Japan Computer Industry Scan articles from September 2003

Japan Computer Industry Scan archives from September 2003

Elpida Memory to create semiconductor subsidiary in Sept.
September 2, 2003... TOKYO, Aug. 26 Kyodo Elpida Memory Inc., the sole domestic supplier of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips, said Tuesday it will establish a wholly owned semiconductor manufacturing subsidiary on Sept. 1. Elpida, mainly owned by...

Fujitsu to reorganize semiconductor business.(Brief Article)
September 2, 2003... TOKYO, Aug. 27 Kyodo Electronics giant Fujitsu Ltd. on Wednesday announced a plan to overhaul its semiconductor business through a merger of its domestic subsidiaries in October in a bid to boost efficiency and competitiveness. ...

Hitachi develops new biometric identification system.(Brief Article)
September 2, 2003... TOKYO, Sept. 1 Kyodo Hitachi Ltd. said Monday it has developed an identification system based on the pattern of veins in fingers as the race to develop biometric identification systems intensifies among Japanese high-tech companies. ...

Blaster worm affects NTT's Internet dial-up service.(Brief Article)
September 9, 2003... TOKYO, Sept. 2 Kyodo The two regional phone operators of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. (NTT) said Tuesday they are receiving an increasing number of damage reports on the Blaster computer worm from Internet dial-up service...

Toshiba to spin off communications operations.(Brief Article)
September 9, 2003... TOKYO, Sept. 2 Kyodo Toshiba Corp. said Tuesday it will spin off broadband and other communications-related operations from the parent company for integration with a subsidiary on Jan. 1. The operations of providing telecom carriers...

Sony to launch world's smallest video camera in Oct.(DCR-IP1K )(Brief Article)
September 9, 2003... TOKYO, Sept. 3 Kyodo Sony Marketing (Japan) Inc. said Wednesday it will put the world's smallest and lightest video camera on the domestic market Oct. 18. The 1.07 megapixel DCR-IP1K video camera measures 39 mm in width, 91mm in...

Over 2,000 cases of computer virus infections reported in Aug.(Brief Article)
September 9, 2003... TOKYO, Sept. 3 Kyodo The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said Wednesday a semigovernmental organization handling computer virus issues received 2,014 reports of virus infection in August, the largest this year. The large number...

Sony unveils new version of robot dog Aibo.(Sony Marketing's Aibo ERS-7)(Brief Article)
September 9, 2003... TOKYO, Sept. 4 Kyodo Sony Marketing (Japan) Inc. on Thursday unveiled a new version of the robot dog Aibo, featuring better image-recognition functions and an improved body mechanism allowing it to move more fluidly. The Aibo ERS-7...

Global handset sales up 11.9% in April-June.(Gartner Japan report )(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
September 9, 2003... TOKYO, Sept. 4 Kyodo Sales of mobile phone handsets worldwide totaled 114.89 million units in the April-June quarter, up 11.9% from a year earlier, research firm Gartner Japan Ltd. said Thursday. Gartner attributed the increase...

Rakuten to buy Hitachi Zosen's Net hotel-booking business.(Brief Article)
September 9, 2003... TOKYO, Sept. 4 Kyodo Rakuten Inc., operator of Japan's largest Internet shopping mall ''Rakuten Ichiba,'' said Thursday it will acquire Hitachi Zosen Corp.'s online hotel-booking operations for 32.3 billion yen later this month. ...

Sony to release new DVD recorders with high-capacity HDD.(Brief Article)
September 9, 2003... TOKYO, Sept. 8 Kyodo Sony Corp. said Monday it will release four new models of its DVD player/recorders from Oct. 21, two of which are equipped with high-capacity hard-disk drives (HDD). The electronics maker said the RDR-HX10 model...

8 firms form group to promote use of Linux in Japan.(Brief Article)
September 15, 2003... TOKYO, Sept. 9 Kyodo The Open Source Development Lab (OSDL), a global consortium of high-tech firms dedicated to accelerating the adoption of Linux, an open-source operating system, said Tuesday it has created a working group in Japan. ...

