Japan Computer Industry Scan articles from September 2005

Japan Computer Industry Scan archives from September 2005

Japan Telecom, Softbank BB to combine public wireless LANs.
September 5, 2005... TOKYO, Aug. 29 Kyodo Japan Telecom Co. and Softbank BB Corp. said Monday they have agreed to integrate their public wireless local area network, or LAN, systems. The accord will combine Softbank BB's Yahoo! BB Mobile Zone service in...

Sega Amusements U.S.A. to merge with Sammy USA.
September 5, 2005... TOKYO, Aug. 31 Kyodo Sega Sammy Holdings Inc. said Wednesday that Sega Amusements U.S.A. Inc., based in San Francisco, will merge with Sammy USA Corp. in Illinois on Thursday to integrate their amusement equipment development, production...

Japanese broadband subscribers top 20 mil. in June.
September 5, 2005... TOKYO, Aug. 31 Kyodo The number of broadband Internet access subscribers in Japan has topped 20 million for the first time ever, with a sharp increase in fiber-optic network subscribers bringing the total to 20.58 million as of the end of...

NEC ties up with Oracle to develop grid computing software.
September 5, 2005... TOKYO, Sept. 3 Kyodo NEC Corp. has tied up with Oracle Corp. of the United States to develop grid computing software, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported Saturday. The report said NEC's 20-member special R&D team is already working at...

Sony introduces PC device to view Japanese TV programs overseas.
September 5, 2005... TOKYO, Sept. 5 Kyodo Sony Marketing (Japan) Inc. said Monday it will release on Oct. 1 a new device that enables personal computer users to watch Japanese television programs from abroad through the Internet. The device consists of a...

Sony Music set to sell songs to iTunes Music Store.
September 5, 2005... TOKYO, Sept. 5 Kyodo Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., Sony Corp.'s music business subsidiary, plans to provide songs to the iTunes Music Store in Japan managed by Apple Computer Inc., a rival of its parent company over portable...

Softbank files for approval to offer cellphone service.
September 5, 2005... TOKYO, Sept. 5 Kyodo Softbank Corp. applied Monday for government approval for its plan to offer a third-generation mobile phone service from the end of 2007. The planned service, if approved, will make Softbank the first newcomer in...

LEAD: Rakuten to buy U.S. online ad firm LinkShare.
September 5, 2005... TOKYO, Sept. 6 Kyodo (EDS: UPDATING WITH RAKUTEN'S ANNOUNCEMENT, ADDING DETAILS) Rakuten Inc. said Tuesday it will acquire major U.S. internet advertising agency LinkShare Corp. for about $425 million (about 46.5 billion yen), a deal...

Chipmaker launches sports software making Jackie Chan coach.
September 5, 2005... TOKYO, Sept. 6 Kyodo Semiconductor chip developer SSD Co. said Tuesday it will launch a sensing-port peripheral and four interactive sports game titles, including two that makes action movie superstar Jackie Chan a virtual coach. The...

Apple unveils mobile phone that plays music like iPod.
September 5, 2005... NEW YORK, Sept. 7 Kyodo Apple Computer Inc. on Wednesday took the wraps off a mobile phone that can play music like the popular iPod, in a bid to extend its domination of the digital music market. The Rokr phone, developed with...

Sony unveils new Walkman that 'evolves' to suit users' taste.
September 5, 2005... TOKYO, Sept. 8 Kyodo Sony Corp. said Thursday it will release five new palm-size digital Walkman models that ''evolves'' in accordance with listeners' preference of music. The new Walkman A series, to be put on the Japanese market...

2ND LD: Access to buy PalmSource for 35.8 bil. yen.
September 5, 2005... TOKYO, Sept. 9 Kyodo (EDS: ADDING INFO) Access Co., a mobile phone software developer, said Friday it will acquire U.S. mobile-device software company PalmSource Inc. for 35.8 billion yen. Tokyo-based Access will effectively...

Sony introduces PC device to view Japanese TV programs overseas.
September 12, 2005... TOKYO, Sept. 5 Kyodo Sony Marketing (Japan) Inc. said Monday it will release on Oct. 1 a new device that enables personal computer users to watch Japanese television programs from abroad through the Internet. The device consists of a...

Sony Music set to sell songs to iTunes Music Store.
September 12, 2005... TOKYO, Sept. 5 Kyodo Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., Sony Corp.'s music business subsidiary, plans to provide songs to the iTunes Music Store in Japan managed by Apple Computer Inc., a rival of its parent company over portable...

Softbank files for approval to offer cellphone service.
September 12, 2005... TOKYO, Sept. 5 Kyodo Softbank Corp. applied Monday for government approval for its plan to offer a third-generation mobile phone service from the end of 2007. The planned service, if approved, will make Softbank the first newcomer in...

LEAD: Rakuten to buy U.S. online ad firm LinkShare.
September 12, 2005... TOKYO, Sept. 6 Kyodo (EDS: UPDATING WITH RAKUTEN'S ANNOUNCEMENT, ADDING DETAILS) Rakuten Inc. said Tuesday it will acquire major U.S. internet advertising agency LinkShare Corp. for about $425 million (about 46.5 billion yen), a deal...

