Japan Computer Industry Scan articles from February 2006

Japan Computer Industry Scan archives from February 2006

Oki offers web-based Japanese-Chinese translation system.(Oki Electric Industry Company Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... TOKYO, Jan. 31 Kyodo Oki Electric Industry Co. launched on Tuesday a web-based Japanese-Chinese translation system that it says allows users to register their own dictionary data and get more accurate translations. The Chinese-Japanese...

ATTN KWS SUBSCRIBERS: Feature photo advisory.
February 6, 2006... TOKYO, Feb. 1 Kyodo A feature story on Noh, headlined, ''Actor struggling to maker Noh popular with 'business sense,''' and sent earlier, is accompanied by one photo, which is available via e-mail. Call+81-3-6252-8318 (features editor)...

LEAD: Softbank eyes video program broadcasts for cellphones.(Softbank Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... TOKYO, Feb. 1 Kyodo (EDS: RECASTING BASED ON CONFIRMATION OF NEWS WITH SOFTBANK OFFICIALS) Softbank Corp. is planning to start a nationwide video program broadcasting service for mobile phones by the end of 2012, Softbank officials...

NEC Elec., Sony, Toshiba to collaborate on 45-nm chip technology.
February 6, 2006... TOKYO, Feb. 1 Kyodo NEC Electronics Corp., Sony Corp. and Toshiba Corp. said Wednesday they will jointly develop technology to make system large-scale integrated circuits with the precision of 45 nanometers. Since such technology...

ATTN KWS SUBSCRIBERS: Feature photo advisory.
February 6, 2006... TOKYO, Feb. 2 Kyodo A feature story on Windsor Castle, headlined, ''Queen Elizabeth's Windsor residence gets Japanese audio tour,'' and sent earlier, is accompanied by one photo, which is available via e-mail. Call+81-3-6252-8318...

REFILING: ATTN KWS SUBSCRIBERS: Feature photo advisory.
February 6, 2006... TOKYO, Feb. 2 Kyodo A feature story on Windsor Castle, headlined, ''Queen Elizabeth's Windsor residence gets Japanese audio tour,'' and sent earlier, is accompanied by one photo, which is available via e-mail. Call+81-3-6252-8318...

PC sales in Japan up 7.4% in 2005.
February 6, 2006... TOKYO, Feb. 2 Kyodo Personal computer sales in Japan last year rose 7.4 percent from the previous year to an estimated 14.15 million units for the third straight annual rise, Gartner Japan Ltd. said Thursday. Demand was brisk from...

Softbank unit launches news site with AFP.(Softbank Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... TOKYO, Feb. 3 Kyodo Internet investor Softbank Inc.'s Movida Entertainment Inc. unit said Friday it has launched a Japanese language news site together with French news agency AFP and Jiji Press. The ''AFP BB News'' site covers AFP's...

Toshiba develops world's fastest, highest density chip.
February 13, 2006... TOKYO, Feb. 7 Kyodo Toshiba Corp. said Tuesday the major electrical machinery maker has developed a new chip that features the world's fastest operating speed and highest density. The Ferroelectric Random Access Memory, or FeRAM,...

Robot for guiding customers to shops debuts in Fukuoka mall.
February 13, 2006... FUKUOKA, Feb. 9 Kyodo A robot that guides customers to shops debuted Thursday at a shopping mall in Fukuoka Prefecture. The robot, jointly developed by Tmsuk Co. of Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, and NTT Communications Corp., is...

Toshiba, LG Electronics sign patent-sharing accord on optical discs.
February 13, 2006... TOKYO, Feb. 9 Kyodo Toshiba Corp. and LG Electronics Inc. of South Korea said Thursday they have signed a cross-licensing agreement to allow each to use the other's patented optical disc-related technologies. The accord covers the...

LEAD: Toshiba, LG sign patent-sharing accord on optical discs.
February 13, 2006... TOKYO, Feb. 9 Kyodo (EDS: ADDING MORE INFO) Toshiba Corp. and LG Electronics Inc. of South Korea said Thursday they have signed a cross-licensing agreement to allow each to use the other's patented optical disc-related technologies....

Yoshimoto Kogyo to open comedy theaters in game centers.
February 20, 2006... TOKYO, Feb. 14 Kyodo Entertainment firm Yoshimoto Kogyo Co. said Tuesday it will open comedy theaters cum game centers in cooperation with AmLead Co. at large shopping centers across Japan. Entertainers will perform live in the...

ATTN KWS SUBSCRIBERS: Feature photo advisory.
February 20, 2006... TOKYO, Feb. 16 Kyodo A feature story on monument, headlined, ''Belgian iconic monument reopens to public on Saturday,'' and sent earlier, is accompanied by two photos, which are available via e-mail. Call+81-3-6252-8318 (feature editor) or...

Hitachi launches HDD production in Shenzhen.
February 20, 2006... TOKYO, Feb. 16 Kyodo Hitachi Ltd.'s hard disk drive production unit on Thursday unveiled a new HDD manufacturing center in Shenzhen, China, which will eventually cover about 50 percent of Hitachi's global HDD output. Hitachi Global...

LEAD: Hitachi launches HDD production in Shenzhen.
February 20, 2006... SHENZEN, China, Feb. 16 Kyodo (EDS: CHANGING DATELINE, ADDING DETAILS) Hitachi Ltd.'s hard disk drive production unit unveiled its new HDD ''mega-manufacturing'' center in southern China's industrial hub of Shenzhen on Thursday,...

FOCUS: Classical music CDs getting popular.
February 20, 2006... TOKYO, Feb. 17 Kyodo Compact disk (CD) collections of popular classical music are selling fast and bringing in new fans of the genre. The boom was fueled by the ''Best Classic 100'' which Toshiba EMI Ltd. marketed in spring last year....

Amazon in talks to move into digital music market: reports.
February 20, 2006... NEW YORK, Feb. 16 Kyodo Major online retailer Amazon.com Inc. is conducting talks with four music companies to launch a digital music service as early as this summer, U.S. media reported Thursday, quoting sources familiar with the...

LEAD: Toshiba unveils new flat-screen TV line, to end CRT TV sales.
February 27, 2006... TOKYO, Feb. 21 Kyodo (EDS: ADDING INFO AT 1ST, 4TH GRAFS) Toshiba Corp. unveiled Tuesday a new line of digital flat-screen TV sets under the global brand name ''Regza'' in an attempt to capitalize on the rapid growth of the sector in...

U.S. launch of PlayStation 3 could be delayed: reports.
February 27, 2006... NEW YORK, Feb. 21 Kyodo The launch of PlayStation 3 next-generation game console by Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. could be delayed up to 12 months in the United States, according to U.S. and European media reports. Citing a Sony...

Matsushita technology recognizes faces' features even in pitch dark.
February 27, 2006... TOKYO, Feb. 23 Kyodo Matsushita Electric Works Ltd. said Thursday it has developed a low-cost, laser-based technology that enables human faces to be recognized even in the pitch dark or at condominium entrances that do not have...

Nintendo puts off sales of 2 new game console models.
February 27, 2006... TOKYO, Feb. 25 Kyodo Nintendo Co. said Friday it will start selling in Japan two of its three new models of the portable home game console DS Lite on March 11, instead of March 2 as initially planned, due to an ''unexpected trouble in...

Sony may delay PlayStation 3 launch to fall or later.
February 27, 2006... TOKYO, Feb. 25 Kyodo Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. may delay the launch of PlayStation 3 game consoles to this fall or later from this spring, as originally scheduled, because Blu-ray DVD makers have been late in finalizing...