Matsushita to release thinnest multimedia digital camera.(SV-AS10 )(Brief Article)
September 15, 2003... TOKYO, Sept. 11 Kyodo Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. said Thursday it will release Oct. 10 what it says is the world's thinnest four-function multimedia digital camera. The SV-AS10 camera, a 2-megapixel camera which uses an SD...

Domestic PDA shipments down for 1st time in FY 2002.(Yano Research Institute study)(Brief Article)
September 15, 2003... TOKYO, Sept. 12 Kyodo Domestic shipments of personal digital assistants (PDAs) totaled 976,000 units in fiscal 2002, down 28.9% from the previous year for the first yearly decrease since the compilation of data started in fiscal 1995,...

Toshiba, Samsung to integrate optical-disk businesses.(Brief Article)
September 29, 2003... TOKYO, Sept. 22 Kyodo Toshiba Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co. said Monday they have agreed to integrate their optical-disk businesses into a joint venture at an undecided date. The new company will be owned 51% by Toshiba and 49% by...

Sharp, Hosiden develop LCD that emits voices, sounds.(Brief Article)
September 29, 2003... OSAKA, Sept. 22 Kyodo Sharp Corp. said Monday it has jointly developed with Hosiden Corp. a liquid crystal display (LCD) that emits voices and sounds by making the LCD's surface glass vibrate. They aim to commercialize the LCD in March...

PC makers to charge consumers under PC recycling program.(Brief Article)
September 29, 2003... TOKYO, Sept. 24 Kyodo The Japan Electronics and Information Technology Association (JEITA) said Wednesday it will charge consumers 3,000 yen for collecting each used notebook personal computer (PC) under a PC recycling program due to begin...

Fujitsu to launch 64-bit personal computer in October.(FMVC90EW/C)(Brief Article)
September 29, 2003... TOKYO, Sept. 24 Kyodo Fujitsu Ltd. said Wednesday that it will launch a desktop computer equipped with a 64-bit microprocessor in the Japanese market on Oct. 18, the first among Japanese computer makers. The machine, FMVC90EW/C, is...

NPA to release computer virus info daily from Oct. 1.(the National Police Agency )(Brief Article)
September 29, 2003... TOKYO, Sept. 25 Kyodo The National Police Agency (NPA) said Thursday it will publish daily updates on its Web site about computer virus attacks beginning Oct. 1, a first in the world by a government organization. The NPA cyber force...

Nintendo to release new game console designed for China.(Brief Article)
September 29, 2003... OSAKA, Sept. 25 Kyodo Nintendo Co. has developed a new video game console designed exclusively for the Chinese market and will release it in mid-October, company officials said Thursday. The new product will initially be sold in big...

NEC, Shenyang Neusoft step up business tie-up.(Brief Article)
September 29, 2003... BEIJING, Sept. 25 Kyodo NEC Corp. and Shenyang Neusoft Co. said Thursday they have agreed to expand the scope of their business tie-up to provide each other corporate-use software products. The Japanese and Chinese software makers...

Tokyo electronic games show opens.(Tokyo Game Show 2003 )(Brief Article)
September 29, 2003... TOKYO, Sept. 26 Kyodo The biggest electronic games show in Japan opened Friday for a three-day run, with online games -- which the spread of broadband systems makes easier to access -- featuring prominently, organizers said. Tokyo...

Kansai's biggest shopping mall to open in Minoo.(Minoo Market Park Visola)(Brief Article)
September 29, 2003... OSAKA, Sept. 26 Kyodo The Minoo Market Park Visola, the biggest shopping mall in the Kansai region, will open Oct. 10 in Minoo, Osaka Prefecture. The mall will feature the fifth Japanese outlet of the French supermarket chain Carrefour....

Sony unveils game to overlay player's image onto video.(Sony Computer Entertainment's iToy Play game )(Brief Article)
September 29, 2003... TOKYO, Sept. 26 Kyodo Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. on Friday unveiled a video game that can be played with players using no control device but their hands. The first-of-its-kind iToy Play game was introduced at the Tokyo Game Show...