobile manufacturers could concentrate on their own market and be rewarded with impressive profits. But not any more. Japan’s domestic demand for mobiles is drying up fast and suddenly, after years of tiptoeing around the global marketplace, its electronics industry is preparing an all-out assault on competitors. Sharp, the country’s leading mobile manufacturer, says that soon it will launch a smartphone in Europe. It hopes to sell four million mobile handsets outside Japan for the 2009 fiscal...

A shrinking local market is forcing manufacturers to look towards consumers in Europe and the US for new sales Written by Michael Fitzpatrick for Times Online Original URL: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol... For years, it almost didn’t matter in Japan that when the rest of the world thought of the mobile phone, it thought of Apple... more...

Can anyone recommend a preferably free (if not, inexpensive) software to convert DVD'S to iPhone (using a Mac, of course)?

Can anyone recommend a preferably free (if not, inexpensive) software to convert DVD'S to iPhone (using a Mac, of course)?

Hi Folks, I am finally ready to abandon my Windows mobile device and switch over to the iPhone. My 26 month contract with Softbank will be ending at the end of September, which means I will finally pay off my old phone, and be ready to switch to a new one. Unfortunately, it seems like the iPhone for Everyone campaign is ending on 9/30. I know it was extended once, in May, does anyone have a clue to whether it will be extended again? Should I order an iPhone this month, just in case they don't extend it? I am not too sure what the penalties are if I do a upgrade now, instead of waiting until I pay off my old phone. The ramifications of the iPhone for everyone plan, just on the data side alone is 40,950 JPY over 26 months, so I definitely want to take advantage of it. Also, how long is the wait for a new 32 gig iPhone 3Gs? Thanks

Hi Folks, I am finally ready to abandon my Windows mobile device and switch over to the iPhone. My 26 month contract with Softbank will be ending at the end of September, which means I will finally pay off my old phone, and be ready to switch to a new one. Unfortunately, it seems like the iPhone for Everyone campaign is ending on 9/30. I know it was extended once, in May, does anyone... more...

Hi all- just a note- you might want to put off upgrading to iPhone software 3.1 if you regularly use mobilepoint services to connect to the Internet from the local McDonalds or Becks coffee shop. It appears that after upgrading, your automatic connect to mobilepoint will be switched off, and if you manually attempt to connect to the mobilepoint wifi network, mobilepoint opens up a blank login screen, and a message appears saying that authentication fails. Anyone have a solution to this one (or maybe it's just me?)

Hi all- just a note- you might want to put off upgrading to iPhone software 3.1 if you regularly use mobilepoint services to connect to the Internet from the local McDonalds or Becks coffee shop. It appears that after upgrading, your automatic connect to mobilepoint will be switched off, and if you manually attempt to connect to the mobilepoint wifi network, mobilepoint opens up a blank... more...

I recently bought for my iPhone a cool application, very cheap and useful, EasyTrails GPS. If you have an iPhone, it's a must, also because it comes with a free version and the full one is only 1.99$. (and it is GPS-based, so it needs no Internet connection to record your tracks!) I travelled from the northern part of Portugal, with montains and many rivers flowing through the landscape, and I begun, as a joke, to record my trekking paths and some beautiful roads near the National Park of Peneda Geres (see the photo), situated in a rough mountain region that reaches 1500m in Nevosa. EasyTrails was very easy to use since the first day, because it's straightforward, simple design, and does what it says: records tracks, shows them in satellite maps and provides useful infos, like elevation profile, speed profile, average speed,... It takes 30sec to some minutes to get GPS signals from satellites, so I got used to start the application some minutes before putting on my boots and backpack....

Hi, Yesterday on the way home I dropped my iPhone 3G, and the screen is completely cracked. It's still fully functional (I'm writing this on it now) but I want it fixed asap. I went to softbank this morning, living in a rural area 2 hours by train from an apple store, and they told me to go to an apple store. I called apple technical care and they told me to go to softbank. I've been reading online, it seems that apple can now repair screens on the spot for $200us, but I've never found any discussion of experiences within Japan. It's a long shot, but do you think there would be any possibility of upgrading to a 3GS if I paid the extra? Anybody with any experience of having a screen repaired in Japan with any information would be greatly appreciated. Apple didn't know anything in regards to pricing etc.

Every too often, once a day at least, my iPhone's Safari browser keeps freezing and I have to power off my phone. It only happens when I use gmail, the mobile version. It's getting to be *very* annoying. Has anyone else experienced this? Jc

Every too often, once a day at least, my iPhone's Safari browser keeps freezing and I have to power off my phone. It only happens when I use gmail, the mobile version. It's getting to be *very* annoying. Has anyone else experienced this? Jc

Hi. I just received a call from Softbank yesterday mentioning that my 32GB, black , iPhone is now ready for pickup. (Were sold out). The question now is: Which is the best way to contract? It'd be interesting to hear if anyone has opinion on this and the 'why' factor. I am going to go through Yodobashi. I am thinking to pay the ¥69,000 up front. Doing so, reduces the monthly cost so I hear. Also, I can get back around 6900 JPY in points. The other issue is, knowing technology ramps up every year (if not 6 months) is to go without a 2-year contract and pay a higher premium. There are many other little things to consider too and they can become so confusing, but these are a couple of the main considerations. I wish these carriers (all of them) would make it a much more simple process to obtain a iPhone rather then being 'forced' to sit down with them and go through a whole litany of options, policies, what you can do, not do. Thanks for any constructive input on the matter.

Hi. I just received a call from Softbank yesterday mentioning that my 32GB, black , iPhone is now ready for pickup. (Were sold out). The question now is: Which is the best way to contract? It'd be interesting to hear if anyone has opinion on this and the 'why' factor. I am going to go through Yodobashi. I am thinking to pay the ¥69,000 up front. Doing so, reduces the monthly cost so I... more...

I managed to get Android running on Advanced W-ZERO3 es today, and wanted to share the experience. First, I had to download a compressed file containing Android image for Advanced W-ZERO3 es which is touch screen enabled from the net. I then downloaded LinuxLoader for Advanced W-ZERO 3 es and edited the parm file so it boots Android image from the microSD card. I copied the Android image and zimage to the microSD card. I then ran the LinuxLoader and it booted Android! There are still issues such as the buttons on the front not working, but the keyboard keys works fine. The touchscreen is working fine, but the Wifi is not working. I uploaded the video on Youtube. Please enjoy.