Japan Computer Industry Scan articles from April 2005

Japan Computer Industry Scan archives from April 2005

Pioneer to launch new DVD recorders with built-in hard drive.(Pioneer/Technologies Group Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2005... TOKYO, March 31 Kyodo Pioneer Corp. said Thursday it will introduce the world's first DVD recorders with a built-in hard disk drive that can record up to 24 hours of video content. The DVR-530H and DVR-555H will be available in Japan...

Nintendo character Mario seeks honors on Hollywood Walk of Fame.(Nintendo Company Ltd. video game)
April 4, 2005... LOS ANGELES, March 30 Kyodo Nintendo character Mario, the mustached hero of popular video game Super Mario Bros., made an appearance in Hollywood on Wednesday to promote the creation of a new ''interactive entertainment'' category on...

Toray, Maruho to co-develop atopic drugs to treat itching.(Maruho Company Ltd., Toray Industries Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2005... TOKYO, March 31 Kyodo Major textile maker Toray Industries Inc. said Thursday that it will develop and market with Maruho Co. a drug for treating itching in atopic dermatitis patients. Toray said its pharmaceutical research laboratory...

Sharp to enter digital portable music player market.(Brief Article)
April 4, 2005... TOKYO, March 31 Kyodo Sharp Corp. said Thursday it will launch digital portable music players on April 15 in a bid to take a 15 percent share of the Japanese market in one year. The card-shaped, breast pocket-sized players can record...

Nippon TV teaming up with Sony unit for Internet-based services.(Nippon Television Network Corp.)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2005... TOKYO, April 1 Kyodo Nippon Television Network Corp. said Friday it will form an equity and business alliance with AII Inc. to enhance Internet-based content distribution services. AII is a Sony Corp. unit specializing in the...

Softbank sets up own grid computing network.(Brief Article)
April 11, 2005... TOKYO, April 5 Kyodo Internet investor Softbank Corp. has created an independent grid computing network and is prepared to start providing complete system services to corporations this year, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported Tuesday. ...

Ricoh loses laptop computer with data of 18,700 corporate customers.(Brief Article)
April 11, 2005... TOKYO, April 5 Kyodo Copier maker Ricoh Co. said Tuesday a laptop computer that contains the data of some 18,700 corporate customers has been stolen. The company has received no reports of data leaks and said it would be difficult to...

LCD TVs outdo plasma TVs in large flat-screen TV market.(liquid crystal display)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2005... TOKYO, April 6 Kyodo Liquid crystal display televisions outdid plasma TVs in Japan's large flat-screen TV market in February for the first time ever, a market survey agency said Wednesday. LCD TVs accounted for 50.5 percent of...

Konami to make game software maker Hudson subsidiary.(Hudson Soft Ltd.)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2005... TOKYO, April 11 Kyodo Entertainment company Konami Corp. said Monday it will make its affiliate game software maker Hudson Soft Co. a subsidiary through a private offering of new shares later this month. Responding to a capital...

Sharp to buy Fujitsu's LCD business.(liquid crystal displays)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2005... OSAKA, April 11 Kyodo Sharp Corp., Japan's top maker of liquid crystal displays, will acquire Fujitsu Ltd.'s LCD operations, including related patents, the two companies said Monday. They withheld the agreed acquisition cost for the...

TEPCO, KEPCO to spend 100 bil. yen to double home fiber-optic lines.
April 18, 2005... TOKYO, April 14 Kyodo Tokyo Electric Power Co. and Kansai Electric Power Co. plan to spend a total of about 100 billion yen to double the number of subscribers to their home-use fiber-optic communications networks, the Nihon Keizai...

Toshiba develops new 3-D, flat-panel display.(Brief Article)
April 18, 2005... TOKYO, April 15 Kyodo Toshiba Corp. said Friday it has developed a brand-new flat-display that allows viewers to see three-dimensional images without using special glasses. The display is expected to be applied to arcade games, virtual...

Toshiba EMI accepts FTC order to end ring-tone cartel.(Japan. Fair Trade Commission)(Brief Article)
April 18, 2005... TOKYO, April 18 Kyodo Toshiba EMI Ltd. said Monday it has accepted a Fair Trade Commission order that the music company end a cartel in mobile phone ring-tone services. The FTC had ordered Toshiba and four other record and music...