Chipmaker launches sports software making Jackie Chan coach.
September 12, 2005... TOKYO, Sept. 6 Kyodo Semiconductor chip developer SSD Co. said Tuesday it will launch a sensing-port peripheral and four interactive sports game titles, including two that makes action movie superstar Jackie Chan a virtual coach. The...

Apple unveils mobile phone that plays music like iPod.
September 12, 2005... NEW YORK, Sept. 7 Kyodo Apple Computer Inc. on Wednesday took the wraps off a mobile phone that can play music like the popular iPod, in a bid to extend its domination of the digital music market. The Rokr phone, developed with...

Sony unveils new Walkman that 'evolves' to suit users' taste.
September 12, 2005... TOKYO, Sept. 8 Kyodo Sony Corp. said Thursday it will release five new palm-size digital Walkman models that ''evolves'' in accordance with listeners' preference of music. The new Walkman A series, to be put on the Japanese market...

2ND LD: Access to buy PalmSource for 35.8 bil. yen.
September 12, 2005... TOKYO, Sept. 9 Kyodo (EDS: ADDING INFO) Access Co., a mobile phone software developer, said Friday it will acquire U.S. mobile-device software company PalmSource Inc. for 35.8 billion yen. Tokyo-based Access will effectively...

Softbank, Advanquest to set up distribution joint venture.
September 19, 2005... TOKYO, Sept. 13 Kyodo Softbank Corp. and French firm Advanquest Software have agreed to establish a distribution joint venture next month, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported Tuesday. The report said the joint venture, Advanquest BB,...

Bandai, Namco project 24 billion yen profit for planned holding firm.
September 19, 2005... TOKYO, Sept. 13 Kyodo Japanese toy maker Bandai Co. and Namco Ltd., a video game and arcade game machine developer, said Tuesday their envisioned holding firm will probably post a group net profit of 24.4 billion yen in fiscal 2005. ...

Hitachi sells part of stake in Elpida Memory.
September 19, 2005... TOKYO, Sept. 13 Kyodo Elpida Memory Inc., the sole Japanese supplier of dynamic random access memory chips, said Tuesday its major shareholder Hitachi Ltd. sold part of its stake the same day. Hitachi reduced its stake to 19.70 percent...

Nitto Flour, Fuji Flour to merge April 1, 2006.(Fuji Flour Milling Co., Nitto Flour Milling Co.)(Brief Article)
September 19, 2005... TOKYO, Sept. 13 Kyodo Nitto Flour Milling Co. and Fuji Flour Milling Co. announced Tuesday they have signed an agreement to merge on April 1 next year, creating the nation's fourth largest flour milling firm. Among Japanese flower...

4 firms file for BS digital HDTV licenses.
September 19, 2005... TOKYO, Sept. 14 Kyodo Japan's communications ministry said Wednesday it has received applications from four companies for approval to launch digital high-definition television broadcasting services via satellite. The four companies are...

China's Kingsoft taps into Japan market via free anti-virus software.
September 19, 2005... TOKYO, Sept. 14 Kyodo China's major software company Kingsoft Corp. on Wednesday started offering its popular anti-virus software for free on the Internet, becoming the first Chinese company to make a full-scale entry into the Japanese...

Matsushita to release smallest 3-CCD digital video camera.
September 19, 2005... OSAKA, Sept. 15 Kyodo Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. said Thursday it will release the smallest and lightest digital video camera of those adopting three charge-coupled devices. The SDR-S100 camera for high-quality pictures, to be...

Microsoft to launch new Xbox game console on Dec. 10 in Japan.
September 19, 2005... TOKYO, Sept. 15 Kyodo U.S. computer software giant Microsoft Corp. said Thursday it will launch its Xbox 360 game console on Dec. 10 in Japan after introducing the new product in North America on Nov. 22 and in Europe on Dec. 2. The...

LEAD: Japan's biggest video game show opens at Makuhari Messe.
September 19, 2005... CHIBA, Japan, Sept. 16 Kyodo (EDS: UPDATING INFO IN 4TH GRAF) Tokyo Game Show 2005, Japan's biggest video game console and software exhibition featuring products from a record 131 companies, opened at the Makuhari Messe convention...

Softbank, 6 TV networks to tie up on Net-based program distribution.
September 19, 2005... TOKYO, Sept. 16 Kyodo Softbank Corp. is in the final stage of negotiations for distributing through its Internet service the programs of six major television broadcasters, informed sources said Friday. After conducting trials of the...

Canon to start OEL panel, projection display operations.
September 26, 2005... TOKYO, Sept. 21 Kyodo Canon Inc. plans to start producing organic electroluminescent display panels and projection-type displays in the next two to three years, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported Wednesday. The new products will be part...

Mitsubishi, System Pro to set up information security venture.(ReEncryption Technologies formed)(Brief Article)
September 26, 2005... TOKYO, Sept. 22 Kyodo Mitsubishi Corp. said Thursday it and System Pro Co., a Yokohama-based software developer, will set up a joint venture Oct. 20 to provide information protection services. The venture, tentatively named...