Japan
”World's First High-Def Train Simulator Makes Train Operating Uber-Realistic
Train operators-in-training will no longer have to deal with plain, unrealistic, standard-definition simulations thanks to a new system that uses full HD video. Jointly developed by Fujitsu and video game maker Ongakukan, the world's most advanced train simulator uses variable-speed playback technology and HD video that was shot on actual train lines. More »On-the-Go Plastic Cover for Laptop a Ziploc by Any Other Name
Dust-proof and showerproof—although, despite the shower head-keyboard bunk-up in the picture, apparently not waterproof—this plastic laptop cover from Thanko is a glorified freezer bag. Available in A4 and B5 sizes, it is the plastic sofa cover of portable device accessories. Cost is around $20, and I suggest using Cling-film instead. [Thanko via Akihabara News]Japan's Most Advanced Massage Chair
This aired a few nights ago on Kinchan no Kasoh Taisho in Japan, a show apparently dedicated to the advancement of science, technology and the arts. We'd love to have one of these massage chairs in our own homes, because it looks super comfortable and not at all awkward. The only request we have? We want a female version. That'd be slightly softer and have more back support. [Japan Probe]iPhone 2.0 Firmware Will Have Handwriting Recognition, Go to Japan and China?
A blog on the Wretch.cc network (kinda like a Chinese blogspot) has screens from the Chinese version of iPhone's 2.0 firmware, detailing the new handwriting recognition. If it's real, which it seems to be, the new firmware will let people draw in characters with their fingers, then pick the closest approximation among choices that pop up.
More »Japan Gets Batman Bust With Batman Begins Blu-Ray Set
On July 23, Japan will get their chance to own Batman Begins on Blu-ray—about two weeks after it's released in the US. But while our gift set edition comes with story boards, script pages and a $7.50 movie credit towars Dark Knight, our friends in the Land of the Rising Sun get a 25-cm-high bust. Where's MY bust, Warner Entertainment? Why can't I get a miniature rendition of Christian Bale's hooded face to stare at me stoically from my mantle? I may not be Japanese, but I like creepy stuff too! The regular Blu-Ray will be around $47, the gift set edition is about $180.[AV Watch]Intravenous Vitamin Mix Bar Alleviate Stress, Aging
If you've ever watched that episode of House where the good doctor nurses his hangover by hooking himself up to an IV drip and said to yourself "I wish I could do that," you're in luck. Now in Japan, even people who aren't wisecracking M.D.s can get an IV drip pick-me-up at Tenteki10. Located in swanky Ebisu, Tokyo, the IV drip cafe features walk-in service with bags of fluids starting at $20 a pop. Their menu is quite varied. More »Japanese Porn Master Whacks It to 10,000 Dirty Pics a Day (While at Work)
Japanese bureaucrats apparently have the most amazing multi-tasking powers on earth. Topping the dude who basically wrote the Gundam Wikipedia while at work, a 57-year-old civil servant in Kinokawa was busted for beating it to 780,000 porn pages in nine months. That's 10,000 a day, 20 a minute at his most furious fapping. All on the job (maybe he could stop time, like Hiro). He was finally busted when he had tech support look at his computer after he picked up a virus—his coworkers thought nothing of the weird noises emanating from his cubicle. For nine months. The best part? The dude was only demoted. Probably for not being efficient enough. [The Inquirer]Japanese Somela Fast Dehydrator Sucks Water From Clothes With Your Help
Many people in Japan and other parts of Asia forego dryers in favor of just hanging out their clothes on a line. Whether it's for space conservation (quite likely) or out of habit, people there don't seem to be big on dryers. This Somela Fast Dehydrator, on the other hand, seems to be a quick and fairly easy way of drying your clothes in a trash can-sized appliance. It takes 3-5 minutes per article, but you need to hold onto the clothes while the dehydrator does its thing, so it's more suited for that one piece of clothing you need to wear "RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT'S MY LUCKY SHIRT OMG WHY DID YOU WASH IT YOU KNEW I HAD TO WEAR IT TODAY" to work than doing your whole load. [Rakuten via DVICE]Elaborate, Handmade Japanese Marble Mazes are Awesome
There's not a ton of info out there on these amazing, handmade marble mazes other than what's to be found in these Japanese YouTube videos, but we think they're cool enough to share with you anyways. Apparently, there's a subculture in Japan that makes really elaborate marble mazes that look like models from a train set or something. Check out the first one above, then hit the jump for two more. More »





